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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2a0a0de --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #52540 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/52540) diff --git a/old/52540-8.txt b/old/52540-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index beec4ea..0000000 --- a/old/52540-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7107 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Grip of Honor, by Cyrus Townsend Brady - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Grip of Honor - A Story of Paul Jones and the American Revolution - -Author: Cyrus Townsend Brady - -Release Date: July 9, 2016 [EBook #52540] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GRIP OF HONOR *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - 1. Page scan source: - https://books.google.com/books?id=4D_NBMwcGQUC - 2. The diphthong oe is represented by [oe]. - - - - - - -THE GRIP OF HONOR - - - - - - -[Illustration: "It seems to be made out properly and duly signed and -sealed," said the captain, slowly.] - - - - - - -THE GRIP OF HONOR - -_A Story of Paul Jones and the American -Revolution_ - - -BY -CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY -AUTHOR OF "FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY," "FOR THE FREEDOM -OF THE SEA," ETC. - - - - The fear o' Hell's a hangman's whip - To haud the wretch in order; - But where ye feel your honor grip, - Let that aye be your border; - Its slightest touches, instant pause-- - Debar a' side-pretences; - And resolutely keep its laws, - Uncaring consequences. - Burns - - - -NEW YORK -CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS -1908 - - - - - - -_Copyright, 1900_ -By Charles Scribner's Sons -_All rights reserved_ - - - - - - -TO - -COLONEL JOHN LEWIS GOOD, U. S. V., - -AND THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF -THE FIRST PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES VOLUNTEERS, - -MY COMRADES IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, - -THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. - - - - - - -Note - -The interests of the story require some slight variations from exact -history in the movements of the Serapis and the Bon Homme Richard -before their famous battle, for which the author asks the indulgence -of the reader. In all other respects it is believed the account of the -battle is sufficiently accurate to present a true picture of the most -famous single-ship action ever fought upon the seas. - - - - - - -Contents - -Book I -THEY MEET AND PART - - I A Stern Chase On A Lee Shore - II The Captor Captured - III A Gentle Pirate - IV Enter Major Coventry - V Swords Are Crossed On The Sand - VI The Master Player Takes A Hand - - -Book II -THEY MEET AGAIN - - VII After A Long Time - VIII Lady Elizabeth Does Not Know The Marquis de Richemont - IX The Picture On The Wall - X Lady Elizabeth Will Keep Her Word - XI O'Neill Will Keep His Honor - XII Gentlemen All - - -Book III -ON THE VERGE OF ETERNITY - - XIII A Desperate Move - XIV Almost The End - XV A Soldier and a Gentleman - - -Book IV -THE SELFISHNESS OF LOVE - - XVI In the Line of his Duty - XVII Differing Standards - - -Book V -IN THE HELL OF BATTLE, ALL - - XVIII The Boys in Command - XIX 'Tween Decks with the Men - XX The Indomitable Ego - XXI The Audacity of Despair - XXII Sinking, but Triumphant - - -Book VI -THE HAND OF GOD - - XXIII On Board the Serapis again - XXIV Not Guilty, My Lord - - - - - - -BOOK I -THEY MEET AND PART - - - - -THE GRIP OF HONOR - -CHAPTER I - -_A Stern Chase on a Lee Shore_ - - -"The wind is freshening; we gain upon her easily, I think, sir." - -"Decidedly. This is our best point of sailing, and our best wind, too. -We can't be going less than ten knots," said the captain, looking -critically over the bows at the water racing alongside. - -"I can almost make out the name on her stern now with the naked eye," -replied the other, staring hard ahead through the drift and spray. - -"Have you a glass there, Mr. O'Neill?" asked the captain. - -"Yes, sir, here it is," answered that gentleman, handing him a long, -old-fashioned, cumbrous brass telescope, which he at once adjusted and -focused on the ship they were chasing. - -"Ah!" said the elder of the two speakers, a small, slender man, -standing lightly poised on the topgallant forecastle with the careless -confidence of a veteran seaman, as he examined the chase through the -glass which the taller and younger officer handed him; "I can read it -quite plainly with this. The M-a-i-d--Maidstone, a trader evidently, -as I see no gun-ports nor anything that betokens an armament." He ran -the tubes of the glass into each other and handed it back, remarking, -"At this rate we shall have her in a short time." - -"She is a fast one, though," replied the other; "it's no small task -for anything afloat to show us her heels for so long a time; let me -see--it was six bells in the morning watch when we raised her, was it -not, sir?" - -"Yes, 'tis rather remarkable going for a merchant vessel, but we have -the heels of her and will get her soon unless she goes to the bottom -on those reefs round the Land's End yonder. It's a nasty place to be -tearing through in that wild way," he added thoughtfully. - -"Shall I give her a shot, sir, from the starboard bow-chaser?" - -"Not just yet; it would be useless, as we are not quite within range, -and she would pay no heed; besides, we shall have her without it, and -'tis hardly worth while wasting a shot upon her at present." - -The brief conversation took place forward upon the forecastle of the -American Continental ship Ranger, between her captain, John Paul -Jones, and her first lieutenant, one Barry O'Neill, Marquis de -Richemont, sometime officer in the navy of his Most Christian Majesty, -the King of France. O'Neill was the son of a marshal of France, an -Irish gentleman of high birth and position, who had gone out as a mere -lad with the young Stuart in the '45, and whose property had been -confiscated, and himself attainted and sentenced to death for high -treason. Fortunately he had escaped to the Continent, and had entered -the service of the King of France; where, through his extraordinary -ability and courage, coupled with several brilliant opportunities he -had made and enjoyed, he had risen to exalted station and great -wealth. He had always continued more or less of a conspirator in the -cause of the royal Stuarts, however, and his son, following in his -footsteps, had been mixed up in every treasonable Jacobite enterprise -which had been undertaken, and was under the same ban of the British -throne as was his father. - -When Paul Jones in the historic ship Ranger came to France, O'Neill, -moved by a spirit of adventure and his ever present desire to strike a -blow at King George, received permission to enter the American service -temporarily, with several other French officers. The Ranger was -already some days out on her successful cruise, when, early on a -morning in the month of April in the year 1778, they had sighted a -ship trying to beat around the Land's End. Sail had at once been made -in chase, and the stranger was now almost within the grasp of the -American pursuers. - -"It seems to me, sir," said O'Neill to the captain, "that unless she -goes about presently, she won't weather that long reef over beyond -her, where those breakers are." - -"Ay," said Jones; "and if she goes about, she's ours, and--" He paused -significantly. - -"If not, sir?" - -"She's God's!" added the captain, solemnly. - -The wind was blowing at a furious rate. The Ranger had a single reef -in her topsails, with her topgallant sails set above them. The masts -were straining and buckling like bound giants, and the ship quivered -and trembled like a smitten harpstring, as she pitched and plunged in -the heavy seas. The wind roaring through the iron-taut rigging, and -the wild spray dashing over the sides, rendered conversation almost -impossible. The motley crew of the Ranger were gathered forward, -clustering on the rail and lower shrouds, keeping of course at a -respectful distance from their captain and his first lieutenant, and -some of the other officers grouped near them. - -"She must tack, now," said Jones at last, "or she's lost. I know these -waters; I have sailed them many times when I was a boy. I doubt if -they can weather that reef even--By heavens! There's a woman on board -of her, too!" he exclaimed, as his keen eye detected the flutter of -drapery and a dash of color among a little group of men on the deck of -the Maidstone, evidently staring aft at her relentless pursuer. - -"See everything in readiness for quick work here. Gentlemen," -continued the captain, "to your stations all. Mr. O'Neill, remain with -me." The men hastened to their places at once, and a little silence -supervened. - -"You may give her a shot now, Mr. O'Neill," said Jones at last; "it -may bring them to tacking and save them from wreck. Pitch it alongside -of her; we don't want to hurt the woman, and it's not necessary to -touch the ship." - -"Clear away that starboard bow-chaser," called the lieutenant; and the -men, scarcely waiting for his word of command, cast loose the gun. -"Aft there, stand by to give her a touch of the helm!" he cried with -raised voice. - -"Ay, ay, sir," came the prompt reply. - -"Price," continued O'Neill to the captain of the piece, "you need not -hit her; just throw a shot alongside of her. Are you ready?" - -"All ready, sir," answered the old seaman, carefully shifting his quid -and squinting along the gun. - -"Luff!" shouted O'Neill, in his powerful voice. The quartermaster put -the wheel over a few spokes, and the Ranger shot up into the wind a -little and hung quivering a moment with checked way. - -"Give her a touch with the right-hand spike, lads," said old Price. -"Steady, shove in that quoin a little; easy there, overhaul those -tackles! All ready, sir." - -"Now!" cried O'Neill. - -A booming roar and a cloud of smoke broke out forward, and the ball -ricochetted along the water and sank just under the quarter of the -chase. - -"Let her go off again," cried O'Neill to the quartermaster, and a -moment later, as the sails filled and she heeled once more to the -wind; "very well dyce, enough off," he cried. - -"A good shot, Master Price, and a glass of grog for you presently in -reward," said Jones, quietly "Ah! we shall have some answer, at any -rate." - -At this moment a small red flag broke out from the gaff of the English -vessel. - -"Show our own colors aft there, though they can scarcely see them," -cried the captain; "he's a plucky one, that fellow. What's he doing -now? 'Fore Gad, he's got a gun over the quarter, a stern-chaser. Must -have arms on board." - -The Ranger was rushing through the water again at a rapidly increasing -rate, almost burying her lee cathead in the foaming sea under the -freshening breeze, and was now very near the Maidstone, which at this -moment discharged the small stern-chaser which had been dragged -astern, the shot from which passed harmlessly through the bellying -foresail above their heads. - -"Give her another, Price," said O'Neill, upon a nod from Jones. - -"Into her this time, sir?" - -"Yes, anywhere you like." - -The Ranger luffed again, losing a little distance as she did so, but -weathering appreciably on the stranger, and this time the flying -splinters from the stern of the chase showed that the shot had met its -mark. There was a sudden scattering of the men upon her quarter, and -most of them disappeared, but the young girl could be seen holding on -to the weather spanker vang, and apparently looking defiantly at them. -O'Neill took up the glass and examined her. - -"Faith, sir, she looks as pretty as she is brave. See for yourself, -sir," he added, as he handed the telescope to the captain, who took a -careful look at her through the glass. - -"You have a good eye for the beautiful," he replied, smiling, "even at -a long range. Secure the bow-chaser, sir; we are within musket range -of her." - -While this was being done, the Ranger had crept up on the stranger -till her bow began to overreach the weather quarter of the other -vessel. As they held on recklessly together, suddenly the speed of the -chase was diminished. Her helm was put down, and with sails quivering -and swaying she swung up into the wind. - -"We have her now," said Jones, springing on the rail and leaning over -forward; "nay, it's too late. Missed stays! By Heaven, she's in irons! -She's doomed! Aft there! steady with the helm! Give her a good full." - -In the next instant, with a crash heard above the roar of the storm -even upon the other ship, the ill-fated Maidstone drove upon the reef -broadside on. The shock of meeting was tremendous: her masts were -snapped short off like pipe stems; the howling gale jerked them over -the sides, where they thundered and beat upon the ship with tremendous -force. The girl disappeared. - -"Breakers ahead!" on the instant roared out a half-dozen voices in the -forecastle. - -"Breakers on the starboard bow!" came the wild cry from all sides. - -"Down with the helm, hard down!" shouted O'Neill, with a seaman's -ready instinct, without waiting for the captain. There was a moment of -confusion on the deck. - -"Steady with the helm, steady, sir!" cried Jones, in his powerful -voice, with an imperious wave of his hand. "Silence fore and aft the -decks! Every man to his station! Keep her a good full, quartermaster. -Keep that helm as you have it. Look yonder, sir," he added, pointing -to larboard to another danger. "Ready about, stations for stays! Aft -with you, Mr. O'Neill, and see that the helm is shifted exactly as I -direct. Make no mistake! Lively, men, for your lives!" - -The eager crew sprang to their stations. There was another moment or -two of confusion; and as they settled down, the silence was broken -only by the wind and the waves. The water was seething and whirling -under the forefoot of the Ranger. The reefs upon which the Maidstone -had crashed were dangerously near. But the keen eye of the captain had -seen on the other side a slender needle of rock over which the waves -broke in seething fury as it thrust itself menacingly out of the angry -ocean. They were right among the reefs, and only the most complete -knowledge and consummate seamanship could save them. It was there. - -To tack ship now and come up in the wind would throw them on the rocky -needle; to go off would bring them down upon the other reefs. Jones, -entirely master of the situation, perfectly cool in appearance, though -his eyes snapped and sparkled with fire, leaned out above the -knightheads and keenly scanned the sea before him. There was just room -for the Ranger to pass between the two reefs. A hair's breadth on -either side would mean destruction. As the captain watched the boiling -water he seemed to detect, through a slight change in the course, a -tremor in the hand on the wheel. - -"Aft there!" he shouted promptly, "what are you about? Steady with -that helm! No higher--nothing off!" - -"Ay, ay, sir," replied O'Neill, standing watchfully at the con; "I -will mind it myself." - -The crash of the breakers, as they writhed their white-crested heads -around the ship's bows and on either side, was appalling to every one. -They were right in them now--passing through them. The rocky needle on -the larboard hand slipped by and drew astern. The wreck of the -Maidstone was lost sight of in the flooding waves and driving spray of -a rising gale. The ship was roaring through the seas at a terrific -rate; the strain upon everything was tremendous; a broken spar, a -parted rope, meant a lost ship. - -"Very well dyce," cried the captain, casting a glance aloft at the -weather leech of the topsails shivering in the fierce wind, the -quivering masts and groaning yard-arms, the lee shrouds hanging slack, -the lee braces and head bowlines taut as strung wires, the tacks and -sheets and the weather shrouds as rigid as iron bars, the new canvas -like sheets of marble. The ship was heeled over until the lee channels -were almost awash, the spray coming in, in bucketsful, over the lee -cathead. She was ready if ever she would be; their fate was at the -touch. - -"Now!" shouted Jones, in a voice of thunder "Down with the helm! Over -with it! Hard over!" - -The old experienced seamen put the wheel over spoke by spoke, slowly -at first, then faster, until they finally hauled it down hard and -clung to it with all the strength of their mighty arms. - -"Helm's-a-lee, hard-a-lee," cried O'Neill at this moment. - -"Rise tacks and sheets," roared the captain. - -The ship shot up into the wind, straightened herself as its pressure -was removed from the sails, lost headway, the jibs swinging and -tugging in the gale, as she began to swing to larboard away from the -reef on the starboard side. She worked around slowly until the wind -began to come in over the starboard bow. - -"Haul taut!" shouted the watching captain; "mainsail haul!" - -The great yards, with their vast expanse of slatting, roaring, -threshing canvas, whirled rapidly around as the nimble crew ran aft -with the sheets and braces. The Ranger fell off quickly and drifted -down toward the needle, the after-sails aback. - -"Board that main tack there! Man the head braces; jump, men, lively! -Let go and haul!" - -There was a frightful moment,--would she make it? She stopped-- Ah, -thank God, they gathered way again, slowly, then faster. - -"Right the helm! Meet her--so. Steady! Get that main tack down now, -tail on to it, all of you, sway away! Get a pull on the lee braces, -Mr. O'Neill, and haul the bowlines. Ah! That's well done." - -They were rushing through it again; the white water and the breakers -were left behind. A sigh of relief broke from the reckless men, and -even the iron captain seemed satisfied with his achievement as he -walked aft to the quarter-deck. - -"Get a good offing, Mr. O'Neill," said the captain, "and then heave -to. First send the hands aloft to take in the to'gallant sails, and -then you may get a boat ready; we must see if there are any poor -creatures left on that ship yonder." - -"Very good, sir," replied the lieutenant, giving the necessary orders, -when presently the ship, easier under the reduced canvas, was hove to -in the beating sea. - -"Shall I take the weather whaleboat, sir?" - -"Yes," returned the captain, "I think you would better try to board -under her lee if it be possible to do anything among that wreckage. I -doubt if there be anybody left alive on her, but we can't afford to -risk the possibility, especially in the case of that woman whom you -found so beautiful," he added with a smile. - -"Ay, ay, sir," said the lieutenant, blushing beneath the bronze in -spite of himself, as he directed the boatswain to call away the -whaleboat, which, manned by six stout oarsmen, with himself at the -tiller, was soon cast into the heaving sea. Meanwhile the Ranger -filled away again and beat to and fro off the coast, taking care to -preserve the necessary offing, or distance from shore to leeward. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -_The Captor Captured_ - - -It was a long hard pull, and only the great skill of the officer -prevented their capsizing, before the whaleboat finally drew near the -Maidstone. The ship had hit the reef hard at flood-tide, and the waves -had driven her farther on. Every mast and spar was gone, wrenched away -by the storm and the waves. It was manifestly impossible to approach -upon the weather side without staving the boat, so O'Neill cautiously -rounded the stern of the wreck, and briefly considered the situation. - -He did not dare bring the boat near enough to enable him to leap upon -the deck through some of the great gaping openings in the sides made -by the tremendous battering of the massive spars, and he finally -concluded that the only practicable access to the Maidstone was by -means of some of the gearing trailing over the side and writhing about -snake-like in the water. Intrusting the tiller of the whaleboat to old -Price, the veteran gunner, he directed that it be brought alongside as -close as consistent with safety; and at exactly the right moment, as -they rose upon the crest of a wave, he sprang out into the water, and -clutched desperately at a rope hanging over the side of the wreck. - -The men swung the boat away from the ship instantly, and he found -himself clinging to a small rope wildly tossing about in the -tumultuous sea. He was dashed to and fro like a cork, the waves -repeatedly broke over his head, the life was almost buffeted out of -him, but he held on like grim death. Fortunately, the other end of the -rope was fast inboard. - -With careful skill, and husbanding his strength as much as possible, -he pulled himself along the rope through the water until he drew near -the side of the ship. Then, though the operation was hazardous in the -extreme, as he saw no other method, he began to pull himself up hand -over hand on the rope along the side. In his already exhausted state -and with the added weight of his wet, sodden clothing, the effort was -almost beyond his strength. - -He endeavored by thrusting with his foot to keep himself from being -beaten against the side by the waves, but without success, for when he -had hardly reached the rail, an unusually large breaker struck him -fairly in the back and dashed his head against a piece of jagged -timber, cutting a great gash in his forehead. Blood filled his eyes, -his head swam, a sick, faint feeling filled his breast, he hesitated -and nearly lost his grasp of the rope. The men in the tossing boat a -little distance away held their breath in terrified apprehension, but -summoning all his resolution to his aid, he made a last desperate -effort, breasted the rail, and fell fainting prone upon the deck of -the ship. - -A few moments in the cold water which was flooding over it revived him -somewhat, and he rose unsteadily to his feet, and looked about him in -bewilderment. The change from the tossing boat to the motionless -rigidity of the vise-held wreck was startling. There was not a sign of -life on the ship. She was breaking up fast; rails were stove in, boats -were gone, three jagged stumps showed where the masts had been, and -only the fact that she had been driven so high on the reefs prevented -her from foundering at once. There was a dead body jammed under the -starboard fife-rail forward, but no other sign of humanity. In front -of him was a hatchway, giving entrance to a small cuddy, or cabin, the -roof of which rose a few feet above the level of the deck. - -As he stood there, striving to recover himself, in a brief lull in the -storm he thought he heard a faint voice; it seemed to come from -beneath him. He at once turned, and with uncertain steps descended the -hatchway. Reaching the deck below, he stood in the way a moment, -brushing the blood from his eyes. As he gradually made out the details -of the cabin, dimly illuminated by a skylight above, he saw a woman on -her knees praying; she had her face buried in her hands, and did not -see him until he spoke to apprise her of his presence. - -"Madam," he began thickly. - -The woman raised her head with startled quickness, and gave him one -terrified glance. The glass had told him truly,--she was beautiful, -and young as well, scarcely more than a girl apparently; even the -dim gray light could not hide those things. As for him, he was an -awful-looking spectacle: wet, hatless, his clothing torn, a great red -wound in his forehead intensifying his pallor. He had a heavy pistol -in his belt and a cutlass swinging at his side. - -She stared at him in frightened silence and finally rose to her feet -deathly pale and apparently appalled; he saw that she was a little -above the medium height. At the same moment, from an obscure corner, -there rang out shriek after shriek, and another woman rushed forward, -threw herself on the deck at his feet and fairly grovelled before him. - -"Oh, sir, for God's sake, sir," she cried frantically, "good mister -pirate, don't hang us, sir! We never hurt nobody. Oh, sir, take us -away, we'll do anything, we-- - -"Silence, you coward!" commanded the other woman, imperiously. "Get -up! Prayers are of no avail with such as-- - -"Nor are they necessary, madam," replied O'Neill; "we are not pirates, -and I am come to save you and shall do it. Will you please come on -deck?" - -"I had rather gone down on the ship," said the girl, defiantly, -evidently disbelieving him; "but you are here, and you are master. -Give your orders, sir." - -"Very well," returned the lieutenant, calmly accepting the situation; -"you will go up on deck at once." The girl motioned him forward. - -"After you, madam," he said, bowing courteously, and she stepped -haughtily up the companion-way, followed next by her shivering, -shrinking, terrified maid, and lastly by O'Neill. - -"Are there any others left alive on the ship, think you, madam?" he -asked. - -"No one," answered the girl; "many were thrown overboard or killed -when we struck on these rocks here, and the rest abandoned us--the -cowards," was the reply. - -"Do you wait here a moment, while I take a look forward to assure -myself," said O'Neill, stepping rapidly across the raffle of rope -about the decks, and making a hasty inspection to make sure that no -unfortunate was left. Quickly satisfying himself that they were alone, -he returned to the quarter-deck where the two women stood. He looked -at them in some perplexity. It would be a matter of great difficulty -to get them back in the boat, but he promptly determined upon his -course of action; they would not like it, but that would be no matter. - -Signing to the coxswain, old Price, the boat which had been riding to -a long rope from the ship was skilfully brought alongside again as -near as was safe. One end of a long piece of loose gear was thrown -over to the boat, where it was made fast. A bight of the rope, -properly stoppered to prevent undue constriction, was passed around -the waist of the maid, at which all her terrors were resumed. - -"Oh, for God's sake, sir, for the love of Heaven, as you have a mother -or wife, do not hang us here! If we must die, let us drown on the ship -like good Christian people. Oh, please, good mister pirate--" - -But O'Neill was in no mood to pay attention to such trifling, and he -summarily fastened the bight around her waist, and lifting her upon -the rail, bade her jump. She clung to him with the tenacity of -despair, crying and shrieking in the most frantic manner, until -finally her overwrought nerves gave way, and she fainted. That was -just what he wanted. Singing out to old Price to haul in on the line, -and having taken a turn around a belaying pin with his end of it, he -promptly threw the girl into the water. Of course she was dragged -under at once, but in a moment was lifted safely into the whaleboat, -where she was shortly revived from unconsciousness by the ducking she -had received. - -"Now, madam, you see you need fear nothing," said O'Neill, -peremptorily, to the other woman. "I trust I shall not be compelled to -throw you in, too?" - -"Not at all, sir," she replied trembling violently, but striving to -preserve her self-control; "I presume you reserve me for a worse -fate." - -The young lieutenant started violently at the insult, and his face -clouded darkly at her suspicion. - -"I--no matter, I came to save you," he said, as he stepped toward her -to assist her to make the leap. - -"Please do not touch me," she answered disdainfully; "I am no fainting -fool. Give me the rope. What is it you wish me to do?" - -"Pass it around your waist. Allow me. Now stand there, madam, and when -I say the word, jump!" - -"Very well," she said, stepping upon the rail resignedly, where -perforce he was compelled to hold her to keep her from falling. - -How glorious and splendid she looked, he thought, with her unbound -hair floating like golden sunlight in the wind against the background -of the gray day, while her sea-blue eyes looked boldly over the black -water from her proud, white, handsome face. - -"Now!" he said, as the boat rose toward them. Without a moment's -hesitation, she leaped into the air, and after a swift passage through -the water she was hauled into the boat by the rough but kindly hands -of the old sailor. Making the end of the rope fast around his own -waist, O'Neill, watching his opportunity, sprang after; but he seemed -fated for misfortune that day, for a bit of timber torn that moment -from the wreck struck him in the head just as he touched the water, -and it was a fainting, senseless man Price hauled into the boat. The -old seaman laid his officer down in the stern-sheets where the young -girl was sitting with her maid crouching at her feet. Necessarily he -lay in a constrained position,--there was nothing to support his head -but a boat-stretcher. - -She gazed upon his pallid face with its disfiguring wounds; he was a -murderous pirate, no doubt, and deserved it all, still he had saved -her life; the Maidstone was breaking up; he was so handsome too, and -he looked like a gentleman. She was a woman, well--then the womanly -instincts of the girl asserted themselves, and she finally moved her -position and lifted the head of the unconscious sailor to her knee. -Taking a handkerchief from her neck, she dipped it in the salt water -and bathed his head and then poured between his lips a few drops from -the flask of rum which Price handed her, after the old man had -insisted that she take a draught of the fiery liquid herself. - -Under these pleasant ministrations O'Neill opened his eyes for a -moment, gazed up into her face with a smiling glance, and closing his -eyes immediately, lest she should release him, he lay quite still -while the men pulled away toward the Ranger, and in that manner they -reached her side. His heart was beating wildly; that look had been -enough. She was his prisoner--but her captor was captured! - - - - -CHAPTER III - -_A Gentle Pirate_ - - -Eager eyes on the ship had noted the every movement of the whaleboat -as she drew near the Ranger. Old Price saw that a whip and a -boatswain's chair had been rigged on the main-yardarm to swing his -passengers on board. The sight of the dangling rope awakened a fresh -fit of apprehension on the part of the timorous maid, and it was with -great difficulty that the amused seaman persuaded her that she was not -to be hanged outright. Entirely unconvinced, but resigning herself to -her fate, she finally sat down on the small board and was swung to the -gangway. - -Her mistress gently laid the head of the prostrate officer against one -of the thwarts, and, leaving the handkerchief as a rest for it, -followed the maid. Then the old coxswain secured the lieutenant to the -chair, and when he had reached the deck, where he opened his eyes and -recovered consciousness with incredible promptness, the boat was -dropped astern, the falls hooked on, and she was smartly run up to her -place at the davits, and the Ranger filled away. O'Neill was at once -assisted below to his cabin, and his wounds, which were not serious, -were attended to by the surgeon. - -When the young woman joined her maid on the deck, her glance -comprehended a curious picture. In front of her, hat in hand, bowing -low before her, stood a small, dapper, swarthy, black-avised, -black-haired man, in the blue uniform of a naval officer. He had the -face of a scholar and a student, with the bold, brilliant, black eyes -of a fighter. Surrounding him were other officers and several young -boys similarly dressed. Scattered about in various parts of the ship, -as their occupation or station permitted, were a number of rude, -fierce, desperate-looking men, nondescript in apparel. None of the -navies of the world at that date, except in rare instances, uniformed -its men. On either side of the deck black guns protruded through the -ports, and here and there a marine, carrying a musket and equipped in -uniform of white and green, stood or paced a solitary watch. - -"I bid you welcome to my ship, madam; so fair a face on a war-vessel -is as grateful a sight as the sun after a squall," said the officer, -elaborately bowing. - -"Sir," said the young woman, trembling slightly, "I am a person of -some consideration at home. My guardian will cheerfully pay you any -ransom if you spare me. I am a woman and alone. I beg you, sir, to use -me kindly;" she clasped her hands in beseeching entreaty, her -beautiful eyes filling with tears. - -At this signal the fears of the maid broke out afresh, and she plumped -down on her knees and grasped the captain around the legs, bawling -vociferously, and adding a touch of comedy to the scene. - -"Oh, sir, for the love of Heaven, sir, don't make us walk the plank!" -It would seem that the maid had been reading romances. - -The seamen near enough to hear and see grinned largely at this -exhibition, and the captain, with a deep flush and a black frown on -his face, struggled to release himself. - -"Silence, woman!" he cried fiercely, at last. "Get up from your knees, -or, by Heaven, I will have you thrown overboard; and you, madam, for -what do you take me?" - -"Are you not a--a pirate, sir?" she answered, hesitating. "They told -me on the ship that you--" - -"No pirate am I," interrupted the man, proudly, laying his hand on his -sword. "I am an officer, and, with these gentlemen, am in the service -of the United States of America, the new Republic--this is the -American Continental ship Ranger. You are as safe with us as you would -be in your own parlor at home. Safer, in fact; there you would be -surrounded by servants; here are men who would die to prevent harm -coming to you-- Is it not so, gentlemen?" - -A deep chorus of "Ay, ay's" rang through the air. The captain -continued with sudden heat,-- - -"'Fore God, madam, I don't understand how you could insult me with an -offer of money!" - -"Oh, sir," said the girl, visibly relieved, "they told me that you -were a pirate, and would murder us all. Are you not--" - -"Captain John Paul Jones, at your service, madam," interrupted the -little officer, with another bow, thrusting his hand in his bosom. - -"Yes," said the young woman; "they said it would be you. Why, every -news-letter in the land describes you as--as--" - -"Pirate, madam, say it; you have not hesitated to speak the word -heretofore. A rebel--a traitor--a pirate," he said, throwing up his -head proudly,--"'tis a penalty which one pays for fighting for -freedom; but you, at least, shall be able to speak unequivocally as to -our character, for I pledge you my word you shall take no harm from -us, though I doubt not my young gentlemen here will be raked fore and -aft by the batteries of your bright eyes. Now will you vouchsafe me -your name and some of your story, that I may know with whom I have to -do?" - -"My name is Howard, sir,--Elizabeth Howard," replied the girl, -brightening as her fears diminished. "I am the ward of Admiral Lord -Westbrooke, the governor of Scarborough Castle. I have no father nor -mother." - -"Another claim upon our consideration, ma'am." - -"Sir, I thank you. I was going to visit friends in Liverpool when that -unfortunate ship there was wrecked. Oh, what will become of me now?" -she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears again. - -"Liverpool lies in our way, Mistress Howard, and 'twill give me great -pleasure to land you upon some convenient point on the coast in a few -days if the wind hold, and no mischance arise; and now may I present -my officers to you, since we are to be fellow-passengers all." - -Upon receiving the desired permission from the grateful girl, in whose -pale cheek the color began to come again, the captain, who was a great -stickler for etiquette, brought forward the little group of officers -and introduced them one by one. There was much bowing and courtesying -on the quarter-deck, which even the seamen seemed to enjoy. - -"This is all, I believe," said the captain, having stopped with the -smallest midshipman, who announced himself in his boyish treble, in -comical imitation of his elders, as, "vastly honored, madam." - -"The gentleman who brought me here?" questioned the girl, blushing -faintly; "I trust he is not seriously injured?" - -"Ah!" replied Jones, "my first lieutenant, Mr. Barry O'Neill, a -volunteer with us, and an officer in the service of his most Christian -Majesty, my friend, the King of France." On the ship O'Neill had -elected to sink his marquisate. - -"He is not much hurt, Mistress Howard, only battered about a bit and -pulled down by the nervous shock and efforts he underwent--why, here -he is now! Did I not warn you, sir, to stay below?" said the doctor, -shaking his finger, as O'Neill, pale and languid, with his head bound -up, came slowly up the companion-way. - -"Oh, I am all right, doctor," said the lieutenant, rather weakly, but -smiling with the audacity and gallantry of his race as he spied the -girl. "Who would stay below with divinity on the deck? The thought of -the presence of this lady above him would lift a crusader from his -tombstone." - -"Allow me to present you in due form to Mistress Howard, Mr. O'Neill," -said the captain, somewhat severely, evidently very desirous of -observing the proprieties now. - -"Sir," said the young girl, looking gratefully at the Irishman out of -her violet eyes, "I have to thank you for a most gallant rescue, made -doubly hard by my perversity and foolish apprehension, which this -gentleman," bowing to the flattered captain, "has most kindly -removed." - -"'Twas a pleasure to serve you, madam. May I continue to enjoy it. We -would sink another ship for such another chance," said the Irishman, -lightly. - -"Now I propose to give up one of my cabins to Mistress Howard and her -maid," said the captain; "and I presume that she will need to rest -after the exciting incidents of the day until supper is served. If you -are able, Mr. O'Neill, I should like to have you join us there, with -Mistress Howard's permission, of course, since the ship is hers." He -smiled toward her, and when he smiled he was irresistible. - -"I am honored, sir," replied the girl, graciously. "And I thank you. -Captain, I shall be delighted," continued the young lady, laying her -hand in his own, as he led her aft to the cabin door in the break of -the poop. Before she entered, she turned and made a graceful courtesy; -her glance swept toward the young lieutenant--O'Neill from that moment -was no longer a captive--he was a slave. - -"Gentlemen, good-afternoon," she said, comprehending them in one -brilliant look, and smiling again--it was enough; that glance had -given O'Neill any number of rivals. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -_Enter Major Coventry_ - - -Three days later the Ranger, under all plain sail, in a gentle breeze, -was slowly ploughing along through the Irish Sea, off the English -coast, near the mouth of the Mersey. The whaleboat, manned by six of -the smartest seamen, armed with cutlass and pistol, and dressed in -their best clothes, old Price being coxswain again, was just being -made ready. The ship was presently hove to, and a side ladder was -dropped overboard at the gangway where Miss Elizabeth Howard and her -maid were standing waiting for the lowering of the whaleboat, and -around which the officers of the deck speedily congregated. - -They were a sorrowful lot of men, these impressionable sailors, for -O'Neill was not alone in his captivity. True to his promise, Captain -Jones had shifted his course, and was about to land his fair -passenger. He had chosen to put her ashore upon a rocky beach four or -five miles away from a fort at Birkenhead, which guarded the mouth of -the river which gave entrance to the harbor, not caring to venture his -ship in any closer proximity to the fortifications and the war-vessels -probably in the river. It was a risky performance at best, but he -trusted to the known speed of the Ranger and his own seamanship to -effect his escape in case the ship should be discovered and pursued in -force. - -Once on shore, it would not be a difficult matter for the lady and her -maid to procure a conveyance to take them to the city a little farther -inland. The melancholy duty of landing the two women, by special -request, had been allotted to the first lieutenant, much to the -disgust of the various midshipmen who conceived that the matter of -taking charge of boats appertained more properly to one of their -number. - -The farewells were soon spoken by the grateful girl to the officers, -who had done their very best in making the days pass pleasantly and -lightening the tedium of the voyage, and to the captain, who had been -kindness and consideration itself. The young lieutenant, still -somewhat pale from his adventure, had clothed himself in a handsome -full-dress uniform, and, with a splendidly jewelled sword swinging by -his side, came on deck from his cabin, the envy of all the others. - -The ship had been hove to, the accommodation ladder shipped, the -whaleboat was lying at the gangway now, and the three passengers at -once took their places in the stern. - -"See Miss Howard safely landed, Mr. O'Neill," said the solicitous -captain, leaning over the rail, "and assure yourself, as far as -possible, of her ability to reach the town without harm, and then -return at once; in any event, do not leave the beach. We will watch -you, sir." - -"Ay, ay, sir," answered O'Neill. "Shove off--out oars--give way!" and -the little boat at once shot away from the side, and, under the -impetus given by the watchful men, dashed toward the not distant -shore. - -Miss Howard should have been radiantly happy at leaving the Ranger, -and in her proximity to Liverpool, where she was about to meet not -only friends and family connections, but one who was destined to be -something more. This person was Major Edward Coventry, a gallant and -distinguished young officer, the son and heir of her guardian, Lord -Westbrooke, and to whom for many years--from infancy, in fact--she had -been betrothed. But an unaccountable tinge of sadness hovered over her -lovely face, though she strove to conceal it under an affectation of -lightness and gayety. - -As for O'Neill, he made no effort whatever to hide his misery. The -impressionable young Irishman had fallen deeply in love with Elizabeth -Howard. He had fallen in love a thousand times before, but not in this -way; and the heart which had withstood the successful assaults of the -brilliant beauties of the gay court of France had literally succumbed -at the first sight of this beautiful English girl whom benignant -fortune had thrown across his path. - -She, and she only, was his fate, then and thereafter. A new and -hitherto unknown feeling had been excited in his heart at the sight of -her. In that hour in the boat when he lay with his head upon her knee, -when he had looked up at her, heaven had opened before his gaze, and -to his disordered fancy she had seemed an angel. Each passing moment -discovered in her a new charm, and he loved her with the impetuosity -of a boy, the doting passion of an old man, and the consecration of a -devotee. - -With the daring of his race, he had not hesitated to acquaint the girl -with his passion, either, though it was stale news to her; there is -nothing a woman discovers more quickly and more certainly than the -feelings of a man who loves her. That she had laughed at his ardor had -not in the least deterred him from persisting in his attentions, which -she had not found unwelcome, for he thoroughly understood the value of -determined pursuit. She had told him that they were like two ships -sailing the great sea, whose paths happened to cross for a moment. -They meet, nod to each other, and pass on; the deep swallows them up, -and they see each other no more forever. - -He had vowed and protested that it would not be so; that England was a -little country and Admiral Westbrooke a great man; that she could not -be anywhere without attracting the attention of the world,--she could -by no means hide her light; that he would withdraw from the American -service, which he could honorably do at the expiration of the present -cruise, and search the whole island until he found her,--all of which -was pleasant for her to hear, of course, though it elicited no more -favorable reply. She was attracted to the young man: his handsome -person, his cultured mind, his charming manners were such that no -one--no woman, that is--could be indifferent to them; but she did not -love him, at least not yet. - -Elizabeth Howard was a woman to make a man fall desperately in love -with her, and many men had done so. She was tall and graceful, -golden-haired, blue-eyed, and of noble presence. She was proud, she -was wise, she was witty, she was tender, she was contemplative, she -was gay, she was sad, she was joyous, in different moods. Days, years -even, could not exhaust the charms of her infinite variety, though far -down beneath the surface of her nature were the quiet deeps of -constancy and devotion,--what plummet could sound them, who should -discover them? There was about her that indefinable air of one born -for homage and command which speaks of generations to whom have been -accorded honor and place unquestioned. - -It was not a long row to the land; and as they approached the -rugged coast, the young lieutenant eagerly scanned the shore for a -landing-place. Steering around a little promontory which hid them from -the Ranger, he discovered a stretch of sandy beach under its lee, and -the boat was sent in its direction until the keel grated on the soft -sand. It was a lonely spot, a little stretch of sand ending inland, -and on one side in precipitous rocks over which a wandering pathway -straggled unevenly to the heights above. The other end of the beach -gave entrance, through a little opening, or pass in the rocks, upon a -country road which wandered about inland, losing itself under some -trees a mile or so away. - -On the rocky promontory back of, and at one end of the beach, there -was a small lighthouse; and several miles from the beach in the other -direction, at the end of the road probably, was a castle or fort, the -flag floating lazily from the staff indicating that it was garrisoned. -Springing lightly from the boat, O'Neill stepped recklessly into the -water alongside. Miss Howard rose to her feet and looked anxiously -about her. - -"Allow me," said O'Neill; and then, without waiting for permission, he -lifted her gently in his arms and carried her to the shore. "Would -that all the earth were water, and that I might carry you forever," he -said, as he put her down upon the sand. - -"You would not like heaven, then?" she replied, jesting. - -"I find my present experience of it delightful, madam; but why do you -say that?" he asked anxiously. - -"Because there, we are told, there will be no more sea!" she answered -with well-simulated gayety. - -"'Tis a poor place for a sailor, then," he replied gravely, in no mood -for badinage, "and I fear few of them will get there." - -Price, who had followed his officer's example with the maid, now -stepped up to him for his orders, necessarily interrupting the -conversation. - -"Price," he said to that intrepid old sailor, "you may go back to the -boat and shove off, and keep her under the lee of that little point -until I call you. Keep a sharp lookout, too." - -"Ay, ay, sir," said the old sailor, turning to fulfil the command. - -"Now I suppose the time has come for me to say good-bye to Lieutenant -O'Neill," said Elizabeth. - -"Oh, not yet, Miss Howard; I cannot leave you here alone until I know -that you are safe." - -"But your duty, sir?" - -"A gentleman's, a sailor's, first duty is always toward a helpless -woman, especially if she is-- - -"His prisoner, you would say, I suppose?" she said, interrupting -hastily. That was not at all what he had intended to say, but he let -it pass. - -"You know who is prisoner, now and forever, Miss Howard." - -"If you refer to Lieutenant O'Neill, I will release him now and -forever as well, at once, sir," she said archly. - -"You cannot." - -"As you will, sir," she replied; "but as I happen to see several -horsemen coming down the road yonder, I imagine you will not be -detained from your ship a very long time. Let us go forward to meet -them; perhaps they can give us some information." - -The horsemen, evidently an officer and two orderlies who were -galloping toward the beach, at this moment noticed the boat party and -probably the Ranger itself. They reined in their horses at once, and -the officer apparently gave some directions to one of the others, for -he saluted, turned his horse about in the road, and galloped rapidly -back in the direction of the castle. The officer then trotted hastily -forward, followed by the remaining man, and looking intently ahead of -him until he reached the vicinity of the little group, he dismounted, -and handing the bridle to the soldier, bade him wait where he was. He -came forward fearlessly, with one hand on his sword, the other holding -a pistol which he had taken from the holster. He was a young and -handsome man in a new and brilliant scarlet uniform. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -_Swords are Crossed on the Sand_ - - -"Lady Elizabeth, you here?" he exclaimed, stopping short in great -surprise, when he was near enough to recognize them. "What is the -meaning of this?" He stood a moment as if petrified, and then came -nearer. "Who is this person?" he demanded imperiously. Elizabeth -started violently. - -"Major Coventry! Edward!" she cried. - -"Are you a 'Lady,' madam?" said O'Neill, in equal surprise, addressing -the astonished girl and paying no attention to the officer. - -"For what else do you take her, sir?" interrupted the officer, -bristling with indignation. - -"Faith, sir, I would take her 'for better or worse,' an I could," -replied the Irishman, smiling. - -"Unfortunately for you, that is a privilege I propose to exercise -myself," said the Englishman, sternly. - -"The world will doubtless share my regret, sir," said the Irishman, -audaciously, a bitter pang in his breast at this unlooked for news. - -"Now I wish to know who you are and how you come here and what you are -doing,--an explanation, sir!" asked the officer. - -"I am not accustomed to give explanations save to those who have the -right to demand them," replied O'Neill. - -"I have two rights, sir." - -"They are?" - -"First, I am betrothed to this young lady," said the officer. "Second, -this," laying his hand upon his sword. - -"Either of these may be sufficient from your point of view, neither of -them from mine. As to the first, I refer you to the young lady -herself: I will have it from her own lips, or not at all; as to the -second, you will see I have a similar right of my own." - -"Will you, Lady Elizabeth," said the young officer, addressing her -formally, "have the goodness to inform me how you came here and who -this person is, or shall I force the knowledge from him?" - -"If you wish him to have the information, Miss Howard, you would, I -think, better give it him. Otherwise I do not see how he is to get -it," said O'Neill, grimly, his dark face flushing with anger. - -"This gentleman," said the girl, faintly, pointing to the officer, "is -Major Edward Coventry, the son of my guardian, Admiral Westbrooke." - -"And your betrothed, Elizabeth; you forget that," added Coventry. - -"I almost wish I could," she replied sharply, gathering courage. "You -remind me of it too constantly for it to be pleasant, and at no time -so inopportunely as at the present." - -The Englishman, in great astonishment and perturbation, opened his -mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by the quicker Irishman. - -"Why so, Mistress Howard?" - -"Lady Elizabeth, if you please, sir," said Coventry. - -"Lady Elizabeth, then. I thank you, sir, for the reminder," answered -O'Neill, suavely. "Your friends on the Ranger are all interested in -your welfare, and I am sure they are glad in my person to meet with -and congratulate the fortunate gentleman who aspires to your hand." He -smiled bitterly at her as he spoke. - -"Will you tell me or not, Lady Elizabeth, who this person is and how -you came here?" said Coventry, impatiently, with mounting choler at -all this by-play. - -"This is a lieutenant of the American Continental ship Ranger, Captain -John Paul Jones-- - -"The d----d, murdering pirate!" exclaimed Coventry, hotly. - -"Stop!" cried O'Neill, stepping forward with his hand upon his sword. -"You shall neither swear before a lady, nor shall you in this -scandalous manner disparage the ship of which I have the honor to be -the first lieutenant, nor asperse the character of her captain. -Withdraw your words, or you shall answer to me with that which hangs -by your side." - -"I fight only with gentlemen," said Coventry, coldly. - -"My custom," replied O'Neill, promptly, "is in the main the same as -your own; but I sometimes make exceptions, which I am willing to do in -this instance. I require you immediately, instantly, to apologize to -me for your remarks." - -"And if I refuse?" - -"I shall strike them down your throat with my hand." - -"'S death, sir! How dare you, a beggarly adventurer, talk thus to me, -an officer, a major in the army of his Gracious Majesty King George, a -Coventry, a Westbrooke!" - -"If you were an angel from heaven 'twould make no difference to me, -for I would have you know, sir, that I am of as good a house as--ay, a -better than--your own, a descendant of kings-- - -"An Irishman, I infer?" said Coventry, sneering. - -"You are correct, sir, and my people have been chieftains for thirty -generations." - -"Ah, in Ireland?" The manner of the question made it another insult, -but O'Neill restrained himself under the great provocation and -answered coldly: - -"Where else, sir, and where better? As for me, I am temporarily an -officer of yonder ship, the Ranger, flying the flag of the American -Republic, but I am a lieutenant in the navy of his Majesty Louis XVI. -My father is a marshal of France. Will you draw now?" he cried, -stepping forward impetuously. - -"A brilliant array of titles surely; pity it lacks other confirmation -than your word. I scarcely comprehend the catalogue," replied -Coventry, coldly. - -"I shall endeavor to enlighten you as to my credibility with this," -said O'Neill, drawing his sword. "Now will you fight or not?" - -"And if I persist in my refusal?" asked Coventry, who was playing for -time. - -"At this juncture I shall be under the painful necessity of killing -you in the presence of your betrothed, so draw, my dear sir, if not -for honor, for-- - -"What?" - -"Life!" - -"On guard!" cried the Englishman, whipping out his sword. - -"Stop!" cried Elizabeth, springing between their swords. "He saved my -life at the risk of his own." - -"D--n him!" said the Englishman, grinding his teeth. - -"Your condemnation comes too late, sir," said O'Neill, with bitter -emphasis, with an expressive glance at Elizabeth, who continued -impetuously: - -"This gentleman treated me with the most distinguished courtesy." - -"I wish that he had exhibited some of it here," interrupted Coventry -again. - -"I have but followed your own example," retorted O'Neill, calmly. - -"Will you hear me in silence, Edward? They are not pirates--" - -"I call them so," said Coventry, stubbornly. - -"Enough, Lady Elizabeth," said O'Neill, taking his share in the -conversation again. "Two lovers are sometimes an embarrassment of -riches. This seems to be one of the times. If you will stand aside, I -trust that a few moments will rid you of one or the other of them." - -"I will not go!" said the girl, defiantly. "You shall not fight; you -have nothing to quarrel about." - -"We have you, or rather he has," responded the Irishman. - -"Withdraw, I beg of you, Elizabeth. This matter must be settled," said -Coventry, in his turn. - -"I will not, I tell you!" persisted the girl, determinedly. "If you -fight, you will fight through me." - -"We are doing that now," said O'Neill, savagely. "Will you withdraw, -madam?" - -"I repeat it, I will not, and I wish to remind you that I do not like -your tone. You are not on the deck of your ship now, sir." - -"Oh, am I not? Boat ahoy, there! Price," cried O'Neill, waving his -hand. A few strokes brought the whaleboat to the shore again. The crew -were eager to take a hand in the fray. "Coxswain, come here," said the -officer. - -"Ay, ay, sir," replied the sailor; and while the other two stood -wondering, the veteran seaman rolled up to them and saluted his -lieutenant with a sea scrape. "Want us to take a hand in this yere -little scrimmage, yer Honor?" - -"No. Take this lady and her maid to that clump of rocks yonder." - -"That's easy; 'tain't no fightin' at all, that. Come along, yer -Leddyship," said the old man, in great disappointment, as the boat -shoved off again. - -"You monster!" cried Elizabeth, stamping her foot on the sand. "You -are a pirate, after all!" - -"As you say, madam. Stop, sir!" said O'Neill to Coventry, who made a -move to approach the sailor. "My man will do no harm to her Ladyship, -and you have other matters to attend to, unless you wish to shelter -yourself behind a woman's petticoats." - -Coventry had been playing for more time, but this was more than he -could stand. "I think you have said enough, sir, and if you are -ready," he said, "we will talk in another fashion." - -"At your service," said the Irishman, composedly. Two swords flashed -in the air simultaneously, and rang against each other with deadly -purpose a moment after. Both men were masters of the weapon. Coventry -had been thoroughly trained in the more direct English school; while -O'Neill was a master of all the graceful tricks of the subtle fence of -France and Italy. It was as pretty a play--parry and thrust--as one -could hope to see, and for a time the advantage was with neither one -of them. Elizabeth stood with clasped hands, her face pale with -emotion, her lips parted, eagerly watching. The maid as usual was -furnishing a comic side to the scene by her screams of "murder--help!" -while the sailors were deeply interested in the two combatants. - -Finally, after one especially vicious thrust on the part of Coventry, -whose foot slipped a little, a clever parry, followed by a dashing -_riposte en quarte_, which was met and returned with less skill than -usual, O'Neill, with a graceful turn of the wrist, whirled the -Englishman's sword from his hand. It flew up into the air and fell -clanging on the rocks some distance away. - -Coventry was unarmed and helpless before a bitter enemy. He was the -stronger of the two, and it flashed into his mind to spring upon his -antagonist suddenly, catch him in his arms, and overcome him by brute -force; but the glittering point of his enemy's sword, shivering in the -sunlight like a serpent's tongue, effectively barred the way. He had -played the game and lost. If he must die in the presence of his love, -he would do it like a gentleman, on the sword's point. - -"Strike, sir!" he said hoarsely, with one quick glance toward Lady -Elizabeth, who stood perfectly motionless, looking on in terror. She -would have run forward had it not been for old Price. - -"Oh, he will be killed, he will be killed!" wailed the maid. - -"Sir Englishman, pick up your sword," said O'Neill, lowering his -point. - -"Sir Irishman," said the other, bowing, "men may call you pirate--" - -"Not with impunity, sir," interrupted the touchy O'Neill. - -"That I grant you. I was about to add that, whatever they call you, -you fight like a gentleman; and it will give me great pleasure to -testify to your personal worth at every convenient season. Will you -permit me, though I do not know your name, to call you my friend?" - -There is a great educational value in the point of a naked sword, and -it may account for the sudden change which came over Coventry. - -"I shall esteem myself honored, sir. My name is O'Neill, Barry -O'Neill, at your service." - -"I shall remember it. You have not only saved the life of Lady -Elizabeth Howard, but now you have given me my own." - -"Thus am I the prince of match-makers," said O'Neill, bitterly. "I -would that I had lost mine in one of the savings!" - -"Now, sir," continued Coventry, disregarding this last remark, "if you -would be advised by me, withdraw while you may yet do so in safety." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -_The Master Player takes a Hand_ - - -At this moment, a number of red-coated soldiers clambered down the -path in the rocks, while a squad of cavalry came galloping upon the -beach by the road at the other end, and, at once dismounting, advanced -up the strand. The seamen in the boat, in obedience to a wave of -O'Neill's hand, swept her in toward the shore, jumped out, and moved -toward him, drawing their cutlasses and handling their pistols -threateningly; though they were greatly outnumbered, they would not -give up without a struggle. It was Coventry's opportunity now. - -"I shall not be able to indulge your desire for the loss of your -life," he said, stepping back and picking up his sword, "but I fear -that duty imposes upon me the necessity of depriving you of your -liberty--I regret the necessity, believe me, 'tis a poor return for -your generosity, but I have no option." - -"What mean you?" - -"You are, by your own statements, a rebel against his Majesty. It is -my duty as commander of this post and a loyal servant of the king to -apprehend you. Indeed, I have been especially charged to look out for -you. I will promise you and your men the best of treatment, however, -and you liberty of action, if you will give me your parole." - -"I am twice captured then, it seems," said the lieutenant, looking at -Elizabeth, who had come forward as soon as old Price, who had left -her, had sprung to his officer's side. As the girl drew near to him, -and Major Coventry turned away his head a moment to give an order, the -Irishman said to her: - -"Why did you not call out to save your lover a moment since?" - -"It was not necessary," she said, looking at him with eyes filled -with tears. "I knew what you would do." Delay was dangerous to -him,--Coventry was posting his men; he hesitated a moment, however, -and taking her hand bowed low over it. - -"Thank you," he whispered gratefully. "This word, and you, I shall -remember." - -"And I," said the girl, her eyes filling with tears, "will never -forget--" - -"Come, sir," said Coventry, dryly, turning at this moment, having -finished his dispositions. "I think you overstep the privileges of a -parole; and if you will have your men lay down their arms, we will go -up to the castle. I have sent for a carriage for you, Elizabeth, which -will be here shortly." - -"Do you know," said O'Neill, "that I have a mind to say to you that I -might as well die right here as at any place else, and I do not think -I shall go to that castle, after all. There are seven of us here--" - -"Close in there!" sharply shouted Coventry to his soldiers, who obeyed -him promptly. "Make ready!" - -"Handle your pistols, men," cried the other, whipping out his own; but -again Elizabeth interfered in the fray. She ran between the American -seamen and the English soldiers with outstretched hands. - -"Stop!" she cried. "There must be no further fighting here. This -gentleman came to this spot to do me a favor, to set me free. My life -is his--" - -"I give it back to you," cried O'Neill. - -"And yours, Major Coventry, was his also," she added reproachfully. - -"I give it to him as well; and if any more lives are wanted, anybody -can have mine for the taking," interrupted the sailor again. - -"This must go no further," continued the girl. - -"And it shall not, madam," cried a deep, clear voice, as one of the -cutters of the Ranger, filled to the gunwales with heavily armed men, -and with a swivel in the bow and a man standing over it with a lighted -match in his hand, came sweeping around the headland and dashing in -toward the shore. It was under the command of Jones himself, who had -grown impatient at the delay. - -"I am sorry to interrupt a _tête-à-tête_, gentlemen," he cried. - -"You are beaten again, Major Coventry," said O'Neill, calmly. "The -odds are in our favor now. Throw down your arms instantly, you dogs," -he shouted to the English soldiers. "Back! Out of the way, Miss -Howard." - -He sprang to her side, and clasping her around the waist as if she had -been a child, lifted her out of the line of fire. The jealous Coventry -noticed two things,--he did not release her, nor did she struggle to -get away. The sullen soldiers rallied about Coventry and presented -their arms threateningly; they had no mind either to yield without a -fight. - -"Stand by!" shouted Jones to the marines in his boat and to the -gunners forward. - -"Stop, for God's sake stop, Captain Jones! You have been good to me," -cried Elizabeth, now struggling faintly to escape from the grasp of -O'Neill. "I know that you are a gentleman. That officer is my -betrothed. Withhold your fire. They will retire. There must be no -blood shed. You promised to set me free and in safety ashore and leave -me there. Go, I entreat you!" - -"Steady, lads, steady!" cried Jones, stepping out of the boat. "And -you, sir," to the English officer, "will you withdraw quietly, taking -your lady with you, of course, if we engage to do the same? You are -outnumbered, and we can cut you to pieces. Take the word of an older -fighter, your honor will be safe, sir." - -"You are right, sir, 'tis best. I must needs submit, I suppose," said -Coventry, resigning himself the more gracefully to the inevitable as -he could then receive his love again. "Come, Lady Elizabeth." - -"Now, why didn't you protest when I was captured?" said O'Neill, -releasing her waist, but still holding her hand. - -"Could it be because I wanted you to be with me?" she whispered, -caught off her guard in spite of herself, with a blush covering her -face. - -"God bless you for that, and good-bye," he said, bowing over her hand. -"A year, give me a year--" he turned and walked away. - -"Sir," said Coventry, sheathing his sword, and walking down to where -Jones stood upon the sand, "we have been misinformed concerning you. I -have had a little interview with your first lieutenant which has -convinced me that I was wrong, and this talk has added to my -knowledge. As an officer of the king, I offer you my hand. Whatever -your political or personal affiliations may be, I am glad to recognize -in you gentlemen of merit and distinction. I trust to be able to repay -the obligation you have laid upon me and my betrothed on some future -occasion. We are friends?" - -"Sir," replied Jones, "I love a gallant foe. I shall remember you. I -thank you for your courtesy." - -"And I as well," added O'Neill. - -"It is not the practice of the American Navy," continued Jones, "to -force ships of war and bloody battles between loving hearts. Mistress -Howard, fare you well; the Ranger, her officers and crew, are yours if -you wish. If we should be met by another ship with you in command, we -strike to you without a blow." - -"Elizabeth," said Coventry, magnanimously, "can you not bid your -friends good-bye?" - -"I shall ever remember Captain John Paul Jones," said Lady Elizabeth, -stepping forward and giving the little captain her hand to kiss, "and -I shall never forget Lieutenant O'Neill." - -"Will you wait one year for him?" he whispered as he bowed low over -her hand. - -"Come and see," she answered, and turned away. - - - - - -BOOK II -THEY MEET AGAIN - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -_After a Long Time_ - - -"There are only two men-of-war in the whole lot." - -"Right, yer Honor. That 'un near the shore there-away looks like a big -frigate. That'll be the Serapis, I'm thinkin'." - -"Yes, and that one further out, the Scarborough." - -"Ay, ay, sir, an' all the rest on 'em is merchantmen. There ain't a -gun on board any on 'em. Nice pickin's them'll be fer us poor -sailormen arter we dispose of them war-vessels. Dash my wig! jist -think of them fat traders, an' we a-rummagin' among 'em--" - -"That will do, Price. Just moderate your transports a little," said -the officer, stepping forward to the brow of the hill and taking -another long look at the harbor. - -"I ain't no transport," muttered the garrulous old man under his -breath. "I won't carry no soldiers nowhere. I'm a man-o'-war, I am;" -but he took good care that his superior should not hear these somewhat -insubordinate remarks. - -"Well," said the other, finally turning about after his close -scrutiny, "I think we have ascertained about all we have come for. -They are the Baltic convoy, without doubt, and you would better make a -straight course for the ship at once and report." - -"An' you, sir?" asked the old man, respectfully, "won't you come -along, sir? I hate to cut cable an' leave you here adrift, alone, yer -Honor." - -"No," answered the officer, after a reflective pause, "I think I shall -go up to that castle on the bluff beyond and find out a little more -definitely as to the situation, if possible. Meanwhile, do you get on -your horse and ride back to Bridlington Bay. Go aboard the Alert and -tell Mr. Lunt, from me, to join the Richard to the southward at once, -and notify Captain Jones of what we have seen. Tell him I think it -will be perfectly safe for him to come on: there is a great fleet of -merchant ships here with only two ships-of-war; he will rejoice at the -chance of a fair fight. I will find means to join him at the -rendezvous before the rest of the ships can assemble and they can get -under way. Now bear a hand; don't let the grass grow under your keel." - -"Oh, Lord, yer Honor, have I got to git on board that 'ere four-legged -craft agin?" said old Price, ruefully. - -"That's what you have to do, my lad," remarked the officer, -cheerfully. - -"Seems like somethin's wrong with him," said the old sailor. "A animal -wot steers by the head is contrary like to natur. Now if I could only -git him to go about on t'other tack, or wear him, by shiftin' his -tail, I'd understand him perfectly; but this yere tiller rope riggin' -over his bows is wot gits me. An', sir, I can't make out with them -'ere stirrups nuther; it's like hangin' onto the yard-arm in a tossin' -sea without no foot ropes. Howsomever, if I must, I must, I guess." - -"Oh, you won't mind it," replied the officer, laughing at the old -man's rueful face. "Besides, the wind's fair, and you'll be going free -most of the way. Just give him a touch of your weather heel once in a -while, and you'll soon make the harbor." - -"I never thought about the wind," said the veteran gunner, -thoughtfully, his face brightening as he turned and listened for it. -"Yer Honor's right. 'Twill be plain sailin'. Well, sir, anchor's -aweigh, an' here goes!" - -The old seaman, giving great evidence of his disinclination in spite -of the favoring breeze, at last climbed upon the back of his staid old -horse, and, resisting the temptation to give him his direction by a -pull of the tail, got under way and lurched rapidly down the road. -Left to himself, the lieutenant mounted his own horse--surprising to -state, for a sailor he was an excellent horseman--and rode down toward -the sleeping town nestled around Scarborough harbor, which was filled -with a large fleet of merchant ships convoyed by two men-of-war, all -riding quietly at their anchors. - -Opposite the acclivity on which the two men had stood, and to the -north of the town, rose a bold, splendid headland, or scar, almost an -island, to the height of about three hundred feet. The rugged crest -was crowned by a picturesque old castle. The headland jutted boldly -out into the sea, and the wild waters dashed upon its walls from every -side. Access to the castle from the town was by means of a causeway -and bridge springing over a rocky and otherwise impassable connection -between the cliff and the mainland, which was sometimes flooded at -high-tide. - -Portions of the castle were in bad repair, or had been dismantled in -the several wars in which it had played a memorable part since its -erection nearly seven hundred years before by a follower of William -the Conqueror; but a large part of it was still inhabitable, and had -been provided with a sufficient garrison. A heavy water battery, which -had been placed in position during the rebellion in 1745, had been -recently strengthened and reinforced. - -Captain Jones, in the Bon Homme Richard, had been cruising around the -coasts of the British Islands for some time. He had heard of the -expected arrival of the Baltic fleet in these waters, and had presumed -that they would make Scarborough harbor. Word had been received from a -small trader he had overhauled, that a large number of ships had -assembled in that harbor; and in order to ascertain whether he might -safely attack them with his small nondescript squadron, he had -accepted the voluntary services of Lieutenant O'Neill, seconded by -gunner Price of the Bon Homme Richard. - -They had gone on ahead of the squadron in the cutter Alert, and had -landed below Scarborough headland, and ridden on to Scarborough to -ascertain the facts. The Alert was to carry the news back to Jones, on -the Richard, farther down the coast, and the vessels of his squadron -were all to assemble a day or two later at Bridlington Bay, a small -and unimportant town with a good harbor within easy reaching distance -of the expected prey. Should the report of the scouts be favorable, -they would proceed at once to attack the convoy. - -On their journey to Scarborough, O'Neill had ascertained from a -passing countryman that Lord Westbrooke was still governor of the -castle, and he at once surmised that Lady Elizabeth Howard would -probably be there with her guardian. Six months more than the year he -had asked for from her had elapsed, and many untoward circumstances -had prevented him from carrying out his plan of seeking her, but she -had ever been in his heart, and time and separation had but -intensified his passion. The mercurial Irishman had been deeply -smitten by the proud English beauty, and the constancy of his devotion -evidenced the depth of the impression she had made upon him. - -When Jones had returned with the Ranger from his first successful -cruise, he and his officers had been fêted and made much of by the -French court. The gallant adventures in which he had participated lent -a new charm to the fascinating personality of the son of the old -marshal, whose entrée was already everything that could be desired; -and his heart, accordingly, had been a target for repeated attacks -upon the part of the bright-eyed and fascinating dames of France--but -to no avail had they attempted its capture. - -Something of the story of his devotion had been allowed to leak out, -however, to account for his obduracy, and they finally understood why -he was so unusually insensible to their charms. This romance naturally -only added a piquancy to the feminine pursuit of which he was the -object, although the ladies' sportive love chase proved, in the end, -unavailing. He had resolved, O'Neill said, to show the world that -unusual spectacle, a constant Irishman! This was to attempt the -impossible, had been the quick reply, but, nevertheless, he had -accomplished it. - -Our Celtic mariner did not resign from the American service, however, -not because he cared particularly for America, for democratic -doctrines could never be acceptable to a follower of the young Stuart, -the intimate associate of the young nobles of France; but, primarily, -because he saw in it renewed opportunities to annoy and humiliate the -stout Hanoverian whom he and his people hated, and from whom they had -received much harm, and, secondly, because he was so much attracted by -the strong personality of Paul Jones. So great had become his regard -for this wonderful man that he had even waived considerations of rank -in favor of an American, the gallant Richard Dale, and had consented -to serve as second lieutenant instead of first, on the Richard, when -that famous ship and her ill-assorted consorts started forth upon the -memorable cruise. - -The tacticians of the French Navy unfortunately were not given to -consider downright hard fighting as the end and aim of naval -enterprise. Their man[oe]uvres were calculated to annoy and harass the -enemy, but their first thought was not to destroy his ships, but to -protect their own,--a fatal mistake in policy from which they have -ever suffered. - -This was not John Paul Jones' way. Whatever else he was, he was a -fighter from the beginning to the end, and O'Neill found in him a -congenial spirit. The love-lorn Irishman had tried several times to -communicate with Lady Elizabeth by letter and messenger, but without -success, for he received no reply to his letters, and his messengers -had never returned. Therefore, when he found himself in such close -proximity to her as on this, the evening of Tuesday, the 21st of -September, 1779, he was utterly unable to resist the temptation at -least to attempt to see her again. - -Jones and the ships were not due at the rendezvous until the day after -the next day, that would be Thursday morning. There would be ample -time to rejoin them on the next day, Wednesday. O'Neill imagined -himself perfectly safe; he had used no disguise except to wear the -uniform of a French naval officer, and as France and England were -nominally at peace, he persuaded himself that he was in no danger. It -was a breach of military propriety, he admitted, of course, but -nothing more,--this failure to return promptly to his ship,--and for -that he was willing to suffer. - -With the delightful casuistry of lovers he persuaded himself against -his better judgment and failed to see his action in its true military -significance. Trusting to audacity, mother wit, and Dan Cupid for -protection, he went bravely on. In fact, he was taking his life in his -hand. His love blinded him,--it is the chief function of the cherubic -god; without that power most matches he attempts would fail. -Meanwhile, with a beating heart--beating not from fear, but with -anticipation--he rode slowly down the hill and into the town, where he -left his horse at an inn, and made his way on foot, and supperless, -such his eagerness, toward the castle. - -He had no definite plan. There did not seem to be room for any. He had -one consuming desire: to see, to speak to, to come in touch again with -the beautiful girl who had been the object of his every thought, the -end of his every desire, the spirit of every dream in which he had -indulged since they had met. He had a thought--a hope--that she was -still Elizabeth Howard. There was that in her promise, in her look, in -her word, when she had said, "Come and see" on the strand, which gave -him the hope that she would wait until he did come, be it one year or -two; and with the sanguine spirit of his race he could not prepare -himself for a disappointment. - -The moon had risen as he walked quietly through the town and began to -mount the hill. He did not know how to gain admittance to the castle -when he approached it; and as ill luck would have it, as he was -standing on the causeway looking toward the gate, he was approached by -a squad of soldiers under the command of a sergeant, who were -returning from an errand in the town. His meditations, as he stood -gazing at the lights shining from the different windows, wondering -behind which wall was ensconced the idol of his heart, were rudely -interrupted by the grasp of a rough hand upon his shoulder and a harsh -voice in his ear saying,-- - -"Well, sir, wot are you a-doin' 'ere at this hour o' the night? -Entrance to the castle is forbid to every one except members of the -garrison, or them wich has passes. No one is allowed on the causeway -after sunset even. There's so many tales of raidin's an' hell's own -doin's on the coast by that bloody ravagin' pirate Jones an' his -bleedin' gang, that we're a'most in a state of siege. Give an account -of yourself." - -"My friend," said O'Neill, calmly, glancing rapidly about him, and -giving up at once any idea of resistance, for he was surrounded by at -least a dozen men, one or two of whom had laid violent hands upon -him,--"my friend," he said, speaking in broken English, with a -well-simulated French accent, "I am an officer of the King of -France, travelling for pleasure through your great country. I hear of -the old castle--I wish to see it--hence I come here. I have done -nothing--you will let me go free?" - -"A Frenchman?" - -"Yes, monsieur, I have that honor." - -"Well, that settles it. You've got to come along with us now. A -frog-eatin' Frenchman's our natural-born enemy." - -"But, monsieur, there is no war between my master and your king?" - -"Don't monshur me. I don't take no palaverin', an' I don't know -nothin' about whether there is war or not," said the sergeant, -brusquely; "but we always did hate the bloody Frenchies, an' we always -will, an' whenever we ketch one of 'em around here, he's got to give -an account of hisself. Now if you come along peaceable like, all -right--we won't hurt you. If you don't, we'll just pick you up and -carry you. You can take your choice," he added indifferently. - -A horseman galloping in from the town at this moment drew rein in -front of the little group. - -"Ah, sergeant, what is it? Whom have you there?" he queried sharply. - -"'Tis a Frenchman, sir. We found him a-prowlin' round here. He's a -spy, I takes it," answered the sergeant, saluting but still retaining -his grasp. - -"Pardon me, monsieur," said O'Neill; "I am no spy. I am a gentleman of -France, as I explain to this man. I travel--come here to see the -castle--" - -"Well, sir, I can assist you to attain your end," interrupted the -lieutenant on the horse; "and since you desire to see the castle, -perhaps you would not object to taking a look at it from the inside." - -"As a prisoner, monsieur?" - -"Well, I am sorry you put it that way, but I shall be compelled to -turn you over to the governor." - -"But I protest, monsieur!" - -"You can protest to the admiral if you wish, the governor, I mean, for -you will have to come along now, under the circumstances. We hear that -d----d Scots buccaneer Paul Jones is on the coast, and we don't know -when he might strike or whom he might send on shore. We can't be too -careful, you know." - -"Very well, monsieur, I come," said O'Neill, shrugging his shoulders -and resigning himself gracefully to the inevitable. - -"That's good," answered the young officer. "Bring him along, -sergeant." - -"Yes, leftenant. Now, you Johnnie, right about face, march!" - -It was in this unexpected and undignified manner that O'Neill gained -entrance to the castle. As they walked beneath the great gates of the -gloomy fortress, his heart, in spite of the serious nature of his -position, gave a bound of elation. This reckless young man had as yet -no other thought than that by every step he had been brought a little -nearer to his divinity; if other thoughts had come, it is doubtful if -he would have allowed them to stop him now. As the party halted in the -courtyard, while the lieutenant dismounted and hastened to apprise the -governor of the capture, he even ventured most imprudently to ask the -sergeant if Lady Elizabeth Howard was in the castle. - -"She is," replied the astonished functionary. "Wot's that to you, I'd -like to know?" - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -_Lady Elizabeth does not know the Marquis -de Richemont_ - - -Before he could answer, an order came for the prisoner to be brought -forward. After ascending a flight of worn stone steps and going -through a long dark passage, a great door was thrown open at its end, -and he was confronted by a blaze of light which dazzled him at first, -until, his eyes becoming accustomed to the illumination, he realized -that he stood on the threshold of a splendid hall in the old keep, -which had possibly once been the banqueting hall of the castle. Long -lancet windows upon one side, their leaded frames filled with rich -painted glass, looked out upon the sea, whose waves beating -ceaselessly upon the bluff below filled the room with a subdued murmur -like a strain of hushed and vibrant music, such was the elevation of -the tower. - -The room was massively and splendidly furnished with heavy antique -furniture. The stone walls were covered with hangings of rich old -tapestry from the famous looms of Arras. Here and there were portraits -of distinguished members of the Westbrooke family,--women renowned for -their lustrous beauty, or men who, holding the castle at different -times, had made their names famous by their bravery and skill. The -prisoner's feet sank into a thick, soft, luxurious carpet stretched -upon the stone flags of the old floor. - -Writing at a large table standing near the centre of the room and -covered with candelabra, sat a bewigged old man of commanding presence -dressed in a naval uniform covered with orders and stars bespeaking -high rank. Farther away, with her back turned to the light, and to the -door by which he had entered, a young woman sat, apparently reading -intently. One glance at the graceful curve of her neck and the -exquisite poise of her head told him it was she. Forgetful of -everything else, he would have stepped forward, had it not been for -the restraining hand of the sergeant. - -"The prisoner, m' Lud," said the latter, saluting. - -The admiral continued his writing a moment, and then looking up fixed -his eyes keenly upon the young man. His first glance told him that he -had to deal with no ordinary prisoner. He rose at once and bowed with -the courtesy of a finished gentleman. - -"Have the goodness to step forward, sir, and be seated," he said, -pointing to the chair. "Sergeant, remain on guard where you are." - -With an equally low bow to the older man, O'Neill took a few steps in -his direction and sat down on the indicated chair in front of the -admiral, facing him and the woman beyond, who, still intent upon her -book or lost in thought, had not yet noticed his entrance. Prisoners, -in fact, being every-day occurrences at the castle in these troublous -times, they had ceased to interest her; still the unusual complaisance -of the old man, as expressed by his voice and manner, attracted her -attention; she looked up from the book without turning her head, and -listened. - -"I am sorry to subject you to any annoyance, sir," continued the -admiral, "but the rules are very strict, and I must abide by my own -regulations. We apprehend a descent upon our coast by the notorious -pirate, John Paul Jones--" O'Neill started violently and bit his lip, -but said nothing--"and it is my duty to take unusual precautions," -added the speaker. "I must ask your name, your station, and business -here." - -"I am the--" said O'Neill, quietly, but with his glance fixed on the -powdered head showing over the chair-back opposite him. - -There was a commotion at the other side of the table. Lady Elizabeth -sprang to her feet with a hurried exclamation, dropped her book to the -floor, and then turned quickly, and stepped toward the other two. -O'Neill and the admiral both rose at the same time. - -She was _en grande tenue_, her hair rolled high and powdered, jewels -sparkling about the snowy throat, which rose from the pale blue silk -of her corsage. - -"It is--" she cried. - -"The Marquis de Richemont, at your service, mademoiselle," O'Neill -interrupted quickly, bowing low before her, fearing lest in her -surprise she would betray him. - -"Good heavens, Elizabeth! what is the meaning of this? Do you know -this man?" asked the admiral, in great astonishment. - -"Every traveller," smilingly interrupted O'Neill, suavely, striving to -give Elizabeth time to collect herself, with the appearance of the -greatest _sangfroid_ himself, though his heart was beating so rapidly -he could scarce maintain his composure, "on these islands has heard of -the beauty of Lady Elizabeth Howard. Her reputation as a woman of -charm has even extended to the continent whence I come. It was in the -hope of having the privilege of seeing her that I walked up toward the -castle this evening. I have not the honor of her acquaintance, -monsieur." - -"Do you know this man, Elizabeth?" persisted the admiral, sternly, his -suspicions aroused by her actions. - -There was evidently some mystery about his coming, and the girl was -quick to see that to proclaim O'Neill's name and occupation would -probably place him in an embarrassing position, to say the least. She -recovered herself by a great effort, and turning away languidly, -remarked with well-assumed carelessness,-- - -"I? Certainly not, sir. I have never heard of the Marquis de Richemont -before in my life." The statement was absolutely correct, the -Irishman's rank having been kept strictly in abeyance. O'Neill -shrugged his shoulders and extended his hands in confirmation of her -words. - -"Why that cry, then, and your surprise, madam?" questioned the still -unconvinced admiral. - -"I know not, sir; I must have been dreaming, and the sound of a -strange voice startled me." - -"Beg pardon, m' Lud," said the sergeant, saluting; "yer Worship, he -axed if Lady Elizabeth Howard lived 'ere, wen he was down in the -courtyard." - -"Silence, sirrah!" thundered the old admiral, who allowed no one to -entertain doubts of his ward but himself. "Do you mean to imply that -Lady Elizabeth has knowledge of this gentleman?" - -"Oh, sergeant!" said the girl, clasping her hands and looking at the -old veteran with all the fascination of which she was capable. - -"No, yer Ludship, no, sir. O' course not; certainly not, yer Honor," -returned the man, in great confusion. "I spoke by way o' showin' -that's wot he come for." - -"It was in pursuance of my desire to see so great a beauty that I -asked the question, monsieur." - -"Sir, your admiration does me too much honor," said Elizabeth, -courtesying. - -"I make up for the fact that your reputation does your Ladyship too -little, then, mademoiselle," he answered. - -"Enough of this," said the admiral, impatiently. "The girl is well -enough; but you didn't come here to look at her, did you?" - -"On my honor as a gentleman, monsieur, for no other purpose." - -"Well, give some account of yourself otherwise, and perhaps if it be -satisfactory, as you have accomplished that purpose, I may send you on -your way rejoicing," said the admiral, amused at the extravagance of -the young man. - -"No man could leave the presence of Lady Elizabeth Howard rejoicing, -sir." - -"Damnation, sir!" cried the governor, testily, "are you going to -stand here and bandy compliments about all day like a French -dancing-master?" - -"I have nothing further to urge for my words, my Lord, when my excuse -stands in your very presence." - -The governor looked at the two young people in great perplexity. - -"I fear, my dear Marquis de Richemont," said he ironically, "unless -you can give some more coherent account of yourself, I shall be under -the painful necessity of having you locked up, in which case the only -divinity you will be allowed to gaze upon will be the lovely face and -figure of yonder sergeant." - -"Yes, yer Ludship, I--" remarked the sergeant, grimacing. - -"Silence, sirrah!" thundered the admiral. - -"My Lord," answered O'Neill, smiling, "it is very simple. I am an -officer in the navy of the King of France, making a tour of England -for pleasure. I came here to this town this evening. I hear of the -great admiral, Lord Westbrooke, in his great castle, and the beauty of -his ward, Lady Elizabeth Howard. I am a lover of the beautiful. I -stand on the causeway gazing at the castle. Your soldiers arrest me -and bring me here. I rejoice to find Lady Elizabeth more beautiful -than I have dreamed. A year and a half have only intensified her -charms." - -"A year and a half! Dreams, sir! What mean you by that, pray? What -have the years to do with the matter? Did you see her a year and a -half since?" cried the admiral, suspiciously again. - -O'Neill started; it was a fatal slip, but he hastened to repair it as -best he could. - -"I have seen her picture, sir." - -"And where, pray, have you seen her picture?" - -"In the possession of an English officer, a friend of mine whom I met -at Liverpool a year and a half ago," answered O'Neill, audaciously. - -"And who was this English officer, pray, who displayed my picture?" -interrupted Elizabeth, with an appearance of great agitation. - -"Major Edward Coventry, mademoiselle." - -"Oh, Edward! Why, God bless me," said the admiral, genially, "he is my -son. Do you mean to tell me you are a friend of his? Why didn't you -say so before?" - -"I had the honor of his acquaintance," said O'Neill, bowing gravely, -"on one very interesting and memorable occasion indeed, when he was on -duty at the Château Birkenhead, I believe." - -"Yes, that would be about a year and a half ago. Sir, in that case you -are very welcome to this castle," said the admiral, "and now I beg -leave to present you in due and proper form to my ward. Lady Elizabeth -Howard, permit me to introduce to you the Marquis de Richemont." - -"I am charmed to have the pleasure of meeting the marquis," responded -the girl, smiling and courtesying deeply. - -"The pleasure and the honor are mine, mademoiselle," responded -O'Neill, fully entering upon the comedy of the moment. - -"And," continued the admiral, "as my son, Major Edward Coventry, has -sent me word he will be here shortly, you can renew your acquaintance -with him." - -It was as if he had exploded a bomb-shell in the room. - -"Edward! Coming here?" cried Elizabeth, her voice filled with terror -at the unfortunate event, which she vainly endeavored to conceal. -"What for? Why did you not tell me?" - -"He desired to surprise you, my dear," answered the admiral, wondering -again at her agitation; "you know your wedding takes place next week." - -"Ah, a wedding!" said O'Neill, starting and looking at Elizabeth. -"Mademoiselle is then to marry?" - -"Yes, your friend Major Coventry," replied the old man,--"an old -engagement." - -"I refused to marry him for a year, and for six months more. I waited -all that time. There was no word," she said slowly to O'Neill, as if -each word were wrung from her by his intent look, her pale cheeks -flooded with color. - -"Have you taken leave of your senses, Elizabeth?" continued the -admiral, in great surprise; "of what interest to a stranger is -your--er--maidenly hesitation?" - -"Anything which concerns so fair a lady is of deep interest to your -humble servant," answered O'Neill, ironically and bitterly. The comedy -had gone, tragedy, as ever, following hard upon it. - -A door at the rear of the room was opened softly at this moment; and a -young man in the brilliant scarlet uniform of a British officer, -entered and stepped lightly toward them. His glance fell first upon -the speaker. - -"Barry O'Neill, by heaven!" he exclaimed, springing eagerly forward -with outstretched hand. "How came you here?" For a moment the young -soldier was oblivious of the presence of his father and his betrothed. -His untimely entrance filled the room with apprehension and dismay. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -_The Picture on the Wall_ - - -"O'Neill?" said the admiral, in much bewilderment; "Edward, this is -your friend, the Marquis de Richemont." - -"Edward, do not speak!" cried Lady Elizabeth, distractedly. - -"Ah, Elizabeth, my love and duty to you, but not speak? About what, -pray? What mean you?" - -"Is this gentleman, the Marquis de Richemont, your friend or not, sir? -Cease this by-play, Elizabeth; I will have an explanation," demanded -the now thoroughly aroused admiral. - -"My friend? Quite so," said Major Coventry, smiling. "Though I was -ignorant that he was a marquis, he is none the less welcome. I am -exceedingly glad to see him again. You too, I presume, Elizabeth?" - -"Glad even as you are," she replied deliberately, now seeing that -further concealment was useless. - -"But you called him O'Neill," continued the admiral. - -"That is my name, sir," said O'Neill, calmly, recognizing the -uselessness of further evasion. "I am one of the Irish O'Neills, -formerly of County Clare, now in the service of the King of France." -He could not have said it more proudly had he been the king himself. - -"The last time I saw you, you were on the Ranger, that American -Continental ship," continued Coventry. - -"As a prisoner, sir?" cried the admiral. - -"As an officer, my Lord," answered the Irishman. - -"What, sir! And now you are--" - -"Second lieutenant of the American Continental ship Bon Homme Richard, -Captain John Paul Jones, at your service," was the dauntless reply. - -"Good gad!" said the admiral, "is it possible? And you, Elizabeth, you -have deceived me also. You knew this man?" - -"Yes, sir, but not as the Marquis de Richemont." - -"You have met this gentleman before?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Where, may I ask, and when?" - -"About a year and a half since, sir. You remember when the Maidstone -was wrecked? He saved me from death then, and after Captain Jones put -me ashore, you know--" - -"He spared my life too, as well, sir, at that time," said Coventry; -"they both did." - -"You seem to be a good hand at saving lives, Lieutenant O'Neill, -Marquis de Richemont, perhaps you can think now of some way of saving -your own," remarked the admiral, sarcastically. - -"'Tis useless to me now, my Lord, and not worth the saving," answered -the young man, calmly; "but I would not have you mar the approaching -nuptials of your son and ward by an execution. Let me at least live -until after the wedding. I shall be more willing to die then," he -added softly. - -"You came here for what purpose?" continued the admiral, disregarding -the latter words of the young man as utterly irrelevant. - -"To find out the number and force and disposition of the ships in the -harbor." - -"At the instance of--" - -"Captain Jones, sir." - -"The murdering pirate!" - -"I have resented such language and proved its falsity upon the person -of your son, sir," burst out O'Neill, stepping forward, his hand upon -his sword. "Shall I impose the same lesson on the father?" - -"You are a prisoner, sir," replied the admiral, imperturbably, "and -are here at my pleasure to receive, not to give lessons. Stand back, -sir! Sergeant, bring in a file of men for a guard. Deliver up your -sword at once, sir, to Major Coventry!" - -"Your Lordship is master here; I obey," answered the Irishman, -shrugging his shoulders, and drawing his sword, he tendered it to -Major Coventry, who stepped forward reluctantly to receive it. - -"Father," he said respectfully, "so far as my knowledge goes, Captain -Jones is certainly a gentleman. Had it not been for his magnanimity -and that of my friend--I may still call you that, sir?" - -"I am vastly honored, sir, I am sure." - -"--my friend, the Marquis de Richemont, you would be childless to-day. -Had it not been for the courage of this gentleman, Lady Elizabeth -here--" - -"Oh, sir!" cried Elizabeth, impetuously, "they are men of honor. I -pray you release this officer and let him go free. Nay, never shake -your head; I ask it as a wedding gift to me, sir." - -"My liberty your wedding gift, mademoiselle? Never!" interrupted -O'Neill, firmly. - -"Say no more, either of you," said the admiral, decisively. "You, sir, -came here as an enemy, a spy." - -"Not so, sir. I came here in the uniform of a French officer." - -"But that is not the uniform of the flag under which you now serve," -continued the admiral, keenly. "You may secure some consideration, -however, at my hands as representing his Majesty the King, God bless -him! by revealing the circumstances and plans and the ultimate purpose -of your rebellious captain." - -"Clearly an impossible proposition," said O'Neill, bowing. - -"But stop!" said the admiral, "now that I recall it, you gave me your -word of honor that you came here to see this lady." - -"And that is true, sir. I might have escaped to my ship with ease, in -possession of the information I desired to get, but I came up to the -castle to see her." - -"A most foolish excursion, sir, and why, pray?" - -"Because I love her," said O'Neill, calmly. - -"What!" cried Coventry, in great surprise and dismay. "Did you know -this, Elizabeth?" - -"Is a woman ever ignorant of the feelings she excites in a lover's -breast, sir?" O'Neill answered for her. - -"And have you--did you--" continued Coventry, looking still at -Elizabeth. - -"Lady Elizabeth has done nothing, sir. No word of affection has ever -crossed her lips, to me at least," again replied O'Neill. "She would -not even wait." - -"Oh, but she did," interrupted Coventry, jealously, "a year--six -months--she tried to postpone her wedding for six months more. I begin -to understand." - -"Peace, Edward!" said Elizabeth, trembling violently; "the Marquis de -Richemont is--is nothing to me--can never be anything to me, that is. -The wedding shall proceed at the appointed date; I gave you my word. -It was the wish of my mother, the wish of the admiral, your wish--" - -"And yours, also, dearest Elizabeth, is it not?" said Coventry, taking -her hand entreatingly. She hesitated and stood silent. - -"Have me executed at once, sir, in mercy and pity," said O'Neill to -the admiral; "let it be now--the sooner the better. This I cannot -stand; 'tis too much." - -"Not so," replied the admiral, gravely; "I will consider the matter -further and consult with you again. Meanwhile, if you will give me -your parole, I will allow you the freedom of the castle." - -"Parole! 'Tis given, sir. Faith, I hardly think you could drive me -away." - -"That's well," returned the admiral. "Sergeant, call my steward and -have him assign chambers to the Marquis de Richemont. Coventry, I -presume you will place your wardrobe at his disposal in case he needs -anything. Now the marquis will doubtless wish to retire. We will see -him in the morning. Come, Elizabeth. Good-night, sir; the sergeant -will attend you." - -"Lord Westbrooke, I thank you. Major Coventry, your servant. Lady -Elizabeth, I wish you joy on your wedding; good-night," replied the -young man, bowing to them all in succession. - -As the admiral and the others left the room, the young lieutenant sank -down on his chair and put his head upon his hands upon the table. The -old sergeant, who had seen it all, watched him a moment in silence. -Walking up to him finally, and laying his hand on his shoulder with -the familiarity of a privileged character, he said,-- - -"Come now, sir, be a soldier." - -"You can give no worse advice than that to a sailor, my friend," -replied O'Neill, rising and smiling in spite of his misery. "Lead on, -I will follow," he added. - -As they passed down the great hall, the eyes of the wretched -lieutenant fell upon a large picture hanging rather low on the wall in -a far corner above a dais near the doorway. It was the portrait of a -beautiful woman in the fashion of some fifty years back. She was -seated in a great carved oak chair, the counterpart of and evidently -painted from one sitting beneath it. In face and feature the portrait -was a striking likeness of Lady Elizabeth Howard. The skill of the -painter had been so great, the colors had been so nicely chosen, so -delicately laid on, that in the flickering, uncertain candle-light, -which left this part of the room in a rather deep shadow, the picture -actually seemed to breathe. O'Neill stopped as if petrified. - -"Come along, sir," said the sergeant, gruffly. - -"A moment, if you please, my friend--a moment. What sort of a man are -you to pass by such as this without notice? It should be Lady -Elizabeth, but the fashion of the dress--" - -"It's her mother, sir, a cousin of the admiral's. I pass it every day, -sir, an' I've got so I don't take no notice on it, no more. She was a -young thing, scarce older than her young Leddyship when she set for -that paintin', an' they had no children for years, leastaways they all -died till this baby was born, an' then she died too. I've been -attached to the admiral's service in one way or another sence I was a -boy, an' dandled her many a time on my knee. Yes, and her young -Leddyship, Lady Elizabeth that is, too, wen she was a little girl." - -"My regard for you goes up a thousand-fold, my friend," said O'Neill, -smiling; "I could almost envy you your opportunities. Would I had been -you!" - -"'Tain't no use wishin' that," said the old sergeant, shaking his -head; "there never was no Frenchman could ever take my place." - -"Quite right," replied O'Neill, smiling; "'twould be clearly -impossible." - -"Come along, then, yer Honor." - -"Stay a moment," returned the enraptured Irishman; "a year at gaze -would not sate me with the beauty of this picture. How like is the -fair image!" murmured the entranced young man, approaching nearer and -fairly holding his breath under the influence of the moment. He -stretched out his hand toward the painting with a little reverential -gesture. - -"Look out, sir!" said the sergeant, warningly; "the picture hangs very -loose, an' the frame--" - -What evil fate was it that determined its fall at that moment? There -was a tremendous crash, something gave way, and the great frame -dropped from its place on the wall and fell across the heavy oaken -chair which stood beneath it, and the picture was impaled upon its -Gothic points. The two men sprang to seize it and lift it up. Alas! it -had been literally torn to pieces. The canvas had evidently been -originally a defective one, for it had split in every direction. -Restoration was clearly impossible. - -"Good Heaven!" said the Irishman, "what a misfortune!" - -"It had to come, an' it's too late to be mended now," said the -sergeant, philosophically, "so we must get on." - -"Very good," said O' Neill, tenderly lifting the frame, with the rags -of the tattered canvas hanging to it, back against the wall; "there is -nothing to keep us here now. Unlucky fool that I am, even the -semblance of the original is not for me!" - - - - -CHAPTER X - -_Lady Elizabeth will keep her Word_ - - -The night fell on three of the most unhappy people in the world; yet -to each had been vouchsafed a partial realization of a cherished hope. -Coventry should have been luxuriating in the thought of his -approaching marriage to the girl he loved; Elizabeth should have been -overwhelmed with joy at the reappearance of O'Neill, after his long -absence; and O'Neill during that time had asked for nothing but an -opportunity to stand once more in the presence of his divinity. The -desire of each had been granted, and yet all three were completely -miserable. - -Coventry, because he more than suspected that Elizabeth loved O'Neill; -Elizabeth, because she felt that honor compelled her to marry -Coventry, to whom she was deeply attached, but toward whom her -feelings, she now found, were vastly different from those which had -flooded her being with new life at the sight of the young Irishman. -Her period of waiting and dreaming had unconsciously developed a -passion for him which had broken all barriers at the mere sound of his -voice, the sight of his face. As for O'Neill, he found her fairer than -he had ever thought even in his most extravagant dreams, and it was in -an agony of despair that he contemplated her as the bride of another. -There was this saving grace in his position, however: he would -probably be condemned to death forthwith, and he was in no mood to -balk the executioner; if ever death be welcome, it would be so to him. - -The only one who was completely at his ease, and who, in fact, -extracted a certain satisfaction from the situation, was the admiral. -Naturally he did not enter very deeply into the matrimonial schemes of -the young, and with the indifference of the aged and the present, he -doubted that it would be a matter of any great difficulty either to -make Elizabeth forget, if necessary, the Irishman in whom even his -obtuse vision had detected that she was greatly interested; or, in -case it suited his purpose better, to make his son forget Elizabeth in -the presence of some other charmer whom he might select. His purpose -was, as ever, the paramount consideration with the admiral. - -He had conceived a brilliant idea, which he fondly hoped would result, -were it to be realized, in the capture of the notorious Paul Jones, -who was the object of consuming desire on the part of every military -and naval man in the three kingdoms. So enchanted was the old man with -his own idea, and so desirous was he of bagging the game, that he -would not have hesitated to sacrifice the affections of his son, the -happiness of his ward, or to brush aside almost anything, save his -honor, which might stand in his way. - -The young Irishman had clearly forfeited his life by his action; nay, -more, now that he recalled his name he remembered that he had been -found guilty of high treason, and, like his father, was under sentence -of death for that as well; he had a double hold upon him, therefore. -The powers of the admiral, who was one of the leading men of the -realm, were unusually large, and as a state of martial law had been -proclaimed on the coast, he was supreme as to life and death, in -matters where any military exigency could be urged. - -He chuckled to himself at the thought that he held in his hand two of -the master cards,--love of life and love of woman; the third, love of -honor, which O'Neill was possessed of, was a high one, to be sure, but -he trusted by clever play to win the game, since the odds were with -him. Elizabeth had become a State paper--a pledge in pawn--to him; -O'Neill another piece, or player. He had not yet formulated any plan -for carrying out his great idea, but one was already germinating in -his mind, so that in the end, under the stimulus of the splendid -opportunity he saw before him for rounding out an already brilliant -career in the service of his country, by effecting the capture of the -famous Paul Jones, his hours were as sleepless as were those of the -others. - -The poor Irish lieutenant had caused a great deal of trouble to every -one with whom he had come in contact. Even Paul Jones himself, who -loved and cherished the young man with all his generous heart, was -filled with deep anxiety as to his probable fate, when he heard the -report of old Price the next day, especially as the hours fled away -and his lieutenant did not rejoin the ship. In spite of the absence of -the rest of his squadron, the commodore at once hastened to the -rendezvous with the Richard alone, and there determined to take a -small hand in the game himself while waiting for the Pallas, the -Alliance, and the others to assemble. Cautious inquiries which he -caused to be made on shore had informed him that, as he expected, -O'Neill had been apprehended. A less kindly man than Paul Jones would -have left him to his fate--but that was not his way. - -Early the next morning, being Wednesday, September the twenty-second, -O'Neill had arisen and gone down on the terrace of the castle -overlooking the ocean and the ships in the harbor, where he met Lady -Elizabeth. She was gazing listlessly over the causeway at a horseman -galloping along the road. - -"Do I interrupt reminiscences of a _tête-à-tête_, madam?" said he, -saluting her with a profound bow. - -"Reminiscences such as mine are better interrupted," she replied. - -"You were--" - -"Saying good-bye to my--my--cousin." - -"Has your ladyship no dearer title than that by which to designate -him?" - -"Not yet," she answered wearily. - -"Ah, I perceive," he continued jealously, "the natural regret at the -absence of your betrothed, for--" - -"No, no, not that! How can you trifle so with me at this moment? He -reproached me because I--why do I tell you these things? You constrain -me, sir; I--" - -"Forgive me; you need not finish, Lady Elizabeth," he said with a -sudden gravity. "As for me, I must needs trifle, or die. Life in the -freshness of the morning, the white-capped ocean stretching before us -in the sunlight, the gentle breeze playing across our faces, is sweet -to think on; with youth and rank and station, it would be heavenly -spent with you. Without you I welcome the death your guardian will -undoubtedly inflict upon me." - -"Yet you waited so long--a year and a half--why did you not come? I--" -She stopped. She had spoken in a low, tender whisper, looking down at -the sea beneath them, and plucking nervously at the loose plaster of -the old walk. Death so imminent for love and lover--nay, not for love; -that were eternal--broke down petty convention. Where were death and -love, there, too, should truth and honesty be--and honor. - -He laid his strong hand gently down on the small white one outlined -upon the gray weather-beaten rock of the parapet; with upturned palm -she met his grasp. Her eyes were lifted now; she drew strength from -his strength; a dawning hope flickered into being in her torn heart. -He was so strong and true, he surely could do something--there must be -some other way. It was the tribute woman pays to man. - -He read aright, with eyes keen from affection, the mute, piteous -appeal in her sweetly lifted face. But he could only smile sadly in -answer, with a silent shake of the head. There was no other way, then, -in the marked path she must walk. Have mercy, Lord! - -"Was it long to you, dearest?" he queried, his dark face aflame. "To -me--I have been a fool. Nothing should have kept me from you. To trust -to messengers, letters--a fool--too late!" Silence. The hands -unclasped; ties were broken. "Too late!" He turned bitterly away. - -"Would that we had met in happier days!" she murmured sadly, making a -brave effort at self-control. - -"No reproaches, Lady Elizabeth," he answered, the touch of formality -in the address showing his own equal strife. "What must be, must be! -At least I have met you before I die, and for a year and a half I have -thought of you, and dreamed of you, and held you the lady of my heart. -E'en death itself cannot rob me of that sweet joy--for it is past." - -They looked apart, and heard above the voice of the great deep, the -unfathomable sound of the moaning surge far beneath them, chafing -against the pebbles in the still morning, the wild beating of their -hearts; after a little pause he continued more softly,-- - -"And you--you will forget the young Irishman, the soldier of fortune, -whom untoward fate threw across your pathway; and in your own English -home, and in the love of your noble husband, may you be happy." - -"Nay, not so," she said softly, taking his hand again, her eyes -filling with tears; this time she was the stronger. "My heart is not -made of such fickle stuff. I shall do my duty, keep my plighted -word--even you would have me do no less than that--but not more -steadfastly than I shall keep you within my recollection. But do not -talk of death, you must not; I know the admiral--he has a kindly -heart--" - -"I would not live," replied the young man, quietly, "for life is death -when the heart is dead." - -"Tell me," asked the girl, nervously breaking the almost insupportable -silence, "were you there when my mother's picture fell last night?" - -"Yes, so near to it that it almost fell into my arms," he answered, -smiling. - -"A bad omen!" she murmured, shaking her head. - -"What, that it should fall into my arms?" - -"No, that it should fall at all." - -"Well, I do not believe in omens, and 'tis in the arms of another that -you fall, at any rate. He gets the substance, I the shadow, the -illusion--and even that is broken!" - -"And so even the shadow is lost," said Elizabeth. - -"Not yet. Open my heart, you will find it there," he answered quickly. -"But how like you the portrait was!" - -"Yes, I am said to look like my mother," she answered, striving, as we -all do in tragic moments, to reach the height of the commonplace. "In -the dress I now wear, under the changing fashions, the likeness is not -so striking; but when I am gowned as she was, in the identical -costume, which is still in existence, by the way, and sit as she did, -in the dim light in that old chair, the resemblance is even more -striking." - -"Would that I might see you thus--in that dress of the olden time! -Nothing except your actual presence in the hall has ever startled me -so much as that image of the past did last night. You are so like the -picture, but more beautiful, I think." - -"Ah, yes, youth and the present are always the more beautiful. The -admiral says I am not to be mentioned beside her--he loved her, I -think--she was his cousin; they tell me she married very young, -unhappily, too, and died when I was born, many years after. My father, -too, died; I can scarcely remember him at all; I am alone." - -"There should be a warning in this, should there not?" he asked -softly; an idle question, fate had determined. - -"I suppose so," replied the girl, wearily; "but what was I to do? The -arrangement was made when I was a child. I have grown up with Edward -Coventry, he loves me, he is a noble fellow, I respect--esteem him -highly. It is a long-cherished wish of the admiral's; it was my -mother's wish as well. I put him off, in spite of the engagement, for -a year--for six months again," she said, with a glance the fond -reproach of which cut him to the heart. "I promised him, on my word of -honor, if he would only wait that time I would make no further -objections. I cannot break that word now." - -"Not even for me?" - -"No, not even for you." - -"But you do not love him?" he asked eagerly. - -"Yes," she answered slowly; "I do--in a way, that is." - -"But not like--" - -"Enough, Lieutenant O'Neill!" she answered proudly, resuming, -perforce, her erstwhile haughty air, which was belied by a deep flush -on her cheeks. "'Tis not generous of you to press me further. I--we -have decided. I can stand no more. Forgive me-- Have mercy!" - -"I respect your decision; nay, more, I honor you for it, Lady -Elizabeth," he answered gravely. "I kiss your hand and go to my death -smiling. Forget me." - -"Your death!" she cried in alarm. "What mean you?" - -"The admiral, sir, would speak with you in the office at once," -interrupted the sergeant, who had approached with a file of soldiers. - -"You see--the summons," replied O'Neill, calmly, to Elizabeth. -"Friend, I attend you--good-bye." - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -_O'Neill will keep his Honor_ - - -The admiral had fully matured his plans during the night, and was -prepared to make the assault upon the fortifications of O'Neill's -honor at the most convenient season. In order to have a clear field -for his operations, he had despatched his son upon an errand which -would necessitate his absence until the evening. It had been with his -full knowledge that his captive had been allowed to meet and converse -with his ward. He trusted more to the fascinations of that young woman -to effect his end, than to any other known agency, in fact. - -Beauty and affection when allied have ever been most potent weapons, -even when used to promote the cause of treachery and dishonor. Not -that the admiral himself would have done anything he considered -dishonorable. He would rather have cut off his right hand, which had -done such stout service for his king, he would sacrifice his life, his -son's life, anything, rather than jeopard it; but he would not -hesitate to cajole the young Irishman into betraying his leader if he -could. Though he should despise him if he acceded to the terms he -would propose, yet he would not refrain from making use of him, even -to his own undoing, if possible. 'Twas the custom of war, and the -obloquy which in similar instances has ever been heaped upon the -tempted has not seemed to attach itself to the tempter under such -conditions. - -Still the admiral did not rejoice in the situation, and he could not -make up his mind just how much it was necessary to offer. He had -rather an uncomfortable feeling that he could go very far, and then -not succeed after all; yet the greatness of the stake for which he -played, he thought, would justify his action, for the person of John -Paul Jones was certainly more coveted than that of any other man who -had ever warred against the English flag. The governor had under his -immediate command two excellent frigates, the Serapis, 44, and the -Scarborough, 28; and if through his planning and foresight they should -capture Jones and his ships, he might aspire to any honor in the gift -of the king. - -"Good-morning, my dear marquis," he said pleasantly, as soon as the -young lieutenant was ushered into the office. - -"Good-morning to your Lordship," answered O'Neill, bravely. - -"I have sent for you to give you the run of the castle to-day," -continued the admiral, much to his prisoner's surprise. "I shall be -occupied with preparations rendered necessary by the advent of your -friends the Americans, and urgent business required that I despatch -your acquaintance, my son, on an errand which will keep him away until -evening. Meanwhile, I leave you to the tender mercies of my ward, the -Lady Elizabeth. In the evening I shall have something of great -importance to say to you. You will give me your parole, of course, and -I trust that you may have a pleasant day." - -"In the presence of Lady Elizabeth, sir, all moments are hours of -pleasure. I can never sufficiently thank you for your indulgence. You -have crowned the victim with a chaplet of roses before offering him -upon the altar," answered the bewildered officer. He suspected -something; but in the thought of another day with his heart's desire, -he resolutely put aside all other things--one day, in the strain of -life, so much gained! - -"Never mind about the altar now," said the admiral. "Enjoy the day, -and perhaps the termination of it may fit its beginning." - -Such a day as the two young people passed together comes not often in -earthly calendars. There was one subject which was forbidden them by -honor and discretion. They therefore talked of other things and -thought only of that, and the restraint in which each was held made -their true opinions as open to each other as the day itself. They -wandered together about the castle walls, gazed out upon the sparkling -sea, and allowed themselves to dream that the day would never end. -They forgot the black future, and lived only in the fleeting moments -of the present; 'tis the habit of youth and love. - -When the night fell they separated reluctantly, to meet again by her -appointment in half an hour in the great hall, for what reason he knew -not; that she wished it was sufficient for him. There had come into -Elizabeth's head a quaint conceit. She wished to surprise him. As she -left him she ran hastily to the ancient wardrobe in her private -apartment in which, with the prudent forethought of our ancestors, her -mother's wedding robe was laid away in sprigs of lavender. Hastily -doffing her own garments, and assisted by the skilful fingers of her -maid, she arrayed herself therein. - -The body of the dress was of heavily brocaded white satin, worn over -moderate hoops; the bodice was cut low and square across the neck and -shoulders and terminated in a pointed stomacher of delicate pale blue, -laced over the front with silver cord. The short, rather full sleeves -edged with priceless lace left the sweet young arms bare to the -dimpled elbow. The overdress or panier, looped with gold cord on -either side, was of a fugitive shade of pale wild rose; the dress was -lifted in front to show her dainty feet in their diamond-buckled, -preposterously high-heeled, pointed-toed, blue satin shoes, and -rose-colored, gold-clocked stockings. When she stood up, a little -train swept the floor. - -The old-fashioned waist of the gown was very _decolleté_; she blushed -at the thought of it; but as it was in the picture, she draped it with -delicate tulle, less white than her neck itself, and caught here and -there by tiny diamond stars, and so she put it bravely on. To re-dress -her hair was an easy matter; the low coiffure, with the hair -unpowdered and rolled above her broad, low brow, after the style of -the beautiful but venal Pompadour, and adorned with three delicate -white ostrich tips, and with a string of pearls intertwined in its -meshes, was most becoming. With eager hands rummaging among her -mother's jewels, she soon found and twined the brilliant necklace of -the picture about her throat; on her breast she pinned a great -sunburst of diamonds, in the midst of which flashed a gleaming -sapphire. A little black patch or two on her cheeks completed her -preparations. - -Then, full of anticipation for her lover, she ran down to the hall. To -her great disappointment, the room was empty; he had not yet come. She -waited a moment; her eyes fell upon the frame from which the remnants -of the tattered painting had been removed, which was leaning on a dais -in front of an alcove against the wall, just beneath the spot where -the picture had hung. A new thought occurred to her. Why not? She -eagerly pushed the old chair behind the frame, arranged it as it had -been in the picture, and sat down in exactly the same position her -mother had assumed when the portrait had been painted. She had often -practised it before the mirror, and had acquired the pose perfectly. - -The rich, dark old tapestry of Arras formed an appropriate background, -and life and love and expectation threw a light in her eyes and -painted upon her cheek hues that no skill, however cunning, could have -duplicated, no palette save that of Nature in her rarest mood -supplied. The girl had forgotten, for the moment, her engagement to -another; she had forgotten the impending fate which hung over the man -she truly loved. She was only a woman--loving--beloved--waiting. The -thought of his surprise, the consciousness of her own beauty, deepened -the color on her cheeks, and the palpitation of her bosom told of the -beating of her heart. - -She looked hastily about her, and, as the door opened, settled herself -in the position of sweet repose of the picture. Never had earth borne -a fairer woman. The first sound that struck her ear was the somewhat -harsh voice of her guardian. A wave of disappointment swept across -her. She half rose, as if to discover herself, and then, as she heard -her lover's voice, she sank back and waited, motionless and expectant. - -"Lieutenant Barry O'Neill, Marquis de Richemont, I bid you good -evening," said the admiral, genially. - -"Sir, good evening to you," replied O'Neill, something warning him of -an impending struggle. - -"Allow me," said the admiral, passing his snuffbox, from which both -gentlemen helped themselves elaborately. - -"I have here," continued the old man, drawing a piece of paper from -the desk as they walked toward the centre of the room, neither of them -noticing the picture at the moment, as it was behind them, "some -account of the life and adventures of one Gerald O'Neill, sometime -gentleman of the County Clare in Ireland, who rebelled against his -gracious Majesty King George II., of blessed memory, in the year 1745. -His lands were escheated to the crown, his life forfeited. -Unfortunately for us, and fortunately for him, he escaped to the -continent, entered the service of Louis XV., and became--" - -"You may spare me any further details, my Lord. I know them too well. -He became a marshal of France and my father." - -"Two great honors, surely," said the admiral, smiling pleasantly. - -"I thank your Lordship for the compliment; pray proceed." - -"I have here, also, a brief account of the history of another -gentleman in whom I doubt not you are deeply interested." - -"And that is--" - -"One Barry O'Neill, Marquis de Richemont." - -"Your very humble servant, sir." - -"Your discrimination does you honor, marquis," said the admiral, -playfully. - -"Faith, sir, you read me an easy riddle." - -"I find that you have been concerned in every treasonable plot against -his Majesty which has been hatched on the continent since you were out -of leading strings." - -"Rather hard, but true, sir. Ah Irishman, you know, is naturally a -rebel and a conspirator." - -"Quite so; and those who are not drowned may expect to be hanged," -said the admiral, sternly. - -"As I am a sailor, I might reasonably have hoped for the former end, -but I have forfeited my rights by coming on shore, I suppose." He -paused, and as the admiral nodded gravely, he continued with -well-simulated indifference: "'Tis not a pleasant mode of death, my -Lord, nor one that I would have chosen, nor one that is becoming a -gentleman; but I trust I shall meet it with equanimity at least," -replied O'Neill, a little paler than before, but still dauntlessly -smiling. - -"I am glad to see that you are a man of such resolution, sir," said -the admiral. "If your discretion equal your courage, the matter may be -arranged." - -"It is useless to try it," was the reply; "to have known your ward, to -have seen her, and to know that she is destined for the arms of -another, makes life a hell, and death a pleasure." - -"Is it so?" said the admiral, pausing. - -"Think of the days of your own youth, sir, and one that you loved, and -you will understand me." - -The admiral reflected. The stake he was playing for was so high, his -desire was so great--like the woman who hesitated, he fell. There -would be some way out of it, surely. As he drew near to the moment and -to the goal, his overwhelming desire took possession of him, and -blinded him; desire blinds as well as love. - -"Even that," finally he said slowly, looking meaningly at O'Neill the -while, "may be arranged." - -"Good God!" said O'Neill, white to the lips. "What is it you would -have me do? Speak! Titles, rank, station, friends, fame, -opportunities, life itself, would I cheerfully give for her who has -taken possession of me. Speak, my Lord!" cried the young man, -entreatingly. - -The heart of the girl in the picture frame in the dark corner stopped -its beating. The gates of heaven, as it were, had been opened before -her. What was the proposition? - -"Listen!" said the admiral, slowly, at last. He was sure he had him -now. - -"I could settle the course of the world while I wait for your reply, -sir. Delay no longer, I pray you; I am in a torture of apprehension," -said O'Neill, eagerly. - -"I design not to take from you rank nor station nor lands nor -position," replied the admiral. "I offer you a free pardon for all -your past offences; nay, it shall cover your father's as well, if you -wish. There shall be a restoration of the ancient lands of your -venerable house. I will put your feet upon a ladder by which you may -rise to the very highest position. I open before you vistas of -honorable advancement in the service of your rightful king in your -native land, in which there is no limit to which a man of courage may -not attain." - -"These are nothing," said the young man, impetuously, "beside Lady -Elizabeth Howard; some of the things you mention I now have, some I do -not wish, some are nothing to me. But your ward, sir, what of her?" - -"Oh, what a lover is there!" whispered to herself the girl in the -picture frame, forgetting the pose, clasping her white hands and -leaning forward with shining eyes, blushing cheeks, and parted lips, -listening with wildly beating heart. This in her breast now was love, -indeed,--in no way like to the pale affection with which she regarded -the unfortunate Coventry. The admiral spoke again, fixing his eye upon -the young man. His words came slowly. - -"Well, sir, I will even agree to interpose no objections to your suit -for the hand of my ward." - -"But that is tantamount to giving your consent, my Lord," said -O'Neill, coming nearer to him in great surprise, his heart -bounding--and yet there must be some conditions to the royal gift. The -admiral bowed. "And Major Coventry?" cried the Irishman. - -"His desires must give way to--er--reasons of state," said the -admiral, decisively. "I will arrange all that; if you can obtain her -consent to your suit, she is yours, provided--" he paused -significantly. Ah! the conditions! - -"My consent!" thought Elizabeth, happiness flooding her like a wave; -and then she remembered that she was a woman, and indignation found a -lodgement in her being. 'Twas not thus she would be wooed and won, not -in this bartering way disposed of. By what right did any one--even her -guardian--presume to-- O'Neill was speaking again. - -"What are the conditions--what is it you wish me to do? If it be in -human power, 'tis done. Torment me no more; as you are a man and have -a heart, speak!" In his agitation the younger man seized the elder by -the arm. - -"I desire you to go back to your ship and arrange to put in my -possession the person of John Paul Jones," said the admiral, with the -greatest deliberation, concealing his anxiety by an appearance of -great firmness, as he nonchalantly helped himself to a pinch of snuff. -An accurate observer would have noticed that the trembling of his -hands belied his simulated calmness. - -It was out now! What would the man say or do? Elizabeth sank back -appalled. So this was the condition; this was the test. He was to -choose between her and black treachery--dishonor! His answer, what -would it be? Had her idol feet of clay, after all? Her fate hung in -the balance; she could never survive his shame if he fell; if not--ah! - -O'Neill released the admiral at once, stared at him a long moment in -horrified silence, shrank away from him, and sank down in the chair -and buried his face in his hands for a little space; his two auditors -waited, hope for different results trembling in either heart. -Presently he looked up and rose to his feet. - -"Treachery--dishonor--shame! And with her innocence and youth and -beauty you bait your trap!" ejaculated O'Neill, brokenly. The admiral -still played with his snuffbox, his eyes averted, his hands trembling -still. Was it age, or-- - -"Oh, my God, my God!" continued the sailor, stricken to the very -heart, "to raise my hopes to such a pitch--to put the cup of happiness -to my very lips--to open the gates of heaven in my very presence--and -couple your propositions with this--this infamy! I am a lover, sir, -you know it well; but you should not have forgotten that I am, before -everything else, a gentleman. How could you do it? It ill becomes your -years," he went on impetuously, in mounting indignation. "I am your -prisoner--your captive; but I knew not that misfortune gave you a -right to insult me thus My Lord, my Lord, the ladder upon which you -put my feet leads down, not up; hell, not heaven, is its end!" - -"Think!" said the admiral, doggedly, feeling the game was lost, but, -like a desperate gamester, playing on. "The Lady Elizabeth is at the -end, where'er it be." - -"I love her, God only knows how much I love her; from the moment I saw -her I have had no thought but for her. I could not look her in the -face and be guilty of this thing." The girl in the picture almost -cried aloud for joy in this triumph of her lover's honor. - -"She shall never know," replied the admiral. "I will pledge my word of -honor." - -The honor of the tempter, for the dishonor of the tempted! O'Neill -laughed bitterly. - -"It has not in forty years of service been called in question," -replied the old man, stifling his growing shame. - -"Nor has mine," said O'Neill, "until this hour. You are her -guardian--an old man--your gray hairs should protect you; but 'tis -well for you that I have no sword, for I swear I would plunge it first -into your heart and then into my own!" - -"Think what it is I offer," persisted the other. "Compare it to what -you now have in the way of worldly honor. What do you care for that -bit of striped bunting and those beggarly rebels who have presumed to -declare a republic? What is a republic, anyway, and what function has -it in a gentleman's life, pray? What have we to do with the common -people? What are their aspirations to you? What affiliations have you -for that low-born gardener, turned pirate and buccaneer to ravage our -coasts, dishonor our flag? This is the kingdom in which you were born. -Here your rightful allegiance is due. I offer you, for the giving up -of a--sentiment which possesses you, the favor of your king and the -hand of the woman you love,--every earthly thing to make you happy. -You are an exile, a wanderer, a soldier of fortune. I give you a -country again." - -"And do you, a man of honor, advise me to--" - -"Damnation, sir! I advise nothing, I offer; the decision rests with -you." - -"Ah, I thought so; and what would you do in my place, sir?" - -"I'm not there, thank God!" said the old man, fervently; "and I -repeat, you must decide yourself." - -"Very good, sir. It is true that I like not that republic, its -principles are nothing to me; but I have found that gardener's son a -man--ay, a gentleman! You have called me a landless man, an exile, a -soldier of fortune,--that, too, is true. But to Captain Jones and his -service I have pledged my honor; 'tis all I have; the stars and -stripes are become my flag; I wear the uniform, I eat the bread, of -the United States. You may break my heart, destroy my life; you cannot -break my word. There is not power and place enough in the three -kingdoms, no, not even on their throne, not beauty enough even in -Elizabeth Howard to tempt me--to compel me to do that. Say no more. -You have your answer." - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -_Gentlemen All_ - - -"Look, you fool!" said the admiral, roughly, furious with rage at -being balked in this way, though, in spite of himself, his heart -exulted in the nobility of the man. "Look, you beggarly Irishman!" he -exclaimed, turning the surprised young man about before he could -recover himself,--"look on the picture of her whom you reject! Gaze -upon it! If you love her, say whether or no your high-flown sentiments -of honor can stand against that prospect." It was his final appeal, -win or lose; he had staked all upon the throw. - -There in the great frame stood the most beautiful picture that the -eyes of either man had ever seen. Elizabeth was standing. One tiny -hand clutched tightly her heaving bosom; the other arm was stretched -out with upraised palm like a goddess in command. The light of the -flickering candles cast subtle shadows upon her face. The dusk of the -room intensified the illusion and spiritualized her beauty. O'Neill -looked at her with all his life in his gaze; so glorious, so splendid, -so perfect a creature would shake the very soul of honor itself! - -The admiral had played his last card; this was the end of his -resource, and he watched the Irishman with all the intensity of a -tiger about to spring on its prey. The moments fled. He knew that he -had lost. Elizabeth had risen in the stress of her anxiety, the strain -had been too much for her; she had been about to intervene between -them, when the glances of the two men arrested her step. She waited, -one little foot outstretched, her body leaning forward slightly, a -picture of triumph, her eyes as two lambent flames playing upon her -lover. He watched her in awestruck silence, sank on his knees, -stretched out his arms, murmuring softly,-- - -"Thou knowest that I love thee. I have dreamed sometimes that in -happier days thou mightest have given me thy heart, but I could not -take it with a bar sinister of shame between us! No--" Was she moving! -Was that some trick of the wavering light! - -"Good heavens!" cried O'Neill, fearfully, rising. "See--is it a -spirit? She shakes her head! Look you, my Lord, she is alive; the -picture fell last night, you remember-- 'Tis herself! Elizabeth, -Elizabeth, you have heard and seen--have I not decided well?" - -"How dare you, my Lord!" exclaimed the girl, coming down from the dais -and stepping swiftly toward the astonished admiral, who shrank back -from her,--"how dare you make my hand the reward of treachery; my -person the bait for dishonor? And by what right do you dispose of me -without consulting me? Am I a slave, that you force me upon this -gentleman? My word is given to your son; you yourself insisted upon -it. You would play the traitor double, and would fain make him do the -same. And for what? To compass the death of one poor man to whom I owe -life and honor, who is only fighting for what he calls his freedom! -Shame upon your gray hairs, sir! Oh, the insult to my modesty--to be -thus bandied about between two men-- And you, sir!" she cried, in -tempestuous passion, turning to O'Neill,--"you do me the honor to -refuse me--to reject me--me--me--Elizabeth Howard--look at me--you -would have none of me--" - -"My honor--" cried O'Neill, amazed at her sudden change and -inconsistency. - -"Your honor--have I any honor, sir? Would you have left me a shadow of -it between you? Stand back, sir! My Lord, is it thus you discharge the -trust committed to you by my mother? To give this gentleman -opportunity to return to France, and say that he has refused my hand?" - -"He shall not go back to France, Lady Elizabeth," said the admiral, -sternly. - -"Why not, pray?" asked Elizabeth, faltering, her passionate anger -checked by the admiral's word and look. - -"Because he shall be tried and hanged to-morrow as an American spy or -a captured traitor, whichever he may elect." - -She stood as if petrified at these cruel words. - -"It is right, sir," said O'Neill. "I submit; and if you would make me -die happy, say that the hideous proposition I have had from you was -but the test of my honor." - -"Oh, sir!" cried Elizabeth, in agony, throwing herself upon her knees -before the admiral, "forgive me for my wild, intemperate speech; I -know not what I say. You have been a father to me from the beginning, -and I have ever loved you as one; I have turned to you for everything. -Unsay your cruel words! Retract this order! You cannot condemn this -honest gentleman. Dispose of me as you will. I love him--I love -him--ay, let the truth be heard--even for his rejection of me! Nay, -had he not done so, I would have hated him. Spare his life--I will -marry Edward, do anything you wish--grant me this boon!" - -"I cannot," said the admiral, slowly; "I pity you, from my soul I do, -and him as well, but I dare not. There is but one thing that would -excuse my clemency to his Majesty--there is the alternative he has -nobly rejected: die he must, or give up his captain!" - -"A thousand deaths rather than that!" answered O'Neill. "Rise, Lady -Elizabeth; your appeal is vain. Rejoicing in your approval of my -action, thankful to God that I have heard you say, 'I love you,' I -shall die happy." - -"No, no!" said the girl, spreading her arms protectingly before him, -and then throwing herself upon his breast, "you cannot die--you shall -not die! Oh, my love, my love, I knew not until I heard you speak what -this feeling was. I cannot let you go! Surely, you would never be so -cruel as to part us now?" she cried brokenly, looking back at the -impassive old man; his hands were steady enough now,--they never -trembled but from shame. "What has he done? He came here to see -me,--me alone,--to take me in his arms as he holds me now; and you -condemn him to death for that! Did you never love when you were young? -They whispered that it was my mother who had your heart. They told me -that she was unhappy because they forced you apart. 'Twas to you she -confided me. Have pity, in her name, have mercy!" - -"Enough!" said the admiral; "it is not that I will not, but I cannot. -He has chosen; he must die." - -"Then may death come to me," said Elizabeth; "because, for all -eternity, I love him!" - -"And this," broke in the cold, stern voice of Major Coventry, who had -entered the room at that moment, "is the welcome I receive from my -bride of to-morrow, and this is the reward of the efforts I have made -to secure the release of the Marquis de Richemont, my friend! May God -have pity on me,--my sweetheart and my friend!" - -"Sir!" said O'Neill, brokenly, "I crave your forgiveness. I knew that -she was yours--I do not understand how we got into this position," -passing his hand over his forehead in bewilderment; "but this I -know,--I am to die! There is no choice. She will yet be yours." - -"Never--never!" cried Elizabeth, turning to him. "Edward, if you have -truly loved me,--if I have rightly estimated you, your nobility of -soul, your generosity of heart,--you will plead for us with your -father. You will give me up; you are too proud to take an unwilling -bride, and one who in spite of herself--for I have fought against it -for your sake--confesses that she loves another. You will intercede -with your father--I will bless you all the days of my life. Edward, -Edward, the companion of my childhood's hours--my friend--my -brother--my only hope is in you! Speak!" She fell at his feet and -clasped his hand, which she covered with kisses. There was another -silence. Coventry covered his face with his other hand; the sweat of -agony bedewed his brow. - -"Rise, Elizabeth, you shall not put your trust in me in vain," he -cried hoarsely, at last. "Father, can nothing be done? I will not -stand in the way." - -"My son--Lady Elizabeth--Lieutenant O'Neill--there is nothing that can -be done. My duty is perfectly clear. The only possible salvation of -the prisoner would be in the action which he has refused even to -consider; and, sir, if it were my duty to effect, if possible, the -capture of your captain and his ship through you, I can only say that -I am glad that I have failed. I apologize to you; you are a man of -honor, indeed, sir. I know few who would have resisted such a plea as -this. Say no more, Elizabeth, it is not that I will not--I cannot! -Edward, here is my seal. Make out the warrant for an order for a -court-martial to-morrow morning; it is a necessary form, of course. -The execution of Lieutenant O'Neill will follow at once." Elizabeth -did not faint,--no, not yet; there would be time for that later. She -clung to O'Neill and listened. - -"What shall be the manner of my death, sir?" queried the latter. - -"Hanging, sir. 'Tis the penalty prescribed by the law." - -"It is a poor death for a man, my Lord, but 'twill serve. A last -request, sir. I am a sailor--may I be hanged upon a ship?" he asked -again, pressing the trembling woman to his breast. - -"I grant that--would that I could grant more! Major Coventry, you will -direct Captain Pearson of the Serapis to execute the sentence of the -court, which will meet on his ship, the prisoner to be confined there -meanwhile. You will find the papers in the library; here is my seal; -hasten, and get the painful matter over." Coventry left the room at -once, in obedience to his orders. - -"And at what time, sir, will the sentence be carried out?" asked -O'Neill, Elizabeth still clinging to him, covering him with incoherent -caresses, and fighting against despair. - -"To-morrow evening at half after six o'clock." - -"Very well, my Lord." - -At this moment the old sergeant entered the room and saluted the -admiral. - -"A French officer, wich he says he's from the American Continental -squadron, has come ashore in a small cutter, under a flag of truce, -an' desires to speak with your Lordship. He asks for a safe-conduct." - -"Tell him he shall return as freely as he came, on the word of a -British officer, and admit him." - -A slender, dapper little man, in the brilliant uniform of a French -marine officer, his head covered with a powdered wig, entered the room -a moment later, and bowed profoundly. Elizabeth started violently as -she beheld him. - -"Whom have I the honor of addressing?" asked the admiral. - -"The Vicomte de Chamillard, a colonel of marines in the navy of -France, serving as a volunteer in the American squadron," was the -reply. - -"And you come on behalf of--" - -"Captain John Paul Jones, to protest against your unlawful detention -of another French officer, the Marquis de Richemont, my Lord." - -"He is a spy, caught in the very act: he has admitted it; and if that -were not enough, I find he is an attainted traitor. A court is ordered -for to-morrow morning on the Serapis; his execution, which will be -inevitable, is set for half after six o'clock in the evening; he shall -hang from one of the frigate's yard-arms." - -"De Chamillard," said O'Neill, "you can do nothing." - -"The laws of war--" persisted the Frenchman. - -"It is in accordance with those laws that I do what I do," replied the -admiral, shortly; "and you may say to your captain that if I catch him -he shall swing from the first yard-arm that comes in the harbor." - -"I am answered, then. Very good; I shall remember your courteous -words, my Lord; and now I enter my formal protest against this -unwarranted action on your part concerning the Marquis de Richemont. -The King of France will have something to say about it. I bid you -farewell." - -"Farewell, sir," said the admiral, indifferently turning away. - -"De Richemont, good-bye; embrace me." As the two men came together, -the Frenchman whispered, "This woman--is she your friend?" - -"Yes," replied O'Neill, quickly. - -"Mademoiselle," said De Chamillard, turning to Elizabeth with a keen -look in his eyes. Recognizing him at last, she stretched out her hand -to him. He murmured as he bent low over it, "Delay the execution for -at least six hours, and I will save him." Elizabeth sank down in her -chair, a gleam of hope in her heart. - -"I salute you," he said, turning away. - -"Sergeant," cried the admiral, "attend the Vicomte de Chamillard and -see him safely bestowed on his vessel." - -As the Frenchman turned toward the door, he came face to face with -Major Coventry returning with the orders he had prepared. - -"Paul Jones, by Heaven!" shouted the latter. - -"At your service," said the supposed Frenchman, promptly tearing off -his wig and laying his hand on his sword. - -"Ha!" cried the admiral. "Have you dared to come here! I have you now! -Call the guard! Sergeant, arrest this rebel--this traitor--this -pirate--disarm him! You shall never leave this castle but for the -ship, sir. The yard-arm is there." - -"Stop, my Lord!" answered Jones, calmly, as the men crowded toward -him; "stand back, sergeant, back, men! You cannot touch me; I have -that which will protect me wherever flies the English flag." - -"And that is--" said the admiral, smiling contemptuously. - -"Your word, sir,--the word of an English officer." - -The old man bit his lip in chagrined silence. He struggled with -himself, looking at the easy, _insouciant_ Scotsman before him. - -"In seventy years it has not been broken," he said at last. "Well for -you that you secured it. Go! You are free! You are a bold man, sir, -but, I warn you, do not cross my path again." - -"I am proud to have met so true a gentleman. Will you honor me?" said -Paul Jones, presenting his snuffbox to the admiral. The old man -hesitated, laughed in spite of himself, and finally helped himself to -a pinch. - -"The d----d insolence of the man!" he exclaimed. "I'd like to have met -you in my young days, yard-arm to yard-arm." - -"I would have endeavored to occupy you, sir," said Jones, coolly; "and -now I bid you farewell." - -He shot one meaning glance at Elizabeth, and his lips seemed to form -the words "six hours," as he departed from the room. - -"Here is the warrant, sir," said Coventry. "Again I ask, and this time -I ask my father, can nothing be done?" - -"Nothing, sir, less as a father than in any other capacity. Sergeant, -take your prisoner. Major Coventry, you will conduct him on the -Serapis, and remain there as my representative until the execution is -over. Sir, you have borne yourself well this day; I would shake you by -the hand. Good-bye." - -O'Neill clasped the proffered hand warmly, and then looked from -Coventry, standing erect, immovable, white-faced, to Elizabeth, who -was still sitting with bowed head, a world of entreaty in his glance. -Coventry nodded and turned away. O'Neill stepped quickly to the girl's -side, took her hand in his, bowed low over it, pressed a long kiss -upon it. - -"May you be happy!" he said. "Farewell!" She looked at him in dazed -silence. - -"Sir," he continued, turning back to Coventry, and saluting him, "I am -ready. Lead on." - -"Forward, march, sergeant!" commanded the officer, hoarsely, and with -no backward look the little cortége moved from the room. The girl rose -to her feet as if to start after them, but the old man restrained her. - -"O'Neill--O'Neill--" rang through the hall--a wild, despairing -cry--and then Lady Elizabeth sank down white and still at the feet of -the admiral. - -"And this is love!" he murmured, shaking his old head; "I had -forgotten it." - - - - - -BOOK III - -ON THE VERGE OF ETERNITY - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -_A Desperate Move_ - - -It was morning when Elizabeth came again to the terrace above the -water battery overlooking the harbor. She had passed a night of -sleepless agony, and her pallid face, with its haggard expression, the -great black circles under the eyes,--for her grief had been too deep -for tears,--gave outward evidence of her breaking heart. She had -besought the admiral again and again to stay the execution of her -lover, urging every plea that the most desperate mind could suggest; -she had implored his mercy and pity upon every ground, and upon his -inexorable refusal had begged that he might be reprieved for a few -hours, and that she might at least be allowed to see him before he -died. Touched by her sorrow, at first the old man had been inclined to -grant this petition, and had scribbled a line on his official paper, -giving the desired permission; but before he signed and sealed it, he -changed his mind, and deemed it best to refuse,--more merciful to her, -in fact. - -It really wrung his heart to be unable to extend clemency to this -young man. He repented him of the temptation he had thrown in his way. -The nobility with which O'Neill had refused and rejected the chance of -life which had been offered him, the simplicity with which he had -given up everything for honor, impressed him more than ever. He was -sick at heart at the grief of his ward, whom he truly loved, and the -broken, despairing face of his son, since he had learned that -Elizabeth loved O'Neill, haunted him. He wished that the Irishman had -never come across his path, though he could not but admire his honor, -his grace, and his courage. He was bitterly sorry that he had ever -attempted to influence the man; he had an uncomfortable and growing -suspicion that his plans had brought nothing but trouble to every one. -Breaking away from the presence of Elizabeth, whose anguished face was -a living reproach to him, he finally secluded himself in his office -and refused to see her again. - -So the day, like yesterday, wore away; but, oh, how differently! The -girl never knew how she passed the hours. She wandered restlessly up -and down the terrace, her eyes strained upon the sea. The garrison, -who idolized her to a man, had been apprised by the sergeant of what -had happened, and, to a man, they were upon her side. The men would -never forget the picture she made, as they watched her pacing to and -fro, ceaselessly gazing at the white ship in the harbor,--her lover's -prison, his scaffold even. - -The sense of impotent helplessness with which she was compelled to -face the situation, the knowledge that O'Neill was doomed absolutely, -that there was nothing that she could do or say which would alter the -decision, was terrible. She had been accustomed to have her will, and -like most women loved it. Now she had to stand by in the bright -sunlight with all the strength of life and youth and love in her veins -and in his, and see her lover choked to death--hanged like a dog--at -the black yard-arm of that great ship yonder. - -And for what? Womanlike, she put aside every thought of him but that -he had dared death itself only to see her, to be in her presence -again! Oh, how splendid, how handsome, how noble he had been in the -great hall, when he had refused her rather than to take her as the -reward of treachery! and now he was to become a lifeless lump of clay, -alive to her only as a memory, a recollection--how cruel! She could -not, she would not, stand it. She racked her brain over and over. Was -there nothing? No-- - -It was late in the afternoon. Her maid had not been able to drag her -from the terrace whence she had a view of the ship on which her lover -was to be executed,--murdered, she said. As she gazed upon it, she -noticed two men climbing nimbly up the black shrouds about the -foremast. When they reached the foreyard, they ran out on the -yard-arm. One of them carried something. A rope was dragging from it. -In obedience to an imperious command, her maid ran and fetched her a -glass. One look through it showed her--she was a sailor's ward--that -they were rigging a whip on the yard-arm, they were securing there a -girt-line block through which a rope was rove, leading to the top and -thence to the deck. She divined at once its hideous purpose. The hour! -The hour! Had it grown so late? Was it so near, so near? Was there a -God in that blue heaven bending above her head? Could such things be? - -A sick feeling came over her heart, and she would have fainted but for -a sudden inspiration. Again she seized the telescope,--an unusually -strong one, by the way,--and raising it to her eyes with unsteady -hand, eagerly swept the sea off in the direction of Flamborough Head, -rising faintly down to the southward, a long distance away. For a long -time her nervous, trembling hands could not get that part of the -horizon in focus. She finally knelt down and rested the tube upon the -parapet, breathing a prayer as she did so, and looked again. - -Ah! At last she had it, and there swept into the field of vision three -gleams of white on the skyline, proclaiming, even to her unpractised -eye, the sails of ships! What had that indomitable man said to her -last night in the hall? - -"Delay the execution for at least six hours, and I will save him!" He -was not one to promise lightly. She would try again. The telescope -fell with a crash at her feet. - -She would make one more appeal to the admiral; it was late, but there -might yet be time. On the instant she turned, leaving the startled -maid, and ran like a fleet-footed fawn along the terrace, down the -stone steps through the water battery, through the bailey, into the -inner court, down the long passage, and into the great hall of the -night before, where the admiral was usually to be found at this hour. -She dashed impetuously into the room, crying,-- - -"The admiral, quick! where is he?" - -"Ships has been reported down at Bridlin'ton Bay,--furrin ships, yer -Leddyship," replied the old sergeant, who happened to be there alone, -"an' his Ludship took horse about half-past twelve o'clock to go down -there." - -Failure! Her last hope gone! She sank down into the chair. Reaction -had come; she was fainting, helpless, dying. It was over! The sergeant -started toward her, his face full of pity. She was sitting in the -admiral's chair, by the great table. Her glance fell listlessly upon -it. At the moment another idea flashed into her mind. Desperate, -foolish, nevertheless, she would try it--try anything; this, at least, -was action. She started to her feet again on the instant, instinct -with life. - -"Leave me at once, and see that no one interrupts me; I wish to be -alone," she said imperiously to the astonished sergeant, who bowed -respectfully and withdrew. A half an hour later she came hurriedly out -of the room, white-faced, drawn, nerved up to desperate endeavor. - - -How he got through the night, O'Neill never knew. The court-martial in -the morning had taken little time; its sentence, a foregone -conclusion, promptly approved by the admiral, had been death by -hanging at half after six o'clock that night. He had refused to give -any further parole, in the faint hope that something might enable him -to escape, and consequently had been heavily ironed and placed in -confinement in the space between two of the great guns on the lower -gun-deck--the Serapis was a double-banked frigate--on the starboard -side. The forethought of Coventry, who had attended him with the -solicitude and kindness of a brother, and had pleaded for him -unavailingly before the court, had caused a canvas screen to be -provided, which enclosed two of the guns, and allowed him to pass his -hours undisturbed by the curious gaze of the English seamen. An armed -marine stood always as sentry before the screen. - -Captain Pearson, a gallant officer, had been kindness itself in all -his arrangements, but his orders, which were peremptory, left him no -discretion whatever. O'Neill passed his time sitting by the open port, -leaning on a gun, gazing out over the water at the gray old castle -where he had found his love and met his fate. Many tragedies had been -enacted within its walls during long centuries of history--none sadder -than his own. - -It would have been foolish to say that he had no regrets. No one could -think of the possibilities of happiness presented by such a love as -that which he was now assured Elizabeth felt for him, without a sense -of despair coming over the mind in the knowledge they were not to be -enjoyed; but he was a sailor, and generations of heroic ancestors had -accustomed him to look death in the face, and smile undaunted at its -harsh, forbidding appearance. - -"_Fortune_, _Infortune_, _Fortune_" had been the motto of his branch -of the red-handed O'Neills; at least that was the punning Latin -translation of a Celtic original which meant, "Fortune and misfortune -are alike to the strong." - -When his friends and acquaintances at the French court, those knights -and ladies with whom he had ruffled it so bravely, the young king, his -master, his old comrades, the hard fighters on the Richard, her -dauntless captain, that brave old man, his father, heard how he died, -they would learn that he had met the last grim enemy with the wonted -intrepidity of his race. _Noblesse oblige!_ and then having made his -peace with God as best he could alone,--he was of a different faith -from that of the chaplain of the ship,--he gave himself over to -mournful dreams of Elizabeth Howard. - -Late in the afternoon his meditations were interrupted by the arrival -of Coventry. The poignant unhappiness of the young Englishman was, if -anything, greater than that of O'Neill. His engagement to Elizabeth -Howard, with whom he had grown up, had been at first more or less a -matter of convenience, and he had never entirely realized the hold -she had taken upon his heart, until he heard her--in the arms of -O'Neill--make that frantic avowal of her overwhelming passion. Men -frequently do not know the value of what they have--until they lose -it. - -Coventry's heart had been surcharged with love and devotion to this -woman, and because his life had glided on evenly he had not known how -full of love it was until he had been so shaken that it had -overflowed. He would, he thought, cheerfully have taken the other's -place, sentence of death and all, could he hear but once before he -died the ringing accents of such a sublime confession--and for -himself. His love for the woman of his choice was of the most exalted -character, and might well, were merit or fitness alone to be -considered in such a case, have claimed her own deepest feelings in -return. - -When Elizabeth had appealed to him to intervene, with a magnanimity as -rare as it was noble, he had subordinated his happiness to her own, -and had endeavored to procure a mitigation of the punishment imposed -upon his rival, though he knew his success would throw his promised -wife into the arms of O'Neill. He had not done this without a terrible -struggle,--it was a gray-faced, broken man who looked upon the world -of to-day, in place of the smiling youth of the night before,--but he -had done it. He felt that the sacrifice would cost him his life, and -for that he was truly glad, yet he had offered it freely, generously, -and nobly. He had not hesitated to do so, for with him the happiness -of Elizabeth Howard was the paramount passion. - -If she did not love him, he could at least show her what love truly -meant in its highest sense; give her a lesson in love like to the -lesson in honor that other man had exhibited last night. For her he -stood ready to give up everything; his own future he did not allow to -weigh a moment in the balance beside hers. - -There was something grandly sublime in this utter abnegation of self, -so simply done for another's happiness. Coventry had been a Christian -after a rather better fashion, perhaps, than most young men of his -time; his associations with the sweet, pure girl he loved had kept him -so. All his people for generations had been Churchmen; this seemed to -him to be the right thing to do, the thing demanded of a gentleman; -the greatest Gentleman of them all, who had shown His breeding on a -Cross, had set the example of self-sacrifice. A sentence quoted by the -chaplain in the service a few days before, which had struck his fancy, -ran in his head; he had a good memory. - -"_I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more -abundantly I love you, the less I be loved_." - -Yes, that was it. - -At the first moment, when he found last night that his pleadings were -of no avail, and that O'Neill was doomed to die, his heart had leaped -in his breast at the thought that his rival would be removed; but he -had crushed the thought as unworthy a gentleman of his high ideals; -and there had come to him, in addition, a consciousness that to a love -like Elizabeth Howard's the death of a beloved would make no change. -Such passions come but once in a lifetime, and when they arrive they -are as eternal as the stars. He had given her up, and she belonged, in -life or death, to another. A glance at his own anguished heart enabled -him to feel for her. Time would not soften a blow to a nature like to -hers. - -In the execution of O'Neill, Coventry saw the death-warrant of -Elizabeth. He had passed the day racking his brain and thinking of -some way to delay the execution, but without avail. He would have -stopped at nothing to save them both. In despair he had come to -consult with his rival. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -_Almost the End_ - - -"I am glad to see you, my friend," said O'Neill, smiling at him in a -melancholy way. - -"Would God that I could see you in any place but this!" answered the -young Englishman. - -"Ah, yes!" replied O'Neill, his eyes brightening; "then we might fight -it out, man to man, sword to sword, and--" - -"Not so," mournfully replied Coventry. "The battle has been fought, -and you have won again. Whether you live or die, Elizabeth Howard is -not for me." - -"My poor friend, may the day upon which I crossed your paths be -accursed! I have brought to each of you nothing but sorrow," replied -the young sailor, sadly, touched at the other's surrender. - -"It was fate, O'Neill. Do not reproach yourself with that. All day -long I have been striving to think of some means to delay this -accursed execution, until I could communicate with the king. An appeal -to his clemency might--but no--I see no way, nothing, unless--you -know--" he hesitated and hung his head, blushing painfully. - -"No more of that, if you love me, Coventry," said O'Neill, gravely -"Put yourself in my place! Could you do it? Ah, you shake your head, -you see! Neither could I, not even to purchase heaven." There was a -long pause between them. - -"O'Neill," said the Englishman at last, "would that I could take your -place!" - -"But you cannot, Major Coventry," replied the other, gratefully. "You -honor me in the thought; but if you could, I should refuse to allow -it. You are the better man; all my life I have been a gay, reckless, -pleasure-seeking soldier of fortune, with never a serious purpose -until now, and now it is too late! You are the worthy one, and you -must live to watch over, to care for her whom we both love. -Perhaps--surely--in days to come she will forget; time, absence, you -know--she will reward your devotion, she must--you will be happy--" -His voice broke, and he turned away his face and looked out of the -open port. Coventry shook his head. - -"You know her not, sir. She is not for me, nor would I take her loving -you; my love is too deep for that--nor would she come. She will never -forget you." O'Neill's heart leaped at this assurance. - -The ship's bell on the deck above them struck four times; it was six -o'clock! There was a little silence within the screen. - -"The hour approaches," said O'Neill, softly, at last. "I would be -alone for a few moments before--you understand?" - -"Yes," said the other, rising and pressing his hand. "Have you nothing -to say, no message to send to--" he asked magnanimously. - -"Nothing--nothing--'tis best so. You will come for me at the time?" - -"Yes, and I will stand by you to the end, like a soldier." - -"You do me great honor," replied the other, thankfully. Coventry -looked at him a moment, shook his head, and turned away. - -In the prayers of the young Irishman the face of the girl he loved -would obtrude itself. It seemed but a moment before he heard the tramp -of armed men coming along the deck. They stopped before the screen. It -was opened, and Coventry, pale as death, presented himself at the -opening; the screen was promptly folded back; there were marines fully -armed before it, the chaplain, too, in the white robes of his office. - -"I am ready, gentlemen," said O'Neill, calmly. "May I not go to my -death unbound?" he asked. - -At a nod from Coventry, the master-at-arms unlocked the fetters about -his feet and hands. The prisoner took his place in the midst of the -little squad of men, and ascended to the spar-deck. The ship's company -of marines was drawn up aft on the quarter-deck. Most of the seamen of -the crew were arranged in orderly ranks in the starboard gangway. -Forward a grating had been rigged on the bulwarks under the port -fore-yard-arm. A new rope led from the grating, up through the block -in the yard-arm, came inboard to another block under the top, and -thence through a block fixed to the deck. Some sixty or seventy men -chosen by lot from the ship's company had hold of the rope which was -led aft along the port gangway. In front of the marines stood Captain -Pearson and his officers in full uniform. The prisoner was halted -before him. - -"Are you aware, sir," said the captain, gravely, "that the hour for -the carrying out of the sentence of the court approaches?" - -"Yes, sir," answered O'Neill, courteously. - -"Have you anything to say before that time?" - -"I have to thank you all for your kindness to me, nothing else, sir." - -"Allow me, sir," said the captain, "to assure you of the great -personal distaste and regret I feel at being compelled to take this -action." - -"Your feelings do you honor, sir," replied O'Neill, gravely; "but it -is a matter of duty. Pray, proceed." - -"Captain Pearson," said Coventry, in great agitation, "can nothing be -done to delay this execution a few hours? There are considerations, -sir, in my possession, which I feel sure would incline his Majesty, -could he be communicated with, to extend clemency to this -gentleman,--circumstances which--" - -"Are these circumstances within the knowledge of Lord Westbrooke, -Major Coventry?" answered the captain, surprised at the unusual nature -of the interruption. - -"They are, sir." - -"Have you mentioned them to him? Have you called his attention -specifically to them, I mean?" - -"Yes, sir, I have," answered the soldier, reluctantly. - -"And they have evidently not influenced him, you see. Therefore I fail -to see how I can permit them to weigh with me." - -"But a delay, sir, of a day, of an hour even, until I can communicate -with the admiral again! For God's sake, sir, do not hang this -gentleman like--" - -"Major Coventry, you are a soldier, and should not make such an -appeal. I have my orders. You have shown me no cause to disregard -them; I cannot take it upon myself to do so. I dare not!" - -"But an hour, sir, until I--" - -"Not a moment! At five bells they must be carried out," said the -captain, inflexibly. "No more, sir," he added, as Coventry made an -impetuous step forward. "I have indulged you too long already. Mr. -Pascoe, take the prisoner forward." - -"It is useless, Coventry. Why prolong this agony longer? You have done -what you could. I thank you and bless you," said O'Neill, as they -walked along the deck to the place of the grating. - -"Will you please to step up here, sir?" said Pascoe, the first -lieutenant of the Serapis, who had the matter in charge, pointing to -the grating on the rail as they came abreast of it. - -"It is a fair and easy place from which to step to heaven, sir, or to -the other place as well," said the Irishman, smiling, as he stepped on -the rail. "I pray you to tell your men to start me on my way with a -quick pull and a swift run." Pascoe nodded in comprehension. This -would be a case in which speed would be merciful. - -A boatswain's mate now stepped up beside the prisoner, and bound his -feet and hands with a lashing. A hangman's knot had been made by -expert fingers in the rope leading from the yard-arm, and the running -noose was quickly cast about O'Neill's neck. - -"The collar of an ancient order, this," observed O'Neill, still -smiling. "And now one last request, sir," he added, turning to the -lieutenant. - -"And that is?" - -"Throw away that black cap, sir. Let me go with my eyes open." The -lieutenant hesitated a moment. The whole ship's company was filled -with admiration for the intrepid and gallant Irishman. - -"Do it, for God's sake, Pascoe!" whispered Coventry, springing up -alongside O'Neill and the sailor, who, to avoid him, stepped back and -stood on the rail by the fore shrouds. - -"What are you doing there, Major Coventry?" answered Pascoe. - -"Nothing. I promised to stand by him to the last," replied Coventry. -The officer hesitated a moment, and then threw the cap into the water. - -"I thank you," said O'Neill, huskily. "How much time is there?" - -"About two minutes, I think," said the lieutenant, nervously. - -"You will run away with the fall at the first or last stroke of the -bell?" - -"The last, sir." - -"No more," said O'Neill to Coventry, turning his face in the direction -of the shore. The deep voice of the white-robed priest alone broke the -silence,-- - -"'_Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not Thy -merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most -mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, Thou most worthy Judge eternal, -suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from -Thee_.'" - -Out on the water a white-sailed little boat was speeding swiftly -toward them. There was a woman in it. The eyes of love, even in the -presence of death, are keen, perhaps even keener then than ever. It -was Elizabeth Howard. O'Neill recognized her at once. Good heavens! -Why had she come here? She would arrive in time to see him swinging -lifeless from the yard-arm,--a hideous sight for any woman. He could -not take his eyes from her. - -"See!" he whispered to Coventry, "that boat yonder; she is there." - -"My God!" said the officer. "What shall we do?" - -"Nothing; 'tis too late." - -"She has something in her hand," cried Coventry. "What can it be?" - -"Forward, there!" cried the captain, watch in hand. "Strike the bell -five!" - -The mellow tones of the first couplet of the ship's bell rang out in -obedience to the command. The hour was come! It was his death signal, -but O'Neill never turned his head from the approaching boat. The old -quartermaster struck the bell deliberately, lingering over it -reluctantly; a little shiver ran through the men. - -"Stand by!" shouted the lieutenant, in a voice he strove in vain to -make firm. "Make a quick jerk and a lively run, lads, for God's sake!" - -The men grasped the rope more firmly, sprang into position for the -jump. The next couplet was struck on the bell. The boat was nearer -now. Coventry saw that the woman waved something that looked like a -paper in her hand. The last stroke of the bell rang out on the -breathless, silent ship. - -"Set taut!" cried the lieutenant, hoarsely. The men leaped forward -instantly to the shrill piping of the boatswain and his mate. "Sway -away!" he cried. - -The tightened rope caught the Irishman by the throat. A lightning -flash seemed to cleave the skies: he saw, as in a vision, a great hall -hung with arras, a picture frame, a woman radiant, beautiful, her eyes -shining; an upraised hand; like silver bells a voice murmured, "I love -him, I love him." She moved--ah, a gigantic hand caught him by the -throat; he strove to cry out; it clutched him tighter and tighter; -blackness like a pall fell before him, shutting out the smiling -face--death--agony--he saw no more--he swung into the air and was -nothing. - -The quick eye of Major Coventry had detected, at last, what the girl -was waving. - -"That paper," he cried frantically, as the last bell struck. "It must -be a reprieve; the admiral has relented." - -Was it too late? Quick as thought he snatched the sheath knife from -the belt of the sailor near him. It was too late to stop the men on -the rope, even had he possessed the power; but as O'Neill rose in the -air, he caught him around the waist, and with one rapid blow severed -the straining rope above his head. Assisted at once by the sailor -alongside of him, they lowered the bound, unconscious man upon the -deck beneath them. It was all done in the twinkling of an eye. The men -on the ship broke out in ringing cheers. - -The rope, being relieved of the weight of the body, of course ran -rapidly through the block, and the men hauling it pitched pell-mell -over themselves upon the deck. There was a moment of intense -excitement. The seamen on the other side of the deck, cheering wildly, -started eagerly forward; the officers, sword in hand, sprang in front -of them, driving them back. The marine officer aft brought his men at -once to attention with a sharp word or two, and every piece was made -ready in case of disturbance. Pearson, white with rage at the -interruption, leaped forward. - -"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted. "Who has dared to interfere -in this manner?" - -"I, sir," replied Coventry, fearlessly, looking up from his place by -the unconscious man. - -"And by what right, sir?" cried the enraged captain. "Though you be -the son of the admiral, you shall dearly rue this unwarranted -assumption of authority. What excuse have you to offer for -interrupting the sentence of a court-martial? What reason can you urge -for your presumption?" - -"Boat ahoy!" cried a seaman stationed at the port gangway. - -"Sir," said Coventry, quietly meeting the eye of the thoroughly -infuriated captain, "if I mistake not, you will find my excuse in that -boat." - -"Well for you, sir, if it be there! Never, in my twenty years of -service, have I been so braved, and on my own ship, too. See what boat -it is," said the captain, turning to one of his midshipmen, "and find -out what is wanted." The lad came running back presently, and saluted. - -"'Tis a lady, sir,--the governor's ward,--Lady Elizabeth Howard; she -wishes to come on board," he said. - -"Lady Elizabeth Howard! This is no place for women; this man is still -to be hanged. What can she wish?" exclaimed the captain, frowning. - -"Receive her at once, sir, I beg," said Coventry. "She has a -paper,--my excuse, sir," he added, smiling. - -"Show her on board," said the captain, shortly, to the midshipman. -Then he looked down on the still, unconscious form of O'Neill. "Send a -surgeon here at once, sir," he continued; and as the latter presented -himself, "Is the man dead?" he asked. - -"No, sir," said the surgeon, examining him hastily, and making ready -to apply some necessary restoratives, for which he despatched an -assistant to the sick-bay. - -"Get him in shape, then, and quickly, for another attempt; for hang he -shall, if he has to be held up for it," ordered the captain, sternly. - -At this moment the midshipman, followed by Lady Elizabeth, pale as -death, a blue boat cloak, which belonged to her guardian, which she -had caught up in the castle, fluttering in the breeze, her hat gone, -her hair dishevelled, her hand clutching a paper, broke through the -little group. - -"Captain Pearson, where is he?" she cried nervously; then, as her eyes -fell on the prostrate form of O'Neill, she dropped the paper to the -deck, covered her face with her hands, and rocked to and fro in agony. -"Oh, my love, my love! Too late! too late!" she wailed, faltering. - -"Not so, madam," said the captain, turning toward her. "The man still -lives, the surgeon assures me. He has but fainted. Have you a warrant -to stop the execution? If not, it must go on, and it shall go hard -with Major Coventry as well." - -"The prisoner is reprieved, sir; here is the paper," said Elizabeth, -life coming back to her, "sealed and signed by the admiral himself. -Oh, I had it a moment since--where has it gone?" - -"Here it is, your Ladyship," said one of the officers, lifting it from -the deck and handing it to her. - -"There!" she said, presenting it to the captain. He opened it -deliberately and glanced over the brief contents. She watched him with -a nervousness she vainly attempted to conceal. Meanwhile the doctor -had succeeded in rousing O'Neill. The first glance of his eye fell on -Elizabeth, and nothing else he saw. - -"Heaven and the angels!" he murmured faintly, not yet comprehending -the position. - -"It seems to be made out properly and duly signed and sealed," said -the captain, slowly,--"a reprieve for the prisoner until further -notice, and permission for the bearer to see him alone," he added -suspiciously. There was a little pause. He turned the paper over in -his hand, and looked sharply at the girl. - -"The admiral chooses a strange messenger," he added. "I cannot say if -this be regular or no. His handwriting is unfamiliar to me. I do not -recognize this; you say you had it from him, madam?" - -Elizabeth could not trust herself to speak; she only bowed. There was -evidently something very suspicious to the captain in the whole -proceeding. The signature did not seem just right. - -"Ah! I have it--Major Coventry!" he cried suddenly. - -That miserable young man, sick at heart, had shrunk into the -background since Elizabeth had come aboard, and the girl had not seen -him before. He had felt that his work was done when she appeared; but, -no, he was to find out that his troubles had but just begun. - -"Oh!" she cried, as he stepped forward, clutching him wildly by the -arm, a look of terror in her eyes, as she added, in a whisper, "not -you--I had forgotten you--we are lost!" In the bitter knowledge that -she had forgotten him, he overlooked the clue to her action furnished -by her last words. - -"Here is a reprieve from the admiral," said the captain. "It seems to -be correct, and yet--will you look over it and give me your opinion? -you are familiar with his writing, at any rate. My Lady, forgive the -questioning, but the matter is most serious, and I must be absolutely -assured." - -"Here is the paper, Edward," said Elizabeth, desperately, taking it -from the captain's outstretched hand. "Is not that the writing of the -admiral?" she added entreatingly, and then clasping her hands, she -looked at him with all her soul in her eyes and waited, full of -apprehension. A word, and he hanged her lover, and incidentally, but -surely, killed her; a word, and he set them free! What the -consequences to himself of his decision might be, with the sublime -egotism of love for another, she neither knew nor questioned. Coventry -gave a brief glance at the document; he saw what was expected of him; -his life or her happiness trembled in the balance; true to his -determination, he did not hesitate a moment. In that glance of a -single second he realized the truth, which he had more than suspected -before. - -"It is," he replied briefly and indifferently aloud. A little prayer -to God for forgiveness leaped within his heart at the falsehood. He -had connived at her deceit, failed in his soldierly duty, broken his -honor--for this woman. The reputation of a lifetime of loyal service -to his king, the honorable record of years of devotion to duty had -been thrown away in a moment for her. He had sacrificed more than life -itself for his love--and she loved another! He turned the paper over -in his hand and then quietly returned it to the captain. He said no -other word, he scarcely even looked at Elizabeth. He could not trust -his own gaze. There might be reproach in it. And he would fain make -the sacrifice like a gentleman at least. - -"Thank God--thank God--" whispered Elizabeth, under her breath; and -the look of gratitude she flashed at him would have gone far to repay -even a greater sacrifice--perhaps. - -The keen captain was not yet satisfied, however. - -"You wished to release him yourself, I remember," he said uncertainly. -"I am by no means persuaded that--but it is impossible for me to -proceed now until I have seen the admiral. Take the prisoner below," -he said to the guard, "and allow Lady Elizabeth to see him alone. Mr. -Pascoe, tell the boatswain to pipe down, and call the watch." - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -_A Soldier and a Gentleman_ - - -Accompanied by the marine guard, and leaning upon the arms of the -surgeon and Coventry, who tenderly assisted his faltering steps, -O'Neill was taken below, followed by Elizabeth, scarcely yet -comprehending what had happened. The girl's heart was exulting madly. -So far she had triumphed. What next? When they reached the little -screened enclosure between the guns, in which O'Neill had been -confined, the guard saluted and released the prisoner. He had not been -ironed again, and by some oversight no one, in the confusion following -the reprieve, called attention to it. As he stepped within the screen, -and Elizabeth prepared to follow him, Coventry interrupted her by -holding out his hand with a mute glance. Was she going to pass him by -without a single word of gratitude, of farewell even? - -"Oh!" she said, with unconscious cruelty which pierced his heart, for -this was the second time, "I forgot you." And then, as if repenting -for the situation, and to make amends for that forgetfulness, which -was, to say the least, most ungrateful, in spite of the presence of -the seamen and marines, she seized his hand, drew him toward her, and -pressed a long, sweet kiss upon his forehead. - -"God bless you for what you did," she whispered. - -"What you do, do quickly," he replied. "I will replace the sentry; -you will be safe. God grant you may succeed. 'Twas bravely done; -good-bye." - -"Good-bye; we shall not forget you," she said hurriedly, withdrawing -within the screen. And this was the only reward he received for his -sacrifice. By his direction the sentry on guard withdrew to the -opposite side of the deck, and he himself mounted guard in front of -the canvas. With what feelings he paced to and fro in front of that -little strip of cloth which alone separated him from the woman he -loved, in the arms of the man who loved her--and he had put her there! - -As soon as she entered the enclosure, Elizabeth threw herself in the -arms of the bewildered O'Neill. - -"Oh!" she whispered, "you are saved--saved--and through me!" - -"No, dearest, not yet," replied he, straining her to his heart and -kissing her fondly. "I scarcely yet understand it all; but if I heard -aright, 'tis but a reprieve until to-morrow; build no hope upon it." - -"We will not wait for the morrow, my dearest," she answered softly, -"for the boat swings under the counter yonder. When night falls and it -is quite dark, we will slip out of the port and go away together; in a -few moments it will be time." - -The Irishman caught eagerly at the suggested idea. It was full of -improbability, but it did present a bare possibility of escape if they -were fortunate. - -"Very good," he whispered, "excellent; but the sentry there?" - -"We will wait until there is some bustle on the deck," she answered, -"and in the confusion and noise they will not hear; at any rate, we -must risk it." Something told her she would better not inform him that -Coventry was keeping watch. - -"How did you prevail upon the admiral to grant the reprieve?" he -asked, after another pause, not unemployed, however. - -"I--well, you see--oh, I scarcely know how; the admiral loves me, you -know--I cannot explain it. It seems like a bewildering, frightful -dream to me," said the girl, passing her hand over her hair and -turning a shade paler as she spoke, and studiously avoiding his eye. -"Do not speak of it now. You are safe for the moment--you saw the -paper--Edward also--it was all right. Let that suffice." - -He soothed her with tender words and loving caresses; the sound of -them was death to the pale-faced young man, alone with his own broken -thoughts on the other side of the screen. Unheeded the night came -stealing over the harbor, lights in the town twinkled here and there, -the boatswain's whistle rang out between decks on the frigate. There -was a call, a hoarse cry or two, a hurrying of feet, a little -confusion. - -"Now is the time," said Elizabeth, releasing herself from his -unwilling arms, and looking out through the port. "The man is -watching; I met him on the strand as I was seeking for a boat to bring -me out to you. He is faithful; he says he knows you--has served under -you." - -"Knows me!" said O'Neill, surprised, thrusting his head through the -open port. There, right beneath him, a little skiff was being brought -up deftly and without noise, from where it had lain unnoticed under -the counter, in the confusion since the girl's arrival. The side of -the ship was in deep shadow, and the broad main chains extending over -their heads, above the ports, further concealed them from notice. - -Gathering her skirts about her, Elizabeth slipped first through the -port. O'Neill held her firmly until the man below lifted her gently -into the stern of the boat. Noiselessly, and as quickly as possible, -O'Neill followed her. By Elizabeth's direction, he lay down in the -bottom of the boat, and she covered him entirely with her boat cloak. -The man in the bows, whom O'Neill had not recognized in the shadow, -and who had said nothing, slowly worked the boat back under the -counter again; then, with a strong thrust, shoved her clear of the -ship. The flooding tide carried them slowly away. In a few moments he -cautiously got out his oars, and by a very gentle pulling added a -little to the way of the boat. - -The ear of the watchful Coventry had at once apprised him of their -departure. He could scarcely resist the temptation to enter the -screen,--to call them back that he might see her once again. But he -had duty to do. So soon as he was persuaded that they had left the -ship, he called the sentry from the opposite side of the deck, and -told him to mount guard again, and on no account to disturb the -prisoners. Then he ran rapidly up to the quarter-deck, and made his -way aft to the marine on guard there. The man was looking out into the -darkness at a dark blur on the water,--a boat; two figures could be -distinguished in it, one of them a woman; Coventry saw them at once, -and as he looked they disappeared,--the last sight of her, he thought -bitterly. The marine had just opened his mouth to give the alarm, when -the clear voice of the officer rang in his ear. - -"Sentry!" said Coventry. The man instinctively sprang to attention at -once, and for the moment forgot the boat. - -"Have you seen any signals from the castle?" - -"No, sir; but I seen a little boat off there that looked suspicious -like." - -"Whereabouts did you see it?" - -"There, sir, right off there." - -"No," said Coventry, straining his eyes through the darkness. "There -is no boat there. You have been mistaken, I think," he added -indifferently, his gaze still fixed on the place where they had -drifted away and disappeared. He knew what was coming, since they had -gone. He must pay for it, so he leaned on the rail and waited. A few -moments later, a large barge, full manned, darted out of the darkness, -coming toward the ship. Coventry knew what it was, of course. - -"Boat ahoy!" shouted the watchful sentry at the gangway. - -"Flag," was the answer, as the admiral dashed alongside. Almost before -the officer of the watch could reach the gangway the old man clambered -to the deck. - -"Good-evening, sir," he said, in response to the former's salutation. -"Captain Pearson?" - -"I have sent for him, my Lord," replied the officer, and the next -moment the captain himself came bustling out of the darkness to do -honor to the old admiral. - -"Ah, Captain Pearson, good-evening." - -"Good-evening to your Lordship." - -"The prisoner I sent off--he has been duly executed, I presume?" - -"Why, no, sir!" said the captain, alarmed at this confirmation of his -suspicions. "We were about ready to carry out the sentence; the -command to sway aloft had been given, in fact, when we received your -reprieve." - -"My reprieve!" said the admiral, in great surprise. "What mean you? I -sent no reprieve." - -"Sir, sir!" cried the astonished captain. "It was brought here by your -ward, Lady Elizabeth Howard." - -"Elizabeth! Good God!" cried the old man, starting violently. "Her -maid said she was ill--she must have--did you inspect it carefully, -sir?" he asked, checking himself. - -"Yes, my Lord. It seemed to be all right; but the whole proceeding was -so irregular and unlike you that I called upon--" - -"Where is the paper?" cried the admiral, interrupting impatiently. - -"I have just sent to fetch it, sir." - -They waited in silence, until a midshipman placed it in the hand of -the admiral. Pascoe held a light while the old man seized it, -scrutinized it eagerly, and handed it back to the captain. - -"This," he said slowly, "is a forgery. You should have disregarded it, -sir." - -"'Twas passed upon by your son and aide, Major Coventry, my Lord," -replied the captain, shortly. - -"How! Edward! Where is he?" - -"Here, my Lord," said the young man, stepping forward, pale as death, -and saluting. - -"Did you examine this paper, sir?" - -"I did, sir." - -"You knew it was a forgery?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And yet you declared it to be correct?" - -"I did, sir." - -"For what purpose?" - -"Will you direct these others to retire out of hearing, Captain -Pearson?" said Coventry, indicating the officer of the watch, the -midshipman, and all of the others; and when his request had been -complied with, he added: "'Twas to save the honor of your ward, my -Lord, to insure happiness to the woman I love more than life, to -effect the escape of the man upon whom that happiness depended." - -"Have you dared, sir," said the admiral, furious with rage, "to thus -derange my plans and disregard my orders, to thwart me, to interfere -between a duly constituted court and its prisoner?" He stamped his -foot and looked fiercely at his son. - -"Me as well," said the captain; "upon the deck of my own ship--to put -this dishonor upon me." - -"The prisoner!" cried the admiral, impetuously. "Have him brought on -deck at once, Captain Pearson." - -"But your ward, my Lord; she is with him," said the captain. - -"Bring her too, then," the old man answered passionately. - -"But the crew--the men--not before them all!" said Coventry, striving -to gain time. - -"Before Heaven itself the offence was given," said the admiral, losing -all control over himself in his fury, "and the punishment shall have -equal publicity." The midshipman who had hastened below now came -running on deck in terror. - -"There's no one there, my Lord; they've gone, escaped, sir!" he cried. - -"Impossible!" exclaimed Pearson. - -"Escaped!" said the admiral, turning to the captain. "Had you no -sentry to watch them, sir?" - -"Yes, my Lord, certainly," said Pearson. - -"Let him be tried and shot forthwith, then, for gross neglect of duty -in permitting--" - -"My Lord, the sentry is innocent," interrupted Coventry; "I replaced -him; I alone am guilty." - -"Worse and worse! You knew they escaped, sir?" said the admiral. - -"I did; 'twas to prevent discovery I took his place," replied his son, -bowing. Captain Pearson opened his mouth to speak, but his superior -silenced him with a wave of his hand. - -A bitter fight raged in the old man's bosom, but he saw his duty, and -knew it must be done. There was a long and awful pause. When the -admiral spoke again it was in an altered tone; he had regained his -self-control. - -"Captain Pearson," he said slowly and deliberately, in a strained and -unnatural voice, "let the court-martial which passed judgment upon the -prisoner be re-convened at once to try Major Edward Coventry for -disobedience of orders in time of war, and for aiding and abetting the -escape of an enemy, and for knowingly declaring a forged order, -purporting to bear my signature, to be correct,--in short, for conduct -unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." - -"Surely not that last, my Lord," said Coventry, impulsively raising -his hand in deprecation. - -The admiral hesitated, looked long and earnestly at his handsome son. -"You may leave off the part about conduct unbecoming an officer and a -gentleman, Pearson," he answered. - -"Thank you, sir," said Coventry, gratefully. - -"Good heavens, my Lord!" cried Pearson; "the punishment is death--I -pray you--" - -"Silence, sir!" he cried sternly; "you have your order. Shall I be -more merciful to this gentleman than to the poor marine I would have -had shot a moment since for less than he has done?" - -"But he is your son. Have mercy on him, my Lord!" - -"So much the more imperative that he should receive justice--not mercy -from me. Besides, from this hour he is no longer son of mine," said -the old man, inflexibly. "Let the prisoner be confined under double -guard; you will see that he at least does not escape you." - -"It is just," said Coventry, no less resolutely than his father; "I -expected it. It was for her I did it." - -There was a sudden bustle upon the deck forward. - -"Sail ho! Light ho! Light ho!" rang out from a dozen rough throats. - -"Where away?" said the officer of the watch. - -"Off the starboard quarter," was the reply,--"there, coming up from -Flamborough Head." - -"They will be the Bon Homme Richard and the rest of that scoundrelly -pirate squadron, Captain Pearson. I saw them off Bridlington Bay this -afternoon," said the admiral. - -"We will go out and meet them at once, with your permission, my Lord," -cried the captain, enthusiastically. "All hands up anchor! Mr. Pascoe, -show the signal for the Scarborough to get under way. Lively! we have -him now, men! This is our chance at last! There's prize money and -honor for you by yonder lights!" - -With wild cheers the eager crew broke for their stations. The capstan -bars were shipped and manned, and the clanking pawls clicked merrily -as the men heaved away as lustily as a crew homeward bound from a -foreign station. - -"Good luck to you, Captain Pearson," said the admiral, turning away. -"Bring him back a prisoner or sink him, and I will pledge you my word -your king's sword shall be laid upon your shoulders. Would that I were -younger and might go with you! but my duties, as well, prevent me. -Good-bye." - -"Sir--my Lord--my father!" said Coventry, who had stood unnoticed in -the excitement of the moment. - -"Do I see you still here, sir?" answered the admiral, coldly. - -"I would ask a favor of you, sir--as--as--as my father." - -"Ask no favors of a father, sir; you have none!" - -"Let me beg of the man, then," said Coventry, resolutely. "We are -about to engage the enemy. For God's sake, sir, for the love of my -mother, do not condemn me to inaction now! Let me serve as the -humblest volunteer! You shall not regret it." - -The old man hesitated. He was a father in spite of what he had said, -and he could not forget it. His heart was throbbing beneath his iron -exterior and appearance of outward composure. - -"Go!" he replied at last. "You are free of any charges until -to-morrow. When next I see you I shall have to prefer them, therefore -let me not look upon your face again, sir. Do you understand?" - -"Yes, yes; good-bye, sir!" said the young man, brokenly. "I thank you -and bless you for this. To-morrow I shall plead my cause in a higher -court. Think of me kindly, sir." - -"And you have done this work and wrecked yourself for a woman! You -have been a fool, sir; what woman that ever lived was worth it?" said -the admiral, shortly. - -"This one," replied his son. "I loved her; I love her still." - -The two men looked at each other in silence. The admiral relented a -little,--it was for the last time,--and drew the boy to him. He lifted -his head to the sky in silent prayer. - -"All hands make sail!" hoarsely cried the boatswain at the instance of -the executive officer. "Lay aloft, topman!" - -The admiral turned away, and Coventry was alone. He walked over to -Captain Pearson. - -"Father gives me a chance to die," he said. "Please assign me to some -duty." - -"I am glad to hear it," said the captain, his face lighting up. "We -are short a lieutenant; I confide to you the forward division of the -main-deck battery. Do your best with it." - -"I hope to serve it well," said the young officer, saluting proudly, -and springing toward his station. - -"Anchor's away, sir!" cried the officer forward on the forecastle. - -"Man the topsail sheets and halliards, let fall, sheet home, hoist -away!" roared the captain, himself seizing the trumpet. As the broad -folds of canvas dropped from the wide-reaching yard-arms, the noble -ship gathered way and sailed out to try her fortune. - - - - - -BOOK IV -THE SELFISHNESS OF LOVE - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -_In the Line of his Duty_ - - -AS soon as they had drifted some little distance from the Serapis, -O'Neill rose, threw off the boat cloak, and stepped aft around the -oarsman to the stern-sheets of the boat, where Elizabeth sat -motionless, holding the tiller. He knelt down before her. - -"Elizabeth, dearest, we have actually escaped!" he said softly, -stooping toward her. "I did not think it possible." She released the -tiller, took his head in her hands, and kissed him in wild exultation. - -"Free! Free!" she murmured, "and together--my own, my own!" Her words, -her look, her caress, set his blood bounding again. - -"Yes, yes; is it not heavenly, and with you. Oh, my soul, how can I -repay you?" he whispered, giving back kiss for kiss, and stretching -out his hands toward her. There was a little pause, broken by a rough -voice, which its owner evidently tried to render more gentle; in a -hoarse whisper the man at the oars asked,-- - -"Where are ye a-headin' of the boat, yer Leddyship?" - -"I know not!" she answered wildly, seizing the tiller again; "only -away from that awful ship!" - -"Who is this man at the oars?" asked her lover, rising and sitting -down by her when he took the tiller from her nervous hands. - -"Well, yer Honor," said a low, deep voice, with a smothered laugh in -it, "my name ashore, w'ere I was left by Cap'n Jones t'other night to -look arter you, mought be Smith, or Brown, or any old name; but yere -in this boat it's Price--William P. Price--w'ich is wot my mother told -me, at any rate, though I ain't got no evidence but her word fur it, -an' she's dead, an' God be thanked I see yer Honor alive." - -"Price! You!" exclaimed O'Neill, in great surprise. "How did you find -him, dearest?" - -"I found her, please yer Honor," replied the man. "I seed her -Leddyship a-comin' down to the beach, an' I ups and captures a small -boat from the English, w'ich the man'll be awful disappinted like, -w'en he don't find her to-morrow, an' then I ups and offers to take -her off, an' I tells her I knows you, an' we fixed it up, and here -y'are!" - -They were not yet so far from the Serapis, even by this time, but that -the quick ear of the girl detected the confusion on her decks: the -shrill piping of the boatswain and his mates, the sharp commands of -the officers, the trampling of many feet, were easily heard; she -clutched her lover nervously, all alert at the thought of a possible -further danger to him. - -"Oh!" she whispered, "they are doing something on the ship. Our escape -is discovered. They will come after us!" - -"Not with the whole ship," he answered, smiling, though listening with -straining apprehension as well. - -"I think they're a-gittin' under way, sir," said the old seaman. -"Listen to the clankin' o' the pawls, yer Honor." - -"You are right; it cannot be after us, though; a cutter or two would -suffice for that." - -"It'll be fur the Richard an' the rest of 'em. Cap'n Jones, he said -he'd capture them ships afore the mornin' watch, an' if you wasn't -hung afore that time, he'd trice up the whole d--n--w'ich I beg -pardon, yer Leddyship, but he said it--crowd to the yard-arms, unless -they'd let you go free! Our wessels ought to be a-comin' up from -Flamburry putty soon, now. But if I mought make so bold, w'ere are ye -headin' fur now, sir?" - -"We head for the Richard, of course," said the young man, promptly. - -"That's w'ere we b'long," said the sailor, joyfully; "I don't want no -fightin' goin' on, an' I ain't there!" - -"Nor I," replied O'Neill. "I would put you ashore, Elizabeth, before -we go; but--" - -"'Whither thou goest, I will go; thy people shall be my people,'" she -quoted softly. "Whom have I now but you? To whom can I go but to you?" -she murmured, laying her hand upon his own. It was dark on the boat, -but if it had been broad daylight he could not have helped it,--he -kissed her. - -"Oh, to be worthy of it all, to be worthy!" he answered. - -William grinned sympathetically, wiped his mouth wistfully with the -back of his hand, and tried to look away. Presently, unshipping the -oars, the two men stepped the mast and hoisted the small sail. The -little boat, under the freshening breeze, began to draw through the -water rapidly. In order to win out of the mouth of the harbor, they -would have to pass in a direction which would bring them once more -near the moving Serapis. They could hardly hope to escape discovery. -They had, of course, gained a good start on the frigate; but as she -was soon covered with sails, and her great height enabled her to catch -the freshening breeze blowing over the hills, which was lost to the -smaller craft, she literally rushed down upon them. - -A noble picture she made to those on the boat. Ghostlike and eerie in -the pale moonlight, shining fitfully through the overcast heavens, the -great white ship towered above them, her soaring masts covered with -clouds of snowy canvas stretching far out on either side on the -spreading yard-arms. Her sails swept the skies; her keel ploughed the -deeps; the wind sang in the top-hamper; the white water, shot with -sparks, piled up in front of her, bubbled and played around her -forefoot, and rolled away on either side in broad sheets of foamy -phosphorescence. The yellow lights of the battle lanterns streamed -through her open ports; a drum was grimly rolling the call to battle -on her decks. Dark forms passed to and fro; men leaped hither and -thither in casting loose the double row of great black guns; sometimes -a vivid flash in the moonlight proclaimed a drawn sword. Presently the -cries and orders died away; the men settled down at their stations; -silently the huge fabric, a splendid example of that power which for -twice two hundred years had ruled the seas, swept toward them. O'Neill -watched her in generous admiration. - -"A fit antagonist even for our great captain," he cried, all his -enthusiasm aroused by the ship, "and nobly handled," he added. "Mark -the discipline; see the order!" - -"Ay, sir, that'll be a hard one to take; but we'll take her, never -fear!" said the old seaman, sharing his officer's ungrudging -approbation of their gallant foe. - -"How can you speak so?" said the girl. "To me she is nothing but a -prison--a menace--a horror!" - -"You are a woman, dearest; I hope to be on the old Richard before -long, and I feel from such a ship as that there is much honor to be -gained." - -"And death, too," she answered, shuddering. - -"It may be; death and honor often go hand in hand," he replied -gravely; "but she nears us; you must lie down until she passes." - -It was a new thing for her to be commanded; she found it altogether a -sweet experience--then. Later it might be another matter. So, though -protesting because she was a woman and had prescient eye to the -future, Elizabeth dutifully obeyed her lord and lay down in the boat, -resting her head against his foot. As they drew toward the mouth of -the harbor the wind came stronger. The little boat fairly roared -through the white-capped waves. She heeled over until the water -trickled in on the lee side; but O'Neill resolutely and skilfully held -her up to it. He could not afford to lose an inch of distance to -leeward, for the water shallowed rapidly in that direction, and -abounded in rocks as well. The Serapis was alongside now; they had not -yet been observed. The attention of the men on the frigate was fixed -upon the approaching ships to the southeast, now plainly visible. -O'Neill fairly held his breath as he congratulated himself that they -were to be passed by unnoticed. Suddenly a sharp cry rang out just as -the Serapis drew ahead. - -"Sail ho! Boat ahoy, there!" For a moment the small boat lay right in -the path of light cast by the brilliantly illuminated stern-ports of -the frigate. - -"'Tis the prisoner, he that escaped!" shouted a powerful voice. - -"Sentry, give him a shot from your piece," cried Captain Pearson -himself, springing on the rail and leaning over toward them. Old Price -shook his fist at the frigate in stout defiance. The sharp crack of a -musket rang out in the air. The bullet seemed to have struck something -forward in the boat; a shudder swept through the little craft, a -hoarse, frightful cry quivered through the night, there was splash, -the boat struck something, and that something, whatever it was, rasped -along her keel as she drove ahead. - -"Clear away the second cutter," cried another voice on the frigate. - -"Keep all fast!" shouted Pearson. "We have bigger game to-night," and -then he hollowed his hand and cried out as the Serapis drew rapidly -away,-- - -"We'll take care of you, sir, in the morning, when we return." A few -more musket-shots were fired at them from different parts of the ship; -one bullet tore through the sail and whistled by the ear of the young -lieutenant, but did no harm. - -"We are saved again!" cried Elizabeth, sitting up and looking -gratefully at her lover. - -"But not without a cost," said the young man, solemnly. - -"What mean you? Are you hurt; are you wounded?" she cried. - -"Price!" called O'Neill, softly, though he knew it was useless. There -was no answer. - -"Oh, that awful cry!" said Elizabeth, shuddering. - -"It was he," added O'Neill, gravely. "He was hit by the first shot, -and went overboard. Did you not feel him strike the keel?" - -"Is there no hope for him?" she queried anxiously. "Could we not put -back and seek him?" - -"None," replied the young lieutenant, shortly. "There was death in his -voice; it's all over with him. Well, he died in the line of his duty; -'tis a sailor's cherished hope." - -"He helped me--both of us--in time of need; our way to liberty and -happiness," she cried piteously, "seems to be over the bodies of those -who love us." - -"So it has ever been in the world,--a thousand deaths to make one -life, a thousand griefs to make one joy," he answered, laying his hand -tenderly upon her head, which she had buried in her hands. - -"But what come what may," she added, looking up resolutely, with all -the selfishness of love, "I have you, at least, and we are together -again." - -"Ay, let us pray it may be forever, sweetheart." - -They were out of the harbor now; and while the Serapis was stretching -along to the northeast to gain an offing, with the Scarborough some -distance ahead of her, and to leeward, the lighter draft of the small -boat permitted O'Neill to head her directly for the oncoming American -ships, whose lights, and the ships themselves, were now plainly -visible in the moonlight. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -_Differing Standards_ - - -"The battle which will take place to-night yonder between those ships -decides my fate. I hope to God I may arrive in time to take my part in -it! The Richard is fearfully short of officers at best; Landais, who -has the Alliance, is crazy and a coward; Cottineau in the Pallas is an -unknown quantity, and the rest have fled. Jones has only Richard Dale -and a lot of midshipmen with him upon whom he can absolutely depend, -and there are over two hundred prisoners in the hold. He needs me. If -this breeze hold on, I think we may intercept the Richard before the -battle is joined. Pray, dearest, as never before, for the success of -our arms! It means life, and you, for me." - -"It means life for me as well," she answered, nestling against him and -nerving herself up to the inevitable confession. How he would take it -she did not know, or rather she would not permit herself to say. She -was conscious only of an impelling necessity to tell him the whole -story, though she had deliberately waited until she believed he could -do nothing. - -"Ah, yes, 'tis sweet of you to say so, but not the same. Me they will -hang, but not you," he answered fondly. - -"Yes, they will," she replied. "I--I--I must confess it to you before -we go further; it weighs upon me. I also am guilty." - -"Guilty! You! Of what, pray? Of loving me too much?" he queried, -laughing in pure lightness of heart. - -"No, not that," she answered, "but that--that order--your reprieve. It -was--the admiral did not sign it," she added desperately. - -The secret was out. - -"And who did it, then?" he asked, still unsuspicious of her meaning. - -"I did it myself," she answered, with averted head. - -"It is not possible!" he exclaimed, withdrawing from her a little in -his astonishment. - -"'Twas for you--for you I did it--reproach me not; nay, you shall -not!" she cried, on fire to defend herself and her love, now the truth -was told. "Captain Jones said six hours' delay and you were saved. -There was no other way. I begged, implored, entreated the admiral--he -left me; went away--I saw the man fixing that block--the rope--I ran -to him to make one more appeal--he was not there. On his desk was an -order giving me permission to see you, which he had intended to give -me and had refused at the last moment and left unsigned. His watch was -there and his seal. I added the rest and signed and sealed it myself; -do not shrink from me!" she pleaded with changed mood again. "Your -anger--your disapproval--kills me. Is there no excuse that you can -find for me?" Her appeal was so tender, her affection so apparent, she -was her own justification. - -"No man would have done it," he said irresolutely, wavering. - -"But every woman would," she replied promptly, pressing her advantage. -"Why are you so silent; Your precious honor is safe, and as for -mine--" - -"'Twas nobly done," he answered at last, in complete surrender. "There -is not a woman in the world but would honor you for it; not a man who -would not love you. You have done that which I could not, and for me. -My heart before, and now my life is yours, my heart's dearest." - -"I knew you would not like it," she answered simply, "but there was no -other way. I confess I was terrified when Edward--" - -"Good heavens!" cried O'Neill. "He saw the order?" - -"Yes," said the girl, cowering before him again. In truth, this phase -of the transaction had actually escaped her memory. - -"Captain Pearson accepted it without questioning him?" he queried. She -would have given all the world to lie to him, but even in the darkness -she could not be further untrue, in his very presence, though now like -a flash she saw it all. - -"He--he doubted it," she whispered hesitatingly. "He handed the paper -to Edward, and asked him if it--if it was all right." - -"And Coventry?" - -"He took it and looked at it, looked at me--I had forgotten him, I -must confess,--" she went on brokenly,--"and then he handed it back to -Captain Pearson and--and said it was correct--the signature, I mean." - -"He knew, think you?" asked her lover, with deadly calmness. - -"Yes, he knew," she faltered. - -"And the sentry--our unheeded escape?" - -"Edward took his place--I might as well tell you all now," continued -the girl, desperately. - -"Ah!" he said, coldly and sternly; "and do you know, Lady Elizabeth, -what the penalty is for such actions as his?" - -"No," she replied, in alarm; "I never thought. They will not harm him. -He is the son of the admiral--what is it?" - -"They will shoot him, or hang him like a dog to the very yard-arm -prepared for me!" he answered with stern emphasis. - -"No, no! It is not possible!" she cried, appalled at the naked fact. - -"Ay, but it is," he replied; "and it is through your actions, and my -blind acquiescence therein, that this honorable gentleman is done to -death. This puts another face on the whole thing. You have made me a -craven; I am dishonored, his life is sacrificed for me!" - -"I did not mean to do it; I did not know," she wailed, stricken to the -heart by his bitter reproach. - -"Ay, but you should have known; but when women meddle in affairs of -state the consequences oft exceed their narrow views. Pray God, there -may yet be time to rectify the frightful happening," said O'Neill, -bitterly, putting the helm hard over as he spoke. The boat swept -around, the sail gybed, and they headed for the northeast. - -"What is it that you would do?" cried Elizabeth, in alarm, laying her -hand on the tiller. - -"Follow the Serapis," he answered shortly. - -"For what?" - -"To give myself up if possible, and thus insure his freedom." - -"I knew--I knew it would be so," she whispered. "I loved him," she -murmured, turning away, "I have sacrificed everything for him, and he -repudiates, reproaches me. O my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" she -wailed in unconscious imitation of a greater Sufferer. She drew away -from him and knelt down in the boat, and buried her face in her hands, -leaning upon the weather gunwale. He looked at her a moment, and -before the pathetic abandonment of her grief his anger melted. She was -a woman; with her, love was all. - -"Elizabeth," he said tenderly, "the bitterness of having caused that -good man's death, his apparent dishonor, overwhelmed me. I love you, -as you know, more than life itself. You are a woman; you see things -differently. There is nothing above love in a woman's heart. Come back -to me; your place is here, whatever happens. I love you the more for -your great sacrifice, but now we must undo it if we can. Heaven has -not smiled upon our meeting; perhaps, if we go hand in hand before God -together, we may find mercy, perhaps joy!" - -She made no answer, but nestled against him forgiven, contented. For a -time they sailed the sea in silence. The clouds had broken and left a -clear sky, whence the moon had flooded the ocean with her silvery -light; but the breeze came fitfully and gradually died away where they -were now under the lee of the land. It was such a night as lovers -dream of. They loved and they were together, side by side, alone, in -the soft autumnal night, adrift on a summer sea. There was that in the -past which kept them silent; and yet in their very proximity, in the -hands that touched and clasped each other, the head that nestled on -his shoulder, the arm that encircled her waist, the lips that met, the -eyes that spoke,--there was a sweetness which neither had ever known -before. The gentle wind whispered of love. The curling, lipping waves -caressed the keel with sounds like kisses, and to it all their hearts -kept time. It was a respite,--a lull between two phases of the -conflict; there was love and there was peace in the little boat, and -war and tumult were far off on the horizon. - -By and by Elizabeth slipped down from the thwart, and crouched down in -the boat at his feet. O'Neill held the tiller with one hand; the other -lightly stroked her golden head. She was perfectly content; everything -was out of her heart but he and the present; she was very still. He -could see the soft curve of her cheek resting upon her sweet white -hand in the moonlight. After one of the little intervals of silence, -he looked down upon her again. She made no motion, and did not reply -to a word he said softly, and he discovered that she was asleep. - -He did not wonder. The experiences of the past few days would have -killed any ordinary woman. How heroic she had been! With what abandon -she had put aside everything for the purpose of saving him! She had -hesitated at nothing. His love for her was measured by his honor; hers -for him was boundless. 'Twas ever so; and he had reproached her, -spoken harshly to her, upbraided her, turned away from her! How could -he have been so cruel! she was so young, his heart yearned over her. -He vowed that if God did permit them to escape from the perils which -environed them, he would make up to her for every unkind word spoken, -every reproach, every cutting glance, by an eternity of devotion. - -The night, the ocean, the loneliness, impressed him. What had he ever -done to be so blessed in the love of this noble woman? His life, as he -had said, had been an idle one. In the courts he had played at hearts -as he had played at war on the ships for the fun of the game. With her -a serious purpose had entered his life and was before him. The silence -of the night was broken only by the soft splash of the waves, as the -little boat rocked gently through them. The gentle wind grew fainter -and fainter; presently the flap of the idle sail against the mast -apprised him that it had gone. - -The white Serapis and her consort were far, far ahead, going fast and -leaving a long white wake across the sea. They seemed to have kept the -breeze which had failed the small boat. Coming up from the southward -he could see the black shapes of the Richard and her attendant ships. -What would he have given to be upon the deck by the side of that -dauntless captain! But even could he approach the two ships, that -privilege would be denied him, for honor demanded that he present -himself upon the deck of the Serapis without delay. It might be that -it would be too late even then to save Coventry, but he would go and -do his best. When the boat lost way, he sat a moment in indecision. He -was so loath to awaken the tired girl, but it was necessary. Gently he -raised her head. - -"Why, my dearest," she said, "was I asleep? What has happened? Oh!" it -came back to her, "you are going back to the Serapis." Then she looked -eagerly forward. The ships were far off now, several miles away; and -as the breeze still held with them, the distance was increasing with -every passing moment. - -"We do not advance," she cried, a note of joy in her voice, as her ear -detected the flapping of the sail; "the wind has died out." She laughed -triumphantly, "We shall never reach them." - -"And poor Coventry?" said O'Neill. - -"I cannot help it," she answered simply. "I think only of you. Now if -I could go back alone and take his place and let you go free, I would -cheerfully do that." - -"What advantage would that be to me?" he asked her. - -"Well, there is little use in our discussing it any more," she -answered, "for you cannot reach either ship now before it is over. The -wind has gone over to them, and we are still." - -"Ah, but I have another way of getting along." - -"How is that?" - -"I shall row," he said quietly. "Will you take the tiller?" - -"No!" she replied defiantly, folding her arms. "I will not help you at -all!" - -"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" he murmured. - -"I will not, I tell you!" she said. "Frankly, I do not wish to. What -is Edward, what are those ships, what is the whole wide world to me -beside your safety?" - -"I must do it alone as best I can, then," said O'Neill, leaving her -side and going forward and unstepping the mast and thrusting out the -oars, which he handled with the skill of long practice and strong -arms. The difference of speed between the boat and the two ships was -now of course greater than before. - -"Why fatigue yourself unnecessarily?" she said to him at last, after -he had been rowing for some time. "You gain nothing; 'tis useless." - -"No matter," was his reply as he desperately tugged at the oars. "I -shall at least have the consciousness of knowing I did what I could." -But after pulling hard for an hour, he leaned over the handles of the -oars and turning his head looked forward. She was right; it was a -perfectly hopeless task. The nearest ships were now ten or a dozen -miles away, and going farther, when a flash of light pierced the -darkness on the horizon, followed some time after by the roar of a -heavy gun. - - - - - -BOOK V -IN THE HELL OF BATTLE, ALL - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -_The Boys in Command_ - - -"The ship is clear, sir," said Lieutenant Richard Dale, saluting -smartly. He was a handsome, dashing young sailor, the picture of sea -gallantry, as he ran lightly up the ladder from the main-deck and -stopped before the little captain of the Bon Homme Richard, standing -on the weather side of the poop, keenly surveying the scene. - -"Very good, sir," said the little man, nodding his head but not -turning toward his executive officer. "Look yonder," he added, -pointing ahead and toward the shore. "What do you make that, sir?" - -"It cannot be the Alliance!" exclaimed Dale, in great surprise, as he -shaded his eyes and gazed intently in the direction of the setting sun -at a large war-ship which was edging in shore toward the harbor of -Scarborough, which apparently sheltered a numerous convoy of merchant -ships. - -"'Tis indeed she!" replied Jones, sternly; "I have repeatedly -signalled to Captain Landais to follow in our wake,--to form line -ahead. If we get out of this thing safely--" He stopped, repressed his -feeling by a strong effort, compressing his lips passionately in a way -which promised trouble for Captain Landais and the Alliance, a new and -handsome frigate, the best of Jones's squadron. After a momentary -pause the commodore, a man of few words in time of action at least, -turned toward the stern of his ship. - -"Look aft there, too," he added. - -"That will be the Pallas, of course," said Dale, as his eye fell upon -a smaller ship which was following the Bon Homme Richard. "And the -Vengeance, sir?" - -"There! Hull down on the horizon, fleeing like a coward," said Jones, -bitterly. - -"And those two white fellows forward there," continued Dale, "reaching -out from the harbor--" - -"Are the Serapis and the Scarborough," interrupted the captain, "if -the information sent us by O'Neill be correct." - -"Would he were here!" exclaimed Dale. - -"Yes, he is himself a host," said Jones, sadly. "We are fearfully -short-handed. O'Neill gone, and Henry and Cutting Lunt, our third and -fourth officers, both absent. The Frenchmen are an unknown quantity. I -have only you, Dale, and Stacey and Mease, and the boys, of course; -but I can depend upon you." - -"Upon me--upon all of us," replied Dale, gallantly, "to the death -itself!" - -"I know it," said the captain, smiling and laying his hand -affectionately upon the young man's shoulder. "They are very young, -though," he continued gravely, "for such desperate work as this -promises to be, but they are brave hearts and true. They will do their -best, I doubt not." - -"With you to command them, sir, they'll not be found wanting, I am -sure," said the enthusiastic Dale, who was devotedly attached to his -great commander. There was a little pause. - -"Messieurs," said Jones, turning toward a little group of French -officers who were standing on the lee side of the poop. At the -captain's word they stepped forward and saluted gracefully. - -"Colonel de Weibert, you have served in the artillery, I believe?" -asked the captain of a fine-looking veteran. The Frenchman bowed. -"Will you assist Lieutenant Dale in working the battery on the -main-deck? It is an unusual place for a soldier, but we are very short -of experienced officers. You understand the handling of great guns. It -would be a great favor." - -"Any place which enables him to fight the enemy is a good place for a -soldier, my captain. I am at Lieutenant Dale's service," replied the -gallant old soldier. - -"You, vicomte, and gentlemen," said Jones, turning to De Chamillard, -who was attended by several subalterns, "will take charge of the -soldiers on the quarter-deck and forecastle. I desire a continuous -small-arm fire to play upon the decks and tops of the English ships." - -"Sir captain," smilingly answered De Chamillard, a dapper, dainty -little man, as he in turn bowed profoundly, laying his hand on his -sword, "not a man shall escape my marine infantry; I answer for them -and for my friends here as well," he added indicating his gay-clad -lieutenants, who emulated the vicomte in the profundity of their -salutations. - -"Remember, gentlemen," said Jones, his face lighting, "'tis - for the honor of America--and of France. Mr. Brooks," he said to an -alert young midshipman who was acting as his signal officer and aide, -"signal the Pallas to edge off to the east and engage the smaller ship -of the enemy. The big fellow is our game, messieurs. See! they are -forming line ahead and are waiting for us. Brave fellows! -Quartermaster," he cried, stepping to the break of the poop and -looking down at the old seaman and his mates stationed at the wheel, -"d'ye see those two ships?" - -"Ay, ay, sir," answered the veteran tar, shading his eyes with his -hand and peering eagerly ahead; "I sees 'em, yer Honor." - -"That's well. The one ahead, nearest the shore, is our mark. I intend -to round to on her port bow. Mind your course!" - -"Very good, sir," answered the steersman, giving a knowing squint at -the lifting sails, and shifting the wheel a few spokes. - -"Now, gentlemen," continued the captain, "to your stations all! But -stay--Mr. Brooks, direct the sailing-master, purser, and the junior -officers to come up on the quarter-deck." - -In a short time the two older officers and a little band of youths -whose ages ranged from twelve to seventeen years stood before the -captain and saluted. His eyes fell tenderly upon the boys; so youthful -and immature were they to be charged with the heavy responsibilities -of the coming hour, which would have devolved upon the older men but -for their unfortunate absence. - -"Young gentlemen," he said quietly, "accident has thrust you into -positions of great responsibility which otherwise you might not have -been called upon to fill for years. We are about to engage two -powerful ships of the enemy. The Richard is heavily overmatched in -everything except in the spirit and courage of her officers and men. I -am determined--nay, we are all determined, are we not?--that the flag -which floats above us shall never be struck. We may be sunk, but we -will not surrender. I shall try to do my part; you will, I doubt not, -do yours?" - -"Ay, ay, sir." - -"We will, sir." - -"Count on us to the death, sir," broke forth from the impetuous youths -who clustered about the captain. - -"Remember that we are fighting not only to uphold the honor of our -flag in the face of the most arrogant navy on the ocean, but to rescue -from a shameful death--if it be not unhappily too late--one of our -brother officers who would give his life to be here." - -"O'Neill, O'Neill!" cried one and another, the brave Irishman being a -great favorite with all. - -"I enjoin upon you the utmost vigilance and care. Supplement your -inexperience by redoubled effort. Be as brave as youths and as cool as -veterans. Give implicit obedience to the orders you receive from Mr. -Dale, Mr. Stacey, or from me, and exact the same compliance with your -orders from your men. They are a hard lot to handle; don't lose -control of them." He paused a moment, scanning the intent faces of the -lads close about him, and then continued: "Remember, too, we have more -than one foe to fight,--the prisoners below, the enemies yonder on the -sea, and disobedience in our own squadron. Who keeps guard over the -prisoners in the hold?" - -"I, sir, with the master-at-arms," answered Payne, a resolute-looking -youth of fifteen. "I wanted to be on deck in the batteries, sir--" - -"You could have no more important station, my lad," replied the -captain. "Keep them under hatches! Do not hesitate to shoot the first -man who makes a move to break out! They must not be allowed to gain -the deck. At all hazards, keep them down! I repeat it, sir, keep them -down! Do you understand?" - -"Yes, sir," gravely answered the boy, awed by the emphasis of the -captain's manner. - -"You, Mr. Mayrant, with Mr. Mease the purser and Mr. Brooks, will -remain on deck with Mr. Stacey and me," continued the captain. "You, -Mr. McCollin, will take charge of the old eighteen-pounders on the -berth-deck. You, too, have a post of danger! Be careful of them! I -distrust them greatly, yet they must be tried." - -"Ay, ay, sir. Thank you, sir," said the young midshipman, delighted at -being thus distinguished. - -"Mr. Caswell," he added, turning to the largest and oldest, "you will -take charge of the forecastle. Mr. Fanning, I confide the maintop to -you. The rest of you will command the several divisions in the main -batteries and the other tops. Now, young gentlemen, before you go to -your stations, I would take you by the hand; and so," lifting his -cocked hat reverently, an example all present followed, "may God guard -the right!" There was a suspicious moisture in some of the eyes -looking upon the captain, but the midshipmen would have died rather -than permit an actual tear to be seen. - -"Three cheers for Commodore Jones and the bully Richard!" at last -shouted Payne, breaking the insupportable silence. The little party, -somewhat forgetful of discipline for the moment, crowded around their -captain, shaking him by the hand, and turned away. They had come up to -the quarter-deck a rollicking set of boys; they returned from it a -group of grave-eyed men. - -"What a splendid set of youngsters!" said Jones to himself, as he -watched them spring lightly toward their stations. Then he turned -toward the sailing-master: "Mr. Stacey, take the deck for a few -moments and hold on as we are. Ah!" he said, pausing with his foot on -the ladder as he saw the Pallas, a much swifter sailer than the -Richard, rushing by on the starboard side with every breath of canvas -drawing, heading for the smaller of the two English ships before them, -"there goes the Pallas. Cottineau, at least, is a brave man. I shall -remember him. Come, Dale." As he stepped down the ladder a hearty -cheer rang out from the passing frigate, which, without order, was -lustily returned from the Richard, and then the two officers walked -through the batteries. - -The sun had set for some time, and night had long since fallen over -the sea. The lighthouse on Flamborough Head was sending out a great -beam of warning from that jutting point. Far on the horizon a silvery -brightness had spread itself in the heavens, bespeaking the harvest -moon, the burnished rim of which even before sunset had leaped into -being on the edge of the water. Lights twinkled here and there on the -English ships before them and crowned the hills of the distant town -and harbor. Battle lanterns were lighted between decks on the Richard, -the yellow flickering radiance from which was reflected from the -sinewy, half-naked, sweat-covered bodies of the stalwart men at their -quarters, as the captain walked through the crew. - -It was a varied assemblage of about three hundred men which manned the -guns and filled the tops. The crew had been made up in France out of -such materials as came to hand. There were about seventy-five tried -and true American seamen, most of them veterans of many a hard fight -and bold adventure. These commanded the different guns and filled the -more important stations. There were, perhaps, one hundred and fifty -veteran French soldiers,--old artillerists,--some of whom had -volunteered at the guns; a few of the most expert marksmen among them -were stationed in the tops, but the greater portion was divided into -two large bodies drawn up on the quarter-deck and forecastle. The -balance of the crew had been gathered from the riff-raff of all -nations; perhaps a tougher, rougher, harder, more desperate body of -men never fought a ship; they had but one virtue,--they would fight. - -Only a resolute hand and an indomitable will like that of Jones had -ever held the motley crowd in any kind of discipline. He had ruled the -Richard with an iron heart, and in spite of bitter murmurs had forced -the men to do his will. The ship had been a slumbering volcano of -incipient mutiny and latent rebellion; but in the presence of the -enemy, these men whose passion it was to fight forgot their personal -grievances, and mindful of the finished skill and superhuman courage -of their captain, looked favorably upon him and eagerly anticipated -the conflict. Rude jests and bits of sea pleasantry, usually permitted -in moments like these, flew up and down the line between the captain -and the ruffians under his command as he passed by them in rapid -review. - -The watches had been piped to supper earlier than usual, and afterward -a double ration of grog had been served out. The men were in good -spirits, and good spirits in them! The captain carefully examined -every part of the ship. The young midshipmen who filled the unwonted -stations, evidently deeply impressed by their opportunities and -responsibilities, were pacing restlessly up and down, eagerly -scrutinizing every detail of their several commands. On the -berth-deck, standing before the hatch which led into the hold in which -over two hundred English prisoners were confined, the commodore found -young Payne, attended by the master-at-arms, two American seamen, and -three French soldiers, keeping guard. - -"Ah! I am glad to see you at your station," said the captain, raising -his voice, as the young midshipman, full of pride, saluted him. "You -remember my orders, sir, which were to shoot the first man who shows -his head above the hatch?" - -There was a hoarse murmur from the prisoners beneath the gratings -which covered the hatchway, at this speech of the captain's, which -was, as he had intended, clearly heard by them. - -"Ay, ay, sir. I'll do it; never fear," answered the lad, in his boyish -treble. - -"Remember, sir, that I regard your station as one of the most -important on the ship! Those men must not be allowed on deck!" - -"They shall not be!" answered Payne, resolutely. "If the ship goes -down, they go with it!" - -There was a harsh roar below; oaths, curses, imprecations, and cries -were blasted up from the deck beneath them. - -"Silence there!" shouted Jones. "Remember!" he said to the midshipman -as he turned away. - -"I shall not forget, sir," replied the boy, saluting proudly. - -"Do what you can," said Jones, turning to McCollin,--"do what you can -with the old eighteens." - -"They shall be fought as long as they exist, sir," answered the young -officer. - -"I know that, sir," said Jones, glancing approvingly from him to the -little groups of half-naked men clustered about the guns, the sweat -streaming from their muscular bodies in the heat of the narrow, -confined quarters, "and you have the men with you who will back you -up." - -A hoarse cheer which resounded throughout the dim recesses of the -berth-deck bespoke the hearty acquiescence of the men in their -captain's shrewd estimate of their qualities. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -_'Tween Decks with the Men_ - - -The captain, not ill pleased at this and other manifestations of -hearty spirit which had met him on every hand, mounted the ladders and -resumed his station on the high poop-deck of the frigate. - -Anything less like a war vessel could hardly be imagined. The Bon -Homme Richard had been an old-fashioned, high-pooped East Indiaman -with a towering forecastle. This antiquated makeshift, formerly called -the Duc de Duras, had been turned over to Jones for a ship-of-war -through the grudging kindness of France. It was the best ship Franklin -and the other commissioners of the new American Republic could procure -for their greatest sea captain. Jones, out of compliment to Franklin, -author of the "Poor Richard" papers, had renamed her; the name was the -only thing new about her. She had been pierced for thirty-six guns, -twenty-eight twelve-pounders on the main-deck, and eight nine-pounders -on the quarter-deck and forecastle. In utter desperation at her entire -inadequacy, Jones had recourse to the dangerous experiment, not often -resorted to, of mounting six eighteen-pounders in ports pierced for -them on the berth-deck, and of course very near the water line. The -guns were all of an obsolete pattern and much worn by use, the -eighteen-pounders being especially bad; as dangerous, in fact, to -friends as foes. Bad as they were, they were all he could obtain, and, -with characteristic determination, Jones resolved to make the best of -them. - -The ship herself was so old and rotten that she was not even fit for -an ordinary merchant cruise, much less prepared for the shocks of -battle. Through an unfortunate combination of circumstances, all of -her senior officers were absent except Dale, the first lieutenant, -Stacey, the sailing-master, and Mease, the purser. Among that half of -her crew who were soldiers, many had scarcely yet acquired their -"sea-legs," and some of them were actually seasick during the battle! -The Serapis, with which they were about to engage and to which they -were rapidly drawing near, was a brand-new, double-banked frigate, -mounting fifty guns on two covered and one uncovered decks, twenty -eighteen-pounders, twenty nines, and ten sixes. She was manned by -three hundred and fifty well-drilled able seamen and commanded by one -of the best officers in the English navy, who was ably seconded by a -full quota of capable and experienced subordinates. - -Pearson had no more doubt of winning the victory than he had of the -rising of the sun next morning. Leaving one factor out of a comparison -of the opposing forces, his confidence was absolutely warranted. But -Jones had no more doubt of winning the victory than Pearson had. -Pearson knew his ship and his crew; Jones knew himself. He was the -unconscious factor which vitiated Pearson's conclusions. When a man -like the little Scotch-American captain makes up his mind to do a -thing, there is only one thing to prevent his doing it, and that is to -remove the man! Jones _intended_ to conquer. There never was a man who -had more of the spirit of absolute determination, of unconquerable, -unshakable, unbreakable pertinacity in continuing a conflict, than he. -He never knew when he was beaten; perhaps because he never was. There -was something in the sheer determined, persistent pugnacity of the man -which absolutely compelled success. He wrenched victory from -overwhelming odds, superior force, fortuitous chance,--everything. - -The men understood this, too. There is nothing your real hard-bitten -dare-devil, your imprudent ruffian, likes so much as a man who is not -afraid of him and who will be his master. Your ruffian curses and -swears at your man, plots against him, rebels, mutinies, conspires, -and in the moment of action follows him like a devotee. The little man -standing at the break of the poop, cool, calm, thoughtful, with his -student face and somewhat poetic, dreamy smile, did not look like the -iron-handed, iron-willed, indomitable master of the motley ruffian -band which had been dumped upon his deck--which he certainly was. With -the dainty manner of a Frenchman, the courteous deference of a -gentleman of the oldest and best school, the calmness of an ancient -philosopher, there was in his appearance no outward evidence of the -tremendous qualities inherent in the man, save in the sparkling, -flashing, piercing eye which plunged through and through those upon -whom its glances were fastened, with the keenness of a sword-blade. - -His men were wont to say that he could _look_ even a frigate into -striking her colors if given an opportunity! The hardest ruffian -cringed like a cur before him, and this when he was peaceful and -quiet. When he grew angry, which was rare, his passion was like -Washington's, blasting and appalling. He was perfectly quiet now, -however, and he stood by Dale's side at the break of the poop looking -over the bows of the ship toward the enemy. - -As they swept forward through the peaceful sea, a fragrance of balm -and spicery and myrrh, which seemed to suggest the many voyages of the -old ship in the distant tropic latitudes, clung about the decks and -pervaded the gentle air already redolent with the sweet scent of -new-mown hay from the not distant shore. It was as calm and sweet an -autumn night as ever falls across the tired earth. The land breeze -blew softly across the decks; the bright radiance of the glorious moon -of harvest sparkled and wavered and flickered with sinuous, restless -brilliancy on the tossing water ahead. All the busy notes of -preparation had died away. There had come over the hearts of all, in -that moment before the approaching crisis, a little silence which -bespoke a recognition of the gravity of the impending conflict The -mellow-toned bell forward was striking the time; two, four, six, seven -bells in the second dog watch, half after seven o'clock. The minutes -were being rung away for some of the men upon the decks of the great -old ship; for many of them the bell would strike no more. Some who had -gazed carelessly upon the setting sun would not see it rise again. -Laughter ceased, jests failed, and some unwonted lips, while eyes were -heavenward turned, murmured the name of God in belated petition. Even -the most hardened and indifferent sailor felt the influence of the -hour and was still. - -Off on the starboard bow, the Pallas was gallantly speeding toward her -distant foe. The Alliance, having paid no attention to repeated -signals, was still edging in toward the convoy. The Serapis with her -topsail to the mast, her men at quarters, ports open, lanterns -lighted, was grimly waiting. As Jones's eye fell upon the Alliance, -his lips were tightened; a black shadow swept across his face which -boded ill for Landais again. When Dale, standing by his side, ventured -to break his reverie by a bitter comment upon the defection of the -frigate, Jones remarked,-- - -"Never mind, sir. The fewer we are, the more honor we shall gain by -taking them." - -But in the main the two officers kept silent watch together. Even the -chattering Frenchmen caught the contagion of the portentous moments -and stood in quiet ranks prepared and ready. It was no quarrel of -theirs, this in which they fought, but their old and ever present -hatred of England gave them inspiration enough for the conflict. The -breeze freshened slightly; and as the Richard drew nearer the Serapis, -the latter swung her ponderous main-yard and slowly filled away. The -two ships were sailing at right angles to each other, the Richard -slightly ahead of the Serapis, which was moving to cross her bow. - -"Shall I go to the batteries now, captain?" asked the first -lieutenant. - -"Yes, I think you would better," answered Jones, stretching out his -hand. - -"Good-bye, sir," said the other, grasping it firmly. - -"Good-bye; God bless you, Richard," said the older man, looking -gravely at his beloved subordinate. - -"And you, sir," returned Dale, with an unusual accent of tender -affection; then he turned and ran rapidly to his station. - -"Pass the word quickly," said Jones to young Brooks, "for the men to -deliver their fire promptly and together when the word is given. Not a -gun is to be discharged until the order. After that, as rapidly as -possible." - -As the fleet-footed midshipman ran along the decks, a little murmur of -excitement arose. There was a shifting of positions; men sprang to -their stations; hoarse whispers came from the gun captains, as the -smouldering matches, or glowing loggerheads, were handed to them by -their subordinates. - -"Silence fore and aft the decks!" came the clear voice of the captain. - -The murmurs died away as young Brooks sprang up the ladder and -reported that everything was ready. The boy officers choked down -something that rose in their throats as they walked nervously up and -down their divisions. A fleeting thought they gave to home, mother, -hours of play, so far away. It was the first battle for many of them. -Down on the berth-deck in front of the hatchway, little Payne looked -to the priming of his pistols and whispered a word or two to his men, -who stood with their muskets pointing down through the gratings -covering the hatchway. He wished he had been up on deck with the rest, -fighting a great gun, or attached to the side of the captain; but the -captain had told him that the post of honor and importance was here, -and here he would stand. There, on the starboard side, his young -messmate and friend, McCollin, gave another careful inspection to his -three old eighteen-pounders, firmly resolved to give such an account -with them, if they did not burst, as would decide the action. - -Caswell and Mayrant were in the forecastle to fight the two guns -there. Mr. Mease, the purser, as brave a man as ever stepped a deck, -though no sailor, had charge of the quarter-deck guns. Stacey, the -sailing-master, stood aft by the wheel to assist in working the ship. -Brooks and De Chamillard were on the poop near Jones. Fanning, with -his bullies in the maintop, was anxiously wishing that he, too, might -have a place in the centre of the conflict, the gun-deck, little -knowing what decisive moment was in store for him. - -They were nearer now, well within gun-shot, yet there was no sound -from either ship. The tense expectancy of the moment was becoming -unbearable to the younger hands. What were the captains of the ships -about? Why didn't they fire? Away off on the horizon, flashes of light -and the deep boom of artillery reverberating across the water, told -that their consort had joined in battle with the Scarborough. Why were -they so slow? Suddenly, in the midst of the silence, broken only by -the soft sigh of the summer wind through the top-hamper, the splashing -of the bluff bows, as they forced themselves through the rippling -water, came the sound of a hail from the English ship, the words of -which were indistinguishable. - -"I don't understand you," cried Jones, then he turned to the -quartermaster and said softly,-- - -"Over with the helm! Hard-a-starboard!" As the wheel was put over by -the skilful hands of the quartermaster and his mate, the great ship -swung slowly to port and rounded to off the port bow of the English -ship. - -The Englishman hailed again. - -"This is the United States ship Bon Homme Richard," shouted Paul Jones -in reply, at the top of his voice, springing up on the rail the while. -"Stand by!" A quiver and shiver went through the ship from her tops to -her very vitals. "Fire!" - -Streams of light leaped out in the darkness; clouds of smoke rose at -once from the sides of the Richard only to be met and brushed away -by a broadside which had been delivered no less promptly from the -English ship. Groans and curses and yells and cheers rose from the -blood-stained decks upon which men writhed in the agony of ghastly -wounds, or lay contorted in hideous death where they had fallen, for -at close range both broadsides had done fearful execution. - -The desperate men ran the huge guns in and out and loaded them with -frantic energy and kept up a continuous cannonade upon their foes. The -roar of the great guns drowned every other sound as the two ships -sailed side by side in bitter conflict, but the trained ear of the -American captain had detected another sound coincident with the first -broadside which told a tale of disaster. When the loggerheads had been -applied to the priming of two of the eighteens, they had exploded with -a terrific concussion, killing and wounding nearly every man of their -crews. - -McCollin, who commanded the battery, was struck by a piece of iron and -received a dreadful wound. He remained at his post, however, clinging -tenaciously to a broken stanchion for a moment until he recovered -himself a little. As the frightened and appalled men shrank away from -the remaining gun of the battery, not yet discharged in view of the -dreadful explosion, he seized the hot iron from the dead hand of the -captain of number one gun, and setting his lips grimly staggered over -to the last cannon. - -"Don't do it, sir!" hoarsely cried the old boatswain's mate who served -under him. "It'll blow up with ye, as the others ha' done!" There was -no reply. McCollin was beyond words. With set lips and grim face, in -silence he wavered on before the awestruck men. With tottering steps -he reached the gun and applied the iron. There was a blinding roar and -the gun whirled inboard in rapid recoil from the force of the -discharge. - -"Load it again," said the gasping boy, striving to stop the blood with -his hand against his side. Before the men, who, inspired by such -heroism, had sprung eagerly forward, could reach the piece, an -eighteen-pound shot from the Serapis' lower deck struck it fair and -square on the trunnion and dismounted it. That battery was useless. -The explosion had made a gaping hole in the side of the Richard, -through which the red-lighted side of the Serapis but a short distance -away could be seen plainly; the deck above and below was badly -shattered by the blowing up of the guns. - -"All the men alive of this division," said McCollin, thickly, "will -find places at the divisions on the gun-deck. We can do nothing more -here. Good-bye, Payne." - -A few moments later a powder-blackened, blood-stained, white-faced, -desperate little figure appeared out of the smoke before the captain. - -"McCollin, you here!" he cried sternly, "why are you not with your -battery, sir?" - -"I have to report, sir," said the boy, grasping the rail with one hand -to keep from falling, while he saluted with the other, "that two of -the berth-deck guns blew up, sir, and the other was dismounted. Have -you any orders for me, sir?" - -"Too bad!" cried Jones. "Orders!--but you are wounded!" - -At this moment a round shot struck the lad fair in the chest. With his -hand still at salute he was whirled across the deck and thrown against -the taffrail, a broken mass of what had been humanity. - -"Good Heaven!" exclaimed the captain, staring and almost losing his -iron nerve at this double shock,--the loss of the battery and the -death of the midshipman. "Poor lad! A hero!" - -The ships were nearer now; the rifles of the Frenchmen were cracking -and the fire from the great guns was continuous. The Richard had drawn -well ahead; and fearful that the Serapis would cross his stern and -rake, Jones now shivered his headsails, threw his after-sails aback, -checked the way of his own ship, and the Serapis, firing madly into -the smoke, drew ahead of the Richard. Jones then put his helm up to -try to cross her stern and rake. The quick handling of the English -ship frustrated this plan. The bow of the Richard struck the port -quarter of the Serapis. The two ships hung together a moment, boarders -were called on both sides; but before they could be used, the two -ships drifted apart and formed a line ahead, with not a single gun -bearing on either ship. The roar of the guns gradually subsided and -even the crack of the small arms died away. The smoke drifted slowly -off to leeward. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -_The Indomitable Ego_ - - -The battle had been maintained with the utmost fury for nearly three -quarters of an hour, and both ships had sustained severe injuries, the -Richard being in much the worse condition. The heavy shot from the -long eighteens of the Serapis had played havoc with her. Pearson -naturally thought that it was about time for Jones to surrender, -though the hour when Jones thought it time to surrender would never -strike. The sudden silence which had fallen upon the conflict was -broken by a voice from the British ship. In high interrogation it rang -over the waters in the moonlight. - -"Have you struck?" was the question of the Serapis. From the shattered -Richard came Jones's immortal answer,-- - -"I have not yet begun to fight!" - -A roar of wild exultation, a gigantic Homeric laugh, broke from the -throats of the crew of the Richard, as the reply of the captain was -passed from deck to deck, until the whole ship from truck to keelson -quivered with responsive joy. It was a joke, the character of which -those blood-stained ruffians could well appreciate; but the captain -was in no mood for joking. He was serious, and in the simplicity of -the answer lay its greatness. Strike! Not now, nor ever! Beaten! The -fighting is but just begun! The preposterous possibility of surrender -cannot even be considered. What manner of man this, with whom you -battle in the moonlight, brave Pearson? An unfamiliar kind to you, and -to most, such as has not been before, nor shall be again. Yet all the -world shall see and understand at this time. - -"_I have not yet begun to fight!_" - -Surprising answer! On a ship shattered beyond repair, her best guns -exploded and useless, her crew decimated, ringed about with dead and -dying, the captain has not yet begun to fight! But there was no delay -after the answer, no philosophizing, no heroics. The man of action was -there. He meant business! Every moment when the guns were silent was a -wasted one. - -The helm was shifted to starboard, and the headsails shivered. The -Richard slowly swung off to port and gathered headway again. The -Serapis had lost an opportunity of tacking and raking. In order more -quickly to bring his guns to bear and perhaps to prevent a raking by -the enemy, Captain Pearson threw all aback; and the two ships, one -backing, and the other reaching ahead, slowly drew abreast each other, -the batteries speaking again as soon as the guns bore. The wind was -very light, and the motion of both ships was sluggish in the extreme, -so that they practically lay side by side, steerage way almost gone, -slowly drifting in for long minutes, until there came a sudden, -temporary breath of wind. - -The position was most advantageous for the Serapis, as with her -heavier and more numerous guns she could deliberately knock the -Richard into a "cocked hat." She was much the speedier and handier -ship, and might reasonably hope to choose her own distance, and, -having selected a point of vantage, maintain it to the end. Pearson's -game was to fight at long range until he had sunk his enemy; no -difficult task that last,--she was half sinking now! But what the -Richard lacked in mobility and direction, she made up in her captain. -Jones did things instinctively; Pearson had to think about them. -Jones's only hope was in getting to close quarters and making use of -the disciplined French soldiery upon his decks. - -They had done good service already in clearing the spar-deck of the -English. Therefore, as the Richard, gathering way, gradually forged -ahead, her helm was shifted to port and the vessel slowly swung across -the bow of the Serapis, which had just begun to fill away again, as -Pearson saw that he had nearly backed out of action. The bow of the -Serapis struck the starboard quarter of the Richard, the jib-boom -thrusting itself violently through the mizzen rigging. There was a -terrific crash at the moment of impact; and a second later the -English, cheering frantically, jumped upon the heel of the bowsprit -and clambered upon the rail of their ship. - -They were led by a tall distinguished-looking officer, who attracted -double attention, as he wore the red uniform of the English army. As -their heads appeared over the rail, the powerful voice of Jones could -be heard shouting, "Boarders away!" Not waiting for the men who came -springing up on the quarter-deck in obedience to his summons, the -dauntless captain seized a pike from the rack and hurled it through -the air at the leader of the Englishmen. Good fortune guided his hand, -and the steel head of the lance struck fair in the bosom of the -soldier. The British wavered a moment as their officer fell, and -Jones discharged his pistols full among them. Then De Chamillard and -those of his marines left alive upon the deck, by a well-directed -point-blank volley, drove back the boarding party of the English. - -The two ships were grinding against each other, and the wind on the -after-sail of the Serapis slowly forced her around until she swung -parallel to the Richard. The jib-boom snapped off short under the -strain, and her starboard anchor caught in the tangled rigging of the -American frigate; and Stacey, the sailing-master, sprang to lash the -ships together. Stacey snatched a rope from the raffle on the deck and -strove to overhaul it. It was tangled, and he found great difficulty -in clearing it. An impatient man at best, and now greatly excited, he -swore roundly as he tugged at the vexatious rope. - -"Don't swear, Mr. Stacey," said Jones, calmly, coming to his -assistance "In another moment we may all be in eternity, but let us do -our duty." - -With his own hands Jones passed the lashing. - -On the gun-deck below, the batteries were being fought fiercely. The -two ships were lying side by side, one heading in, the other out, the -bow of one by the stern of the other, the starboard side of the -Serapis closely touching the starboard side of the Richard. In the -hope that the Richard would drift clear, Captain Pearson now dropped -his port anchor; in vain, no bull-dogs ever clung to foes with more -tenacity of grip than did those two ships in deadly grapple joined -together. The Richard and the Serapis were fast locked for good, and -the two ships swung to the tidal current, the wind being again almost -entirely killed. In that position they lay for the next two hours, or -until the battle was over. - -As the Englishman had not hitherto engaged on the starboard side, the -port shutters had not been opened, and the close contact of the two -ships rendered it impossible to open them then. The Serapis' men were -therefore compelled to fire through them, blowing off the port-lids. -It was necessary for the men on both ships to extend the long handles -of the rammers and sponges of the guns through the ports into the -other ship in order to properly load their own cannon. Badinage of a -character easily to be imagined passed back and forth between the two -crews, though nothing interrupted the steady and persistent discharge -of the batteries. The battle below was literally a hand-to-hand -conflict with great guns, all the advantages in number and size being -with the English. - -At this juncture a new note was added to the conflict. Jones, whose -eyes were everywhere in the battle, observed a black shadow come -darting athwart the two fighting ships, shutting off the moonlight It -was the Alliance. - -"Ah!" he said to himself, "Landais has seen the folly of his -disobedience and has come to our assistance." - -As the American ship, with her French captain and half-English crew, -loomed up between him and the bright moon, he thought of course that -she would range down upon the unengaged side of the Serapis, and with -a few broadsides compel her to strike at once. But no, the Alliance -under full sail stood on. Her men were at quarters, ports triced up, -lanterns lighted. She was passing the bow of the Serapis now. Why did -she not fire? The insane and treacherous Landais held steadily on -until he was standing squarely across the stern of the Richard. Now -she was drawing past them as well. A command rang out. Good God! What -was that? - -Jones was well-nigh petrified with astonishment when at short range -the Alliance poured in a raking broadside, of which the Richard -received the brunt, though it was apparently discharged impartially at -the two ships. As Landais drew past the stern, the helm of the -Alliance was shifted. She swung parallel to the Richard, poured in -another broadside, circled the Richard forward, and raked her again! -The last discharge was a frightful one. The shot at close range swept -the crowded decks of the American ship, which seemed actually to -quiver and flinch at this treacherous blow. This broadside did much -damage, killing and wounding many on the forecastle, among them -Midshipman Caswell, mortally. Shrieks, groans, and cries of startled -surprise and dismay rose with increasing volume from the ship. - -"The Alliance, the Alliance--" - -"We are betrayed! We are betrayed!" - -"The English have got the ship!" came from every side in wild -confusion. - -"This is the Richard," shouted Jones at the top of his voice at the -first fire. "Hold your fire! Show the private signals there!" he cried -hastily to the faithful Brooks; but the Alliance paid no attention to -these and other warning cries. As the three broadsides were delivered -by the American frigate, the men, in their perfectly excusable terror -at this treacherous blow in the back, actually began to break from -their quarters and leave the guns. That was never to be thought of -under any circumstances. - -"Back!" shouted Jones, promptly. "Back to your quarters, every -mother's son of you! Shoot the first man that flinches from the guns!" -Dale and De Weibert and the midshipman gallantly seconded his orders; -and the Alliance, sailing away toward the Pallas and delivering no -more shot upon them, the conflict was resumed. That the men could be -got to the guns again after this frightfully unsettling attack, was a -supreme testimony to the quality of their officers, and to their own -as well. - -Indeed, upon the part of the Serapis the battle had never been -intermitted. The long eighteens of her main battery had simply -silenced and dismounted, knocked to pieces, and put out of action -nearly all the twelves on the main-deck of the Richard. The starboard -side of the American had been beaten in, and the port side beaten out -by the heavy fire at close range until the British were literally -firing through a hole; the shot hurtling through the air and falling -harmlessly in the water far on the farther side. The underpinning of -the upper decks of the ship was of course nearly knocked to pieces. -Why the decks did not fall in and the whole thing collapse was a -mystery. - -There had been no fighting at all on the berth-deck since the bursting -of the three guns, but poor little Payne had hung grimly to his post. -One by one the men of the guarding squad had been picked off by stray -shot until there were none left but he and the master-at-arms. Several -shot from the British had entered below the water-line of the Richard, -and she was making water fast. There was nearly four feet of water in -the hold then, and it was rising. The prisoners below were in a wild -state of terror. Imprecations, curses, appeals, had come up through -the gratings over the hatchway, to which the young man had turned a -deaf year. - -To the other dangers of the battle, fire now added its devastating -touch. In fact, both ships were aflame in several places. The burning -gun-wads had lodged in the chains and other inflammable positions, and -writhing, tossing, serpent-like torches threw their hot light over the -scene of terror. As the smoke drifted down the hatchway, the prisoners -in the hold could stand it no longer. There was a sudden rush below -toward the opening; the gratings were splintered and broken by the -thrust of a piece of timber; a head or two appeared in the clear; -hands clutched at the combings. - -"Back!" shouted Payne, trying to steady his boyish voice. - -"No! D--n your baby face!" shouted the first prisoner, furiously, -clutching desperately at the combing, while he was being lifted up in -the arms of the men below. "D'ye think we'll stay here and be drowned -like bloody rats in a hole!" - -With white lips and a sinking heart the boy thrust his pistol full -into the man's face, and with a trembling finger pulled the trigger. -He did the like to the next man with a second pistol. To seize the -musket of a dead marine and point it at the third, was the work of a -second. Awed by this resolution and the promptitude of his action, the -other prisoners fell back for the time. The sweat stood out on the -forehead of the young midshipman. He had shot a man--two men--in cold -blood! It seemed like murder. But he had done his duty. The words of -the captain rang in his ear: "_Keep them down!_" - -It was hot--hot as hell--on the berth-deck. The smoke poured in thick, -suffocating clouds between decks. The wavering reflections from the -flames on every side accentuated the horror. Bands of men flitted by -ghost-like, here and there, with buckets of water, striving to fight -the flames; lances of light leaped across the deck from the protruding -muzzles of the guns on the Serapis, piercing the gloomy darkness with -angry flashes. Bullets, grape, splinters of timber, solid shot, bits -of torn humanity, whistled past his head. He was wild, crazy; the -hugeness of the tragedy about him oppressed him direfully. There was a -weight in his bosom, a choking in his throat; the bitter, acrid taste -of the burned powder was in his mouth; the sickening smell of reeking -blood pervaded his being; he longed to throw down his weapon and fly, -anywhere, to get a respite from the infernal demand upon him. But he -was a sailor, the son of a race of fighters. He held on. The deep roar -of the guns above him told him that the battle was still going on. -Suddenly out of the smoke appeared the burly form of the carpenter, -wounded, blotched with red and gray, leaping forward, crying in -terror-stricken accents,-- - -"We're sinking! we're sinking! Four feet of water in the hold!" - -The gunner and his mates, apparently equally terrified, came running -from the magazines as they caught the contagion of the moment. They -sprang to the gun-deck and thence to the spar-deck, repeating the -carpenter's cry, "We're sinking! we're sinking! Quarter! Quarter!" - -"We must release the prisoners!" cried the master-at-arms, turning -toward the little officer. - -"Not while I live!" said Payne, resolutely, all his courage coming -back to him in a moment. - -"The ship is sinking; the battle is lost; make way!" returned the -burly master-at-arms, springing toward the hatchway. - -"Back!" cried the midshipman, fiercely, pointing his musket at him; -the boy's blood was up now. "Here they stay, and here we stay! The -orders of the captain--" - -He never finished his words; a grape-shot struck him fair in the -forehead. The master-at-arms tore open the hatch-cover. - -"On deck!" he cried; "the ship is sinking!" - -In panic terror, crowding and trampling upon each other like a mob of -wild beasts, the maddened prisoners scrambled up the hatchway, and, -yelling like animals, ran pell-mell for the gun-deck. The body of the -brave midshipman was spurned, crushed, and broken beneath their feet -as they ran. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -_The Audacity of Despair_ - - -On the spar-deck things had gone better. Though De Chamillard and his -marines had been driven from the poop by the fire of the English, the -men in the tops had more than evened that reverse. As the two ships -lay side by side, the interlocking yards made a convenient bridge from -one to the other, over which a bold man might pass. It happened that -some of the choicest spirits on the Richard were stationed in the -maintop. Fanning, who had been busily engaged with small arms, saw his -opportunity. As the little parties in the two tops exchanged volleys, -the midshipman threw his men on the yard; and as the smoke cleared -away, the astonished British saw the Americans rushing toward them. - -The first and second men were shot down and fell to the deck of the -Serapis; the third, a gigantic man, by a desperate leap gained a -foothold in the top. Before he was cut down, Fanning and another had -joined him over the futtock shrouds; two men took the defenders in the -rear by way of the lubber's hole; the rest came swarming. The force of -their rush carried everything before it. The English, unable to stand -the irresistible onset, were shot down or thrown out of the top. No -quarter was asked or given. The Americans, having effected this -lodgement in the maintop of the Serapis, now turned their fire upon -the fore and mizzen tops, and enabled boarding parties from their own -ship to gain possession of all the upper works of the enemy. - -It was at this moment that the gunner and the carpenter reached the -deck, crying that the ship was sinking and proffering surrender. The -gunner ran aft shrieking, "Quarter! Quarter!" intending to lower -the flag. Jones, who had been superintending the working of the -quarter-deck guns, which were without an officer since Mease, who had -been fighting heroically, had been severely wounded, of course heard -the noise, and turning about saw the gunner running for the flag. -Fortunately the flag had been shot away; and as the gunner was seeking -it, fumbling over the halliards in the darkness, Pearson, hearing the -cries, called out again,-- - -"Do you ask for quarter?" - -Jones had taken two long leaps across the deck to the side of the -gunner. Seizing his discharged pistol, he brought the butt of it -heavily down upon the forehead of the man, cracking his skull and -silencing him forever. - -"Never!" he shouted in reply to the Englishman. - -"Then I will give none!" said Pearson,--an entirely superfluous -remark, by the way. - -It was at this juncture that the "Alliance" was seen coming down again -as before. Jones had time but for one glance of apprehension when he -heard the noise of the leaping prisoners below. He sprang to the main -hatch. - -"The prisoners have been released," cried De Weibert, meeting him; the -Frenchman had been toiling like a hero on the gun-deck. "The battery -is silenced, we have not a single gun to work, the ship is afire! We -must yield!" he exclaimed. - -As the frightened men came crowding up the hatchways, Dale, who had -just fired the only remaining gun on the deck that was left fit for -action, took in the situation at once. He stayed the rush in the nick -of time by voice and action. He sprang into the midst of them, -threatening them, striking them, beating them down, driving them back -with his sword. It was a magnificent display of hardihood and courage, -presence of mind and resource. - -"To the pumps!" he cried with prompt decision. "For your lives, men! -The English ship is sinking, and we'll go down with her unless you can -keep us afloat!" he shouted in thunder tones with superb audacity. The -battle lost was won again in that minute. - -"Well done, Richard!" shouted Jones, leaping through the hatchway and -seconding the daring ruse of his noble lieutenant by his own mighty -voice and herculean efforts, crying masterfully, "Get to the pumps, -men! Lively! for God's sake! The ship is sinking under your feet! The -English ship is going!" - -It was unparalleled assurance, but it won. The two officers actually -succeeded in forcing the English prisoners to man the pumps, where -they worked with a frantic energy born of their persistent daze of -terror. This left the regular crew of the ship free to fight the fires -and to do what they could with the remaining guns. As Jones sprang -back to the quarter-deck, the surgeon, covered with blood, and -appalled at the carnage, came running toward him, crying,-- - -"The ship is sinking, sir! The cock-pit is under water! I have no -place to stow the wounded. We must surrender!" - -"Strike! Strike!" cried De Chamillard, who was wounded. "We can do no -more!" - -"What, gentlemen!" cried Jones, "would you have me strike to a drop of -water and a bit of fire? Up, De Chamillard! Here, doctor, help me get -this gun over." - -The surgeon hesitated, looked around again, and, not liking the -appearance of things about him, turned and ran below. Not to his -station, for that was under water. His mates had been killed. He -wandered up and down the decks, doing what he could--which was but -little--for the wounded where they lay. Assisted by two or three of -the seamen, with his own hands Jones dragged one of the nine-pounders -from the disengaged side of the deck across to the starboard side to -take the place of a dismounted one; and, while the heavy battery of -the Serapis continued its unavailing fire below, these three small -guns under his personal direction concentrated their fire upon the -mainmast of the Serapis. - -The fortuitous position of the Americans in the enemy's tops enabled -them to pour a perfect rain of small-arm fire upon the spar-deck of -the Serapis with little possibility of effective return. Man after man -was shot down by the side of the intrepid Pearson, who, whatever his -other lack of qualifications, showed that he possessed magnificent -personal courage, until he remained practically alone upon the -deck,--alone, and as yet undaunted. - -It is impossible to describe the scene. It is not within the power of -words to portray the situation, after over two hours of the most -frightful and determined combat. No two ships were ever in such -condition; no battle that was ever fought was like it. The decks were -covered with dead and dying; bands of men in different directions were -fighting the fires; the smoke in lowering clouds hung heavily over the -ships, for the wind had died and there was scarcely enough to blow it -away. The pale moonlight mingled with the red glare from the flames -and threw an added touch of lurid ghastliness trembling over the -smoke-wrapt sea. From below came the steady roar of the Serapis' guns, -from above the continuous crackling of the Richard's small arms. The -noises blended in a hideous diapason of destruction, which rose to an -offended Heaven in the horrid discord of an infernal region. The -prisoners, still under the influence of their terror, toiled at the -clanking pumps. The water gushed redly from the bleeding scuppers. -Order, tactics, discipline, had been forgotten. Men glared with -blood-shot eyes, set their teeth beneath foam-flaked lips, and fought -where they stood,--fought in frenzy against whatever came to hand, -whether it was the English ship, or the roaring flames, or the -rushing waters. They recked nothing of consequences. In their frantic -battle-lust they beat upon the sides of the other ship with their bare -hands and bloody knuckles, and knew not what they did. Their breath -came quick and short; the red of battle was before their vision; they -had but one thought. Slay! Kill! One would have said that the brute -instinct was uppermost in every heart. But in scenes of this kind it -is not the greatest brute that wins, but the greatest soul; and the -one man who still preserved his calmness in this orgy of war was the -man to win the battle--Jones. - -The Alliance had repeated her previous performance, but the men had -been worked to such a pitch that they never heeded her; many of them -did not know of it. Both ships were thoroughly beaten. It was only a -question as to which would realize it first, who would first -surrender. Nay, there was no question whatever of Jones' surrender -under any circumstances whatsoever. Pearson would give up under some -conditions, and those had at last arrived. That was the essential -difference between the two men; it was radical. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -_Sinking, but Triumphant_ - - -And now happened the incident which finally decided the battle. By -Jones's orders, quantities of hand grenades, a small, highly -combustible, and explosive shell, about the size of a large apple, had -been placed in the tops. After the battle in mid-air by which the -Americans had gained possession, he shouted out that they be used in -accordance with his instructions. Fanning sent a man with a bucket of -grenades out on the extreme end of the main-yard-arm. Wrapping his -legs around the yard, he sat down, and leaning against the lift, -deliberately threw his bomb-shells, one by one, down the open main -hatchway of the Serapis. The powder boys of the latter ship had been -bringing charges of powder for the various guns from the magazine; and -as many of the guns had been put out of action by the American fire, -the supply had been greater than the demand. A large pile had been -carelessly allowed to accumulate upon the deck. One of the grenades -carromed against the hatch combing, and fell into the centre of the -charges. - -There was a detonating crash, so loud, so terrific, that it actually -seemed to blow even the roar of the battle into eternity. Twenty or -thirty men were killed or badly wounded, many of them torn to atoms, -by the explosion, and the rest of the men on the Englishman's deck -were dazed and driven from their stations by the concussion. The -clothes of many were actually ripped from their bodies, so that they -stood naked and wondering, though they were otherwise unhurt. A long -moment of ghastly silence succeeded this accident on the Serapis. Men -everywhere paused with bated breath to wait the issue. The Serapis, -dragging the Richard, reeled and rocked under the shock. It was a last -catastrophe which broke the strength of Pearson's endurance and ended -his resistance. He could fight no more. Was it the devil himself who -commanded the other ship? The English captain sprang aft to the -mizzenmast. A great English standard had been nailed to the timber of -the spar. With his own hands he tore it down. The battle was over! At -the same moment the mainmast of the Serapis undermined, and, eaten -away in its heart by the gnawing attack of the quarter-deck guns of -the Richard, came crashing down, a hopeless ruin, carrying some of the -Americans into eternity as it fell. - -"_They have struck their flag!_" cried Jones, who had sprung upon the -rail at the moment of the explosion and had witnessed Pearson's -action. "Cease firing!" - -His voice rang through the ship with such a note of proud triumph as -has rarely been heard within the fought over confines of the narrow -seas. - -"They have struck; the ship is ours!" ran from man to man among the -Americans. Wild cheers broke into the night in an ever-increasing -volume of sound. - -"Send Mr. Dale to me," said Jones to young Brooks as the flag came -down. The midshipman had been wounded, but still kept his station. - -As Dale came running toward his captain, Jones cried,-- - -"Muster a boarding party and take charge of the prize; the fight is -over!" - -But no, the battle was not over. A few moments before, an English ship -captain among the prisoners had succeeded in escaping through the -rents in the shattered sides of the two ships and had told the plight -of the Richard to the first lieutenant of the Serapis. With this -information the men on the gun-deck had been rallied, and led by their -officers had returned to their quarters and had resumed the battle. -They, too, were heroes. Mayrant, who ran aft from the forecastle as he -saw Pearson strike his flag, jumped on the rail by Jones's orders and -followed Dale upon the deck of the English ship. Such was the -confusion of the moment that as Mayrant leaped on the deck he was -actually run through the thigh by a pike in the hand of a wounded -British sailor. Pearson was standing alone as if dazed, on the -quarter-deck of his ship, holding one clenched hand against his -breast, with the other grasping his trailing flag. In his face was -that look of defeat and despair which is the saddest aspect of baffled -impotent humanity. - -"Have you struck, sir?" cried Dale, stopping before the English -captain. - -"Yes," was the grim reply; his voice was a broken whisper indicating -in the tones his mental agony. - -"I am come to take possession." - -"Very good, sir," said Pearson, bitterly, as before, and dropping the -flag; then he reached for his sword. - -Just at this moment, Pascoe, the first lieutenant of the Serapis, came -bounding up the hatchway from the deck below. - -"A few more broadsides, sir, and they are ours," he cried impetuously. -"They are in a sinking-- - -"The ship has struck, sir, and you are my prisoner," interrupted Dale, -quickly, seeing the necessity of promptitude. - -"Struck! This ship! Your prisoner!" cried the astonished Englishman. - -"Yes, sir. Your sword!" demanded Dale. The man hesitated. - -"Disarm him!" cried the American. Two or three of the boarding parties -closed around them. - -"Sir," asked the lieutenant, turning to his captain, "is it true that -we have struck?" - -"Yes, sir," answered Pearson, hoarsely. - -"My God!" cried Pascoe. There was a momentary silence. - -"I have nothing more to say, sir," he added. "I will go below and call -off the men," said the lieutenant, turning away. - -"No, sir!" interrupted Dale. "You will accompany your captain on board -our ship at once. Pass the word to cease firing. The ship has struck." - -As the English captain and his first lieutenant stepped over the rail -upon the high poop of the Richard, the roar of the guns died away, -this time for good. Seizing a dangling rope they swung themselves -inboard, and found themselves face to face with a little man in a -tattered uniform, hatless, covered with dust and smoke, powder-stained -and grimy with the soil of the battle. Blood spattering from a -wound in his forehead had coagulated upon his cheek. He was a -hideous-looking spectacle. The red firelight played luridly upon him. -Nothing but the piercing black eyes which burned and gleamed out of -his face in the darkness bespoke the high humanity of the man. - -"Is it--" -"Captain John Paul Jones, at your service, gentlemen." - -"My sword," said Pearson, tendering it to him formally. "I regret," he -added ungraciously, "at being compelled to strike to a man who has -fought with a halter around his neck." - -"Sir," said Jones, with a magnanimity as great as his valor, "you have -fought like a hero, and I make no doubt that your sovereign will -reward you in the most ample manner. Mr. Brooks, escort these -gentlemen to my cabin." - -And which was the gentleman then? - -The two ships were now cut adrift, Dale remaining on the Serapis to -take command. He had sat down a moment for rest, and as he attempted -to rise to his feet he fell to the deck, discovering only in that way -that he had been severely wounded,--a thing which had escaped his -notice in the heat of the action. - -By the most heroic efforts of the prize crew on the Serapis and the -remaining men on the Richard, the English prisoners were driven back -into the hold, the flames subdued, and some semblance of order -restored. Cottineau had captured the Pallas after an hour of good hard -fighting, and the victory was entirely with the Americans. But it had -been purchased at a fearful cost. There is no battle on land or sea in -the world's history where the percentage of loss was greater than the -battle between the Serapis and the Richard. - -About seventy per cent on the Serapis and over fifty per cent on the -Richard had been killed or wounded, and the Bon Homme Richard was in a -sinking condition. She had been literally beaten to pieces. It was not -safe to remain upon her decks. Consequently the prisoners and the -wounded, groaning and crying in anguish, were removed to the Serapis. -In the early morning of the day following, the brave ship which had -earned undying immortality in her worn-out old age, because for three -brief hours John Paul Jones and his men had battled upon her decks, -sank forever beneath the sea. The great battle-flag under which she -had fought had been reset, and fluttered above her as she went down. - -The refitting of the prizes for the returning voyage was at once -begun. To anticipate events, it is recorded that Captain Landais, the -jealous and false-hearted Frenchman who had so treacherously -man[oe]uvred the Alliance, was subsequently court-martialled and -dismissed from the service. He should have been hanged from her -highest yard-arm. - - - - - -BOOK VI -THE HAND OF GOD - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -_On Board the Serapis again_ - - -"The battle is on," said O'Neill, in the small boat, to Elizabeth, -"and I am not there. Oh, God, give us a little breeze!" he cried. In -anticipation he swung the oars inboard, stepped the mast once more, -letting the sail hang, and then resumed his place by her side. - -"God is good to me," she said at last. "He will not let you be there -to be killed. You have had trouble enough, and have run enough risks. -He wishes to keep you for me." He shook his head. - -"My place is there; my duty is on yonder deck. Would that I had -returned to the ship without going up to the castle!" - -"Why, then," she said reproachfully, "you would not have seen me!" - -"I know," he replied, "but then I would be in my rightful place, -fighting where I should be; Coventry would be honored in doing his -duty; the admiral would be happy; your marriage would take place-- - -"And you," she cried, womanlike, placing him in the balance, as -opposed to all the rest,--"would you have been happy?" - -"Happiness has nothing to do with that," he answered impatiently; "it -is a question of duty. I have been a fool." - -"Has the fool been rewarded in accordance with his folly?" she asked -him. "Nay, look at me before you reply," she cried imperiously, -turning his head until his eyes looked into her own. In the face of -that girl, in the limpid light of her magic glance, in that mystic -night, there was but one answer to be made. - -"I say no more," he replied, kissing her softly. "You are right. I -have you. You are worth it all. I will try to be a philosopher about -all the rest." - -Meanwhile the intermittent reports had been succeeded by a steady roar -of artillery which reverberated and rolled along the surface of the -water. The Scarborough, some distance from the Serapis and the Richard -to the northwest, was apparently hotly engaged with the Pallas; while -the Alliance seemed to be sailing back and forth between the two -groups of combatants, pouring in a random fire upon friend and foe -alike. Great clouds of smoke, punctured by vivid flashes of light, -overhung the ships. - -Back on the heights above the town the people swarmed. O'Neill could -picture the old admiral walking up and down the terrace, glass in -hand, while he surveyed the battle. There seemed to be little -man[oe]uvring going on between the ships, except on the part of the -Alliance, and the combat seemed to be a yard-arm to yard-arm fight. -Once or twice the roar of the battle died away temporarily, and the -smoke blowing off to leeward disclosed the two ships side by side. -Sometimes great wreaths of flame, which told that one or the other -ship had been set on fire, would leap up into the air. - -The feelings of the young officer can be imagined. Adrift in that -little boat, watching the awful combat, not even the presence of the -woman he loved could compensate him for his absence, in spite of his -attempted philosophy. The fever of the conflict possessed him. His -breath came hard; the sweat stood on his forehead. He prayed as never -before for a breeze to take him to the fight. He murmured incoherent -words which told to the tender listener something of the terrible -struggle which raged within his bosom. So the long hours wore away. - -Toward eleven o'clock they heard a terrific explosion, and then the -roar of the battle slackened, and finally died away. When the smoke -drifted off, the two ships were lying side by side. Further off, -almost hull down, were the Scarborough and the Pallas, who had ceased -their fight some time before. The battle was over. Who had won? It was -a question he could not answer. - -But it was late, and the breeze so long wished for now sprung up once -more, and the little boat gathered way and began to slip through the -water again. The sky had become overcast; it grew very dark; the wind -freshened steadily, and finally blew so strong that it required all -the skill and address of which O'Neill was possessed to keep his -unsteady little craft from capsizing. Finally he was forced to drop -the sail and take to the oars to keep afloat at all. About two o'clock -in the morning a squall of rain came down, and they lost sight of the -ships. Toward morning the wind moderated again, and they were enabled -to set sail once more. But the ocean was covered with a dense mist; -they were in the thick of it, and could see nothing. As nearly as he -could judge without the aid of a compass, O'Neill headed the boat -toward the place where they had last made out the two ships. - -"We ought to pick them up in a few moments now," he said to the -cowering, frightened, exhausted girl crouching down in the stern -sheets in her wet, sodden garments, which clung to her shivering -figure. The night had been too much for her; her physical strength had -almost given way, though nothing could abate the affection he saw -shining still in her tired eyes. "Therefore, in a few moments we shall -know our fate." - -"How is that?" she said, rousing herself a little. - -"If Commodore Jones has been captured," he answered, "I have but to -give myself up and redeem Coventry and--you know the rest." - -"Yes," she replied wearily and listlessly; "let it come. We have -fought a good fight, you and I; we can do no more; and the other -alternative?" - -"Why, in that case," he said, "we shall be there, under our own flag; -he, too, will be saved, and the rest of our troubles are over." - -"What think you of the prospect?" she asked, brightening a little. - -"It is difficult to say. The Serapis and the Scarborough should easily -be more than a match for our whole squadron. The Richard is almost -worthless as a fighting ship, as I said. Landais, who commands the -Alliance, is insane. I can't prophesy what Cottineau will do with the -Pallas. We have but one advantage." - -"And is that a great one?" - -"The greatest; it may have decided the battle in our favor." - -"What is that, then?" she asked. - -"It is not 'what,' but 'who,'" he answered, smiling. - -"Who, then?" - -"John Paul Jones himself! He alone is worth a thousand." - -The light from the rising sun, assisted by the fitful wind, began to -dispel the mists of the morning. - -"See!" cried the girl, pointing. "There, right ahead of us! Are not -those the sails of a ship? What ship?" - -Wraithlike, as she pointed at a rift in the mist, and wreathed in -clouds of vapor, there appeared, for a second, the light canvas of a -great ship. Following her outstretched finger, he caught a fleeting -glimpse of it, but saw nothing to reassure him as to the result of the -battle; the sight struck terror to his heart. Such canvas as that was -never set above the decks of the Richard. As he looked the mist closed -around them again; the ship had vanished. - -"Ah, 'tis gone, but I am certain I saw it. Which was it?" she -continued, hastily rousing herself at the prospect of decision. "'Tis -a ship, is it not? But which one?" - -"The mist is thinning again. 'Twill clear away in a moment," he -answered evasively. "We shall see more distinctly then; she was making -toward us, I think." He could not bear to dash her hopes with the -assurance that it was not the Richard, though he had resigned himself -to death in consequence of his glimpse at once. It was useless to try -to fly; the mist was rising in every direction, and before they could -have gone a hundred yards they would be visible to the ship in front -of them, now shoving her huge bulk through the thinning clouds of -vapor which enshrouded her. The next moment it rolled away. The -sunlight flooded the heavens in transformation; the breeze tossed the -sea into a thousand white-capped waves. It was morning. Some one on -the ship saw the little boat with its two occupants at once; an -officer leaped to the rail. - -"Boat ahoy!" rang out over the water. The great white frigate, deep -sunken, as if deeply laden, was moving sluggishly through the water, -and was almost upon them. - -"The ship!" screamed the girl, wildly. - -"It is the Serapis!" answered O'Neill, in a hollow voice. - -"Ah!" she said, sinking back exhausted. "After all, it is over. I -shall never survive you." - -"Boat ahoy, there!" again cried the officer, standing on the rail, -pistol in hand. "Answer my hail, or I fire. Who are you?" - -"I am your prisoner, escaped last night from that ship," cried -O'Neill. "I wish to deliver myself up." - -"Come alongside, then," said the officer, turning inboard and giving a -sharp command. The way of the ship was checked; she was thrown up into -the wind, and as her broadside slowly swung opposite O'Neill, he saw -that her mainmast was gone and that she was frightfully cut up, and -bore evidence of having participated in a tremendous action. Away off -to the northeast a little cluster of ships were seen on the horizon, -too far off to distinguish them. There was no sign of the Richard that -he could see. In a few seconds the boat was brought alongside the -gangway. Elizabeth clambered up the ladder with his assistance, and -they stepped upon the decks. A frightful scene presented itself. - -Upon one side amidships, dead men, half-naked, covered with coagulated -blood, were literally piled up in a great heap. The deck itself was -covered with grime and blood; and a handful of men, most of them -wounded in some way, were distributed about the ship, endeavoring to -effect some restoration to order. Guns here and there were dismounted; -ropes cut in every direction were lying entangled in wild confusion -about the fife-rails and masts. The broken mainmast thrust its jagged -end a few feet into the air, above the deck; the rest of it was gone. - -Spars everywhere were shattered, and great rifts appeared in the -flapping canvas. The rail and bulwarks were broken and smashed on -every side. There was not a single boat left swinging at the davits. -Splintered woodwork showed where numberless shots had taken effect, -and charred pieces of timber on every hand added heartbreaking -evidence of conflagration's devastating touch. From the depths beneath -the deck came low groans and murmurs of pain, accentuated by the sharp -shriek of some deeper sufferer, or the delirious raving of some -fevered patient. Elizabeth shrank back appalled. - -"How horrible!" she murmured. "Take me away; I cannot stand it!" He -caught her in his arms; a little more, and she would have fainted. - -"Good heavens!" he said. "In all my battles I never saw such a ship! -What a frightful scene! They didn't get off without a fight," he added -slowly. An officer, with head bound up in a handkerchief and his arm -in a sling, was approaching them. - -"Sir," said O'Neill, saluting the while, "I am the officer who escaped -last night. I deliver myself up to-- Why, it's Stacey!" he cried, in -great surprise, recognizing a brother officer of the Richard. "What do -you here, man?" - -"'Fore Gad, it's O'Neill!" cried the other. "Glad are we to see you, -man. But this lady--this is no place for her." - -"She goes with me," said O'Neill, briefly. "But you?" - -"This is where I belong." - -"And they have captured you, I suppose?" - -"No; the ship is ours." - -"And the old Richard?" cried O'Neill. - -"Abandoned and sunk after the surrender," answered the young officer. -"She was cut to pieces by the Serapis's fire, but we have this ship." - -"Thank God!" answered O'Neill, fervently. "And Captain Jones?" - -"Aft there on the quarter-deck." - -"Come, Elizabeth," he cried, seizing her by the arm; and, he assisting -her, they made their way with difficulty, in the confusion, to the -quarter-deck. - -"Ah, O'Neill, thank God I see you alive again!" said Jones, springing -forward, his face beaming. "We got there in time, then, I see." - -"Yes, sir, thanks to this lady," answered O'Neill, pointing to -Elizabeth. - -"Madam, you are fit for a sailor's bride," said the little captain. - -"'Tis high praise, sir, from Captain Jones, I protest," she answered, -rallying herself in the relief of assured safety. - -"Would God that I had been with you in this battle!" cried O'Neill, -gloomily. - -"We missed you. I wished often for you," answered the captain. "The -poor old Richard was torn to pieces under our feet. We could not stay -on her longer, so we had to come here." - -"And I not there! I suppose that I have forfeited everything forever -for going up to the castle. Shall you break me, sir?" - -"Nothing, nothing, shall be done, my poor boy," answered the captain, -kindly. "You have been punished enough by not having been with us in -the greatest battle ever fought on the sea. But it seems to me you -have not entirely lost the game. You, too, have a prize in tow. How go -your love affairs?" he whispered. - -"Well, indeed, sir; the Lady Elizabeth is here, as you see. We are to -be married at once, sir." - -"You may have the chaplain of the Serapis for that purpose." - -"Yes, sir. When he last officiated for me, he was reading my funeral -service," replied O'Neill, smiling. - -"Some people would say it's much the same thing," laughed the captain; -"but we know better. Ah well, that's over now, thank God; and this -lady--Madam," he said, turning to her, "I bade you welcome to a ship -once before. It is a different ship now, but the welcome is just the -same." - -"Know you aught of Major Edward Coventry, Captain Jones?" cried -Elizabeth. This time it was she who remembered. - -"Why, he lies on the deck yonder, dying. He wouldn't let me take him -below. Do you know--but I forgot, he was your friend." - -"Take me to him!" she cried hastily, and in a moment she was kneeling -by his side. They had made him as comfortable as possible with -cushions and boat cloaks, but his hours were numbered. His head was -thrown back, his face ghastly pale. Blood stained the linen of his -shirt about his breast. His eyes were closed; the end was at hand. - -"Poor fellow!" said O'Neill, in great sorrow, "he died for me;" and -then he briefly recounted the circumstances of their escape to the -astonished captain. - -"Do you know how he was wounded, sir?" he asked. - -"It was my own hand that struck the blow," answered Jones. "Would it -had been otherwise! There was a moment in the action when they sprang -to board. He leaped upon the rail, cutlass in hand; he was a fair and -easy mark; I met them with a pike, which I buried in his bosom. He -fell back smiling. I remember that I thought it strange to see him -smiling at that time, even in the heat of the battle--too bad--too -bad!" he said. - -"Oh, Edward!" cried the girl, tears streaming down her face, "I never -thought to see you thus! I never meant to bring you to this! If you -could but speak to me--to say that you forgave me for it all! If I -could have your blessing before--" The man stirred a little and opened -his eyes. He looked about him vacantly, but consciousness began to -dawn again, and with the dawn came recognition. It was the face of -Elizabeth bending over him. She was the woman whom he loved. There, -back of her, was O'Neill. He began to comprehend. - -"Elizabeth," he murmured, "my death--not in vain--then." - -"Forgive me--forgive me," she cried brokenly. "Oh, forgive me! I did -love you!" - -"Yes," he said, faintly smiling; "but--not like--" -He glanced at O'Neill. "You, too!" he murmured; "make--her--happy." -His mind wandered a little. "Father," he cried suddenly, "don't look -at me in that way! I did it because I loved her; her happiness before -mine." - -"Oh, doctor, can nothing be done; is there no hope?" cried O'Neill to -the attending surgeon. - -"Nothing, sir. 'Twill not be long now," answered the surgeon, shaking -his head. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -_Not Guilty, my Lord_ - - -"There's a boat comin' alongside, sir," said a midshipman to Captain -Jones, "flying an admiral's flag." - -"Ah, that will be our friend Lord Westbrooke," he said, turning toward -the gangway. "Show him to me if he comes on board." Elizabeth knelt by -the side of the dying man, who had sunk into silence again, and bathed -his head with her handkerchief, while the doctor applied some simple -restorative. In a moment the stately form of the old admiral stepped -through the gangway, and he looked about him in astonishment. - -"God bless me, what a fight! I knew that rebel was a desperate man, -but I never imagined anything like this! Captain Pearson?" said he, -imperiously. "Where is he?" - -"Here, my Lord," said Pearson, mournfully, coming out of the cabin, -where he had withdrawn a little. - -"I congratulate you, sir, on--" -"Stop, sir!" cried the captain, in great agony. "You do not -understand. This ship--we were not successful." - -"What!" cried the admiral. "Is not this the Serapis?" - -"Ay, but she belongs--" - -"To the Navy of the United States, sir," said a calm voice at his -elbow, which made him start; "and she is now commanded by Captain John -Paul Jones, at your service. I shall be glad to supply you with a -yard-arm, if you have need of one, my Lord--" - -"Good God!" said the old man, turning to Jones. "And the Richard?" - -"We sunk her, sir," answered Pearson, "but it was useless." - -"You have done well, Captain Pearson," said the admiral. "Here is -evidence of the fight you made. Never fear; you shall receive reward. -'Twas a defeat as noble as a capture." - -"Ay," said Captain Jones, "I can bear witness to the desperate nature -of the resistance. 'Twas such as I have never met before in twenty -battles on the sea." - -"Pearson--my--my--son--" said the admiral, huskily. "How did he bear -himself in the fight?" - -"Well and nobly, sir, as I can testify," added Pearson. - -"I, too," said Jones,--"I saw him. 'Twas he who led your boarders, -Captain Pearson, when they tried to sweep our decks." - -"And is he well?" said the old admiral, striving to school himself -into composure. "That charge, you know, Pearson; I think we need not -press it now?" he added. - -"No, not now, nor ever, sir," said Pearson, mournfully. "Compose -yourself, my dear admiral; he--" - -"I am a veteran," said the admiral. "I have looked death in the face -for fifty years. Speak plainly. You would say that he is dead." - -"Not yet, sir," answered Jones, gently. - -"Where is he? Take me to him!" - -"He lies aft there on the quarter-deck, sir." - -The little group around the dying man made way for the old admiral. He -knelt down on the deck opposite Elizabeth, not heeding the others, and -gazed long and earnestly in the face of the dying officer. - -"The last of his line," he murmured, "and he is gone!" A single tear -trickled down the weather-beaten cheek, and splashed upon the face of -the young man. "Will he live to know me, think you?" said the admiral, -simply, to the surgeon. - -"I think so, yes," replied the physician. As if he had heard the -question, Coventry opened his eyes; there was recognition in them. - -"Father," he murmured faintly. - -"My boy--my boy," said the admiral, bowing his head, and striving, -manlike, but in vain, to conceal his emotion. - -"You told me--not to see you--again; I tried to obey," said Coventry, -faintly. "The charge-- - -"It is withdrawn; I dismiss it. You have done nobly, Captain Pearson -says, and fought like a hero. You are forgiven. I commend you," said -the old man, catching his other hand. - -"Ah, so," said Coventry, smiling wearily. "Now I must go." - -"Not yet!" cried the admiral. - -"I--my Lord--" said the young man, wandering again, "may it please the -court--may it please the court--" He struggled for breath. "Lift me -up," he said. - -"'Twill be his end," said the doctor, lifting a warning finger. - -"Lift me up," cried the dying man, more strongly than before. The -admiral nodded. The young Irishman lifted him a little. - -"Higher!" he cried. O'Neill lifted him to a sitting position. - -"Not guilty, my Lord!" said the young man, resolutely, in a loud, -clear voice, throwing his arms out before him, and still smiling. The -blood gushed from his lips; and when they laid him back, his plea was -heard in that higher court before which the rich and the poor must all -finally appear, before which the admiral and the sailor equally must -plead. - -"_The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of -the Lord_," said the chaplain of the Serapis, reverently. The men -stood around him in a silence broken only by the woman's sobs. - -"He has died like a hero, sir," said Jones at last, removing his hat, -"and I venture to say that no one of his gallant race, in all the -years of their history, has ever made a better end." - -"Ah," said the admiral, rising, and mournfully regarding the little -group, Elizabeth praying by the side of his son, O'Neill still -supporting his head, "I made my plans, I tempted this honorable -gentleman to do a shameful thing; he refused, and it has all come back -upon me. I've wrought my own undoing, gentlemen. The hand of God has -worked His will, not mine. I am punished; I am overruled. He has -written this old man childless. I go down to my grave alone--forever -alone!" - -"Not so," answered O'Neill, rising. "You have Elizabeth. Let me, -too--" - -"Peace, sir!" said the old man, waving him back. "The young cling -together,--think of each other,--there is nothing left for the old. -Our ways lie apart. I bear you in no unkindness, I wish you well. -Elizabeth, I had hoped to call you daughter. 'Twas my own pride -defeated the wish. May you be happy with this honest gentleman! He -deserves you even as did this, my son." - -"My father--my father--" cried the girl, catching his hand. - -The old man shook his head; his lips trembled. Gray-faced and broken, -all his years upon him, he turned away unsteadily, as if to go to his -barge. - -"Stop, sir!" cried Pearson. "You forget we are not in possession of -the ship. We are prisoners," he whispered. - -"Ah, yes," said the admiral, "I had forgotten it. Well, it matters -little to me. Captain Jones," he continued, turning to the little -Scotsman, and proffering his sword, with a painful gesture, "I am your -prisoner, it seems." - -"Sir," said the little captain, and twenty generations of gentle blood -could not have done it better, "allow me to match the act of an -American sailor against the word of an English officer. You are free, -my Lord. Your boat awaits you. If I can do aught--" - -"Be it so," said the admiral, simply. "Let me have my boy, and we will -go away together, and I shall remember you differently in the future. -If in England you ever need a friend, remember this moment, and call -upon me. Farewell." - -And two hung over the taffrail and watched the white sails of the -little boat bearing away to the verdant shore, where the old castle -still shone in the sunlight. Two, sad yet exultant. Their troubles -were over now. They had lost everything else, but had gained each -other in the losing. - -"We ought to be very good to each other," said the sweet voice of the -woman, "to make up to God all that He has preserved us from." - -"Ay," said O'Neill, "and to give due value to the sacrifice of him who -loved you, even as I do myself." - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Grip of Honor, by Cyrus Townsend Brady - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GRIP OF HONOR *** - -***** This file should be named 52540-8.txt or 52540-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/5/4/52540/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/52540-8.zip b/old/52540-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6c92577..0000000 --- a/old/52540-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52540-h.zip b/old/52540-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 6d4619f..0000000 --- a/old/52540-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/52540-h/52540-h.htm b/old/52540-h/52540-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 6510843..0000000 --- a/old/52540-h/52540-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7228 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> -<html> -<head> -<title>The Grip of Honor</title> -<meta name="Author" content="Cyrus Townsend Brady"> - -<meta name="Publisher" content="Charles Scribner's Sons"> -<meta name="Date" content="1908"> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> -<style type="text/css"> -body {margin-left:10%; - margin-right:10%; background-color:#FFFFFF;} - - -p.normal {text-indent:.25in; text-align: justify;} -.center {margin: auto; text-align:center; margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt} - - - -p.right {text-align:right; margin-right:20%;} - -p.continue {text-indent: 0in; margin-top:9pt;} - -.t0 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:0em; margin-right:0em;} -.t1 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:1em; margin-right:0em;} -.t2 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em;} -.t3 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:3em; margin-right:0em;} -.t4 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:4em; margin-right:0em;} -.t5 {margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:5em; margin-right:0em;} - - -h1,h2,h3,h4,h5 {text-align: center;} - -span.sc {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:110%;} -span.sc2 {font-variant: small-caps; font-size:90%;} - -hr.W10 {width:10%; color:black; margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt} - -hr.W20 {width:20%; color:black; margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt} - -hr.W50 {width:50%; color:black;} -hr.W90 {width:90%; color:black;} - -p.hang1 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:-3em;} -p.hang2 {margin-left:3em; text-indent:0em;} - - -</style> - -</head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Grip of Honor, by Cyrus Townsend Brady - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Grip of Honor - A Story of Paul Jones and the American Revolution - -Author: Cyrus Townsend Brady - -Release Date: July 9, 2016 [EBook #52540] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GRIP OF HONOR *** - - - - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - - - - - -</pre> - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="hang1">Transcriber's Notes:<br> -1. Page scan source: Google Books<br> -https://books.google.com/books?id=4D_NBMwcGQUC</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="center"><img src="images/frontcover.png" alt="frpntcover"></p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE GRIP OF HONOR</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="center"><img src="images/frontispiece.png" alt="frntispiece"></p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>THE GRIP OF HONOR</h3> -<br> -<h4><i>A Story of Paul Jones and the American -Revolution</i></h4> -<br> - -<h5>BY</h5> -<h4>CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY</h4> -<h5>AUTHOR OF "FOR LOVE OF COUNTRY," "FOR THE FREEDOM<br> -OF THE SEA," ETC.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<div style="margin-left:30%; font-size:smaller"> -<p>The fear o' Hell's a hangman's whip<br> -To haud the wretch in order;<br> -But where ye feel your honor grip,<br> -Let that aye be your border;<br> -Its slightest touches, instant pause--<br> -Debar a' side-pretences;<br> -And resolutely keep its laws,<br> -Uncaring consequences.</p> -<p style="text-indent:30%"><span class="sc">Burns</span></p> -</div> -<br> -<br> -<h4>NEW YORK<br> -CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS<br> -1908</h4> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<p class="center"><i>Copyright, 1900</i><br> -<span class="sc">By Charles Scribner's Sons</span><br> -<i>All rights reserved</i></p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>TO</h4> - -<h3>COLONEL JOHN LEWIS GOOD, U. S. V.,</h3> - -<h5>AND THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF<br> -THE FIRST PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES VOLUNTEERS,</h5> - -<h5>MY COMRADES IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR,</h5> - -<h5>THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED.</h5> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>Note</h3> - -<p class="normal">The interests of the story require some slight variations from exact -history in the movements of the Serapis and the Bon Homme Richard -before their famous battle, for which the author asks the indulgence -of the reader. In all other respects it is believed the account of the -battle is sufficiently accurate to present a true picture of the most -famous single-ship action ever fought upon the seas. -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<table width="90%" cellpadding="10px" style="margin-left:5%;"> -<colgroup><col style="width:15%; text-align:right; vertical-align:top"><col style="width:85%; text-align:left; vertical-align:top"></colgroup> -<tr> -<td colspan="2"><h3>Contents</h3></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h3>Book I</h3><br> -<h4>THEY MEET AND PART</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>I</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_01" href="#div1_01">A Stern Chase On A Lee Shore</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>II</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_02" href="#div1_02">The Captor Captured</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>III</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_03" href="#div1_03">A Gentle Pirate</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>IV</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_04" href="#div1_04">Enter Major Coventry</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>V</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_05" href="#div1_05">Swords Are Crossed On The Sand</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>VI</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_06" href="#div1_06">The Master Player Takes A Hand</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h4>Book II<br> -THEY MEET AGAIN</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>VII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_07" href="#div1_07">After A Long Time</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>VIII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_08" href="#div1_08">Lady Elizabeth Does Not Know The Marquis de Richemont</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>IX</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_09" href="#div1_09">The Picture On The Wall</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>X</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_10" href="#div1_10">Lady Elizabeth Will Keep Her Word</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XI</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_11" href="#div1_11">O'Neill Will Keep His Honor</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_12" href="#div1_12">Gentlemen All</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h4>Book III<br> -ON THE VERGE OF ETERNITY</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XIII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_13" href="#div1_13">A Desperate Move</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XIV</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_14" href="#div1_14">Almost The End</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XV</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_15" href="#div1_15">A Soldier and a Gentleman</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h4>Book IV<br> -THE SELFISHNESS OF LOVE</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XVI</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_16" href="#div1_16">In the Line of his Duty</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XVII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_17" href="#div1_17">Differing Standards</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h4>Book V<br> -IN THE HELL OF BATTLE, ALL</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XVIII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_18" href="#div1_18">The Boys in Command</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XIX</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_19" href="#div1_19">'Tween Decks with the Men</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XX</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_20" href="#div1_20">The Indomitable Ego</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XXI</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_21" href="#div1_21">The Audacity of Despair</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XXII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_22" href="#div1_22">Sinking, but Triumphant</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td colspan="2"><h4>Book VI<br> -THE HAND OF GOD</h4></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XXIII</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_23" href="#div1_23">On Board the Serapis again</a></td> -</tr><tr> -<td>XXIV</td> -<td><a name="div1Ref_24" href="#div1_24">Not Guilty, My Lord</a></td> -</tr></table> - -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK I<br> -THEY MEET AND PART</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> - -<h3>THE GRIP OF HONOR</h3> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER I</h4> -<p class="center"><a name="div1_01" href="#div1Ref_01"><i>A Stern Chase on a Lee Shore</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"The wind is freshening; we gain upon her easily, I think, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Decidedly. This is our best point of sailing, and our best wind, too. -We can't be going less than ten knots," said the captain, looking -critically over the bows at the water racing alongside.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I can almost make out the name on her stern now with the naked eye," -replied the other, staring hard ahead through the drift and spray.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you a glass there, Mr. O'Neill?" asked the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir, here it is," answered that gentleman, handing him a long, -old-fashioned, cumbrous brass telescope, which he at once adjusted and -focused on the ship they were chasing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" said the elder of the two speakers, a small, slender man, -standing lightly poised on the topgallant forecastle with the careless -confidence of a veteran seaman, as he examined the chase through the -glass which the taller and younger officer handed him; "I can read it -quite plainly with this. The M-a-i-d--Maidstone, a trader evidently, -as I see no gun-ports nor anything that betokens an armament." He ran -the tubes of the glass into each other and handed it back, remarking, -"At this rate we shall have her in a short time."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She is a fast one, though," replied the other; "it's no small task -for anything afloat to show us her heels for so long a time; let me -see--it was six bells in the morning watch when we raised her, was it -not, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, 'tis rather remarkable going for a merchant vessel, but we have -the heels of her and will get her soon unless she goes to the bottom -on those reefs round the Land's End yonder. It's a nasty place to be -tearing through in that wild way," he added thoughtfully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Shall I give her a shot, sir, from the starboard bow-chaser?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not just yet; it would be useless, as we are not quite within range, -and she would pay no heed; besides, we shall have her without it, and -'tis hardly worth while wasting a shot upon her at present."</p> - -<p class="normal">The brief conversation took place forward upon the forecastle of the -American Continental ship Ranger, between her captain, John Paul -Jones, and her first lieutenant, one Barry O'Neill, Marquis de -Richemont, sometime officer in the navy of his Most Christian Majesty, -the King of France. O'Neill was the son of a marshal of France, an -Irish gentleman of high birth and position, who had gone out as a mere -lad with the young Stuart in the '45, and whose property had been -confiscated, and himself attainted and sentenced to death for high -treason. Fortunately he had escaped to the Continent, and had entered -the service of the King of France; where, through his extraordinary -ability and courage, coupled with several brilliant opportunities he -had made and enjoyed, he had risen to exalted station and great -wealth. He had always continued more or less of a conspirator in the -cause of the royal Stuarts, however, and his son, following in his -footsteps, had been mixed up in every treasonable Jacobite enterprise -which had been undertaken, and was under the same ban of the British -throne as was his father.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Paul Jones in the historic ship Ranger came to France, O'Neill, -moved by a spirit of adventure and his ever present desire to strike a -blow at King George, received permission to enter the American service -temporarily, with several other French officers. The Ranger was -already some days out on her successful cruise, when, early on a -morning in the month of April in the year 1778, they had sighted a -ship trying to beat around the Land's End. Sail had at once been made -in chase, and the stranger was now almost within the grasp of the -American pursuers.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It seems to me, sir," said O'Neill to the captain, "that unless she -goes about presently, she won't weather that long reef over beyond -her, where those breakers are."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay," said Jones; "and if she goes about, she's ours, and--" He paused -significantly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If not, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"She's God's!" added the captain, solemnly.</p> - -<p class="normal">The wind was blowing at a furious rate. The Ranger had a single reef -in her topsails, with her topgallant sails set above them. The masts -were straining and buckling like bound giants, and the ship quivered -and trembled like a smitten harpstring, as she pitched and plunged in -the heavy seas. The wind roaring through the iron-taut rigging, and -the wild spray dashing over the sides, rendered conversation almost -impossible. The motley crew of the Ranger were gathered forward, -clustering on the rail and lower shrouds, keeping of course at a -respectful distance from their captain and his first lieutenant, and -some of the other officers grouped near them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She must tack, now," said Jones at last, "or she's lost. I know these -waters; I have sailed them many times when I was a boy. I doubt if -they can weather that reef even--By heavens! There's a woman on board -of her, too!" he exclaimed, as his keen eye detected the flutter of -drapery and a dash of color among a little group of men on the deck of -the Maidstone, evidently staring aft at her relentless pursuer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"See everything in readiness for quick work here. Gentlemen," -continued the captain, "to your stations all. Mr. O'Neill, remain with -me." The men hastened to their places at once, and a little silence -supervened.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You may give her a shot now, Mr. O'Neill," said Jones at last; "it -may bring them to tacking and save them from wreck. Pitch it alongside -of her; we don't want to hurt the woman, and it's not necessary to -touch the ship."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Clear away that starboard bow-chaser," called the lieutenant; and the -men, scarcely waiting for his word of command, cast loose the gun. -"Aft there, stand by to give her a touch of the helm!" he cried with -raised voice.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," came the prompt reply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Price," continued O'Neill to the captain of the piece, "you need not -hit her; just throw a shot alongside of her. Are you ready?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"All ready, sir," answered the old seaman, carefully shifting his quid -and squinting along the gun.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Luff!" shouted O'Neill, in his powerful voice. The quartermaster put -the wheel over a few spokes, and the Ranger shot up into the wind a -little and hung quivering a moment with checked way.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Give her a touch with the right-hand spike, lads," said old Price. -"Steady, shove in that quoin a little; easy there, overhaul those -tackles! All ready, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now!" cried O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">A booming roar and a cloud of smoke broke out forward, and the ball -ricochetted along the water and sank just under the quarter of the -chase.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let her go off again," cried O'Neill to the quartermaster, and a -moment later, as the sails filled and she heeled once more to the -wind; "very well dyce, enough off," he cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A good shot, Master Price, and a glass of grog for you presently in -reward," said Jones, quietly "Ah! we shall have some answer, at any -rate."</p> - -<p class="normal">At this moment a small red flag broke out from the gaff of the English -vessel.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Show our own colors aft there, though they can scarcely see them," -cried the captain; "he's a plucky one, that fellow. What's he doing -now? 'Fore Gad, he's got a gun over the quarter, a stern-chaser. Must -have arms on board."</p> - -<p class="normal">The Ranger was rushing through the water again at a rapidly increasing -rate, almost burying her lee cathead in the foaming sea under the -freshening breeze, and was now very near the Maidstone, which at this -moment discharged the small stern-chaser which had been dragged -astern, the shot from which passed harmlessly through the bellying -foresail above their heads.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Give her another, Price," said O'Neill, upon a nod from Jones.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Into her this time, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, anywhere you like."</p> - -<p class="normal">The Ranger luffed again, losing a little distance as she did so, but -weathering appreciably on the stranger, and this time the flying -splinters from the stern of the chase showed that the shot had met its -mark. There was a sudden scattering of the men upon her quarter, and -most of them disappeared, but the young girl could be seen holding on -to the weather spanker vang, and apparently looking defiantly at them. -O'Neill took up the glass and examined her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Faith, sir, she looks as pretty as she is brave. See for yourself, -sir," he added, as he handed the telescope to the captain, who took a -careful look at her through the glass.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have a good eye for the beautiful," he replied, smiling, "even at -a long range. Secure the bow-chaser, sir; we are within musket range -of her."</p> - -<p class="normal">While this was being done, the Ranger had crept up on the stranger -till her bow began to overreach the weather quarter of the other -vessel. As they held on recklessly together, suddenly the speed of the -chase was diminished. Her helm was put down, and with sails quivering -and swaying she swung up into the wind.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We have her now," said Jones, springing on the rail and leaning over -forward; "nay, it's too late. Missed stays! By Heaven, she's in irons! -She's doomed! Aft there! steady with the helm! Give her a good full."</p> - -<p class="normal">In the next instant, with a crash heard above the roar of the storm -even upon the other ship, the ill-fated Maidstone drove upon the reef -broadside on. The shock of meeting was tremendous: her masts were -snapped short off like pipe stems; the howling gale jerked them over -the sides, where they thundered and beat upon the ship with tremendous -force. The girl disappeared.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Breakers ahead!" on the instant roared out a half-dozen voices in the -forecastle.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Breakers on the starboard bow!" came the wild cry from all sides.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Down with the helm, hard down!" shouted O'Neill, with a seaman's -ready instinct, without waiting for the captain. There was a moment of -confusion on the deck.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Steady with the helm, steady, sir!" cried Jones, in his powerful -voice, with an imperious wave of his hand. "Silence fore and aft the -decks! Every man to his station! Keep her a good full, quartermaster. -Keep that helm as you have it. Look yonder, sir," he added, pointing -to larboard to another danger. "Ready about, stations for stays! Aft -with you, Mr. O'Neill, and see that the helm is shifted exactly as I -direct. Make no mistake! Lively, men, for your lives!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The eager crew sprang to their stations. There was another moment or -two of confusion; and as they settled down, the silence was broken -only by the wind and the waves. The water was seething and whirling -under the forefoot of the Ranger. The reefs upon which the Maidstone -had crashed were dangerously near. But the keen eye of the captain had -seen on the other side a slender needle of rock over which the waves -broke in seething fury as it thrust itself menacingly out of the angry -ocean. They were right among the reefs, and only the most complete -knowledge and consummate seamanship could save them. It was there.</p> - -<p class="normal">To tack ship now and come up in the wind would throw them on the rocky -needle; to go off would bring them down upon the other reefs. Jones, -entirely master of the situation, perfectly cool in appearance, though -his eyes snapped and sparkled with fire, leaned out above the -knightheads and keenly scanned the sea before him. There was just room -for the Ranger to pass between the two reefs. A hair's breadth on -either side would mean destruction. As the captain watched the boiling -water he seemed to detect, through a slight change in the course, a -tremor in the hand on the wheel.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Aft there!" he shouted promptly, "what are you about? Steady with -that helm! No higher--nothing off!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," replied O'Neill, standing watchfully at the con; "I -will mind it myself."</p> - -<p class="normal">The crash of the breakers, as they writhed their white-crested heads -around the ship's bows and on either side, was appalling to every one. -They were right in them now--passing through them. The rocky needle on -the larboard hand slipped by and drew astern. The wreck of the -Maidstone was lost sight of in the flooding waves and driving spray of -a rising gale. The ship was roaring through the seas at a terrific -rate; the strain upon everything was tremendous; a broken spar, a -parted rope, meant a lost ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very well dyce," cried the captain, casting a glance aloft at the -weather leech of the topsails shivering in the fierce wind, the -quivering masts and groaning yard-arms, the lee shrouds hanging slack, -the lee braces and head bowlines taut as strung wires, the tacks and -sheets and the weather shrouds as rigid as iron bars, the new canvas -like sheets of marble. The ship was heeled over until the lee channels -were almost awash, the spray coming in, in bucketsful, over the lee -cathead. She was ready if ever she would be; their fate was at the -touch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now!" shouted Jones, in a voice of thunder "Down with the helm! Over -with it! Hard over!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The old experienced seamen put the wheel over spoke by spoke, slowly -at first, then faster, until they finally hauled it down hard and -clung to it with all the strength of their mighty arms.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Helm's-a-lee, hard-a-lee," cried O'Neill at this moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Rise tacks and sheets," roared the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">The ship shot up into the wind, straightened herself as its pressure -was removed from the sails, lost headway, the jibs swinging and -tugging in the gale, as she began to swing to larboard away from the -reef on the starboard side. She worked around slowly until the wind -began to come in over the starboard bow.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Haul taut!" shouted the watching captain; "mainsail haul!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The great yards, with their vast expanse of slatting, roaring, -threshing canvas, whirled rapidly around as the nimble crew ran aft -with the sheets and braces. The Ranger fell off quickly and drifted -down toward the needle, the after-sails aback.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Board that main tack there! Man the head braces; jump, men, lively! -Let go and haul!"</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a frightful moment,--would she make it? She stopped-- Ah, -thank God, they gathered way again, slowly, then faster.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Right the helm! Meet her--so. Steady! Get that main tack down now, -tail on to it, all of you, sway away! Get a pull on the lee braces, -Mr. O'Neill, and haul the bowlines. Ah! That's well done."</p> - -<p class="normal">They were rushing through it again; the white water and the breakers -were left behind. A sigh of relief broke from the reckless men, and -even the iron captain seemed satisfied with his achievement as he -walked aft to the quarter-deck.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Get a good offing, Mr. O'Neill," said the captain, "and then heave -to. First send the hands aloft to take in the to'gallant sails, and -then you may get a boat ready; we must see if there are any poor -creatures left on that ship yonder."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good, sir," replied the lieutenant, giving the necessary orders, -when presently the ship, easier under the reduced canvas, was hove to -in the beating sea.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Shall I take the weather whaleboat, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," returned the captain, "I think you would better try to board -under her lee if it be possible to do anything among that wreckage. I -doubt if there be anybody left alive on her, but we can't afford to -risk the possibility, especially in the case of that woman whom you -found so beautiful," he added with a smile.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," said the lieutenant, blushing beneath the bronze in -spite of himself, as he directed the boatswain to call away the -whaleboat, which, manned by six stout oarsmen, with himself at the -tiller, was soon cast into the heaving sea. Meanwhile the Ranger -filled away again and beat to and fro off the coast, taking care to -preserve the necessary offing, or distance from shore to leeward.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER II</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_02" href="#div1Ref_02"><i>The Captor Captured</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It was a long hard pull, and only the great skill of the officer -prevented their capsizing, before the whaleboat finally drew near the -Maidstone. The ship had hit the reef hard at flood-tide, and the waves -had driven her farther on. Every mast and spar was gone, wrenched away -by the storm and the waves. It was manifestly impossible to approach -upon the weather side without staving the boat, so O'Neill cautiously -rounded the stern of the wreck, and briefly considered the situation.</p> - -<p class="normal">He did not dare bring the boat near enough to enable him to leap upon -the deck through some of the great gaping openings in the sides made -by the tremendous battering of the massive spars, and he finally -concluded that the only practicable access to the Maidstone was by -means of some of the gearing trailing over the side and writhing about -snake-like in the water. Intrusting the tiller of the whaleboat to old -Price, the veteran gunner, he directed that it be brought alongside as -close as consistent with safety; and at exactly the right moment, as -they rose upon the crest of a wave, he sprang out into the water, and -clutched desperately at a rope hanging over the side of the wreck.</p> - -<p class="normal">The men swung the boat away from the ship instantly, and he found -himself clinging to a small rope wildly tossing about in the -tumultuous sea. He was dashed to and fro like a cork, the waves -repeatedly broke over his head, the life was almost buffeted out of -him, but he held on like grim death. Fortunately, the other end of the -rope was fast inboard.</p> - -<p class="normal">With careful skill, and husbanding his strength as much as possible, -he pulled himself along the rope through the water until he drew near -the side of the ship. Then, though the operation was hazardous in the -extreme, as he saw no other method, he began to pull himself up hand -over hand on the rope along the side. In his already exhausted state -and with the added weight of his wet, sodden clothing, the effort was -almost beyond his strength.</p> - -<p class="normal">He endeavored by thrusting with his foot to keep himself from being -beaten against the side by the waves, but without success, for when he -had hardly reached the rail, an unusually large breaker struck him -fairly in the back and dashed his head against a piece of jagged -timber, cutting a great gash in his forehead. Blood filled his eyes, -his head swam, a sick, faint feeling filled his breast, he hesitated -and nearly lost his grasp of the rope. The men in the tossing boat a -little distance away held their breath in terrified apprehension, but -summoning all his resolution to his aid, he made a last desperate -effort, breasted the rail, and fell fainting prone upon the deck of -the ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">A few moments in the cold water which was flooding over it revived him -somewhat, and he rose unsteadily to his feet, and looked about him in -bewilderment. The change from the tossing boat to the motionless -rigidity of the vise-held wreck was startling. There was not a sign of -life on the ship. She was breaking up fast; rails were stove in, boats -were gone, three jagged stumps showed where the masts had been, and -only the fact that she had been driven so high on the reefs prevented -her from foundering at once. There was a dead body jammed under the -starboard fife-rail forward, but no other sign of humanity. In front -of him was a hatchway, giving entrance to a small cuddy, or cabin, the -roof of which rose a few feet above the level of the deck.</p> - -<p class="normal">As he stood there, striving to recover himself, in a brief lull in the -storm he thought he heard a faint voice; it seemed to come from -beneath him. He at once turned, and with uncertain steps descended the -hatchway. Reaching the deck below, he stood in the way a moment, -brushing the blood from his eyes. As he gradually made out the details -of the cabin, dimly illuminated by a skylight above, he saw a woman on -her knees praying; she had her face buried in her hands, and did not -see him until he spoke to apprise her of his presence.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Madam," he began thickly.</p> - -<p class="normal">The woman raised her head with startled quickness, and gave him one -terrified glance. The glass had told him truly,--she was beautiful, -and young as well, scarcely more than a girl apparently; even the -dim gray light could not hide those things. As for him, he was an -awful-looking spectacle: wet, hatless, his clothing torn, a great red -wound in his forehead intensifying his pallor. He had a heavy pistol -in his belt and a cutlass swinging at his side.</p> - -<p class="normal">She stared at him in frightened silence and finally rose to her feet -deathly pale and apparently appalled; he saw that she was a little -above the medium height. At the same moment, from an obscure corner, -there rang out shriek after shriek, and another woman rushed forward, -threw herself on the deck at his feet and fairly grovelled before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sir, for God's sake, sir," she cried frantically, "good mister -pirate, don't hang us, sir! We never hurt nobody. Oh, sir, take us -away, we'll do anything, we--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence, you coward!" commanded the other woman, imperiously. "Get -up! Prayers are of no avail with such as--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nor are they necessary, madam," replied O'Neill; "we are not pirates, -and I am come to save you and shall do it. Will you please come on -deck?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had rather gone down on the ship," said the girl, defiantly, -evidently disbelieving him; "but you are here, and you are master. -Give your orders, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very well," returned the lieutenant, calmly accepting the situation; -"you will go up on deck at once." The girl motioned him forward.</p> - -<p class="normal">"After you, madam," he said, bowing courteously, and she stepped -haughtily up the companion-way, followed next by her shivering, -shrinking, terrified maid, and lastly by O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are there any others left alive on the ship, think you, madam?" he -asked.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No one," answered the girl; "many were thrown overboard or killed -when we struck on these rocks here, and the rest abandoned us--the -cowards," was the reply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you wait here a moment, while I take a look forward to assure -myself," said O'Neill, stepping rapidly across the raffle of rope -about the decks, and making a hasty inspection to make sure that no -unfortunate was left. Quickly satisfying himself that they were alone, -he returned to the quarter-deck where the two women stood. He looked -at them in some perplexity. It would be a matter of great difficulty -to get them back in the boat, but he promptly determined upon his -course of action; they would not like it, but that would be no matter.</p> - -<p class="normal">Signing to the coxswain, old Price, the boat which had been riding to -a long rope from the ship was skilfully brought alongside again as -near as was safe. One end of a long piece of loose gear was thrown -over to the boat, where it was made fast. A bight of the rope, -properly stoppered to prevent undue constriction, was passed around -the waist of the maid, at which all her terrors were resumed.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, for God's sake, sir, for the love of Heaven, as you have a mother -or wife, do not hang us here! If we must die, let us drown on the ship -like good Christian people. Oh, please, good mister pirate--"</p> - -<p class="normal">But O'Neill was in no mood to pay attention to such trifling, and he -summarily fastened the bight around her waist, and lifting her upon -the rail, bade her jump. She clung to him with the tenacity of -despair, crying and shrieking in the most frantic manner, until -finally her overwrought nerves gave way, and she fainted. That was -just what he wanted. Singing out to old Price to haul in on the line, -and having taken a turn around a belaying pin with his end of it, he -promptly threw the girl into the water. Of course she was dragged -under at once, but in a moment was lifted safely into the whaleboat, -where she was shortly revived from unconsciousness by the ducking she -had received.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, madam, you see you need fear nothing," said O'Neill, -peremptorily, to the other woman. "I trust I shall not be compelled to -throw you in, too?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not at all, sir," she replied trembling violently, but striving to -preserve her self-control; "I presume you reserve me for a worse -fate."</p> - -<p class="normal">The young lieutenant started violently at the insult, and his face -clouded darkly at her suspicion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I--no matter, I came to save you," he said, as he stepped toward her -to assist her to make the leap.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Please do not touch me," she answered disdainfully; "I am no fainting -fool. Give me the rope. What is it you wish me to do?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pass it around your waist. Allow me. Now stand there, madam, and when -I say the word, jump!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very well," she said, stepping upon the rail resignedly, where -perforce he was compelled to hold her to keep her from falling.</p> - -<p class="normal">How glorious and splendid she looked, he thought, with her unbound -hair floating like golden sunlight in the wind against the background -of the gray day, while her sea-blue eyes looked boldly over the black -water from her proud, white, handsome face.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now!" he said, as the boat rose toward them. Without a moment's -hesitation, she leaped into the air, and after a swift passage through -the water she was hauled into the boat by the rough but kindly hands -of the old sailor. Making the end of the rope fast around his own -waist, O'Neill, watching his opportunity, sprang after; but he seemed -fated for misfortune that day, for a bit of timber torn that moment -from the wreck struck him in the head just as he touched the water, -and it was a fainting, senseless man Price hauled into the boat. The -old seaman laid his officer down in the stern-sheets where the young -girl was sitting with her maid crouching at her feet. Necessarily he -lay in a constrained position,--there was nothing to support his head -but a boat-stretcher.</p> - -<p class="normal">She gazed upon his pallid face with its disfiguring wounds; he was a -murderous pirate, no doubt, and deserved it all, still he had saved -her life; the Maidstone was breaking up; he was so handsome too, and -he looked like a gentleman. She was a woman, well--then the womanly -instincts of the girl asserted themselves, and she finally moved her -position and lifted the head of the unconscious sailor to her knee. -Taking a handkerchief from her neck, she dipped it in the salt water -and bathed his head and then poured between his lips a few drops from -the flask of rum which Price handed her, after the old man had -insisted that she take a draught of the fiery liquid herself.</p> - -<p class="normal">Under these pleasant ministrations O'Neill opened his eyes for a -moment, gazed up into her face with a smiling glance, and closing his -eyes immediately, lest she should release him, he lay quite still -while the men pulled away toward the Ranger, and in that manner they -reached her side. His heart was beating wildly; that look had been -enough. She was his prisoner--but her captor was captured!</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER III</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_03" href="#div1Ref_03"><i>A Gentle Pirate</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Eager eyes on the ship had noted the every movement of the whaleboat -as she drew near the Ranger. Old Price saw that a whip and a -boatswain's chair had been rigged on the main-yardarm to swing his -passengers on board. The sight of the dangling rope awakened a fresh -fit of apprehension on the part of the timorous maid, and it was with -great difficulty that the amused seaman persuaded her that she was not -to be hanged outright. Entirely unconvinced, but resigning herself to -her fate, she finally sat down on the small board and was swung to the -gangway.</p> - -<p class="normal">Her mistress gently laid the head of the prostrate officer against one -of the thwarts, and, leaving the handkerchief as a rest for it, -followed the maid. Then the old coxswain secured the lieutenant to the -chair, and when he had reached the deck, where he opened his eyes and -recovered consciousness with incredible promptness, the boat was -dropped astern, the falls hooked on, and she was smartly run up to her -place at the davits, and the Ranger filled away. O'Neill was at once -assisted below to his cabin, and his wounds, which were not serious, -were attended to by the surgeon.</p> - -<p class="normal">When the young woman joined her maid on the deck, her glance -comprehended a curious picture. In front of her, hat in hand, bowing -low before her, stood a small, dapper, swarthy, black-avised, -black-haired man, in the blue uniform of a naval officer. He had the -face of a scholar and a student, with the bold, brilliant, black eyes -of a fighter. Surrounding him were other officers and several young -boys similarly dressed. Scattered about in various parts of the ship, -as their occupation or station permitted, were a number of rude, -fierce, desperate-looking men, nondescript in apparel. None of the -navies of the world at that date, except in rare instances, uniformed -its men. On either side of the deck black guns protruded through the -ports, and here and there a marine, carrying a musket and equipped in -uniform of white and green, stood or paced a solitary watch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I bid you welcome to my ship, madam; so fair a face on a war-vessel -is as grateful a sight as the sun after a squall," said the officer, -elaborately bowing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said the young woman, trembling slightly, "I am a person of -some consideration at home. My guardian will cheerfully pay you any -ransom if you spare me. I am a woman and alone. I beg you, sir, to use -me kindly;" she clasped her hands in beseeching entreaty, her -beautiful eyes filling with tears.</p> - -<p class="normal">At this signal the fears of the maid broke out afresh, and she plumped -down on her knees and grasped the captain around the legs, bawling -vociferously, and adding a touch of comedy to the scene.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sir, for the love of Heaven, sir, don't make us walk the plank!" -It would seem that the maid had been reading romances.</p> - -<p class="normal">The seamen near enough to hear and see grinned largely at this -exhibition, and the captain, with a deep flush and a black frown on -his face, struggled to release himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence, woman!" he cried fiercely, at last. "Get up from your knees, -or, by Heaven, I will have you thrown overboard; and you, madam, for -what do you take me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you not a--a pirate, sir?" she answered, hesitating. "They told -me on the ship that you--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No pirate am I," interrupted the man, proudly, laying his hand on his -sword. "I am an officer, and, with these gentlemen, am in the service -of the United States of America, the new Republic--this is the -American Continental ship Ranger. You are as safe with us as you would -be in your own parlor at home. Safer, in fact; there you would be -surrounded by servants; here are men who would die to prevent harm -coming to you-- Is it not so, gentlemen?"</p> - -<p class="normal">A deep chorus of "Ay, ay's" rang through the air. The captain -continued with sudden heat,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Fore God, madam, I don't understand how you could insult me with an -offer of money!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sir," said the girl, visibly relieved, "they told me that you -were a pirate, and would murder us all. Are you not--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain John Paul Jones, at your service, madam," interrupted the -little officer, with another bow, thrusting his hand in his bosom.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," said the young woman; "they said it would be you. Why, every -news-letter in the land describes you as--as--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pirate, madam, say it; you have not hesitated to speak the word -heretofore. A rebel--a traitor--a pirate," he said, throwing up his -head proudly,--"'tis a penalty which one pays for fighting for -freedom; but you, at least, shall be able to speak unequivocally as to -our character, for I pledge you my word you shall take no harm from -us, though I doubt not my young gentlemen here will be raked fore and -aft by the batteries of your bright eyes. Now will you vouchsafe me -your name and some of your story, that I may know with whom I have to -do?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My name is Howard, sir,--Elizabeth Howard," replied the girl, -brightening as her fears diminished. "I am the ward of Admiral Lord -Westbrooke, the governor of Scarborough Castle. I have no father nor -mother."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Another claim upon our consideration, ma'am."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir, I thank you. I was going to visit friends in Liverpool when that -unfortunate ship there was wrecked. Oh, what will become of me now?" -she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Liverpool lies in our way, Mistress Howard, and 'twill give me great -pleasure to land you upon some convenient point on the coast in a few -days if the wind hold, and no mischance arise; and now may I present -my officers to you, since we are to be fellow-passengers all."</p> - -<p class="normal">Upon receiving the desired permission from the grateful girl, in whose -pale cheek the color began to come again, the captain, who was a great -stickler for etiquette, brought forward the little group of officers -and introduced them one by one. There was much bowing and courtesying -on the quarter-deck, which even the seamen seemed to enjoy.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is all, I believe," said the captain, having stopped with the -smallest midshipman, who announced himself in his boyish treble, in -comical imitation of his elders, as, "vastly honored, madam."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The gentleman who brought me here?" questioned the girl, blushing -faintly; "I trust he is not seriously injured?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" replied Jones, "my first lieutenant, Mr. Barry O'Neill, a -volunteer with us, and an officer in the service of his most Christian -Majesty, my friend, the King of France." On the ship O'Neill had -elected to sink his marquisate.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He is not much hurt, Mistress Howard, only battered about a bit and -pulled down by the nervous shock and efforts he underwent--why, here -he is now! Did I not warn you, sir, to stay below?" said the doctor, -shaking his finger, as O'Neill, pale and languid, with his head bound -up, came slowly up the companion-way.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, I am all right, doctor," said the lieutenant, rather weakly, but -smiling with the audacity and gallantry of his race as he spied the -girl. "Who would stay below with divinity on the deck? The thought of -the presence of this lady above him would lift a crusader from his -tombstone."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Allow me to present you in due form to Mistress Howard, Mr. O'Neill," -said the captain, somewhat severely, evidently very desirous of -observing the proprieties now.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said the young girl, looking gratefully at the Irishman out of -her violet eyes, "I have to thank you for a most gallant rescue, made -doubly hard by my perversity and foolish apprehension, which this -gentleman," bowing to the flattered captain, "has most kindly -removed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Twas a pleasure to serve you, madam. May I continue to enjoy it. We -would sink another ship for such another chance," said the Irishman, -lightly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now I propose to give up one of my cabins to Mistress Howard and her -maid," said the captain; "and I presume that she will need to rest -after the exciting incidents of the day until supper is served. If you -are able, Mr. O'Neill, I should like to have you join us there, with -Mistress Howard's permission, of course, since the ship is hers." He -smiled toward her, and when he smiled he was irresistible.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am honored, sir," replied the girl, graciously. "And I thank you. -Captain, I shall be delighted," continued the young lady, laying her -hand in his own, as he led her aft to the cabin door in the break of -the poop. Before she entered, she turned and made a graceful courtesy; -her glance swept toward the young lieutenant--O'Neill from that moment -was no longer a captive--he was a slave.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Gentlemen, good-afternoon," she said, comprehending them in one -brilliant look, and smiling again--it was enough; that glance had -given O'Neill any number of rivals.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IV</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_04" href="#div1Ref_04"><i>Enter Major Coventry</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Three days later the Ranger, under all plain sail, in a gentle breeze, -was slowly ploughing along through the Irish Sea, off the English -coast, near the mouth of the Mersey. The whaleboat, manned by six of -the smartest seamen, armed with cutlass and pistol, and dressed in -their best clothes, old Price being coxswain again, was just being -made ready. The ship was presently hove to, and a side ladder was -dropped overboard at the gangway where Miss Elizabeth Howard and her -maid were standing waiting for the lowering of the whaleboat, and -around which the officers of the deck speedily congregated.</p> - -<p class="normal">They were a sorrowful lot of men, these impressionable sailors, for -O'Neill was not alone in his captivity. True to his promise, Captain -Jones had shifted his course, and was about to land his fair -passenger. He had chosen to put her ashore upon a rocky beach four or -five miles away from a fort at Birkenhead, which guarded the mouth of -the river which gave entrance to the harbor, not caring to venture his -ship in any closer proximity to the fortifications and the war-vessels -probably in the river. It was a risky performance at best, but he -trusted to the known speed of the Ranger and his own seamanship to -effect his escape in case the ship should be discovered and pursued in -force.</p> - -<p class="normal">Once on shore, it would not be a difficult matter for the lady and her -maid to procure a conveyance to take them to the city a little farther -inland. The melancholy duty of landing the two women, by special -request, had been allotted to the first lieutenant, much to the -disgust of the various midshipmen who conceived that the matter of -taking charge of boats appertained more properly to one of their -number.</p> - -<p class="normal">The farewells were soon spoken by the grateful girl to the officers, -who had done their very best in making the days pass pleasantly and -lightening the tedium of the voyage, and to the captain, who had been -kindness and consideration itself. The young lieutenant, still -somewhat pale from his adventure, had clothed himself in a handsome -full-dress uniform, and, with a splendidly jewelled sword swinging by -his side, came on deck from his cabin, the envy of all the others.</p> - -<p class="normal">The ship had been hove to, the accommodation ladder shipped, the -whaleboat was lying at the gangway now, and the three passengers at -once took their places in the stern.</p> - -<p class="normal">"See Miss Howard safely landed, Mr. O'Neill," said the solicitous -captain, leaning over the rail, "and assure yourself, as far as -possible, of her ability to reach the town without harm, and then -return at once; in any event, do not leave the beach. We will watch -you, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," answered O'Neill. "Shove off--out oars--give way!" and -the little boat at once shot away from the side, and, under the -impetus given by the watchful men, dashed toward the not distant -shore.</p> - -<p class="normal">Miss Howard should have been radiantly happy at leaving the Ranger, -and in her proximity to Liverpool, where she was about to meet not -only friends and family connections, but one who was destined to be -something more. This person was Major Edward Coventry, a gallant and -distinguished young officer, the son and heir of her guardian, Lord -Westbrooke, and to whom for many years--from infancy, in fact--she had -been betrothed. But an unaccountable tinge of sadness hovered over her -lovely face, though she strove to conceal it under an affectation of -lightness and gayety.</p> - -<p class="normal">As for O'Neill, he made no effort whatever to hide his misery. The -impressionable young Irishman had fallen deeply in love with Elizabeth -Howard. He had fallen in love a thousand times before, but not in this -way; and the heart which had withstood the successful assaults of the -brilliant beauties of the gay court of France had literally succumbed -at the first sight of this beautiful English girl whom benignant -fortune had thrown across his path.</p> - -<p class="normal">She, and she only, was his fate, then and thereafter. A new and -hitherto unknown feeling had been excited in his heart at the sight of -her. In that hour in the boat when he lay with his head upon her knee, -when he had looked up at her, heaven had opened before his gaze, and -to his disordered fancy she had seemed an angel. Each passing moment -discovered in her a new charm, and he loved her with the impetuosity -of a boy, the doting passion of an old man, and the consecration of a -devotee.</p> - -<p class="normal">With the daring of his race, he had not hesitated to acquaint the girl -with his passion, either, though it was stale news to her; there is -nothing a woman discovers more quickly and more certainly than the -feelings of a man who loves her. That she had laughed at his ardor had -not in the least deterred him from persisting in his attentions, which -she had not found unwelcome, for he thoroughly understood the value of -determined pursuit. She had told him that they were like two ships -sailing the great sea, whose paths happened to cross for a moment. -They meet, nod to each other, and pass on; the deep swallows them up, -and they see each other no more forever.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had vowed and protested that it would not be so; that England was a -little country and Admiral Westbrooke a great man; that she could not -be anywhere without attracting the attention of the world,--she could -by no means hide her light; that he would withdraw from the American -service, which he could honorably do at the expiration of the present -cruise, and search the whole island until he found her,--all of which -was pleasant for her to hear, of course, though it elicited no more -favorable reply. She was attracted to the young man: his handsome -person, his cultured mind, his charming manners were such that no -one--no woman, that is--could be indifferent to them; but she did not -love him, at least not yet.</p> - -<p class="normal">Elizabeth Howard was a woman to make a man fall desperately in love -with her, and many men had done so. She was tall and graceful, -golden-haired, blue-eyed, and of noble presence. She was proud, she -was wise, she was witty, she was tender, she was contemplative, she -was gay, she was sad, she was joyous, in different moods. Days, years -even, could not exhaust the charms of her infinite variety, though far -down beneath the surface of her nature were the quiet deeps of -constancy and devotion,--what plummet could sound them, who should -discover them? There was about her that indefinable air of one born -for homage and command which speaks of generations to whom have been -accorded honor and place unquestioned.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was not a long row to the land; and as they approached the -rugged coast, the young lieutenant eagerly scanned the shore for a -landing-place. Steering around a little promontory which hid them from -the Ranger, he discovered a stretch of sandy beach under its lee, and -the boat was sent in its direction until the keel grated on the soft -sand. It was a lonely spot, a little stretch of sand ending inland, -and on one side in precipitous rocks over which a wandering pathway -straggled unevenly to the heights above. The other end of the beach -gave entrance, through a little opening, or pass in the rocks, upon a -country road which wandered about inland, losing itself under some -trees a mile or so away.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the rocky promontory back of, and at one end of the beach, there -was a small lighthouse; and several miles from the beach in the other -direction, at the end of the road probably, was a castle or fort, the -flag floating lazily from the staff indicating that it was garrisoned. -Springing lightly from the boat, O'Neill stepped recklessly into the -water alongside. Miss Howard rose to her feet and looked anxiously -about her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Allow me," said O'Neill; and then, without waiting for permission, he -lifted her gently in his arms and carried her to the shore. "Would -that all the earth were water, and that I might carry you forever," he -said, as he put her down upon the sand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You would not like heaven, then?" she replied, jesting.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I find my present experience of it delightful, madam; but why do you -say that?" he asked anxiously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because there, we are told, there will be no more sea!" she answered -with well-simulated gayety.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis a poor place for a sailor, then," he replied gravely, in no mood -for badinage, "and I fear few of them will get there."</p> - -<p class="normal">Price, who had followed his officer's example with the maid, now -stepped up to him for his orders, necessarily interrupting the -conversation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Price," he said to that intrepid old sailor, "you may go back to the -boat and shove off, and keep her under the lee of that little point -until I call you. Keep a sharp lookout, too."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," said the old sailor, turning to fulfil the command.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now I suppose the time has come for me to say good-bye to Lieutenant -O'Neill," said Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, not yet, Miss Howard; I cannot leave you here alone until I know -that you are safe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But your duty, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"A gentleman's, a sailor's, first duty is always toward a helpless -woman, especially if she is--</p> - -<p class="normal">"His prisoner, you would say, I suppose?" she said, interrupting -hastily. That was not at all what he had intended to say, but he let -it pass.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You know who is prisoner, now and forever, Miss Howard."</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you refer to Lieutenant O'Neill, I will release him now and -forever as well, at once, sir," she said archly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You cannot."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As you will, sir," she replied; "but as I happen to see several -horsemen coming down the road yonder, I imagine you will not be -detained from your ship a very long time. Let us go forward to meet -them; perhaps they can give us some information."</p> - -<p class="normal">The horsemen, evidently an officer and two orderlies who were -galloping toward the beach, at this moment noticed the boat party and -probably the Ranger itself. They reined in their horses at once, and -the officer apparently gave some directions to one of the others, for -he saluted, turned his horse about in the road, and galloped rapidly -back in the direction of the castle. The officer then trotted hastily -forward, followed by the remaining man, and looking intently ahead of -him until he reached the vicinity of the little group, he dismounted, -and handing the bridle to the soldier, bade him wait where he was. He -came forward fearlessly, with one hand on his sword, the other holding -a pistol which he had taken from the holster. He was a young and -handsome man in a new and brilliant scarlet uniform.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER V</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_05" href="#div1Ref_05"><i>Swords are Crossed on the Sand</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"Lady Elizabeth, you here?" he exclaimed, stopping short in great -surprise, when he was near enough to recognize them. "What is the -meaning of this?" He stood a moment as if petrified, and then came -nearer. "Who is this person?" he demanded imperiously. Elizabeth -started violently.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Major Coventry! Edward!" she cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you a 'Lady,' madam?" said O'Neill, in equal surprise, addressing -the astonished girl and paying no attention to the officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"For what else do you take her, sir?" interrupted the officer, -bristling with indignation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Faith, sir, I would take her 'for better or worse,' an I could," -replied the Irishman, smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Unfortunately for you, that is a privilege I propose to exercise -myself," said the Englishman, sternly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The world will doubtless share my regret, sir," said the Irishman, -audaciously, a bitter pang in his breast at this unlooked for news.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now I wish to know who you are and how you come here and what you are -doing,--an explanation, sir!" asked the officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am not accustomed to give explanations save to those who have the -right to demand them," replied O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have two rights, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"First, I am betrothed to this young lady," said the officer. "Second, -this," laying his hand upon his sword.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Either of these may be sufficient from your point of view, neither of -them from mine. As to the first, I refer you to the young lady -herself: I will have it from her own lips, or not at all; as to the -second, you will see I have a similar right of my own."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you, Lady Elizabeth," said the young officer, addressing her -formally, "have the goodness to inform me how you came here and who -this person is, or shall I force the knowledge from him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you wish him to have the information, Miss Howard, you would, I -think, better give it him. Otherwise I do not see how he is to get -it," said O'Neill, grimly, his dark face flushing with anger.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This gentleman," said the girl, faintly, pointing to the officer, "is -Major Edward Coventry, the son of my guardian, Admiral Westbrooke."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And your betrothed, Elizabeth; you forget that," added Coventry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I almost wish I could," she replied sharply, gathering courage. "You -remind me of it too constantly for it to be pleasant, and at no time -so inopportunely as at the present."</p> - -<p class="normal">The Englishman, in great astonishment and perturbation, opened his -mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by the quicker Irishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why so, Mistress Howard?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lady Elizabeth, if you please, sir," said Coventry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lady Elizabeth, then. I thank you, sir, for the reminder," answered -O'Neill, suavely. "Your friends on the Ranger are all interested in -your welfare, and I am sure they are glad in my person to meet with -and congratulate the fortunate gentleman who aspires to your hand." He -smiled bitterly at her as he spoke.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you tell me or not, Lady Elizabeth, who this person is and how -you came here?" said Coventry, impatiently, with mounting choler at -all this by-play.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is a lieutenant of the American Continental ship Ranger, Captain -John Paul Jones--</p> - -<p class="normal">"The d----d, murdering pirate!" exclaimed Coventry, hotly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop!" cried O'Neill, stepping forward with his hand upon his sword. -"You shall neither swear before a lady, nor shall you in this -scandalous manner disparage the ship of which I have the honor to be -the first lieutenant, nor asperse the character of her captain. -Withdraw your words, or you shall answer to me with that which hangs -by your side."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I fight only with gentlemen," said Coventry, coldly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My custom," replied O'Neill, promptly, "is in the main the same as -your own; but I sometimes make exceptions, which I am willing to do in -this instance. I require you immediately, instantly, to apologize to -me for your remarks."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And if I refuse?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall strike them down your throat with my hand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"'S death, sir! How dare you, a beggarly adventurer, talk thus to me, -an officer, a major in the army of his Gracious Majesty King George, a -Coventry, a Westbrooke!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"If you were an angel from heaven 'twould make no difference to me, -for I would have you know, sir, that I am of as good a house as--ay, a -better than--your own, a descendant of kings--</p> - -<p class="normal">"An Irishman, I infer?" said Coventry, sneering.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are correct, sir, and my people have been chieftains for thirty -generations."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, in Ireland?" The manner of the question made it another insult, -but O'Neill restrained himself under the great provocation and -answered coldly:</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where else, sir, and where better? As for me, I am temporarily an -officer of yonder ship, the Ranger, flying the flag of the American -Republic, but I am a lieutenant in the navy of his Majesty Louis XVI. -My father is a marshal of France. Will you draw now?" he cried, -stepping forward impetuously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A brilliant array of titles surely; pity it lacks other confirmation -than your word. I scarcely comprehend the catalogue," replied -Coventry, coldly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall endeavor to enlighten you as to my credibility with this," -said O'Neill, drawing his sword. "Now will you fight or not?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And if I persist in my refusal?" asked Coventry, who was playing for -time.</p> - -<p class="normal">"At this juncture I shall be under the painful necessity of killing -you in the presence of your betrothed, so draw, my dear sir, if not -for honor, for--</p> - -<p class="normal">"What?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Life!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"On guard!" cried the Englishman, whipping out his sword.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop!" cried Elizabeth, springing between their swords. "He saved my -life at the risk of his own."</p> - -<p class="normal">"D--n him!" said the Englishman, grinding his teeth.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your condemnation comes too late, sir," said O'Neill, with bitter -emphasis, with an expressive glance at Elizabeth, who continued -impetuously:</p> - -<p class="normal">"This gentleman treated me with the most distinguished courtesy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I wish that he had exhibited some of it here," interrupted Coventry -again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have but followed your own example," retorted O'Neill, calmly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you hear me in silence, Edward? They are not pirates--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I call them so," said Coventry, stubbornly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Enough, Lady Elizabeth," said O'Neill, taking his share in the -conversation again. "Two lovers are sometimes an embarrassment of -riches. This seems to be one of the times. If you will stand aside, I -trust that a few moments will rid you of one or the other of them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will not go!" said the girl, defiantly. "You shall not fight; you -have nothing to quarrel about."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We have you, or rather he has," responded the Irishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Withdraw, I beg of you, Elizabeth. This matter must be settled," said -Coventry, in his turn.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will not, I tell you!" persisted the girl, determinedly. "If you -fight, you will fight through me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are doing that now," said O'Neill, savagely. "Will you withdraw, -madam?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I repeat it, I will not, and I wish to remind you that I do not like -your tone. You are not on the deck of your ship now, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, am I not? Boat ahoy, there! Price," cried O'Neill, waving his -hand. A few strokes brought the whaleboat to the shore again. The crew -were eager to take a hand in the fray. "Coxswain, come here," said the -officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," replied the sailor; and while the other two stood -wondering, the veteran seaman rolled up to them and saluted his -lieutenant with a sea scrape. "Want us to take a hand in this yere -little scrimmage, yer Honor?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No. Take this lady and her maid to that clump of rocks yonder."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's easy; 'tain't no fightin' at all, that. Come along, yer -Leddyship," said the old man, in great disappointment, as the boat -shoved off again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You monster!" cried Elizabeth, stamping her foot on the sand. "You -are a pirate, after all!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"As you say, madam. Stop, sir!" said O'Neill to Coventry, who made a -move to approach the sailor. "My man will do no harm to her Ladyship, -and you have other matters to attend to, unless you wish to shelter -yourself behind a woman's petticoats."</p> - -<p class="normal">Coventry had been playing for more time, but this was more than he -could stand. "I think you have said enough, sir, and if you are -ready," he said, "we will talk in another fashion."</p> - -<p class="normal">"At your service," said the Irishman, composedly. Two swords flashed -in the air simultaneously, and rang against each other with deadly -purpose a moment after. Both men were masters of the weapon. Coventry -had been thoroughly trained in the more direct English school; while -O'Neill was a master of all the graceful tricks of the subtle fence of -France and Italy. It was as pretty a play--parry and thrust--as one -could hope to see, and for a time the advantage was with neither one -of them. Elizabeth stood with clasped hands, her face pale with -emotion, her lips parted, eagerly watching. The maid as usual was -furnishing a comic side to the scene by her screams of "murder--help!" -while the sailors were deeply interested in the two combatants.</p> - -<p class="normal">Finally, after one especially vicious thrust on the part of Coventry, -whose foot slipped a little, a clever parry, followed by a dashing -<i>riposte en quarte</i>, which was met and returned with less skill than -usual, O'Neill, with a graceful turn of the wrist, whirled the -Englishman's sword from his hand. It flew up into the air and fell -clanging on the rocks some distance away.</p> - -<p class="normal">Coventry was unarmed and helpless before a bitter enemy. He was the -stronger of the two, and it flashed into his mind to spring upon his -antagonist suddenly, catch him in his arms, and overcome him by brute -force; but the glittering point of his enemy's sword, shivering in the -sunlight like a serpent's tongue, effectively barred the way. He had -played the game and lost. If he must die in the presence of his love, -he would do it like a gentleman, on the sword's point.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Strike, sir!" he said hoarsely, with one quick glance toward Lady -Elizabeth, who stood perfectly motionless, looking on in terror. She -would have run forward had it not been for old Price.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, he will be killed, he will be killed!" wailed the maid.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Englishman, pick up your sword," said O'Neill, lowering his -point.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir Irishman," said the other, bowing, "men may call you pirate--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not with impunity, sir," interrupted the touchy O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That I grant you. I was about to add that, whatever they call you, -you fight like a gentleman; and it will give me great pleasure to -testify to your personal worth at every convenient season. Will you -permit me, though I do not know your name, to call you my friend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">There is a great educational value in the point of a naked sword, and -it may account for the sudden change which came over Coventry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall esteem myself honored, sir. My name is O'Neill, Barry -O'Neill, at your service."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall remember it. You have not only saved the life of Lady -Elizabeth Howard, but now you have given me my own."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thus am I the prince of match-makers," said O'Neill, bitterly. "I -would that I had lost mine in one of the savings!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, sir," continued Coventry, disregarding this last remark, "if you -would be advised by me, withdraw while you may yet do so in safety."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VI</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_06" href="#div1Ref_06"><i>The Master Player takes a Hand</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">At this moment, a number of red-coated soldiers clambered down the -path in the rocks, while a squad of cavalry came galloping upon the -beach by the road at the other end, and, at once dismounting, advanced -up the strand. The seamen in the boat, in obedience to a wave of -O'Neill's hand, swept her in toward the shore, jumped out, and moved -toward him, drawing their cutlasses and handling their pistols -threateningly; though they were greatly outnumbered, they would not -give up without a struggle. It was Coventry's opportunity now.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall not be able to indulge your desire for the loss of your -life," he said, stepping back and picking up his sword, "but I fear -that duty imposes upon me the necessity of depriving you of your -liberty--I regret the necessity, believe me, 'tis a poor return for -your generosity, but I have no option."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What mean you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are, by your own statements, a rebel against his Majesty. It is -my duty as commander of this post and a loyal servant of the king to -apprehend you. Indeed, I have been especially charged to look out for -you. I will promise you and your men the best of treatment, however, -and you liberty of action, if you will give me your parole."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am twice captured then, it seems," said the lieutenant, looking at -Elizabeth, who had come forward as soon as old Price, who had left -her, had sprung to his officer's side. As the girl drew near to him, -and Major Coventry turned away his head a moment to give an order, the -Irishman said to her:</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why did you not call out to save your lover a moment since?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was not necessary," she said, looking at him with eyes filled -with tears. "I knew what you would do." Delay was dangerous to -him,--Coventry was posting his men; he hesitated a moment, however, -and taking her hand bowed low over it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank you," he whispered gratefully. "This word, and you, I shall -remember."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I," said the girl, her eyes filling with tears, "will never -forget--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come, sir," said Coventry, dryly, turning at this moment, having -finished his dispositions. "I think you overstep the privileges of a -parole; and if you will have your men lay down their arms, we will go -up to the castle. I have sent for a carriage for you, Elizabeth, which -will be here shortly."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you know," said O'Neill, "that I have a mind to say to you that I -might as well die right here as at any place else, and I do not think -I shall go to that castle, after all. There are seven of us here--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Close in there!" sharply shouted Coventry to his soldiers, who obeyed -him promptly. "Make ready!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Handle your pistols, men," cried the other, whipping out his own; but -again Elizabeth interfered in the fray. She ran between the American -seamen and the English soldiers with outstretched hands.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop!" she cried. "There must be no further fighting here. This -gentleman came to this spot to do me a favor, to set me free. My life -is his--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I give it back to you," cried O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yours, Major Coventry, was his also," she added reproachfully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I give it to him as well; and if any more lives are wanted, anybody -can have mine for the taking," interrupted the sailor again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This must go no further," continued the girl.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And it shall not, madam," cried a deep, clear voice, as one of the -cutters of the Ranger, filled to the gunwales with heavily armed men, -and with a swivel in the bow and a man standing over it with a lighted -match in his hand, came sweeping around the headland and dashing in -toward the shore. It was under the command of Jones himself, who had -grown impatient at the delay.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sorry to interrupt a <i>tête-à-tête</i>, gentlemen," he cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are beaten again, Major Coventry," said O'Neill, calmly. "The -odds are in our favor now. Throw down your arms instantly, you dogs," -he shouted to the English soldiers. "Back! Out of the way, Miss -Howard."</p> - -<p class="normal">He sprang to her side, and clasping her around the waist as if she had -been a child, lifted her out of the line of fire. The jealous Coventry -noticed two things,--he did not release her, nor did she struggle to -get away. The sullen soldiers rallied about Coventry and presented -their arms threateningly; they had no mind either to yield without a -fight.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stand by!" shouted Jones to the marines in his boat and to the -gunners forward.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop, for God's sake stop, Captain Jones! You have been good to me," -cried Elizabeth, now struggling faintly to escape from the grasp of -O'Neill. "I know that you are a gentleman. That officer is my -betrothed. Withhold your fire. They will retire. There must be no -blood shed. You promised to set me free and in safety ashore and leave -me there. Go, I entreat you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Steady, lads, steady!" cried Jones, stepping out of the boat. "And -you, sir," to the English officer, "will you withdraw quietly, taking -your lady with you, of course, if we engage to do the same? You are -outnumbered, and we can cut you to pieces. Take the word of an older -fighter, your honor will be safe, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are right, sir, 'tis best. I must needs submit, I suppose," said -Coventry, resigning himself the more gracefully to the inevitable as -he could then receive his love again. "Come, Lady Elizabeth."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, why didn't you protest when I was captured?" said O'Neill, -releasing her waist, but still holding her hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Could it be because I wanted you to be with me?" she whispered, -caught off her guard in spite of herself, with a blush covering her -face.</p> - -<p class="normal">"God bless you for that, and good-bye," he said, bowing over her hand. -"A year, give me a year--" he turned and walked away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said Coventry, sheathing his sword, and walking down to where -Jones stood upon the sand, "we have been misinformed concerning you. I -have had a little interview with your first lieutenant which has -convinced me that I was wrong, and this talk has added to my -knowledge. As an officer of the king, I offer you my hand. Whatever -your political or personal affiliations may be, I am glad to recognize -in you gentlemen of merit and distinction. I trust to be able to repay -the obligation you have laid upon me and my betrothed on some future -occasion. We are friends?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," replied Jones, "I love a gallant foe. I shall remember you. I -thank you for your courtesy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I as well," added O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is not the practice of the American Navy," continued Jones, "to -force ships of war and bloody battles between loving hearts. Mistress -Howard, fare you well; the Ranger, her officers and crew, are yours if -you wish. If we should be met by another ship with you in command, we -strike to you without a blow."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth," said Coventry, magnanimously, "can you not bid your -friends good-bye?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall ever remember Captain John Paul Jones," said Lady Elizabeth, -stepping forward and giving the little captain her hand to kiss, "and -I shall never forget Lieutenant O'Neill."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you wait one year for him?" he whispered as he bowed low over -her hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come and see," she answered, and turned away.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK II<br> -THEY MEET AGAIN</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_07" href="#div1Ref_07"><i>After a Long Time</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"There are only two men-of-war in the whole lot."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Right, yer Honor. That 'un near the shore there-away looks like a big -frigate. That'll be the Serapis, I'm thinkin'."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, and that one further out, the Scarborough."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir, an' all the rest on 'em is merchantmen. There ain't a -gun on board any on 'em. Nice pickin's them'll be fer us poor -sailormen arter we dispose of them war-vessels. Dash my wig! jist -think of them fat traders, an' we a-rummagin' among 'em--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"That will do, Price. Just moderate your transports a little," said -the officer, stepping forward to the brow of the hill and taking -another long look at the harbor.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I ain't no transport," muttered the garrulous old man under his -breath. "I won't carry no soldiers nowhere. I'm a man-o'-war, I am;" -but he took good care that his superior should not hear these somewhat -insubordinate remarks.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well," said the other, finally turning about after his close -scrutiny, "I think we have ascertained about all we have come for. -They are the Baltic convoy, without doubt, and you would better make a -straight course for the ship at once and report."</p> - -<p class="normal">"An' you, sir?" asked the old man, respectfully, "won't you come -along, sir? I hate to cut cable an' leave you here adrift, alone, yer -Honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," answered the officer, after a reflective pause, "I think I shall -go up to that castle on the bluff beyond and find out a little more -definitely as to the situation, if possible. Meanwhile, do you get on -your horse and ride back to Bridlington Bay. Go aboard the Alert and -tell Mr. Lunt, from me, to join the Richard to the southward at once, -and notify Captain Jones of what we have seen. Tell him I think it -will be perfectly safe for him to come on: there is a great fleet of -merchant ships here with only two ships-of-war; he will rejoice at the -chance of a fair fight. I will find means to join him at the -rendezvous before the rest of the ships can assemble and they can get -under way. Now bear a hand; don't let the grass grow under your keel."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, Lord, yer Honor, have I got to git on board that 'ere four-legged -craft agin?" said old Price, ruefully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's what you have to do, my lad," remarked the officer, -cheerfully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Seems like somethin's wrong with him," said the old sailor. "A animal -wot steers by the head is contrary like to natur. Now if I could only -git him to go about on t'other tack, or wear him, by shiftin' his -tail, I'd understand him perfectly; but this yere tiller rope riggin' -over his bows is wot gits me. An', sir, I can't make out with them -'ere stirrups nuther; it's like hangin' onto the yard-arm in a tossin' -sea without no foot ropes. Howsomever, if I must, I must, I guess."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, you won't mind it," replied the officer, laughing at the old -man's rueful face. "Besides, the wind's fair, and you'll be going free -most of the way. Just give him a touch of your weather heel once in a -while, and you'll soon make the harbor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I never thought about the wind," said the veteran gunner, -thoughtfully, his face brightening as he turned and listened for it. -"Yer Honor's right. 'Twill be plain sailin'. Well, sir, anchor's -aweigh, an' here goes!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The old seaman, giving great evidence of his disinclination in spite -of the favoring breeze, at last climbed upon the back of his staid old -horse, and, resisting the temptation to give him his direction by a -pull of the tail, got under way and lurched rapidly down the road. -Left to himself, the lieutenant mounted his own horse--surprising to -state, for a sailor he was an excellent horseman--and rode down toward -the sleeping town nestled around Scarborough harbor, which was filled -with a large fleet of merchant ships convoyed by two men-of-war, all -riding quietly at their anchors.</p> - -<p class="normal">Opposite the acclivity on which the two men had stood, and to the -north of the town, rose a bold, splendid headland, or scar, almost an -island, to the height of about three hundred feet. The rugged crest -was crowned by a picturesque old castle. The headland jutted boldly -out into the sea, and the wild waters dashed upon its walls from every -side. Access to the castle from the town was by means of a causeway -and bridge springing over a rocky and otherwise impassable connection -between the cliff and the mainland, which was sometimes flooded at -high-tide.</p> - -<p class="normal">Portions of the castle were in bad repair, or had been dismantled in -the several wars in which it had played a memorable part since its -erection nearly seven hundred years before by a follower of William -the Conqueror; but a large part of it was still inhabitable, and had -been provided with a sufficient garrison. A heavy water battery, which -had been placed in position during the rebellion in 1745, had been -recently strengthened and reinforced.</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain Jones, in the Bon Homme Richard, had been cruising around the -coasts of the British Islands for some time. He had heard of the -expected arrival of the Baltic fleet in these waters, and had presumed -that they would make Scarborough harbor. Word had been received from a -small trader he had overhauled, that a large number of ships had -assembled in that harbor; and in order to ascertain whether he might -safely attack them with his small nondescript squadron, he had -accepted the voluntary services of Lieutenant O'Neill, seconded by -gunner Price of the Bon Homme Richard.</p> - -<p class="normal">They had gone on ahead of the squadron in the cutter Alert, and had -landed below Scarborough headland, and ridden on to Scarborough to -ascertain the facts. The Alert was to carry the news back to Jones, on -the Richard, farther down the coast, and the vessels of his squadron -were all to assemble a day or two later at Bridlington Bay, a small -and unimportant town with a good harbor within easy reaching distance -of the expected prey. Should the report of the scouts be favorable, -they would proceed at once to attack the convoy.</p> - -<p class="normal">On their journey to Scarborough, O'Neill had ascertained from a -passing countryman that Lord Westbrooke was still governor of the -castle, and he at once surmised that Lady Elizabeth Howard would -probably be there with her guardian. Six months more than the year he -had asked for from her had elapsed, and many untoward circumstances -had prevented him from carrying out his plan of seeking her, but she -had ever been in his heart, and time and separation had but -intensified his passion. The mercurial Irishman had been deeply -smitten by the proud English beauty, and the constancy of his devotion -evidenced the depth of the impression she had made upon him.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Jones had returned with the Ranger from his first successful -cruise, he and his officers had been fêted and made much of by the -French court. The gallant adventures in which he had participated lent -a new charm to the fascinating personality of the son of the old -marshal, whose entrée was already everything that could be desired; -and his heart, accordingly, had been a target for repeated attacks -upon the part of the bright-eyed and fascinating dames of France--but -to no avail had they attempted its capture.</p> - -<p class="normal">Something of the story of his devotion had been allowed to leak out, -however, to account for his obduracy, and they finally understood why -he was so unusually insensible to their charms. This romance naturally -only added a piquancy to the feminine pursuit of which he was the -object, although the ladies' sportive love chase proved, in the end, -unavailing. He had resolved, O'Neill said, to show the world that -unusual spectacle, a constant Irishman! This was to attempt the -impossible, had been the quick reply, but, nevertheless, he had -accomplished it.</p> - -<p class="normal">Our Celtic mariner did not resign from the American service, however, -not because he cared particularly for America, for democratic -doctrines could never be acceptable to a follower of the young Stuart, -the intimate associate of the young nobles of France; but, primarily, -because he saw in it renewed opportunities to annoy and humiliate the -stout Hanoverian whom he and his people hated, and from whom they had -received much harm, and, secondly, because he was so much attracted by -the strong personality of Paul Jones. So great had become his regard -for this wonderful man that he had even waived considerations of rank -in favor of an American, the gallant Richard Dale, and had consented -to serve as second lieutenant instead of first, on the Richard, when -that famous ship and her ill-assorted consorts started forth upon the -memorable cruise.</p> - -<p class="normal">The tacticians of the French Navy unfortunately were not given to -consider downright hard fighting as the end and aim of naval -enterprise. Their manœuvres were calculated to annoy and harass the -enemy, but their first thought was not to destroy his ships, but to -protect their own,--a fatal mistake in policy from which they have -ever suffered.</p> - -<p class="normal">This was not John Paul Jones' way. Whatever else he was, he was a -fighter from the beginning to the end, and O'Neill found in him a -congenial spirit. The love-lorn Irishman had tried several times to -communicate with Lady Elizabeth by letter and messenger, but without -success, for he received no reply to his letters, and his messengers -had never returned. Therefore, when he found himself in such close -proximity to her as on this, the evening of Tuesday, the 21st of -September, 1779, he was utterly unable to resist the temptation at -least to attempt to see her again.</p> - -<p class="normal">Jones and the ships were not due at the rendezvous until the day after -the next day, that would be Thursday morning. There would be ample -time to rejoin them on the next day, Wednesday. O'Neill imagined -himself perfectly safe; he had used no disguise except to wear the -uniform of a French naval officer, and as France and England were -nominally at peace, he persuaded himself that he was in no danger. It -was a breach of military propriety, he admitted, of course, but -nothing more,--this failure to return promptly to his ship,--and for -that he was willing to suffer.</p> - -<p class="normal">With the delightful casuistry of lovers he persuaded himself against -his better judgment and failed to see his action in its true military -significance. Trusting to audacity, mother wit, and Dan Cupid for -protection, he went bravely on. In fact, he was taking his life in his -hand. His love blinded him,--it is the chief function of the cherubic -god; without that power most matches he attempts would fail. -Meanwhile, with a beating heart--beating not from fear, but with -anticipation--he rode slowly down the hill and into the town, where he -left his horse at an inn, and made his way on foot, and supperless, -such his eagerness, toward the castle.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had no definite plan. There did not seem to be room for any. He had -one consuming desire: to see, to speak to, to come in touch again with -the beautiful girl who had been the object of his every thought, the -end of his every desire, the spirit of every dream in which he had -indulged since they had met. He had a thought--a hope--that she was -still Elizabeth Howard. There was that in her promise, in her look, in -her word, when she had said, "Come and see" on the strand, which gave -him the hope that she would wait until he did come, be it one year or -two; and with the sanguine spirit of his race he could not prepare -himself for a disappointment.</p> - -<p class="normal">The moon had risen as he walked quietly through the town and began to -mount the hill. He did not know how to gain admittance to the castle -when he approached it; and as ill luck would have it, as he was -standing on the causeway looking toward the gate, he was approached by -a squad of soldiers under the command of a sergeant, who were -returning from an errand in the town. His meditations, as he stood -gazing at the lights shining from the different windows, wondering -behind which wall was ensconced the idol of his heart, were rudely -interrupted by the grasp of a rough hand upon his shoulder and a harsh -voice in his ear saying,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir, wot are you a-doin' 'ere at this hour o' the night? -Entrance to the castle is forbid to every one except members of the -garrison, or them wich has passes. No one is allowed on the causeway -after sunset even. There's so many tales of raidin's an' hell's own -doin's on the coast by that bloody ravagin' pirate Jones an' his -bleedin' gang, that we're a'most in a state of siege. Give an account -of yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My friend," said O'Neill, calmly, glancing rapidly about him, and -giving up at once any idea of resistance, for he was surrounded by at -least a dozen men, one or two of whom had laid violent hands upon -him,--"my friend," he said, speaking in broken English, with a -well-simulated French accent, "I am an officer of the King of -France, travelling for pleasure through your great country. I hear of -the old castle--I wish to see it--hence I come here. I have done -nothing--you will let me go free?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"A Frenchman?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, monsieur, I have that honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, that settles it. You've got to come along with us now. A -frog-eatin' Frenchman's our natural-born enemy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But, monsieur, there is no war between my master and your king?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Don't monshur me. I don't take no palaverin', an' I don't know -nothin' about whether there is war or not," said the sergeant, -brusquely; "but we always did hate the bloody Frenchies, an' we always -will, an' whenever we ketch one of 'em around here, he's got to give -an account of hisself. Now if you come along peaceable like, all -right--we won't hurt you. If you don't, we'll just pick you up and -carry you. You can take your choice," he added indifferently.</p> - -<p class="normal">A horseman galloping in from the town at this moment drew rein in -front of the little group.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, sergeant, what is it? Whom have you there?" he queried sharply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis a Frenchman, sir. We found him a-prowlin' round here. He's a -spy, I takes it," answered the sergeant, saluting but still retaining -his grasp.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pardon me, monsieur," said O'Neill; "I am no spy. I am a gentleman of -France, as I explain to this man. I travel--come here to see the -castle--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir, I can assist you to attain your end," interrupted the -lieutenant on the horse; "and since you desire to see the castle, -perhaps you would not object to taking a look at it from the inside."</p> - -<p class="normal">"As a prisoner, monsieur?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I am sorry you put it that way, but I shall be compelled to -turn you over to the governor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But I protest, monsieur!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You can protest to the admiral if you wish, the governor, I mean, for -you will have to come along now, under the circumstances. We hear that -d----d Scots buccaneer Paul Jones is on the coast, and we don't know -when he might strike or whom he might send on shore. We can't be too -careful, you know."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very well, monsieur, I come," said O'Neill, shrugging his shoulders -and resigning himself gracefully to the inevitable.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's good," answered the young officer. "Bring him along, -sergeant."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, leftenant. Now, you Johnnie, right about face, march!"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was in this unexpected and undignified manner that O'Neill gained -entrance to the castle. As they walked beneath the great gates of the -gloomy fortress, his heart, in spite of the serious nature of his -position, gave a bound of elation. This reckless young man had as yet -no other thought than that by every step he had been brought a little -nearer to his divinity; if other thoughts had come, it is doubtful if -he would have allowed them to stop him now. As the party halted in the -courtyard, while the lieutenant dismounted and hastened to apprise the -governor of the capture, he even ventured most imprudently to ask the -sergeant if Lady Elizabeth Howard was in the castle.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She is," replied the astonished functionary. "Wot's that to you, I'd -like to know?"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER VIII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_08" href="#div1Ref_08"><i>Lady Elizabeth does not know the Marquis<br> -de Richemont</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Before he could answer, an order came for the prisoner to be brought -forward. After ascending a flight of worn stone steps and going -through a long dark passage, a great door was thrown open at its end, -and he was confronted by a blaze of light which dazzled him at first, -until, his eyes becoming accustomed to the illumination, he realized -that he stood on the threshold of a splendid hall in the old keep, -which had possibly once been the banqueting hall of the castle. Long -lancet windows upon one side, their leaded frames filled with rich -painted glass, looked out upon the sea, whose waves beating -ceaselessly upon the bluff below filled the room with a subdued murmur -like a strain of hushed and vibrant music, such was the elevation of -the tower.</p> - -<p class="normal">The room was massively and splendidly furnished with heavy antique -furniture. The stone walls were covered with hangings of rich old -tapestry from the famous looms of Arras. Here and there were portraits -of distinguished members of the Westbrooke family,--women renowned for -their lustrous beauty, or men who, holding the castle at different -times, had made their names famous by their bravery and skill. The -prisoner's feet sank into a thick, soft, luxurious carpet stretched -upon the stone flags of the old floor.</p> - -<p class="normal">Writing at a large table standing near the centre of the room and -covered with candelabra, sat a bewigged old man of commanding presence -dressed in a naval uniform covered with orders and stars bespeaking -high rank. Farther away, with her back turned to the light, and to the -door by which he had entered, a young woman sat, apparently reading -intently. One glance at the graceful curve of her neck and the -exquisite poise of her head told him it was she. Forgetful of -everything else, he would have stepped forward, had it not been for -the restraining hand of the sergeant.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The prisoner, m' Lud," said the latter, saluting.</p> - -<p class="normal">The admiral continued his writing a moment, and then looking up fixed -his eyes keenly upon the young man. His first glance told him that he -had to deal with no ordinary prisoner. He rose at once and bowed with -the courtesy of a finished gentleman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have the goodness to step forward, sir, and be seated," he said, -pointing to the chair. "Sergeant, remain on guard where you are."</p> - -<p class="normal">With an equally low bow to the older man, O'Neill took a few steps in -his direction and sat down on the indicated chair in front of the -admiral, facing him and the woman beyond, who, still intent upon her -book or lost in thought, had not yet noticed his entrance. Prisoners, -in fact, being every-day occurrences at the castle in these troublous -times, they had ceased to interest her; still the unusual complaisance -of the old man, as expressed by his voice and manner, attracted her -attention; she looked up from the book without turning her head, and -listened.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am sorry to subject you to any annoyance, sir," continued the -admiral, "but the rules are very strict, and I must abide by my own -regulations. We apprehend a descent upon our coast by the notorious -pirate, John Paul Jones--" O'Neill started violently and bit his lip, -but said nothing--"and it is my duty to take unusual precautions," -added the speaker. "I must ask your name, your station, and business -here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am the--" said O'Neill, quietly, but with his glance fixed on the -powdered head showing over the chair-back opposite him.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a commotion at the other side of the table. Lady Elizabeth -sprang to her feet with a hurried exclamation, dropped her book to the -floor, and then turned quickly, and stepped toward the other two. -O'Neill and the admiral both rose at the same time.</p> - -<p class="normal">She was <i>en grande tenue</i>, her hair rolled high and powdered, jewels -sparkling about the snowy throat, which rose from the pale blue silk -of her corsage.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is--" she cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The Marquis de Richemont, at your service, mademoiselle," O'Neill -interrupted quickly, bowing low before her, fearing lest in her -surprise she would betray him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heavens, Elizabeth! what is the meaning of this? Do you know -this man?" asked the admiral, in great astonishment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Every traveller," smilingly interrupted O'Neill, suavely, striving to -give Elizabeth time to collect herself, with the appearance of the -greatest <i>sangfroid</i> himself, though his heart was beating so rapidly -he could scarce maintain his composure, "on these islands has heard of -the beauty of Lady Elizabeth Howard. Her reputation as a woman of -charm has even extended to the continent whence I come. It was in the -hope of having the privilege of seeing her that I walked up toward the -castle this evening. I have not the honor of her acquaintance, -monsieur."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you know this man, Elizabeth?" persisted the admiral, sternly, his -suspicions aroused by her actions.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was evidently some mystery about his coming, and the girl was -quick to see that to proclaim O'Neill's name and occupation would -probably place him in an embarrassing position, to say the least. She -recovered herself by a great effort, and turning away languidly, -remarked with well-assumed carelessness,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"I? Certainly not, sir. I have never heard of the Marquis de Richemont -before in my life." The statement was absolutely correct, the -Irishman's rank having been kept strictly in abeyance. O'Neill -shrugged his shoulders and extended his hands in confirmation of her -words.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why that cry, then, and your surprise, madam?" questioned the still -unconvinced admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know not, sir; I must have been dreaming, and the sound of a -strange voice startled me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Beg pardon, m' Lud," said the sergeant, saluting; "yer Worship, he -axed if Lady Elizabeth Howard lived 'ere, wen he was down in the -courtyard."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence, sirrah!" thundered the old admiral, who allowed no one to -entertain doubts of his ward but himself. "Do you mean to imply that -Lady Elizabeth has knowledge of this gentleman?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sergeant!" said the girl, clasping her hands and looking at the -old veteran with all the fascination of which she was capable.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, yer Ludship, no, sir. O' course not; certainly not, yer Honor," -returned the man, in great confusion. "I spoke by way o' showin' -that's wot he come for."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was in pursuance of my desire to see so great a beauty that I -asked the question, monsieur."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir, your admiration does me too much honor," said Elizabeth, -courtesying.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I make up for the fact that your reputation does your Ladyship too -little, then, mademoiselle," he answered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Enough of this," said the admiral, impatiently. "The girl is well -enough; but you didn't come here to look at her, did you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"On my honor as a gentleman, monsieur, for no other purpose."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, give some account of yourself otherwise, and perhaps if it be -satisfactory, as you have accomplished that purpose, I may send you on -your way rejoicing," said the admiral, amused at the extravagance of -the young man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No man could leave the presence of Lady Elizabeth Howard rejoicing, -sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Damnation, sir!" cried the governor, testily, "are you going to -stand here and bandy compliments about all day like a French -dancing-master?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have nothing further to urge for my words, my Lord, when my excuse -stands in your very presence."</p> - -<p class="normal">The governor looked at the two young people in great perplexity.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I fear, my dear Marquis de Richemont," said he ironically, "unless -you can give some more coherent account of yourself, I shall be under -the painful necessity of having you locked up, in which case the only -divinity you will be allowed to gaze upon will be the lovely face and -figure of yonder sergeant."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, yer Ludship, I--" remarked the sergeant, grimacing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence, sirrah!" thundered the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My Lord," answered O'Neill, smiling, "it is very simple. I am an -officer in the navy of the King of France, making a tour of England -for pleasure. I came here to this town this evening. I hear of the -great admiral, Lord Westbrooke, in his great castle, and the beauty of -his ward, Lady Elizabeth Howard. I am a lover of the beautiful. I -stand on the causeway gazing at the castle. Your soldiers arrest me -and bring me here. I rejoice to find Lady Elizabeth more beautiful -than I have dreamed. A year and a half have only intensified her -charms."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A year and a half! Dreams, sir! What mean you by that, pray? What -have the years to do with the matter? Did you see her a year and a -half since?" cried the admiral, suspiciously again.</p> - -<p class="normal">O'Neill started; it was a fatal slip, but he hastened to repair it as -best he could.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have seen her picture, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And where, pray, have you seen her picture?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"In the possession of an English officer, a friend of mine whom I met -at Liverpool a year and a half ago," answered O'Neill, audaciously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And who was this English officer, pray, who displayed my picture?" -interrupted Elizabeth, with an appearance of great agitation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Major Edward Coventry, mademoiselle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, Edward! Why, God bless me," said the admiral, genially, "he is my -son. Do you mean to tell me you are a friend of his? Why didn't you -say so before?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I had the honor of his acquaintance," said O'Neill, bowing gravely, -"on one very interesting and memorable occasion indeed, when he was on -duty at the Château Birkenhead, I believe."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, that would be about a year and a half ago. Sir, in that case you -are very welcome to this castle," said the admiral, "and now I beg -leave to present you in due and proper form to my ward. Lady Elizabeth -Howard, permit me to introduce to you the Marquis de Richemont."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am charmed to have the pleasure of meeting the marquis," responded -the girl, smiling and courtesying deeply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The pleasure and the honor are mine, mademoiselle," responded -O'Neill, fully entering upon the comedy of the moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And," continued the admiral, "as my son, Major Edward Coventry, has -sent me word he will be here shortly, you can renew your acquaintance -with him."</p> - -<p class="normal">It was as if he had exploded a bomb-shell in the room.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Edward! Coming here?" cried Elizabeth, her voice filled with terror -at the unfortunate event, which she vainly endeavored to conceal. -"What for? Why did you not tell me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He desired to surprise you, my dear," answered the admiral, wondering -again at her agitation; "you know your wedding takes place next week."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, a wedding!" said O'Neill, starting and looking at Elizabeth. -"Mademoiselle is then to marry?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, your friend Major Coventry," replied the old man,--"an old -engagement."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I refused to marry him for a year, and for six months more. I waited -all that time. There was no word," she said slowly to O'Neill, as if -each word were wrung from her by his intent look, her pale cheeks -flooded with color.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you taken leave of your senses, Elizabeth?" continued the -admiral, in great surprise; "of what interest to a stranger is -your--er--maidenly hesitation?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Anything which concerns so fair a lady is of deep interest to your -humble servant," answered O'Neill, ironically and bitterly. The comedy -had gone, tragedy, as ever, following hard upon it.</p> - -<p class="normal">A door at the rear of the room was opened softly at this moment; and a -young man in the brilliant scarlet uniform of a British officer, -entered and stepped lightly toward them. His glance fell first upon -the speaker.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Barry O'Neill, by heaven!" he exclaimed, springing eagerly forward -with outstretched hand. "How came you here?" For a moment the young -soldier was oblivious of the presence of his father and his betrothed. -His untimely entrance filled the room with apprehension and dismay.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER IX</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_09" href="#div1Ref_09"><i>The Picture on the Wall</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"O'Neill?" said the admiral, in much bewilderment; "Edward, this is -your friend, the Marquis de Richemont."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Edward, do not speak!" cried Lady Elizabeth, distractedly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, Elizabeth, my love and duty to you, but not speak? About what, -pray? What mean you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is this gentleman, the Marquis de Richemont, your friend or not, sir? -Cease this by-play, Elizabeth; I will have an explanation," demanded -the now thoroughly aroused admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My friend? Quite so," said Major Coventry, smiling. "Though I was -ignorant that he was a marquis, he is none the less welcome. I am -exceedingly glad to see him again. You too, I presume, Elizabeth?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Glad even as you are," she replied deliberately, now seeing that -further concealment was useless.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you called him O'Neill," continued the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That is my name, sir," said O'Neill, calmly, recognizing the -uselessness of further evasion. "I am one of the Irish O'Neills, -formerly of County Clare, now in the service of the King of France." -He could not have said it more proudly had he been the king himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The last time I saw you, you were on the Ranger, that American -Continental ship," continued Coventry.</p> - -<p class="normal">"As a prisoner, sir?" cried the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"As an officer, my Lord," answered the Irishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What, sir! And now you are--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Second lieutenant of the American Continental ship Bon Homme Richard, -Captain John Paul Jones, at your service," was the dauntless reply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good gad!" said the admiral, "is it possible? And you, Elizabeth, you -have deceived me also. You knew this man?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir, but not as the Marquis de Richemont."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have met this gentleman before?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where, may I ask, and when?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"About a year and a half since, sir. You remember when the Maidstone -was wrecked? He saved me from death then, and after Captain Jones put -me ashore, you know--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He spared my life too, as well, sir, at that time," said Coventry; -"they both did."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You seem to be a good hand at saving lives, Lieutenant O'Neill, -Marquis de Richemont, perhaps you can think now of some way of saving -your own," remarked the admiral, sarcastically.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis useless to me now, my Lord, and not worth the saving," answered -the young man, calmly; "but I would not have you mar the approaching -nuptials of your son and ward by an execution. Let me at least live -until after the wedding. I shall be more willing to die then," he -added softly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You came here for what purpose?" continued the admiral, disregarding -the latter words of the young man as utterly irrelevant.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To find out the number and force and disposition of the ships in the -harbor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"At the instance of--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain Jones, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The murdering pirate!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have resented such language and proved its falsity upon the person -of your son, sir," burst out O'Neill, stepping forward, his hand upon -his sword. "Shall I impose the same lesson on the father?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are a prisoner, sir," replied the admiral, imperturbably, "and -are here at my pleasure to receive, not to give lessons. Stand back, -sir! Sergeant, bring in a file of men for a guard. Deliver up your -sword at once, sir, to Major Coventry!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your Lordship is master here; I obey," answered the Irishman, -shrugging his shoulders, and drawing his sword, he tendered it to -Major Coventry, who stepped forward reluctantly to receive it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Father," he said respectfully, "so far as my knowledge goes, Captain -Jones is certainly a gentleman. Had it not been for his magnanimity -and that of my friend--I may still call you that, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am vastly honored, sir, I am sure."</p> - -<p class="normal">"--my friend, the Marquis de Richemont, you would be childless to-day. -Had it not been for the courage of this gentleman, Lady Elizabeth -here--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sir!" cried Elizabeth, impetuously, "they are men of honor. I -pray you release this officer and let him go free. Nay, never shake -your head; I ask it as a wedding gift to me, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My liberty your wedding gift, mademoiselle? Never!" interrupted -O'Neill, firmly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Say no more, either of you," said the admiral, decisively. "You, sir, -came here as an enemy, a spy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so, sir. I came here in the uniform of a French officer."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But that is not the uniform of the flag under which you now serve," -continued the admiral, keenly. "You may secure some consideration, -however, at my hands as representing his Majesty the King, God bless -him! by revealing the circumstances and plans and the ultimate purpose -of your rebellious captain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Clearly an impossible proposition," said O'Neill, bowing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But stop!" said the admiral, "now that I recall it, you gave me your -word of honor that you came here to see this lady."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And that is true, sir. I might have escaped to my ship with ease, in -possession of the information I desired to get, but I came up to the -castle to see her."</p> - -<p class="normal">"A most foolish excursion, sir, and why, pray?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because I love her," said O'Neill, calmly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What!" cried Coventry, in great surprise and dismay. "Did you know -this, Elizabeth?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is a woman ever ignorant of the feelings she excites in a lover's -breast, sir?" O'Neill answered for her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And have you--did you--" continued Coventry, looking still at -Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lady Elizabeth has done nothing, sir. No word of affection has ever -crossed her lips, to me at least," again replied O'Neill. "She would -not even wait."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, but she did," interrupted Coventry, jealously, "a year--six -months--she tried to postpone her wedding for six months more. I begin -to understand."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Peace, Edward!" said Elizabeth, trembling violently; "the Marquis de -Richemont is--is nothing to me--can never be anything to me, that is. -The wedding shall proceed at the appointed date; I gave you my word. -It was the wish of my mother, the wish of the admiral, your wish--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yours, also, dearest Elizabeth, is it not?" said Coventry, taking -her hand entreatingly. She hesitated and stood silent.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have me executed at once, sir, in mercy and pity," said O'Neill to -the admiral; "let it be now--the sooner the better. This I cannot -stand; 'tis too much."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so," replied the admiral, gravely; "I will consider the matter -further and consult with you again. Meanwhile, if you will give me -your parole, I will allow you the freedom of the castle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Parole! 'Tis given, sir. Faith, I hardly think you could drive me -away."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's well," returned the admiral. "Sergeant, call my steward and -have him assign chambers to the Marquis de Richemont. Coventry, I -presume you will place your wardrobe at his disposal in case he needs -anything. Now the marquis will doubtless wish to retire. We will see -him in the morning. Come, Elizabeth. Good-night, sir; the sergeant -will attend you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lord Westbrooke, I thank you. Major Coventry, your servant. Lady -Elizabeth, I wish you joy on your wedding; good-night," replied the -young man, bowing to them all in succession.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the admiral and the others left the room, the young lieutenant sank -down on his chair and put his head upon his hands upon the table. The -old sergeant, who had seen it all, watched him a moment in silence. -Walking up to him finally, and laying his hand on his shoulder with -the familiarity of a privileged character, he said,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come now, sir, be a soldier."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You can give no worse advice than that to a sailor, my friend," -replied O'Neill, rising and smiling in spite of his misery. "Lead on, -I will follow," he added.</p> - -<p class="normal">As they passed down the great hall, the eyes of the wretched -lieutenant fell upon a large picture hanging rather low on the wall in -a far corner above a dais near the doorway. It was the portrait of a -beautiful woman in the fashion of some fifty years back. She was -seated in a great carved oak chair, the counterpart of and evidently -painted from one sitting beneath it. In face and feature the portrait -was a striking likeness of Lady Elizabeth Howard. The skill of the -painter had been so great, the colors had been so nicely chosen, so -delicately laid on, that in the flickering, uncertain candle-light, -which left this part of the room in a rather deep shadow, the picture -actually seemed to breathe. O'Neill stopped as if petrified.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come along, sir," said the sergeant, gruffly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A moment, if you please, my friend--a moment. What sort of a man are -you to pass by such as this without notice? It should be Lady -Elizabeth, but the fashion of the dress--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It's her mother, sir, a cousin of the admiral's. I pass it every day, -sir, an' I've got so I don't take no notice on it, no more. She was a -young thing, scarce older than her young Leddyship when she set for -that paintin', an' they had no children for years, leastaways they all -died till this baby was born, an' then she died too. I've been -attached to the admiral's service in one way or another sence I was a -boy, an' dandled her many a time on my knee. Yes, and her young -Leddyship, Lady Elizabeth that is, too, wen she was a little girl."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My regard for you goes up a thousand-fold, my friend," said O'Neill, -smiling; "I could almost envy you your opportunities. Would I had been -you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tain't no use wishin' that," said the old sergeant, shaking his -head; "there never was no Frenchman could ever take my place."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Quite right," replied O'Neill, smiling; "'twould be clearly -impossible."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come along, then, yer Honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stay a moment," returned the enraptured Irishman; "a year at gaze -would not sate me with the beauty of this picture. How like is the -fair image!" murmured the entranced young man, approaching nearer and -fairly holding his breath under the influence of the moment. He -stretched out his hand toward the painting with a little reverential -gesture.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Look out, sir!" said the sergeant, warningly; "the picture hangs very -loose, an' the frame--"</p> - -<p class="normal">What evil fate was it that determined its fall at that moment? There -was a tremendous crash, something gave way, and the great frame -dropped from its place on the wall and fell across the heavy oaken -chair which stood beneath it, and the picture was impaled upon its -Gothic points. The two men sprang to seize it and lift it up. Alas! it -had been literally torn to pieces. The canvas had evidently been -originally a defective one, for it had split in every direction. -Restoration was clearly impossible.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good Heaven!" said the Irishman, "what a misfortune!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It had to come, an' it's too late to be mended now," said the -sergeant, philosophically, "so we must get on."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good," said O' Neill, tenderly lifting the frame, with the rags -of the tattered canvas hanging to it, back against the wall; "there is -nothing to keep us here now. Unlucky fool that I am, even the -semblance of the original is not for me!"</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER X</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_10" href="#div1Ref_10"><i>Lady Elizabeth will keep her Word</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The night fell on three of the most unhappy people in the world; yet -to each had been vouchsafed a partial realization of a cherished hope. -Coventry should have been luxuriating in the thought of his -approaching marriage to the girl he loved; Elizabeth should have been -overwhelmed with joy at the reappearance of O'Neill, after his long -absence; and O'Neill during that time had asked for nothing but an -opportunity to stand once more in the presence of his divinity. The -desire of each had been granted, and yet all three were completely -miserable.</p> - -<p class="normal">Coventry, because he more than suspected that Elizabeth loved O'Neill; -Elizabeth, because she felt that honor compelled her to marry -Coventry, to whom she was deeply attached, but toward whom her -feelings, she now found, were vastly different from those which had -flooded her being with new life at the sight of the young Irishman. -Her period of waiting and dreaming had unconsciously developed a -passion for him which had broken all barriers at the mere sound of his -voice, the sight of his face. As for O'Neill, he found her fairer than -he had ever thought even in his most extravagant dreams, and it was in -an agony of despair that he contemplated her as the bride of another. -There was this saving grace in his position, however: he would -probably be condemned to death forthwith, and he was in no mood to -balk the executioner; if ever death be welcome, it would be so to him.</p> - -<p class="normal">The only one who was completely at his ease, and who, in fact, -extracted a certain satisfaction from the situation, was the admiral. -Naturally he did not enter very deeply into the matrimonial schemes of -the young, and with the indifference of the aged and the present, he -doubted that it would be a matter of any great difficulty either to -make Elizabeth forget, if necessary, the Irishman in whom even his -obtuse vision had detected that she was greatly interested; or, in -case it suited his purpose better, to make his son forget Elizabeth in -the presence of some other charmer whom he might select. His purpose -was, as ever, the paramount consideration with the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">He had conceived a brilliant idea, which he fondly hoped would result, -were it to be realized, in the capture of the notorious Paul Jones, -who was the object of consuming desire on the part of every military -and naval man in the three kingdoms. So enchanted was the old man with -his own idea, and so desirous was he of bagging the game, that he -would not have hesitated to sacrifice the affections of his son, the -happiness of his ward, or to brush aside almost anything, save his -honor, which might stand in his way.</p> - -<p class="normal">The young Irishman had clearly forfeited his life by his action; nay, -more, now that he recalled his name he remembered that he had been -found guilty of high treason, and, like his father, was under sentence -of death for that as well; he had a double hold upon him, therefore. -The powers of the admiral, who was one of the leading men of the -realm, were unusually large, and as a state of martial law had been -proclaimed on the coast, he was supreme as to life and death, in -matters where any military exigency could be urged.</p> - -<p class="normal">He chuckled to himself at the thought that he held in his hand two of -the master cards,--love of life and love of woman; the third, love of -honor, which O'Neill was possessed of, was a high one, to be sure, but -he trusted by clever play to win the game, since the odds were with -him. Elizabeth had become a State paper--a pledge in pawn--to him; -O'Neill another piece, or player. He had not yet formulated any plan -for carrying out his great idea, but one was already germinating in -his mind, so that in the end, under the stimulus of the splendid -opportunity he saw before him for rounding out an already brilliant -career in the service of his country, by effecting the capture of the -famous Paul Jones, his hours were as sleepless as were those of the -others.</p> - -<p class="normal">The poor Irish lieutenant had caused a great deal of trouble to every -one with whom he had come in contact. Even Paul Jones himself, who -loved and cherished the young man with all his generous heart, was -filled with deep anxiety as to his probable fate, when he heard the -report of old Price the next day, especially as the hours fled away -and his lieutenant did not rejoin the ship. In spite of the absence of -the rest of his squadron, the commodore at once hastened to the -rendezvous with the Richard alone, and there determined to take a -small hand in the game himself while waiting for the Pallas, the -Alliance, and the others to assemble. Cautious inquiries which he -caused to be made on shore had informed him that, as he expected, -O'Neill had been apprehended. A less kindly man than Paul Jones would -have left him to his fate--but that was not his way.</p> - -<p class="normal">Early the next morning, being Wednesday, September the twenty-second, -O'Neill had arisen and gone down on the terrace of the castle -overlooking the ocean and the ships in the harbor, where he met Lady -Elizabeth. She was gazing listlessly over the causeway at a horseman -galloping along the road.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do I interrupt reminiscences of a <i>tête-à-tête</i>, madam?" said he, -saluting her with a profound bow.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Reminiscences such as mine are better interrupted," she replied.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You were--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Saying good-bye to my--my--cousin."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Has your ladyship no dearer title than that by which to designate -him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not yet," she answered wearily.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, I perceive," he continued jealously, "the natural regret at the -absence of your betrothed, for--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no, not that! How can you trifle so with me at this moment? He -reproached me because I--why do I tell you these things? You constrain -me, sir; I--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Forgive me; you need not finish, Lady Elizabeth," he said with a -sudden gravity. "As for me, I must needs trifle, or die. Life in the -freshness of the morning, the white-capped ocean stretching before us -in the sunlight, the gentle breeze playing across our faces, is sweet -to think on; with youth and rank and station, it would be heavenly -spent with you. Without you I welcome the death your guardian will -undoubtedly inflict upon me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yet you waited so long--a year and a half--why did you not come? I--" -She stopped. She had spoken in a low, tender whisper, looking down at -the sea beneath them, and plucking nervously at the loose plaster of -the old walk. Death so imminent for love and lover--nay, not for love; -that were eternal--broke down petty convention. Where were death and -love, there, too, should truth and honesty be--and honor.</p> - -<p class="normal">He laid his strong hand gently down on the small white one outlined -upon the gray weather-beaten rock of the parapet; with upturned palm -she met his grasp. Her eyes were lifted now; she drew strength from -his strength; a dawning hope flickered into being in her torn heart. -He was so strong and true, he surely could do something--there must be -some other way. It was the tribute woman pays to man.</p> - -<p class="normal">He read aright, with eyes keen from affection, the mute, piteous -appeal in her sweetly lifted face. But he could only smile sadly in -answer, with a silent shake of the head. There was no other way, then, -in the marked path she must walk. Have mercy, Lord!</p> - -<p class="normal">"Was it long to you, dearest?" he queried, his dark face aflame. "To -me--I have been a fool. Nothing should have kept me from you. To trust -to messengers, letters--a fool--too late!" Silence. The hands -unclasped; ties were broken. "Too late!" He turned bitterly away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would that we had met in happier days!" she murmured sadly, making a -brave effort at self-control.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No reproaches, Lady Elizabeth," he answered, the touch of formality -in the address showing his own equal strife. "What must be, must be! -At least I have met you before I die, and for a year and a half I have -thought of you, and dreamed of you, and held you the lady of my heart. -E'en death itself cannot rob me of that sweet joy--for it is past."</p> - -<p class="normal">They looked apart, and heard above the voice of the great deep, the -unfathomable sound of the moaning surge far beneath them, chafing -against the pebbles in the still morning, the wild beating of their -hearts; after a little pause he continued more softly,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you--you will forget the young Irishman, the soldier of fortune, -whom untoward fate threw across your pathway; and in your own English -home, and in the love of your noble husband, may you be happy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nay, not so," she said softly, taking his hand again, her eyes -filling with tears; this time she was the stronger. "My heart is not -made of such fickle stuff. I shall do my duty, keep my plighted -word--even you would have me do no less than that--but not more -steadfastly than I shall keep you within my recollection. But do not -talk of death, you must not; I know the admiral--he has a kindly -heart--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would not live," replied the young man, quietly, "for life is death -when the heart is dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Tell me," asked the girl, nervously breaking the almost insupportable -silence, "were you there when my mother's picture fell last night?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, so near to it that it almost fell into my arms," he answered, -smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A bad omen!" she murmured, shaking her head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What, that it should fall into my arms?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, that it should fall at all."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, I do not believe in omens, and 'tis in the arms of another that -you fall, at any rate. He gets the substance, I the shadow, the -illusion--and even that is broken!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And so even the shadow is lost," said Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not yet. Open my heart, you will find it there," he answered quickly. -"But how like you the portrait was!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, I am said to look like my mother," she answered, striving, as we -all do in tragic moments, to reach the height of the commonplace. "In -the dress I now wear, under the changing fashions, the likeness is not -so striking; but when I am gowned as she was, in the identical -costume, which is still in existence, by the way, and sit as she did, -in the dim light in that old chair, the resemblance is even more -striking."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would that I might see you thus--in that dress of the olden time! -Nothing except your actual presence in the hall has ever startled me -so much as that image of the past did last night. You are so like the -picture, but more beautiful, I think."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, yes, youth and the present are always the more beautiful. The -admiral says I am not to be mentioned beside her--he loved her, I -think--she was his cousin; they tell me she married very young, -unhappily, too, and died when I was born, many years after. My father, -too, died; I can scarcely remember him at all; I am alone."</p> - -<p class="normal">"There should be a warning in this, should there not?" he asked -softly; an idle question, fate had determined.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I suppose so," replied the girl, wearily; "but what was I to do? The -arrangement was made when I was a child. I have grown up with Edward -Coventry, he loves me, he is a noble fellow, I respect--esteem him -highly. It is a long-cherished wish of the admiral's; it was my -mother's wish as well. I put him off, in spite of the engagement, for -a year--for six months again," she said, with a glance the fond -reproach of which cut him to the heart. "I promised him, on my word of -honor, if he would only wait that time I would make no further -objections. I cannot break that word now."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not even for me?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, not even for you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you do not love him?" he asked eagerly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," she answered slowly; "I do--in a way, that is."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But not like--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Enough, Lieutenant O'Neill!" she answered proudly, resuming, -perforce, her erstwhile haughty air, which was belied by a deep flush -on her cheeks. "'Tis not generous of you to press me further. I--we -have decided. I can stand no more. Forgive me-- Have mercy!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I respect your decision; nay, more, I honor you for it, Lady -Elizabeth," he answered gravely. "I kiss your hand and go to my death -smiling. Forget me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your death!" she cried in alarm. "What mean you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The admiral, sir, would speak with you in the office at once," -interrupted the sergeant, who had approached with a file of soldiers.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You see--the summons," replied O'Neill, calmly, to Elizabeth. -"Friend, I attend you--good-bye."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XI</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_11" href="#div1Ref_11"><i>O'Neill will keep his Honor</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The admiral had fully matured his plans during the night, and was -prepared to make the assault upon the fortifications of O'Neill's -honor at the most convenient season. In order to have a clear field -for his operations, he had despatched his son upon an errand which -would necessitate his absence until the evening. It had been with his -full knowledge that his captive had been allowed to meet and converse -with his ward. He trusted more to the fascinations of that young woman -to effect his end, than to any other known agency, in fact.</p> - -<p class="normal">Beauty and affection when allied have ever been most potent weapons, -even when used to promote the cause of treachery and dishonor. Not -that the admiral himself would have done anything he considered -dishonorable. He would rather have cut off his right hand, which had -done such stout service for his king, he would sacrifice his life, his -son's life, anything, rather than jeopard it; but he would not -hesitate to cajole the young Irishman into betraying his leader if he -could. Though he should despise him if he acceded to the terms he -would propose, yet he would not refrain from making use of him, even -to his own undoing, if possible. 'Twas the custom of war, and the -obloquy which in similar instances has ever been heaped upon the -tempted has not seemed to attach itself to the tempter under such -conditions.</p> - -<p class="normal">Still the admiral did not rejoice in the situation, and he could not -make up his mind just how much it was necessary to offer. He had -rather an uncomfortable feeling that he could go very far, and then -not succeed after all; yet the greatness of the stake for which he -played, he thought, would justify his action, for the person of John -Paul Jones was certainly more coveted than that of any other man who -had ever warred against the English flag. The governor had under his -immediate command two excellent frigates, the Serapis, 44, and the -Scarborough, 28; and if through his planning and foresight they should -capture Jones and his ships, he might aspire to any honor in the gift -of the king.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-morning, my dear marquis," he said pleasantly, as soon as the -young lieutenant was ushered into the office.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-morning to your Lordship," answered O'Neill, bravely.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have sent for you to give you the run of the castle to-day," -continued the admiral, much to his prisoner's surprise. "I shall be -occupied with preparations rendered necessary by the advent of your -friends the Americans, and urgent business required that I despatch -your acquaintance, my son, on an errand which will keep him away until -evening. Meanwhile, I leave you to the tender mercies of my ward, the -Lady Elizabeth. In the evening I shall have something of great -importance to say to you. You will give me your parole, of course, and -I trust that you may have a pleasant day."</p> - -<p class="normal">"In the presence of Lady Elizabeth, sir, all moments are hours of -pleasure. I can never sufficiently thank you for your indulgence. You -have crowned the victim with a chaplet of roses before offering him -upon the altar," answered the bewildered officer. He suspected -something; but in the thought of another day with his heart's desire, -he resolutely put aside all other things--one day, in the strain of -life, so much gained!</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never mind about the altar now," said the admiral. "Enjoy the day, -and perhaps the termination of it may fit its beginning."</p> - -<p class="normal">Such a day as the two young people passed together comes not often in -earthly calendars. There was one subject which was forbidden them by -honor and discretion. They therefore talked of other things and -thought only of that, and the restraint in which each was held made -their true opinions as open to each other as the day itself. They -wandered together about the castle walls, gazed out upon the sparkling -sea, and allowed themselves to dream that the day would never end. -They forgot the black future, and lived only in the fleeting moments -of the present; 'tis the habit of youth and love.</p> - -<p class="normal">When the night fell they separated reluctantly, to meet again by her -appointment in half an hour in the great hall, for what reason he knew -not; that she wished it was sufficient for him. There had come into -Elizabeth's head a quaint conceit. She wished to surprise him. As she -left him she ran hastily to the ancient wardrobe in her private -apartment in which, with the prudent forethought of our ancestors, her -mother's wedding robe was laid away in sprigs of lavender. Hastily -doffing her own garments, and assisted by the skilful fingers of her -maid, she arrayed herself therein.</p> - -<p class="normal">The body of the dress was of heavily brocaded white satin, worn over -moderate hoops; the bodice was cut low and square across the neck and -shoulders and terminated in a pointed stomacher of delicate pale blue, -laced over the front with silver cord. The short, rather full sleeves -edged with priceless lace left the sweet young arms bare to the -dimpled elbow. The overdress or panier, looped with gold cord on -either side, was of a fugitive shade of pale wild rose; the dress was -lifted in front to show her dainty feet in their diamond-buckled, -preposterously high-heeled, pointed-toed, blue satin shoes, and -rose-colored, gold-clocked stockings. When she stood up, a little -train swept the floor.</p> - -<p class="normal">The old-fashioned waist of the gown was very <i>decolleté</i>; she blushed -at the thought of it; but as it was in the picture, she draped it with -delicate tulle, less white than her neck itself, and caught here and -there by tiny diamond stars, and so she put it bravely on. To re-dress -her hair was an easy matter; the low coiffure, with the hair -unpowdered and rolled above her broad, low brow, after the style of -the beautiful but venal Pompadour, and adorned with three delicate -white ostrich tips, and with a string of pearls intertwined in its -meshes, was most becoming. With eager hands rummaging among her -mother's jewels, she soon found and twined the brilliant necklace of -the picture about her throat; on her breast she pinned a great -sunburst of diamonds, in the midst of which flashed a gleaming -sapphire. A little black patch or two on her cheeks completed her -preparations.</p> - -<p class="normal">Then, full of anticipation for her lover, she ran down to the hall. To -her great disappointment, the room was empty; he had not yet come. She -waited a moment; her eyes fell upon the frame from which the remnants -of the tattered painting had been removed, which was leaning on a dais -in front of an alcove against the wall, just beneath the spot where -the picture had hung. A new thought occurred to her. Why not? She -eagerly pushed the old chair behind the frame, arranged it as it had -been in the picture, and sat down in exactly the same position her -mother had assumed when the portrait had been painted. She had often -practised it before the mirror, and had acquired the pose perfectly.</p> - -<p class="normal">The rich, dark old tapestry of Arras formed an appropriate background, -and life and love and expectation threw a light in her eyes and -painted upon her cheek hues that no skill, however cunning, could have -duplicated, no palette save that of Nature in her rarest mood -supplied. The girl had forgotten, for the moment, her engagement to -another; she had forgotten the impending fate which hung over the man -she truly loved. She was only a woman--loving--beloved--waiting. The -thought of his surprise, the consciousness of her own beauty, deepened -the color on her cheeks, and the palpitation of her bosom told of the -beating of her heart.</p> - -<p class="normal">She looked hastily about her, and, as the door opened, settled herself -in the position of sweet repose of the picture. Never had earth borne -a fairer woman. The first sound that struck her ear was the somewhat -harsh voice of her guardian. A wave of disappointment swept across -her. She half rose, as if to discover herself, and then, as she heard -her lover's voice, she sank back and waited, motionless and expectant.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lieutenant Barry O'Neill, Marquis de Richemont, I bid you good -evening," said the admiral, genially.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir, good evening to you," replied O'Neill, something warning him of -an impending struggle.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Allow me," said the admiral, passing his snuffbox, from which both -gentlemen helped themselves elaborately.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have here," continued the old man, drawing a piece of paper from -the desk as they walked toward the centre of the room, neither of them -noticing the picture at the moment, as it was behind them, "some -account of the life and adventures of one Gerald O'Neill, sometime -gentleman of the County Clare in Ireland, who rebelled against his -gracious Majesty King George II., of blessed memory, in the year 1745. -His lands were escheated to the crown, his life forfeited. -Unfortunately for us, and fortunately for him, he escaped to the -continent, entered the service of Louis XV., and became--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You may spare me any further details, my Lord. I know them too well. -He became a marshal of France and my father."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Two great honors, surely," said the admiral, smiling pleasantly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thank your Lordship for the compliment; pray proceed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have here, also, a brief account of the history of another -gentleman in whom I doubt not you are deeply interested."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And that is--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"One Barry O'Neill, Marquis de Richemont."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your very humble servant, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your discrimination does you honor, marquis," said the admiral, -playfully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Faith, sir, you read me an easy riddle."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I find that you have been concerned in every treasonable plot against -his Majesty which has been hatched on the continent since you were out -of leading strings."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Rather hard, but true, sir. Ah Irishman, you know, is naturally a -rebel and a conspirator."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Quite so; and those who are not drowned may expect to be hanged," -said the admiral, sternly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"As I am a sailor, I might reasonably have hoped for the former end, -but I have forfeited my rights by coming on shore, I suppose." He -paused, and as the admiral nodded gravely, he continued with -well-simulated indifference: "'Tis not a pleasant mode of death, my -Lord, nor one that I would have chosen, nor one that is becoming a -gentleman; but I trust I shall meet it with equanimity at least," -replied O'Neill, a little paler than before, but still dauntlessly -smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am glad to see that you are a man of such resolution, sir," said -the admiral. "If your discretion equal your courage, the matter may be -arranged."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is useless to try it," was the reply; "to have known your ward, to -have seen her, and to know that she is destined for the arms of -another, makes life a hell, and death a pleasure."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is it so?" said the admiral, pausing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Think of the days of your own youth, sir, and one that you loved, and -you will understand me."</p> - -<p class="normal">The admiral reflected. The stake he was playing for was so high, his -desire was so great--like the woman who hesitated, he fell. There -would be some way out of it, surely. As he drew near to the moment and -to the goal, his overwhelming desire took possession of him, and -blinded him; desire blinds as well as love.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Even that," finally he said slowly, looking meaningly at O'Neill the -while, "may be arranged."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God!" said O'Neill, white to the lips. "What is it you would -have me do? Speak! Titles, rank, station, friends, fame, -opportunities, life itself, would I cheerfully give for her who has -taken possession of me. Speak, my Lord!" cried the young man, -entreatingly.</p> - -<p class="normal">The heart of the girl in the picture frame in the dark corner stopped -its beating. The gates of heaven, as it were, had been opened before -her. What was the proposition?</p> - -<p class="normal">"Listen!" said the admiral, slowly, at last. He was sure he had him -now.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I could settle the course of the world while I wait for your reply, -sir. Delay no longer, I pray you; I am in a torture of apprehension," -said O'Neill, eagerly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I design not to take from you rank nor station nor lands nor -position," replied the admiral. "I offer you a free pardon for all -your past offences; nay, it shall cover your father's as well, if you -wish. There shall be a restoration of the ancient lands of your -venerable house. I will put your feet upon a ladder by which you may -rise to the very highest position. I open before you vistas of -honorable advancement in the service of your rightful king in your -native land, in which there is no limit to which a man of courage may -not attain."</p> - -<p class="normal">"These are nothing," said the young man, impetuously, "beside Lady -Elizabeth Howard; some of the things you mention I now have, some I do -not wish, some are nothing to me. But your ward, sir, what of her?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, what a lover is there!" whispered to herself the girl in the -picture frame, forgetting the pose, clasping her white hands and -leaning forward with shining eyes, blushing cheeks, and parted lips, -listening with wildly beating heart. This in her breast now was love, -indeed,--in no way like to the pale affection with which she regarded -the unfortunate Coventry. The admiral spoke again, fixing his eye upon -the young man. His words came slowly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, sir, I will even agree to interpose no objections to your suit -for the hand of my ward."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But that is tantamount to giving your consent, my Lord," said -O'Neill, coming nearer to him in great surprise, his heart -bounding--and yet there must be some conditions to the royal gift. The -admiral bowed. "And Major Coventry?" cried the Irishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"His desires must give way to--er--reasons of state," said the -admiral, decisively. "I will arrange all that; if you can obtain her -consent to your suit, she is yours, provided--" he paused -significantly. Ah! the conditions!</p> - -<p class="normal">"My consent!" thought Elizabeth, happiness flooding her like a wave; -and then she remembered that she was a woman, and indignation found a -lodgement in her being. 'Twas not thus she would be wooed and won, not -in this bartering way disposed of. By what right did any one--even her -guardian--presume to-- O'Neill was speaking again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What are the conditions--what is it you wish me to do? If it be in -human power, 'tis done. Torment me no more; as you are a man and have -a heart, speak!" In his agitation the younger man seized the elder by -the arm.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I desire you to go back to your ship and arrange to put in my -possession the person of John Paul Jones," said the admiral, with the -greatest deliberation, concealing his anxiety by an appearance of -great firmness, as he nonchalantly helped himself to a pinch of snuff. -An accurate observer would have noticed that the trembling of his -hands belied his simulated calmness.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was out now! What would the man say or do? Elizabeth sank back -appalled. So this was the condition; this was the test. He was to -choose between her and black treachery--dishonor! His answer, what -would it be? Had her idol feet of clay, after all? Her fate hung in -the balance; she could never survive his shame if he fell; if not--ah!</p> - -<p class="normal">O'Neill released the admiral at once, stared at him a long moment in -horrified silence, shrank away from him, and sank down in the chair -and buried his face in his hands for a little space; his two auditors -waited, hope for different results trembling in either heart. -Presently he looked up and rose to his feet.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Treachery--dishonor--shame! And with her innocence and youth and -beauty you bait your trap!" ejaculated O'Neill, brokenly. The admiral -still played with his snuffbox, his eyes averted, his hands trembling -still. Was it age, or--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, my God, my God!" continued the sailor, stricken to the very -heart, "to raise my hopes to such a pitch--to put the cup of happiness -to my very lips--to open the gates of heaven in my very presence--and -couple your propositions with this--this infamy! I am a lover, sir, -you know it well; but you should not have forgotten that I am, before -everything else, a gentleman. How could you do it? It ill becomes your -years," he went on impetuously, in mounting indignation. "I am your -prisoner--your captive; but I knew not that misfortune gave you a -right to insult me thus My Lord, my Lord, the ladder upon which you -put my feet leads down, not up; hell, not heaven, is its end!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Think!" said the admiral, doggedly, feeling the game was lost, but, -like a desperate gamester, playing on. "The Lady Elizabeth is at the -end, where'er it be."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I love her, God only knows how much I love her; from the moment I saw -her I have had no thought but for her. I could not look her in the -face and be guilty of this thing." The girl in the picture almost -cried aloud for joy in this triumph of her lover's honor.</p> - -<p class="normal">"She shall never know," replied the admiral. "I will pledge my word of -honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">The honor of the tempter, for the dishonor of the tempted! O'Neill -laughed bitterly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It has not in forty years of service been called in question," -replied the old man, stifling his growing shame.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nor has mine," said O'Neill, "until this hour. You are her -guardian--an old man--your gray hairs should protect you; but 'tis -well for you that I have no sword, for I swear I would plunge it first -into your heart and then into my own!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Think what it is I offer," persisted the other. "Compare it to what -you now have in the way of worldly honor. What do you care for that -bit of striped bunting and those beggarly rebels who have presumed to -declare a republic? What is a republic, anyway, and what function has -it in a gentleman's life, pray? What have we to do with the common -people? What are their aspirations to you? What affiliations have you -for that low-born gardener, turned pirate and buccaneer to ravage our -coasts, dishonor our flag? This is the kingdom in which you were born. -Here your rightful allegiance is due. I offer you, for the giving up -of a--sentiment which possesses you, the favor of your king and the -hand of the woman you love,--every earthly thing to make you happy. -You are an exile, a wanderer, a soldier of fortune. I give you a -country again."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And do you, a man of honor, advise me to--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Damnation, sir! I advise nothing, I offer; the decision rests with -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, I thought so; and what would you do in my place, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I'm not there, thank God!" said the old man, fervently; "and I -repeat, you must decide yourself."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good, sir. It is true that I like not that republic, its -principles are nothing to me; but I have found that gardener's son a -man--ay, a gentleman! You have called me a landless man, an exile, a -soldier of fortune,--that, too, is true. But to Captain Jones and his -service I have pledged my honor; 'tis all I have; the stars and -stripes are become my flag; I wear the uniform, I eat the bread, of -the United States. You may break my heart, destroy my life; you cannot -break my word. There is not power and place enough in the three -kingdoms, no, not even on their throne, not beauty enough even in -Elizabeth Howard to tempt me--to compel me to do that. Say no more. -You have your answer."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_12" href="#div1Ref_12"><i>Gentlemen All</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"Look, you fool!" said the admiral, roughly, furious with rage at -being balked in this way, though, in spite of himself, his heart -exulted in the nobility of the man. "Look, you beggarly Irishman!" he -exclaimed, turning the surprised young man about before he could -recover himself,--"look on the picture of her whom you reject! Gaze -upon it! If you love her, say whether or no your high-flown sentiments -of honor can stand against that prospect." It was his final appeal, -win or lose; he had staked all upon the throw.</p> - -<p class="normal">There in the great frame stood the most beautiful picture that the -eyes of either man had ever seen. Elizabeth was standing. One tiny -hand clutched tightly her heaving bosom; the other arm was stretched -out with upraised palm like a goddess in command. The light of the -flickering candles cast subtle shadows upon her face. The dusk of the -room intensified the illusion and spiritualized her beauty. O'Neill -looked at her with all his life in his gaze; so glorious, so splendid, -so perfect a creature would shake the very soul of honor itself!</p> - -<p class="normal">The admiral had played his last card; this was the end of his -resource, and he watched the Irishman with all the intensity of a -tiger about to spring on its prey. The moments fled. He knew that he -had lost. Elizabeth had risen in the stress of her anxiety, the strain -had been too much for her; she had been about to intervene between -them, when the glances of the two men arrested her step. She waited, -one little foot outstretched, her body leaning forward slightly, a -picture of triumph, her eyes as two lambent flames playing upon her -lover. He watched her in awestruck silence, sank on his knees, -stretched out his arms, murmuring softly,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thou knowest that I love thee. I have dreamed sometimes that in -happier days thou mightest have given me thy heart, but I could not -take it with a bar sinister of shame between us! No--" Was she moving! -Was that some trick of the wavering light!</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heavens!" cried O'Neill, fearfully, rising. "See--is it a -spirit? She shakes her head! Look you, my Lord, she is alive; the -picture fell last night, you remember-- 'Tis herself! Elizabeth, -Elizabeth, you have heard and seen--have I not decided well?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"How dare you, my Lord!" exclaimed the girl, coming down from the dais -and stepping swiftly toward the astonished admiral, who shrank back -from her,--"how dare you make my hand the reward of treachery; my -person the bait for dishonor? And by what right do you dispose of me -without consulting me? Am I a slave, that you force me upon this -gentleman? My word is given to your son; you yourself insisted upon -it. You would play the traitor double, and would fain make him do the -same. And for what? To compass the death of one poor man to whom I owe -life and honor, who is only fighting for what he calls his freedom! -Shame upon your gray hairs, sir! Oh, the insult to my modesty--to be -thus bandied about between two men-- And you, sir!" she cried, in -tempestuous passion, turning to O'Neill,--"you do me the honor to -refuse me--to reject me--me--me--Elizabeth Howard--look at me--you -would have none of me--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My honor--" cried O'Neill, amazed at her sudden change and -inconsistency.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your honor--have I any honor, sir? Would you have left me a shadow of -it between you? Stand back, sir! My Lord, is it thus you discharge the -trust committed to you by my mother? To give this gentleman -opportunity to return to France, and say that he has refused my hand?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He shall not go back to France, Lady Elizabeth," said the admiral, -sternly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why not, pray?" asked Elizabeth, faltering, her passionate anger -checked by the admiral's word and look.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Because he shall be tried and hanged to-morrow as an American spy or -a captured traitor, whichever he may elect."</p> - -<p class="normal">She stood as if petrified at these cruel words.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is right, sir," said O'Neill. "I submit; and if you would make me -die happy, say that the hideous proposition I have had from you was -but the test of my honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, sir!" cried Elizabeth, in agony, throwing herself upon her knees -before the admiral, "forgive me for my wild, intemperate speech; I -know not what I say. You have been a father to me from the beginning, -and I have ever loved you as one; I have turned to you for everything. -Unsay your cruel words! Retract this order! You cannot condemn this -honest gentleman. Dispose of me as you will. I love him--I love -him--ay, let the truth be heard--even for his rejection of me! Nay, -had he not done so, I would have hated him. Spare his life--I will -marry Edward, do anything you wish--grant me this boon!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot," said the admiral, slowly; "I pity you, from my soul I do, -and him as well, but I dare not. There is but one thing that would -excuse my clemency to his Majesty--there is the alternative he has -nobly rejected: die he must, or give up his captain!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"A thousand deaths rather than that!" answered O'Neill. "Rise, Lady -Elizabeth; your appeal is vain. Rejoicing in your approval of my -action, thankful to God that I have heard you say, 'I love you,' I -shall die happy."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no!" said the girl, spreading her arms protectingly before him, -and then throwing herself upon his breast, "you cannot die--you shall -not die! Oh, my love, my love, I knew not until I heard you speak what -this feeling was. I cannot let you go! Surely, you would never be so -cruel as to part us now?" she cried brokenly, looking back at the -impassive old man; his hands were steady enough now,--they never -trembled but from shame. "What has he done? He came here to see -me,--me alone,--to take me in his arms as he holds me now; and you -condemn him to death for that! Did you never love when you were young? -They whispered that it was my mother who had your heart. They told me -that she was unhappy because they forced you apart. 'Twas to you she -confided me. Have pity, in her name, have mercy!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Enough!" said the admiral; "it is not that I will not, but I cannot. -He has chosen; he must die."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then may death come to me," said Elizabeth; "because, for all -eternity, I love him!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"And this," broke in the cold, stern voice of Major Coventry, who had -entered the room at that moment, "is the welcome I receive from my -bride of to-morrow, and this is the reward of the efforts I have made -to secure the release of the Marquis de Richemont, my friend! May God -have pity on me,--my sweetheart and my friend!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir!" said O'Neill, brokenly, "I crave your forgiveness. I knew that -she was yours--I do not understand how we got into this position," -passing his hand over his forehead in bewilderment; "but this I -know,--I am to die! There is no choice. She will yet be yours."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never--never!" cried Elizabeth, turning to him. "Edward, if you have -truly loved me,--if I have rightly estimated you, your nobility of -soul, your generosity of heart,--you will plead for us with your -father. You will give me up; you are too proud to take an unwilling -bride, and one who in spite of herself--for I have fought against it -for your sake--confesses that she loves another. You will intercede -with your father--I will bless you all the days of my life. Edward, -Edward, the companion of my childhood's hours--my friend--my -brother--my only hope is in you! Speak!" She fell at his feet and -clasped his hand, which she covered with kisses. There was another -silence. Coventry covered his face with his other hand; the sweat of -agony bedewed his brow.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Rise, Elizabeth, you shall not put your trust in me in vain," he -cried hoarsely, at last. "Father, can nothing be done? I will not -stand in the way."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My son--Lady Elizabeth--Lieutenant O'Neill--there is nothing that can -be done. My duty is perfectly clear. The only possible salvation of -the prisoner would be in the action which he has refused even to -consider; and, sir, if it were my duty to effect, if possible, the -capture of your captain and his ship through you, I can only say that -I am glad that I have failed. I apologize to you; you are a man of -honor, indeed, sir. I know few who would have resisted such a plea as -this. Say no more, Elizabeth, it is not that I will not--I cannot! -Edward, here is my seal. Make out the warrant for an order for a -court-martial to-morrow morning; it is a necessary form, of course. -The execution of Lieutenant O'Neill will follow at once." Elizabeth -did not faint,--no, not yet; there would be time for that later. She -clung to O'Neill and listened.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What shall be the manner of my death, sir?" queried the latter.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Hanging, sir. 'Tis the penalty prescribed by the law."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a poor death for a man, my Lord, but 'twill serve. A last -request, sir. I am a sailor--may I be hanged upon a ship?" he asked -again, pressing the trembling woman to his breast.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I grant that--would that I could grant more! Major Coventry, you will -direct Captain Pearson of the Serapis to execute the sentence of the -court, which will meet on his ship, the prisoner to be confined there -meanwhile. You will find the papers in the library; here is my seal; -hasten, and get the painful matter over." Coventry left the room at -once, in obedience to his orders.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And at what time, sir, will the sentence be carried out?" asked -O'Neill, Elizabeth still clinging to him, covering him with incoherent -caresses, and fighting against despair.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To-morrow evening at half after six o'clock."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very well, my Lord."</p> - -<p class="normal">At this moment the old sergeant entered the room and saluted the -admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A French officer, wich he says he's from the American Continental -squadron, has come ashore in a small cutter, under a flag of truce, -an' desires to speak with your Lordship. He asks for a safe-conduct."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Tell him he shall return as freely as he came, on the word of a -British officer, and admit him."</p> - -<p class="normal">A slender, dapper little man, in the brilliant uniform of a French -marine officer, his head covered with a powdered wig, entered the room -a moment later, and bowed profoundly. Elizabeth started violently as -she beheld him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Whom have I the honor of addressing?" asked the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The Vicomte de Chamillard, a colonel of marines in the navy of -France, serving as a volunteer in the American squadron," was the -reply.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you come on behalf of--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain John Paul Jones, to protest against your unlawful detention -of another French officer, the Marquis de Richemont, my Lord."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He is a spy, caught in the very act: he has admitted it; and if that -were not enough, I find he is an attainted traitor. A court is ordered -for to-morrow morning on the Serapis; his execution, which will be -inevitable, is set for half after six o'clock in the evening; he shall -hang from one of the frigate's yard-arms."</p> - -<p class="normal">"De Chamillard," said O'Neill, "you can do nothing."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The laws of war--" persisted the Frenchman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is in accordance with those laws that I do what I do," replied the -admiral, shortly; "and you may say to your captain that if I catch him -he shall swing from the first yard-arm that comes in the harbor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am answered, then. Very good; I shall remember your courteous -words, my Lord; and now I enter my formal protest against this -unwarranted action on your part concerning the Marquis de Richemont. -The King of France will have something to say about it. I bid you -farewell."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Farewell, sir," said the admiral, indifferently turning away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"De Richemont, good-bye; embrace me." As the two men came together, -the Frenchman whispered, "This woman--is she your friend?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," replied O'Neill, quickly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mademoiselle," said De Chamillard, turning to Elizabeth with a keen -look in his eyes. Recognizing him at last, she stretched out her hand -to him. He murmured as he bent low over it, "Delay the execution for -at least six hours, and I will save him." Elizabeth sank down in her -chair, a gleam of hope in her heart.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I salute you," he said, turning away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sergeant," cried the admiral, "attend the Vicomte de Chamillard and -see him safely bestowed on his vessel."</p> - -<p class="normal">As the Frenchman turned toward the door, he came face to face with -Major Coventry returning with the orders he had prepared.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Paul Jones, by Heaven!" shouted the latter.</p> - -<p class="normal">"At your service," said the supposed Frenchman, promptly tearing off -his wig and laying his hand on his sword.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ha!" cried the admiral. "Have you dared to come here! I have you now! -Call the guard! Sergeant, arrest this rebel--this traitor--this -pirate--disarm him! You shall never leave this castle but for the -ship, sir. The yard-arm is there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop, my Lord!" answered Jones, calmly, as the men crowded toward -him; "stand back, sergeant, back, men! You cannot touch me; I have -that which will protect me wherever flies the English flag."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And that is--" said the admiral, smiling contemptuously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your word, sir,--the word of an English officer."</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man bit his lip in chagrined silence. He struggled with -himself, looking at the easy, <i>insouciant</i> Scotsman before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"In seventy years it has not been broken," he said at last. "Well for -you that you secured it. Go! You are free! You are a bold man, sir, -but, I warn you, do not cross my path again."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am proud to have met so true a gentleman. Will you honor me?" said -Paul Jones, presenting his snuffbox to the admiral. The old man -hesitated, laughed in spite of himself, and finally helped himself to -a pinch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The d----d insolence of the man!" he exclaimed. "I'd like to have met -you in my young days, yard-arm to yard-arm."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would have endeavored to occupy you, sir," said Jones, coolly; "and -now I bid you farewell."</p> - -<p class="normal">He shot one meaning glance at Elizabeth, and his lips seemed to form -the words "six hours," as he departed from the room.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here is the warrant, sir," said Coventry. "Again I ask, and this time -I ask my father, can nothing be done?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing, sir, less as a father than in any other capacity. Sergeant, -take your prisoner. Major Coventry, you will conduct him on the -Serapis, and remain there as my representative until the execution is -over. Sir, you have borne yourself well this day; I would shake you by -the hand. Good-bye."</p> - -<p class="normal">O'Neill clasped the proffered hand warmly, and then looked from -Coventry, standing erect, immovable, white-faced, to Elizabeth, who -was still sitting with bowed head, a world of entreaty in his glance. -Coventry nodded and turned away. O'Neill stepped quickly to the girl's -side, took her hand in his, bowed low over it, pressed a long kiss -upon it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"May you be happy!" he said. "Farewell!" She looked at him in dazed -silence.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," he continued, turning back to Coventry, and saluting him, "I am -ready. Lead on."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Forward, march, sergeant!" commanded the officer, hoarsely, and with -no backward look the little cortége moved from the room. The girl rose -to her feet as if to start after them, but the old man restrained her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"O'Neill--O'Neill--" rang through the hall--a wild, despairing -cry--and then Lady Elizabeth sank down white and still at the feet of -the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And this is love!" he murmured, shaking his old head; "I had -forgotten it."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK III<br> -ON THE VERGE OF ETERNITY</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_13" href="#div1Ref_13"><i>A Desperate Move</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">It was morning when Elizabeth came again to the terrace above the -water battery overlooking the harbor. She had passed a night of -sleepless agony, and her pallid face, with its haggard expression, the -great black circles under the eyes,--for her grief had been too deep -for tears,--gave outward evidence of her breaking heart. She had -besought the admiral again and again to stay the execution of her -lover, urging every plea that the most desperate mind could suggest; -she had implored his mercy and pity upon every ground, and upon his -inexorable refusal had begged that he might be reprieved for a few -hours, and that she might at least be allowed to see him before he -died. Touched by her sorrow, at first the old man had been inclined to -grant this petition, and had scribbled a line on his official paper, -giving the desired permission; but before he signed and sealed it, he -changed his mind, and deemed it best to refuse,--more merciful to her, -in fact.</p> - -<p class="normal">It really wrung his heart to be unable to extend clemency to this -young man. He repented him of the temptation he had thrown in his way. -The nobility with which O'Neill had refused and rejected the chance of -life which had been offered him, the simplicity with which he had -given up everything for honor, impressed him more than ever. He was -sick at heart at the grief of his ward, whom he truly loved, and the -broken, despairing face of his son, since he had learned that -Elizabeth loved O'Neill, haunted him. He wished that the Irishman had -never come across his path, though he could not but admire his honor, -his grace, and his courage. He was bitterly sorry that he had ever -attempted to influence the man; he had an uncomfortable and growing -suspicion that his plans had brought nothing but trouble to every one. -Breaking away from the presence of Elizabeth, whose anguished face was -a living reproach to him, he finally secluded himself in his office -and refused to see her again.</p> - -<p class="normal">So the day, like yesterday, wore away; but, oh, how differently! The -girl never knew how she passed the hours. She wandered restlessly up -and down the terrace, her eyes strained upon the sea. The garrison, -who idolized her to a man, had been apprised by the sergeant of what -had happened, and, to a man, they were upon her side. The men would -never forget the picture she made, as they watched her pacing to and -fro, ceaselessly gazing at the white ship in the harbor,--her lover's -prison, his scaffold even.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sense of impotent helplessness with which she was compelled to -face the situation, the knowledge that O'Neill was doomed absolutely, -that there was nothing that she could do or say which would alter the -decision, was terrible. She had been accustomed to have her will, and -like most women loved it. Now she had to stand by in the bright -sunlight with all the strength of life and youth and love in her veins -and in his, and see her lover choked to death--hanged like a dog--at -the black yard-arm of that great ship yonder.</p> - -<p class="normal">And for what? Womanlike, she put aside every thought of him but that -he had dared death itself only to see her, to be in her presence -again! Oh, how splendid, how handsome, how noble he had been in the -great hall, when he had refused her rather than to take her as the -reward of treachery! and now he was to become a lifeless lump of clay, -alive to her only as a memory, a recollection--how cruel! She could -not, she would not, stand it. She racked her brain over and over. Was -there nothing? No--</p> - -<p class="normal">It was late in the afternoon. Her maid had not been able to drag her -from the terrace whence she had a view of the ship on which her lover -was to be executed,--murdered, she said. As she gazed upon it, she -noticed two men climbing nimbly up the black shrouds about the -foremast. When they reached the foreyard, they ran out on the -yard-arm. One of them carried something. A rope was dragging from it. -In obedience to an imperious command, her maid ran and fetched her a -glass. One look through it showed her--she was a sailor's ward--that -they were rigging a whip on the yard-arm, they were securing there a -girt-line block through which a rope was rove, leading to the top and -thence to the deck. She divined at once its hideous purpose. The hour! -The hour! Had it grown so late? Was it so near, so near? Was there a -God in that blue heaven bending above her head? Could such things be?</p> - -<p class="normal">A sick feeling came over her heart, and she would have fainted but for -a sudden inspiration. Again she seized the telescope,--an unusually -strong one, by the way,--and raising it to her eyes with unsteady -hand, eagerly swept the sea off in the direction of Flamborough Head, -rising faintly down to the southward, a long distance away. For a long -time her nervous, trembling hands could not get that part of the -horizon in focus. She finally knelt down and rested the tube upon the -parapet, breathing a prayer as she did so, and looked again.</p> - -<p class="normal">Ah! At last she had it, and there swept into the field of vision three -gleams of white on the skyline, proclaiming, even to her unpractised -eye, the sails of ships! What had that indomitable man said to her -last night in the hall?</p> - -<p class="normal">"Delay the execution for at least six hours, and I will save him!" He -was not one to promise lightly. She would try again. The telescope -fell with a crash at her feet.</p> - -<p class="normal">She would make one more appeal to the admiral; it was late, but there -might yet be time. On the instant she turned, leaving the startled -maid, and ran like a fleet-footed fawn along the terrace, down the -stone steps through the water battery, through the bailey, into the -inner court, down the long passage, and into the great hall of the -night before, where the admiral was usually to be found at this hour. -She dashed impetuously into the room, crying,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"The admiral, quick! where is he?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ships has been reported down at Bridlin'ton Bay,--furrin ships, yer -Leddyship," replied the old sergeant, who happened to be there alone, -"an' his Ludship took horse about half-past twelve o'clock to go down -there."</p> - -<p class="normal">Failure! Her last hope gone! She sank down into the chair. Reaction -had come; she was fainting, helpless, dying. It was over! The sergeant -started toward her, his face full of pity. She was sitting in the -admiral's chair, by the great table. Her glance fell listlessly upon -it. At the moment another idea flashed into her mind. Desperate, -foolish, nevertheless, she would try it--try anything; this, at least, -was action. She started to her feet again on the instant, instinct -with life.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Leave me at once, and see that no one interrupts me; I wish to be -alone," she said imperiously to the astonished sergeant, who bowed -respectfully and withdrew. A half an hour later she came hurriedly out -of the room, white-faced, drawn, nerved up to desperate endeavor.</p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">How he got through the night, O'Neill never knew. The court-martial in -the morning had taken little time; its sentence, a foregone -conclusion, promptly approved by the admiral, had been death by -hanging at half after six o'clock that night. He had refused to give -any further parole, in the faint hope that something might enable him -to escape, and consequently had been heavily ironed and placed in -confinement in the space between two of the great guns on the lower -gun-deck--the Serapis was a double-banked frigate--on the starboard -side. The forethought of Coventry, who had attended him with the -solicitude and kindness of a brother, and had pleaded for him -unavailingly before the court, had caused a canvas screen to be -provided, which enclosed two of the guns, and allowed him to pass his -hours undisturbed by the curious gaze of the English seamen. An armed -marine stood always as sentry before the screen.</p> - -<p class="normal">Captain Pearson, a gallant officer, had been kindness itself in all -his arrangements, but his orders, which were peremptory, left him no -discretion whatever. O'Neill passed his time sitting by the open port, -leaning on a gun, gazing out over the water at the gray old castle -where he had found his love and met his fate. Many tragedies had been -enacted within its walls during long centuries of history--none sadder -than his own.</p> - -<p class="normal">It would have been foolish to say that he had no regrets. No one could -think of the possibilities of happiness presented by such a love as -that which he was now assured Elizabeth felt for him, without a sense -of despair coming over the mind in the knowledge they were not to be -enjoyed; but he was a sailor, and generations of heroic ancestors had -accustomed him to look death in the face, and smile undaunted at its -harsh, forbidding appearance.</p> - -<p class="normal">"<i>Fortune</i>, <i>Infortune</i>, <i>Fortune</i>" had been the motto of his branch -of the red-handed O'Neills; at least that was the punning Latin -translation of a Celtic original which meant, "Fortune and misfortune -are alike to the strong."</p> - -<p class="normal">When his friends and acquaintances at the French court, those knights -and ladies with whom he had ruffled it so bravely, the young king, his -master, his old comrades, the hard fighters on the Richard, her -dauntless captain, that brave old man, his father, heard how he died, -they would learn that he had met the last grim enemy with the wonted -intrepidity of his race. <i>Noblesse oblige!</i> and then having made his -peace with God as best he could alone,--he was of a different faith -from that of the chaplain of the ship,--he gave himself over to -mournful dreams of Elizabeth Howard.</p> - -<p class="normal">Late in the afternoon his meditations were interrupted by the arrival -of Coventry. The poignant unhappiness of the young Englishman was, if -anything, greater than that of O'Neill. His engagement to Elizabeth -Howard, with whom he had grown up, had been at first more or less a -matter of convenience, and he had never entirely realized the hold -she had taken upon his heart, until he heard her--in the arms of -O'Neill--make that frantic avowal of her overwhelming passion. Men -frequently do not know the value of what they have--until they lose -it.</p> - -<p class="normal">Coventry's heart had been surcharged with love and devotion to this -woman, and because his life had glided on evenly he had not known how -full of love it was until he had been so shaken that it had -overflowed. He would, he thought, cheerfully have taken the other's -place, sentence of death and all, could he hear but once before he -died the ringing accents of such a sublime confession--and for -himself. His love for the woman of his choice was of the most exalted -character, and might well, were merit or fitness alone to be -considered in such a case, have claimed her own deepest feelings in -return.</p> - -<p class="normal">When Elizabeth had appealed to him to intervene, with a magnanimity as -rare as it was noble, he had subordinated his happiness to her own, -and had endeavored to procure a mitigation of the punishment imposed -upon his rival, though he knew his success would throw his promised -wife into the arms of O'Neill. He had not done this without a terrible -struggle,--it was a gray-faced, broken man who looked upon the world -of to-day, in place of the smiling youth of the night before,--but he -had done it. He felt that the sacrifice would cost him his life, and -for that he was truly glad, yet he had offered it freely, generously, -and nobly. He had not hesitated to do so, for with him the happiness -of Elizabeth Howard was the paramount passion.</p> - -<p class="normal">If she did not love him, he could at least show her what love truly -meant in its highest sense; give her a lesson in love like to the -lesson in honor that other man had exhibited last night. For her he -stood ready to give up everything; his own future he did not allow to -weigh a moment in the balance beside hers.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was something grandly sublime in this utter abnegation of self, -so simply done for another's happiness. Coventry had been a Christian -after a rather better fashion, perhaps, than most young men of his -time; his associations with the sweet, pure girl he loved had kept him -so. All his people for generations had been Churchmen; this seemed to -him to be the right thing to do, the thing demanded of a gentleman; -the greatest Gentleman of them all, who had shown His breeding on a -Cross, had set the example of self-sacrifice. A sentence quoted by the -chaplain in the service a few days before, which had struck his fancy, -ran in his head; he had a good memory.</p> - -<p class="normal">"<i>I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more -abundantly I love you, the less I be loved</i>."</p> - -<p class="normal">Yes, that was it.</p> - -<p class="normal">At the first moment, when he found last night that his pleadings were -of no avail, and that O'Neill was doomed to die, his heart had leaped -in his breast at the thought that his rival would be removed; but he -had crushed the thought as unworthy a gentleman of his high ideals; -and there had come to him, in addition, a consciousness that to a love -like Elizabeth Howard's the death of a beloved would make no change. -Such passions come but once in a lifetime, and when they arrive they -are as eternal as the stars. He had given her up, and she belonged, in -life or death, to another. A glance at his own anguished heart enabled -him to feel for her. Time would not soften a blow to a nature like to -hers.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the execution of O'Neill, Coventry saw the death-warrant of -Elizabeth. He had passed the day racking his brain and thinking of -some way to delay the execution, but without avail. He would have -stopped at nothing to save them both. In despair he had come to -consult with his rival.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIV</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_14" href="#div1Ref_14"><i>Almost the End</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"I am glad to see you, my friend," said O'Neill, smiling at him in a -melancholy way.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would God that I could see you in any place but this!" answered the -young Englishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, yes!" replied O'Neill, his eyes brightening; "then we might fight -it out, man to man, sword to sword, and--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so," mournfully replied Coventry. "The battle has been fought, -and you have won again. Whether you live or die, Elizabeth Howard is -not for me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My poor friend, may the day upon which I crossed your paths be -accursed! I have brought to each of you nothing but sorrow," replied -the young sailor, sadly, touched at the other's surrender.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was fate, O'Neill. Do not reproach yourself with that. All day -long I have been striving to think of some means to delay this -accursed execution, until I could communicate with the king. An appeal -to his clemency might--but no--I see no way, nothing, unless--you -know--" he hesitated and hung his head, blushing painfully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No more of that, if you love me, Coventry," said O'Neill, gravely -"Put yourself in my place! Could you do it? Ah, you shake your head, -you see! Neither could I, not even to purchase heaven." There was a -long pause between them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"O'Neill," said the Englishman at last, "would that I could take your -place!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But you cannot, Major Coventry," replied the other, gratefully. "You -honor me in the thought; but if you could, I should refuse to allow -it. You are the better man; all my life I have been a gay, reckless, -pleasure-seeking soldier of fortune, with never a serious purpose -until now, and now it is too late! You are the worthy one, and you -must live to watch over, to care for her whom we both love. -Perhaps--surely--in days to come she will forget; time, absence, you -know--she will reward your devotion, she must--you will be happy--" -His voice broke, and he turned away his face and looked out of the -open port. Coventry shook his head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You know her not, sir. She is not for me, nor would I take her loving -you; my love is too deep for that--nor would she come. She will never -forget you." O'Neill's heart leaped at this assurance.</p> - -<p class="normal">The ship's bell on the deck above them struck four times; it was six -o'clock! There was a little silence within the screen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The hour approaches," said O'Neill, softly, at last. "I would be -alone for a few moments before--you understand?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," said the other, rising and pressing his hand. "Have you nothing -to say, no message to send to--" he asked magnanimously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing--nothing--'tis best so. You will come for me at the time?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, and I will stand by you to the end, like a soldier."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You do me great honor," replied the other, thankfully. Coventry -looked at him a moment, shook his head, and turned away.</p> - -<p class="normal">In the prayers of the young Irishman the face of the girl he loved -would obtrude itself. It seemed but a moment before he heard the tramp -of armed men coming along the deck. They stopped before the screen. It -was opened, and Coventry, pale as death, presented himself at the -opening; the screen was promptly folded back; there were marines fully -armed before it, the chaplain, too, in the white robes of his office.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am ready, gentlemen," said O'Neill, calmly. "May I not go to my -death unbound?" he asked.</p> - -<p class="normal">At a nod from Coventry, the master-at-arms unlocked the fetters about -his feet and hands. The prisoner took his place in the midst of the -little squad of men, and ascended to the spar-deck. The ship's company -of marines was drawn up aft on the quarter-deck. Most of the seamen of -the crew were arranged in orderly ranks in the starboard gangway. -Forward a grating had been rigged on the bulwarks under the port -fore-yard-arm. A new rope led from the grating, up through the block -in the yard-arm, came inboard to another block under the top, and -thence through a block fixed to the deck. Some sixty or seventy men -chosen by lot from the ship's company had hold of the rope which was -led aft along the port gangway. In front of the marines stood Captain -Pearson and his officers in full uniform. The prisoner was halted -before him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are you aware, sir," said the captain, gravely, "that the hour for -the carrying out of the sentence of the court approaches?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir," answered O'Neill, courteously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you anything to say before that time?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have to thank you all for your kindness to me, nothing else, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Allow me, sir," said the captain, "to assure you of the great -personal distaste and regret I feel at being compelled to take this -action."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Your feelings do you honor, sir," replied O'Neill, gravely; "but it -is a matter of duty. Pray, proceed."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain Pearson," said Coventry, in great agitation, "can nothing be -done to delay this execution a few hours? There are considerations, -sir, in my possession, which I feel sure would incline his Majesty, -could he be communicated with, to extend clemency to this -gentleman,--circumstances which--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are these circumstances within the knowledge of Lord Westbrooke, -Major Coventry?" answered the captain, surprised at the unusual nature -of the interruption.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They are, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you mentioned them to him? Have you called his attention -specifically to them, I mean?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir, I have," answered the soldier, reluctantly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And they have evidently not influenced him, you see. Therefore I fail -to see how I can permit them to weigh with me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But a delay, sir, of a day, of an hour even, until I can communicate -with the admiral again! For God's sake, sir, do not hang this -gentleman like--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Major Coventry, you are a soldier, and should not make such an -appeal. I have my orders. You have shown me no cause to disregard -them; I cannot take it upon myself to do so. I dare not!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But an hour, sir, until I--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not a moment! At five bells they must be carried out," said the -captain, inflexibly. "No more, sir," he added, as Coventry made an -impetuous step forward. "I have indulged you too long already. Mr. -Pascoe, take the prisoner forward."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is useless, Coventry. Why prolong this agony longer? You have done -what you could. I thank you and bless you," said O'Neill, as they -walked along the deck to the place of the grating.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you please to step up here, sir?" said Pascoe, the first -lieutenant of the Serapis, who had the matter in charge, pointing to -the grating on the rail as they came abreast of it.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is a fair and easy place from which to step to heaven, sir, or to -the other place as well," said the Irishman, smiling, as he stepped on -the rail. "I pray you to tell your men to start me on my way with a -quick pull and a swift run." Pascoe nodded in comprehension. This -would be a case in which speed would be merciful.</p> - -<p class="normal">A boatswain's mate now stepped up beside the prisoner, and bound his -feet and hands with a lashing. A hangman's knot had been made by -expert fingers in the rope leading from the yard-arm, and the running -noose was quickly cast about O'Neill's neck.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The collar of an ancient order, this," observed O'Neill, still -smiling. "And now one last request, sir," he added, turning to the -lieutenant.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And that is?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Throw away that black cap, sir. Let me go with my eyes open." The -lieutenant hesitated a moment. The whole ship's company was filled -with admiration for the intrepid and gallant Irishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do it, for God's sake, Pascoe!" whispered Coventry, springing up -alongside O'Neill and the sailor, who, to avoid him, stepped back and -stood on the rail by the fore shrouds.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What are you doing there, Major Coventry?" answered Pascoe.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing. I promised to stand by him to the last," replied Coventry. -The officer hesitated a moment, and then threw the cap into the water.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I thank you," said O'Neill, huskily. "How much time is there?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"About two minutes, I think," said the lieutenant, nervously.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You will run away with the fall at the first or last stroke of the -bell?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The last, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No more," said O'Neill to Coventry, turning his face in the direction -of the shore. The deep voice of the white-robed priest alone broke the -silence,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"'<i>Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not Thy -merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most -mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, Thou most worthy Judge eternal, -suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from -Thee</i>.'"</p> - -<p class="normal">Out on the water a white-sailed little boat was speeding swiftly -toward them. There was a woman in it. The eyes of love, even in the -presence of death, are keen, perhaps even keener then than ever. It -was Elizabeth Howard. O'Neill recognized her at once. Good heavens! -Why had she come here? She would arrive in time to see him swinging -lifeless from the yard-arm,--a hideous sight for any woman. He could -not take his eyes from her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"See!" he whispered to Coventry, "that boat yonder; she is there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My God!" said the officer. "What shall we do?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing; 'tis too late."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She has something in her hand," cried Coventry. "What can it be?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Forward, there!" cried the captain, watch in hand. "Strike the bell -five!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The mellow tones of the first couplet of the ship's bell rang out in -obedience to the command. The hour was come! It was his death signal, -but O'Neill never turned his head from the approaching boat. The old -quartermaster struck the bell deliberately, lingering over it -reluctantly; a little shiver ran through the men.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stand by!" shouted the lieutenant, in a voice he strove in vain to -make firm. "Make a quick jerk and a lively run, lads, for God's sake!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The men grasped the rope more firmly, sprang into position for the -jump. The next couplet was struck on the bell. The boat was nearer -now. Coventry saw that the woman waved something that looked like a -paper in her hand. The last stroke of the bell rang out on the -breathless, silent ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Set taut!" cried the lieutenant, hoarsely. The men leaped forward -instantly to the shrill piping of the boatswain and his mate. "Sway -away!" he cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">The tightened rope caught the Irishman by the throat. A lightning -flash seemed to cleave the skies: he saw, as in a vision, a great hall -hung with arras, a picture frame, a woman radiant, beautiful, her eyes -shining; an upraised hand; like silver bells a voice murmured, "I love -him, I love him." She moved--ah, a gigantic hand caught him by the -throat; he strove to cry out; it clutched him tighter and tighter; -blackness like a pall fell before him, shutting out the smiling -face--death--agony--he saw no more--he swung into the air and was -nothing.</p> - -<p class="normal">The quick eye of Major Coventry had detected, at last, what the girl -was waving.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That paper," he cried frantically, as the last bell struck. "It must -be a reprieve; the admiral has relented."</p> - -<p class="normal">Was it too late? Quick as thought he snatched the sheath knife from -the belt of the sailor near him. It was too late to stop the men on -the rope, even had he possessed the power; but as O'Neill rose in the -air, he caught him around the waist, and with one rapid blow severed -the straining rope above his head. Assisted at once by the sailor -alongside of him, they lowered the bound, unconscious man upon the -deck beneath them. It was all done in the twinkling of an eye. The men -on the ship broke out in ringing cheers.</p> - -<p class="normal">The rope, being relieved of the weight of the body, of course ran -rapidly through the block, and the men hauling it pitched pell-mell -over themselves upon the deck. There was a moment of intense -excitement. The seamen on the other side of the deck, cheering wildly, -started eagerly forward; the officers, sword in hand, sprang in front -of them, driving them back. The marine officer aft brought his men at -once to attention with a sharp word or two, and every piece was made -ready in case of disturbance. Pearson, white with rage at the -interruption, leaped forward.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is the meaning of this?" he shouted. "Who has dared to interfere -in this manner?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I, sir," replied Coventry, fearlessly, looking up from his place by -the unconscious man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And by what right, sir?" cried the enraged captain. "Though you be -the son of the admiral, you shall dearly rue this unwarranted -assumption of authority. What excuse have you to offer for -interrupting the sentence of a court-martial? What reason can you urge -for your presumption?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Boat ahoy!" cried a seaman stationed at the port gangway.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said Coventry, quietly meeting the eye of the thoroughly -infuriated captain, "if I mistake not, you will find my excuse in that -boat."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well for you, sir, if it be there! Never, in my twenty years of -service, have I been so braved, and on my own ship, too. See what boat -it is," said the captain, turning to one of his midshipmen, "and find -out what is wanted." The lad came running back presently, and saluted.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis a lady, sir,--the governor's ward,--Lady Elizabeth Howard; she -wishes to come on board," he said.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lady Elizabeth Howard! This is no place for women; this man is still -to be hanged. What can she wish?" exclaimed the captain, frowning.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Receive her at once, sir, I beg," said Coventry. "She has a -paper,--my excuse, sir," he added, smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Show her on board," said the captain, shortly, to the midshipman. -Then he looked down on the still, unconscious form of O'Neill. "Send a -surgeon here at once, sir," he continued; and as the latter presented -himself, "Is the man dead?" he asked.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir," said the surgeon, examining him hastily, and making ready -to apply some necessary restoratives, for which he despatched an -assistant to the sick-bay.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Get him in shape, then, and quickly, for another attempt; for hang he -shall, if he has to be held up for it," ordered the captain, sternly.</p> - -<p class="normal">At this moment the midshipman, followed by Lady Elizabeth, pale as -death, a blue boat cloak, which belonged to her guardian, which she -had caught up in the castle, fluttering in the breeze, her hat gone, -her hair dishevelled, her hand clutching a paper, broke through the -little group.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain Pearson, where is he?" she cried nervously; then, as her eyes -fell on the prostrate form of O'Neill, she dropped the paper to the -deck, covered her face with her hands, and rocked to and fro in agony. -"Oh, my love, my love! Too late! too late!" she wailed, faltering.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so, madam," said the captain, turning toward her. "The man still -lives, the surgeon assures me. He has but fainted. Have you a warrant -to stop the execution? If not, it must go on, and it shall go hard -with Major Coventry as well."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The prisoner is reprieved, sir; here is the paper," said Elizabeth, -life coming back to her, "sealed and signed by the admiral himself. -Oh, I had it a moment since--where has it gone?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here it is, your Ladyship," said one of the officers, lifting it from -the deck and handing it to her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"There!" she said, presenting it to the captain. He opened it -deliberately and glanced over the brief contents. She watched him with -a nervousness she vainly attempted to conceal. Meanwhile the doctor -had succeeded in rousing O'Neill. The first glance of his eye fell on -Elizabeth, and nothing else he saw.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Heaven and the angels!" he murmured faintly, not yet comprehending -the position.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It seems to be made out properly and duly signed and sealed," said -the captain, slowly,--"a reprieve for the prisoner until further -notice, and permission for the bearer to see him alone," he added -suspiciously. There was a little pause. He turned the paper over in -his hand, and looked sharply at the girl.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The admiral chooses a strange messenger," he added. "I cannot say if -this be regular or no. His handwriting is unfamiliar to me. I do not -recognize this; you say you had it from him, madam?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Elizabeth could not trust herself to speak; she only bowed. There was -evidently something very suspicious to the captain in the whole -proceeding. The signature did not seem just right.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! I have it--Major Coventry!" he cried suddenly.</p> - -<p class="normal">That miserable young man, sick at heart, had shrunk into the -background since Elizabeth had come aboard, and the girl had not seen -him before. He had felt that his work was done when she appeared; but, -no, he was to find out that his troubles had but just begun.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh!" she cried, as he stepped forward, clutching him wildly by the -arm, a look of terror in her eyes, as she added, in a whisper, "not -you--I had forgotten you--we are lost!" In the bitter knowledge that -she had forgotten him, he overlooked the clue to her action furnished -by her last words.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here is a reprieve from the admiral," said the captain. "It seems to -be correct, and yet--will you look over it and give me your opinion? -you are familiar with his writing, at any rate. My Lady, forgive the -questioning, but the matter is most serious, and I must be absolutely -assured."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here is the paper, Edward," said Elizabeth, desperately, taking it -from the captain's outstretched hand. "Is not that the writing of the -admiral?" she added entreatingly, and then clasping her hands, she -looked at him with all her soul in her eyes and waited, full of -apprehension. A word, and he hanged her lover, and incidentally, but -surely, killed her; a word, and he set them free! What the -consequences to himself of his decision might be, with the sublime -egotism of love for another, she neither knew nor questioned. Coventry -gave a brief glance at the document; he saw what was expected of him; -his life or her happiness trembled in the balance; true to his -determination, he did not hesitate a moment. In that glance of a -single second he realized the truth, which he had more than suspected -before.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is," he replied briefly and indifferently aloud. A little prayer -to God for forgiveness leaped within his heart at the falsehood. He -had connived at her deceit, failed in his soldierly duty, broken his -honor--for this woman. The reputation of a lifetime of loyal service -to his king, the honorable record of years of devotion to duty had -been thrown away in a moment for her. He had sacrificed more than life -itself for his love--and she loved another! He turned the paper over -in his hand and then quietly returned it to the captain. He said no -other word, he scarcely even looked at Elizabeth. He could not trust -his own gaze. There might be reproach in it. And he would fain make -the sacrifice like a gentleman at least.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank God--thank God--" whispered Elizabeth, under her breath; and -the look of gratitude she flashed at him would have gone far to repay -even a greater sacrifice--perhaps.</p> - -<p class="normal">The keen captain was not yet satisfied, however.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You wished to release him yourself, I remember," he said uncertainly. -"I am by no means persuaded that--but it is impossible for me to -proceed now until I have seen the admiral. Take the prisoner below," -he said to the guard, "and allow Lady Elizabeth to see him alone. Mr. -Pascoe, tell the boatswain to pipe down, and call the watch."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XV</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_15" href="#div1Ref_15"><i>A Soldier and a Gentleman</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">Accompanied by the marine guard, and leaning upon the arms of the -surgeon and Coventry, who tenderly assisted his faltering steps, -O'Neill was taken below, followed by Elizabeth, scarcely yet -comprehending what had happened. The girl's heart was exulting madly. -So far she had triumphed. What next? When they reached the little -screened enclosure between the guns, in which O'Neill had been -confined, the guard saluted and released the prisoner. He had not been -ironed again, and by some oversight no one, in the confusion following -the reprieve, called attention to it. As he stepped within the screen, -and Elizabeth prepared to follow him, Coventry interrupted her by -holding out his hand with a mute glance. Was she going to pass him by -without a single word of gratitude, of farewell even?</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh!" she said, with unconscious cruelty which pierced his heart, for -this was the second time, "I forgot you." And then, as if repenting -for the situation, and to make amends for that forgetfulness, which -was, to say the least, most ungrateful, in spite of the presence of -the seamen and marines, she seized his hand, drew him toward her, and -pressed a long, sweet kiss upon his forehead.</p> - -<p class="normal">"God bless you for what you did," she whispered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What you do, do quickly," he replied. "I will replace the sentry; -you will be safe. God grant you may succeed. 'Twas bravely done; -good-bye."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-bye; we shall not forget you," she said hurriedly, withdrawing -within the screen. And this was the only reward he received for his -sacrifice. By his direction the sentry on guard withdrew to the -opposite side of the deck, and he himself mounted guard in front of -the canvas. With what feelings he paced to and fro in front of that -little strip of cloth which alone separated him from the woman he -loved, in the arms of the man who loved her--and he had put her there!</p> - -<p class="normal">As soon as she entered the enclosure, Elizabeth threw herself in the -arms of the bewildered O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh!" she whispered, "you are saved--saved--and through me!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, dearest, not yet," replied he, straining her to his heart and -kissing her fondly. "I scarcely yet understand it all; but if I heard -aright, 'tis but a reprieve until to-morrow; build no hope upon it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will not wait for the morrow, my dearest," she answered softly, -"for the boat swings under the counter yonder. When night falls and it -is quite dark, we will slip out of the port and go away together; in a -few moments it will be time."</p> - -<p class="normal">The Irishman caught eagerly at the suggested idea. It was full of -improbability, but it did present a bare possibility of escape if they -were fortunate.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good," he whispered, "excellent; but the sentry there?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will wait until there is some bustle on the deck," she answered, -"and in the confusion and noise they will not hear; at any rate, we -must risk it." Something told her she would better not inform him that -Coventry was keeping watch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How did you prevail upon the admiral to grant the reprieve?" he -asked, after another pause, not unemployed, however.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I--well, you see--oh, I scarcely know how; the admiral loves me, you -know--I cannot explain it. It seems like a bewildering, frightful -dream to me," said the girl, passing her hand over her hair and -turning a shade paler as she spoke, and studiously avoiding his eye. -"Do not speak of it now. You are safe for the moment--you saw the -paper--Edward also--it was all right. Let that suffice."</p> - -<p class="normal">He soothed her with tender words and loving caresses; the sound of -them was death to the pale-faced young man, alone with his own broken -thoughts on the other side of the screen. Unheeded the night came -stealing over the harbor, lights in the town twinkled here and there, -the boatswain's whistle rang out between decks on the frigate. There -was a call, a hoarse cry or two, a hurrying of feet, a little -confusion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now is the time," said Elizabeth, releasing herself from his -unwilling arms, and looking out through the port. "The man is -watching; I met him on the strand as I was seeking for a boat to bring -me out to you. He is faithful; he says he knows you--has served under -you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Knows me!" said O'Neill, surprised, thrusting his head through the -open port. There, right beneath him, a little skiff was being brought -up deftly and without noise, from where it had lain unnoticed under -the counter, in the confusion since the girl's arrival. The side of -the ship was in deep shadow, and the broad main chains extending over -their heads, above the ports, further concealed them from notice.</p> - -<p class="normal">Gathering her skirts about her, Elizabeth slipped first through the -port. O'Neill held her firmly until the man below lifted her gently -into the stern of the boat. Noiselessly, and as quickly as possible, -O'Neill followed her. By Elizabeth's direction, he lay down in the -bottom of the boat, and she covered him entirely with her boat cloak. -The man in the bows, whom O'Neill had not recognized in the shadow, -and who had said nothing, slowly worked the boat back under the -counter again; then, with a strong thrust, shoved her clear of the -ship. The flooding tide carried them slowly away. In a few moments he -cautiously got out his oars, and by a very gentle pulling added a -little to the way of the boat.</p> - -<p class="normal">The ear of the watchful Coventry had at once apprised him of their -departure. He could scarcely resist the temptation to enter the -screen,--to call them back that he might see her once again. But he -had duty to do. So soon as he was persuaded that they had left the -ship, he called the sentry from the opposite side of the deck, and -told him to mount guard again, and on no account to disturb the -prisoners. Then he ran rapidly up to the quarter-deck, and made his -way aft to the marine on guard there. The man was looking out into the -darkness at a dark blur on the water,--a boat; two figures could be -distinguished in it, one of them a woman; Coventry saw them at once, -and as he looked they disappeared,--the last sight of her, he thought -bitterly. The marine had just opened his mouth to give the alarm, when -the clear voice of the officer rang in his ear.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sentry!" said Coventry. The man instinctively sprang to attention at -once, and for the moment forgot the boat.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you seen any signals from the castle?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir; but I seen a little boat off there that looked suspicious -like."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Whereabouts did you see it?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"There, sir, right off there."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," said Coventry, straining his eyes through the darkness. "There -is no boat there. You have been mistaken, I think," he added -indifferently, his gaze still fixed on the place where they had -drifted away and disappeared. He knew what was coming, since they had -gone. He must pay for it, so he leaned on the rail and waited. A few -moments later, a large barge, full manned, darted out of the darkness, -coming toward the ship. Coventry knew what it was, of course.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Boat ahoy!" shouted the watchful sentry at the gangway.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Flag," was the answer, as the admiral dashed alongside. Almost before -the officer of the watch could reach the gangway the old man clambered -to the deck.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-evening, sir," he said, in response to the former's salutation. -"Captain Pearson?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have sent for him, my Lord," replied the officer, and the next -moment the captain himself came bustling out of the darkness to do -honor to the old admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, Captain Pearson, good-evening."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-evening to your Lordship."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The prisoner I sent off--he has been duly executed, I presume?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, no, sir!" said the captain, alarmed at this confirmation of his -suspicions. "We were about ready to carry out the sentence; the -command to sway aloft had been given, in fact, when we received your -reprieve."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My reprieve!" said the admiral, in great surprise. "What mean you? I -sent no reprieve."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir, sir!" cried the astonished captain. "It was brought here by your -ward, Lady Elizabeth Howard."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth! Good God!" cried the old man, starting violently. "Her -maid said she was ill--she must have--did you inspect it carefully, -sir?" he asked, checking himself.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, my Lord. It seemed to be all right; but the whole proceeding was -so irregular and unlike you that I called upon--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where is the paper?" cried the admiral, interrupting impatiently.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have just sent to fetch it, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">They waited in silence, until a midshipman placed it in the hand of -the admiral. Pascoe held a light while the old man seized it, -scrutinized it eagerly, and handed it back to the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This," he said slowly, "is a forgery. You should have disregarded it, -sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Twas passed upon by your son and aide, Major Coventry, my Lord," -replied the captain, shortly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How! Edward! Where is he?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here, my Lord," said the young man, stepping forward, pale as death, -and saluting.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Did you examine this paper, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You knew it was a forgery?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And yet you declared it to be correct?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"For what purpose?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Will you direct these others to retire out of hearing, Captain -Pearson?" said Coventry, indicating the officer of the watch, the -midshipman, and all of the others; and when his request had been -complied with, he added: "'Twas to save the honor of your ward, my -Lord, to insure happiness to the woman I love more than life, to -effect the escape of the man upon whom that happiness depended."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you dared, sir," said the admiral, furious with rage, "to thus -derange my plans and disregard my orders, to thwart me, to interfere -between a duly constituted court and its prisoner?" He stamped his -foot and looked fiercely at his son.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Me as well," said the captain; "upon the deck of my own ship--to put -this dishonor upon me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"The prisoner!" cried the admiral, impetuously. "Have him brought on -deck at once, Captain Pearson."</p> - -<p class="normal">"But your ward, my Lord; she is with him," said the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Bring her too, then," the old man answered passionately.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But the crew--the men--not before them all!" said Coventry, striving -to gain time.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Before Heaven itself the offence was given," said the admiral, losing -all control over himself in his fury, "and the punishment shall have -equal publicity." The midshipman who had hastened below now came -running on deck in terror.</p> - -<p class="normal">"There's no one there, my Lord; they've gone, escaped, sir!" he cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Impossible!" exclaimed Pearson.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Escaped!" said the admiral, turning to the captain. "Had you no -sentry to watch them, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, my Lord, certainly," said Pearson.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let him be tried and shot forthwith, then, for gross neglect of duty -in permitting--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"My Lord, the sentry is innocent," interrupted Coventry; "I replaced -him; I alone am guilty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Worse and worse! You knew they escaped, sir?" said the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did; 'twas to prevent discovery I took his place," replied his son, -bowing. Captain Pearson opened his mouth to speak, but his superior -silenced him with a wave of his hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">A bitter fight raged in the old man's bosom, but he saw his duty, and -knew it must be done. There was a long and awful pause. When the -admiral spoke again it was in an altered tone; he had regained his -self-control.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain Pearson," he said slowly and deliberately, in a strained and -unnatural voice, "let the court-martial which passed judgment upon the -prisoner be re-convened at once to try Major Edward Coventry for -disobedience of orders in time of war, and for aiding and abetting the -escape of an enemy, and for knowingly declaring a forged order, -purporting to bear my signature, to be correct,--in short, for conduct -unbecoming an officer and a gentleman."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Surely not that last, my Lord," said Coventry, impulsively raising -his hand in deprecation.</p> - -<p class="normal">The admiral hesitated, looked long and earnestly at his handsome son. -"You may leave off the part about conduct unbecoming an officer and a -gentleman, Pearson," he answered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank you, sir," said Coventry, gratefully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heavens, my Lord!" cried Pearson; "the punishment is death--I -pray you--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence, sir!" he cried sternly; "you have your order. Shall I be -more merciful to this gentleman than to the poor marine I would have -had shot a moment since for less than he has done?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"But he is your son. Have mercy on him, my Lord!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"So much the more imperative that he should receive justice--not mercy -from me. Besides, from this hour he is no longer son of mine," said -the old man, inflexibly. "Let the prisoner be confined under double -guard; you will see that he at least does not escape you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is just," said Coventry, no less resolutely than his father; "I -expected it. It was for her I did it."</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a sudden bustle upon the deck forward.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sail ho! Light ho! Light ho!" rang out from a dozen rough throats.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where away?" said the officer of the watch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Off the starboard quarter," was the reply,--"there, coming up from -Flamborough Head."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They will be the Bon Homme Richard and the rest of that scoundrelly -pirate squadron, Captain Pearson. I saw them off Bridlington Bay this -afternoon," said the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will go out and meet them at once, with your permission, my Lord," -cried the captain, enthusiastically. "All hands up anchor! Mr. Pascoe, -show the signal for the Scarborough to get under way. Lively! we have -him now, men! This is our chance at last! There's prize money and -honor for you by yonder lights!"</p> - -<p class="normal">With wild cheers the eager crew broke for their stations. The capstan -bars were shipped and manned, and the clanking pawls clicked merrily -as the men heaved away as lustily as a crew homeward bound from a -foreign station.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good luck to you, Captain Pearson," said the admiral, turning away. -"Bring him back a prisoner or sink him, and I will pledge you my word -your king's sword shall be laid upon your shoulders. Would that I were -younger and might go with you! but my duties, as well, prevent me. -Good-bye."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir--my Lord--my father!" said Coventry, who had stood unnoticed in -the excitement of the moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do I see you still here, sir?" answered the admiral, coldly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I would ask a favor of you, sir--as--as--as my father."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ask no favors of a father, sir; you have none!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Let me beg of the man, then," said Coventry, resolutely. "We are -about to engage the enemy. For God's sake, sir, for the love of my -mother, do not condemn me to inaction now! Let me serve as the -humblest volunteer! You shall not regret it."</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man hesitated. He was a father in spite of what he had said, -and he could not forget it. His heart was throbbing beneath his iron -exterior and appearance of outward composure.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Go!" he replied at last. "You are free of any charges until -to-morrow. When next I see you I shall have to prefer them, therefore -let me not look upon your face again, sir. Do you understand?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, yes; good-bye, sir!" said the young man, brokenly. "I thank you -and bless you for this. To-morrow I shall plead my cause in a higher -court. Think of me kindly, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you have done this work and wrecked yourself for a woman! You -have been a fool, sir; what woman that ever lived was worth it?" said -the admiral, shortly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This one," replied his son. "I loved her; I love her still."</p> - -<p class="normal">The two men looked at each other in silence. The admiral relented a -little,--it was for the last time,--and drew the boy to him. He lifted -his head to the sky in silent prayer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"All hands make sail!" hoarsely cried the boatswain at the instance of -the executive officer. "Lay aloft, topman!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The admiral turned away, and Coventry was alone. He walked over to -Captain Pearson.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Father gives me a chance to die," he said. "Please assign me to some -duty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am glad to hear it," said the captain, his face lighting up. "We -are short a lieutenant; I confide to you the forward division of the -main-deck battery. Do your best with it."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I hope to serve it well," said the young officer, saluting proudly, -and springing toward his station.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Anchor's away, sir!" cried the officer forward on the forecastle.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Man the topsail sheets and halliards, let fall, sheet home, hoist -away!" roared the captain, himself seizing the trumpet. As the broad -folds of canvas dropped from the wide-reaching yard-arms, the noble -ship gathered way and sailed out to try her fortune.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK IV<br> -THE SELFISHNESS OF LOVE</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVI</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_16" href="#div1Ref_16"><i>In the Line of his Duty</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">AS soon as they had drifted some little distance from the Serapis, -O'Neill rose, threw off the boat cloak, and stepped aft around the -oarsman to the stern-sheets of the boat, where Elizabeth sat -motionless, holding the tiller. He knelt down before her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth, dearest, we have actually escaped!" he said softly, -stooping toward her. "I did not think it possible." She released the -tiller, took his head in her hands, and kissed him in wild exultation.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Free! Free!" she murmured, "and together--my own, my own!" Her words, -her look, her caress, set his blood bounding again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, yes; is it not heavenly, and with you. Oh, my soul, how can I -repay you?" he whispered, giving back kiss for kiss, and stretching -out his hands toward her. There was a little pause, broken by a rough -voice, which its owner evidently tried to render more gentle; in a -hoarse whisper the man at the oars asked,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where are ye a-headin' of the boat, yer Leddyship?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know not!" she answered wildly, seizing the tiller again; "only -away from that awful ship!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who is this man at the oars?" asked her lover, rising and sitting -down by her when he took the tiller from her nervous hands.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, yer Honor," said a low, deep voice, with a smothered laugh in -it, "my name ashore, w'ere I was left by Cap'n Jones t'other night to -look arter you, mought be Smith, or Brown, or any old name; but yere -in this boat it's Price--William P. Price--w'ich is wot my mother told -me, at any rate, though I ain't got no evidence but her word fur it, -an' she's dead, an' God be thanked I see yer Honor alive."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Price! You!" exclaimed O'Neill, in great surprise. "How did you find -him, dearest?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I found her, please yer Honor," replied the man. "I seed her -Leddyship a-comin' down to the beach, an' I ups and captures a small -boat from the English, w'ich the man'll be awful disappinted like, -w'en he don't find her to-morrow, an' then I ups and offers to take -her off, an' I tells her I knows you, an' we fixed it up, and here -y'are!"</p> - -<p class="normal">They were not yet so far from the Serapis, even by this time, but that -the quick ear of the girl detected the confusion on her decks: the -shrill piping of the boatswain and his mates, the sharp commands of -the officers, the trampling of many feet, were easily heard; she -clutched her lover nervously, all alert at the thought of a possible -further danger to him.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh!" she whispered, "they are doing something on the ship. Our escape -is discovered. They will come after us!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not with the whole ship," he answered, smiling, though listening with -straining apprehension as well.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think they're a-gittin' under way, sir," said the old seaman. -"Listen to the clankin' o' the pawls, yer Honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are right; it cannot be after us, though; a cutter or two would -suffice for that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It'll be fur the Richard an' the rest of 'em. Cap'n Jones, he said -he'd capture them ships afore the mornin' watch, an' if you wasn't -hung afore that time, he'd trice up the whole d--n--w'ich I beg -pardon, yer Leddyship, but he said it--crowd to the yard-arms, unless -they'd let you go free! Our wessels ought to be a-comin' up from -Flamburry putty soon, now. But if I mought make so bold, w'ere are ye -headin' fur now, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We head for the Richard, of course," said the young man, promptly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's w'ere we b'long," said the sailor, joyfully; "I don't want no -fightin' goin' on, an' I ain't there!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nor I," replied O'Neill. "I would put you ashore, Elizabeth, before -we go; but--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Whither thou goest, I will go; thy people shall be my people,'" she -quoted softly. "Whom have I now but you? To whom can I go but to you?" -she murmured, laying her hand upon his own. It was dark on the boat, -but if it had been broad daylight he could not have helped it,--he -kissed her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, to be worthy of it all, to be worthy!" he answered.</p> - -<p class="normal">William grinned sympathetically, wiped his mouth wistfully with the -back of his hand, and tried to look away. Presently, unshipping the -oars, the two men stepped the mast and hoisted the small sail. The -little boat, under the freshening breeze, began to draw through the -water rapidly. In order to win out of the mouth of the harbor, they -would have to pass in a direction which would bring them once more -near the moving Serapis. They could hardly hope to escape discovery. -They had, of course, gained a good start on the frigate; but as she -was soon covered with sails, and her great height enabled her to catch -the freshening breeze blowing over the hills, which was lost to the -smaller craft, she literally rushed down upon them.</p> - -<p class="normal">A noble picture she made to those on the boat. Ghostlike and eerie in -the pale moonlight, shining fitfully through the overcast heavens, the -great white ship towered above them, her soaring masts covered with -clouds of snowy canvas stretching far out on either side on the -spreading yard-arms. Her sails swept the skies; her keel ploughed the -deeps; the wind sang in the top-hamper; the white water, shot with -sparks, piled up in front of her, bubbled and played around her -forefoot, and rolled away on either side in broad sheets of foamy -phosphorescence. The yellow lights of the battle lanterns streamed -through her open ports; a drum was grimly rolling the call to battle -on her decks. Dark forms passed to and fro; men leaped hither and -thither in casting loose the double row of great black guns; sometimes -a vivid flash in the moonlight proclaimed a drawn sword. Presently the -cries and orders died away; the men settled down at their stations; -silently the huge fabric, a splendid example of that power which for -twice two hundred years had ruled the seas, swept toward them. O'Neill -watched her in generous admiration.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A fit antagonist even for our great captain," he cried, all his -enthusiasm aroused by the ship, "and nobly handled," he added. "Mark -the discipline; see the order!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, sir, that'll be a hard one to take; but we'll take her, never -fear!" said the old seaman, sharing his officer's ungrudging -approbation of their gallant foe.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How can you speak so?" said the girl. "To me she is nothing but a -prison--a menace--a horror!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You are a woman, dearest; I hope to be on the old Richard before -long, and I feel from such a ship as that there is much honor to be -gained."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And death, too," she answered, shuddering.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It may be; death and honor often go hand in hand," he replied -gravely; "but she nears us; you must lie down until she passes."</p> - -<p class="normal">It was a new thing for her to be commanded; she found it altogether a -sweet experience--then. Later it might be another matter. So, though -protesting because she was a woman and had prescient eye to the -future, Elizabeth dutifully obeyed her lord and lay down in the boat, -resting her head against his foot. As they drew toward the mouth of -the harbor the wind came stronger. The little boat fairly roared -through the white-capped waves. She heeled over until the water -trickled in on the lee side; but O'Neill resolutely and skilfully held -her up to it. He could not afford to lose an inch of distance to -leeward, for the water shallowed rapidly in that direction, and -abounded in rocks as well. The Serapis was alongside now; they had not -yet been observed. The attention of the men on the frigate was fixed -upon the approaching ships to the southeast, now plainly visible. -O'Neill fairly held his breath as he congratulated himself that they -were to be passed by unnoticed. Suddenly a sharp cry rang out just as -the Serapis drew ahead.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sail ho! Boat ahoy, there!" For a moment the small boat lay right in -the path of light cast by the brilliantly illuminated stern-ports of -the frigate.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis the prisoner, he that escaped!" shouted a powerful voice.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sentry, give him a shot from your piece," cried Captain Pearson -himself, springing on the rail and leaning over toward them. Old Price -shook his fist at the frigate in stout defiance. The sharp crack of a -musket rang out in the air. The bullet seemed to have struck something -forward in the boat; a shudder swept through the little craft, a -hoarse, frightful cry quivered through the night, there was splash, -the boat struck something, and that something, whatever it was, rasped -along her keel as she drove ahead.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Clear away the second cutter," cried another voice on the frigate.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Keep all fast!" shouted Pearson. "We have bigger game to-night," and -then he hollowed his hand and cried out as the Serapis drew rapidly -away,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"We'll take care of you, sir, in the morning, when we return." A few -more musket-shots were fired at them from different parts of the ship; -one bullet tore through the sail and whistled by the ear of the young -lieutenant, but did no harm.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are saved again!" cried Elizabeth, sitting up and looking -gratefully at her lover.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But not without a cost," said the young man, solemnly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What mean you? Are you hurt; are you wounded?" she cried.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Price!" called O'Neill, softly, though he knew it was useless. There -was no answer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, that awful cry!" said Elizabeth, shuddering.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was he," added O'Neill, gravely. "He was hit by the first shot, -and went overboard. Did you not feel him strike the keel?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is there no hope for him?" she queried anxiously. "Could we not put -back and seek him?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"None," replied the young lieutenant, shortly. "There was death in his -voice; it's all over with him. Well, he died in the line of his duty; -'tis a sailor's cherished hope."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He helped me--both of us--in time of need; our way to liberty and -happiness," she cried piteously, "seems to be over the bodies of those -who love us."</p> - -<p class="normal">"So it has ever been in the world,--a thousand deaths to make one -life, a thousand griefs to make one joy," he answered, laying his hand -tenderly upon her head, which she had buried in her hands.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But what come what may," she added, looking up resolutely, with all -the selfishness of love, "I have you, at least, and we are together -again."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, let us pray it may be forever, sweetheart."</p> - -<p class="normal">They were out of the harbor now; and while the Serapis was stretching -along to the northeast to gain an offing, with the Scarborough some -distance ahead of her, and to leeward, the lighter draft of the small -boat permitted O'Neill to head her directly for the oncoming American -ships, whose lights, and the ships themselves, were now plainly -visible in the moonlight.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_17" href="#div1Ref_17"><i>Differing Standards</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"The battle which will take place to-night yonder between those ships -decides my fate. I hope to God I may arrive in time to take my part in -it! The Richard is fearfully short of officers at best; Landais, who -has the Alliance, is crazy and a coward; Cottineau in the Pallas is an -unknown quantity, and the rest have fled. Jones has only Richard Dale -and a lot of midshipmen with him upon whom he can absolutely depend, -and there are over two hundred prisoners in the hold. He needs me. If -this breeze hold on, I think we may intercept the Richard before the -battle is joined. Pray, dearest, as never before, for the success of -our arms! It means life, and you, for me."</p> - -<p class="normal">"It means life for me as well," she answered, nestling against him and -nerving herself up to the inevitable confession. How he would take it -she did not know, or rather she would not permit herself to say. She -was conscious only of an impelling necessity to tell him the whole -story, though she had deliberately waited until she believed he could -do nothing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, yes, 'tis sweet of you to say so, but not the same. Me they will -hang, but not you," he answered fondly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, they will," she replied. "I--I--I must confess it to you before -we go further; it weighs upon me. I also am guilty."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Guilty! You! Of what, pray? Of loving me too much?" he queried, -laughing in pure lightness of heart.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, not that," she answered, "but that--that order--your reprieve. It -was--the admiral did not sign it," she added desperately.</p> - -<p class="normal">The secret was out.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And who did it, then?" he asked, still unsuspicious of her meaning.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did it myself," she answered, with averted head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is not possible!" he exclaimed, withdrawing from her a little in -his astonishment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Twas for you--for you I did it--reproach me not; nay, you shall -not!" she cried, on fire to defend herself and her love, now the truth -was told. "Captain Jones said six hours' delay and you were saved. -There was no other way. I begged, implored, entreated the admiral--he -left me; went away--I saw the man fixing that block--the rope--I ran -to him to make one more appeal--he was not there. On his desk was an -order giving me permission to see you, which he had intended to give -me and had refused at the last moment and left unsigned. His watch was -there and his seal. I added the rest and signed and sealed it myself; -do not shrink from me!" she pleaded with changed mood again. "Your -anger--your disapproval--kills me. Is there no excuse that you can -find for me?" Her appeal was so tender, her affection so apparent, she -was her own justification.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No man would have done it," he said irresolutely, wavering.</p> - -<p class="normal">"But every woman would," she replied promptly, pressing her advantage. -"Why are you so silent; Your precious honor is safe, and as for -mine--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Twas nobly done," he answered at last, in complete surrender. "There -is not a woman in the world but would honor you for it; not a man who -would not love you. You have done that which I could not, and for me. -My heart before, and now my life is yours, my heart's dearest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I knew you would not like it," she answered simply, "but there was no -other way. I confess I was terrified when Edward--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heavens!" cried O'Neill. "He saw the order?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," said the girl, cowering before him again. In truth, this phase -of the transaction had actually escaped her memory.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Captain Pearson accepted it without questioning him?" he queried. She -would have given all the world to lie to him, but even in the darkness -she could not be further untrue, in his very presence, though now like -a flash she saw it all.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He--he doubted it," she whispered hesitatingly. "He handed the paper -to Edward, and asked him if it--if it was all right."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And Coventry?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He took it and looked at it, looked at me--I had forgotten him, I -must confess,--" she went on brokenly,--"and then he handed it back to -Captain Pearson and--and said it was correct--the signature, I mean."</p> - -<p class="normal">"He knew, think you?" asked her lover, with deadly calmness.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, he knew," she faltered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And the sentry--our unheeded escape?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Edward took his place--I might as well tell you all now," continued -the girl, desperately.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" he said, coldly and sternly; "and do you know, Lady Elizabeth, -what the penalty is for such actions as his?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No," she replied, in alarm; "I never thought. They will not harm him. -He is the son of the admiral--what is it?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"They will shoot him, or hang him like a dog to the very yard-arm -prepared for me!" he answered with stern emphasis.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, no! It is not possible!" she cried, appalled at the naked fact.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, but it is," he replied; "and it is through your actions, and my -blind acquiescence therein, that this honorable gentleman is done to -death. This puts another face on the whole thing. You have made me a -craven; I am dishonored, his life is sacrificed for me!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I did not mean to do it; I did not know," she wailed, stricken to the -heart by his bitter reproach.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, but you should have known; but when women meddle in affairs of -state the consequences oft exceed their narrow views. Pray God, there -may yet be time to rectify the frightful happening," said O'Neill, -bitterly, putting the helm hard over as he spoke. The boat swept -around, the sail gybed, and they headed for the northeast.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is it that you would do?" cried Elizabeth, in alarm, laying her -hand on the tiller.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Follow the Serapis," he answered shortly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"For what?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"To give myself up if possible, and thus insure his freedom."</p> - -<p class="normal">"I knew--I knew it would be so," she whispered. "I loved him," she -murmured, turning away, "I have sacrificed everything for him, and he -repudiates, reproaches me. O my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" she -wailed in unconscious imitation of a greater Sufferer. She drew away -from him and knelt down in the boat, and buried her face in her hands, -leaning upon the weather gunwale. He looked at her a moment, and -before the pathetic abandonment of her grief his anger melted. She was -a woman; with her, love was all.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth," he said tenderly, "the bitterness of having caused that -good man's death, his apparent dishonor, overwhelmed me. I love you, -as you know, more than life itself. You are a woman; you see things -differently. There is nothing above love in a woman's heart. Come back -to me; your place is here, whatever happens. I love you the more for -your great sacrifice, but now we must undo it if we can. Heaven has -not smiled upon our meeting; perhaps, if we go hand in hand before God -together, we may find mercy, perhaps joy!"</p> - -<p class="normal">She made no answer, but nestled against him forgiven, contented. For a -time they sailed the sea in silence. The clouds had broken and left a -clear sky, whence the moon had flooded the ocean with her silvery -light; but the breeze came fitfully and gradually died away where they -were now under the lee of the land. It was such a night as lovers -dream of. They loved and they were together, side by side, alone, in -the soft autumnal night, adrift on a summer sea. There was that in the -past which kept them silent; and yet in their very proximity, in the -hands that touched and clasped each other, the head that nestled on -his shoulder, the arm that encircled her waist, the lips that met, the -eyes that spoke,--there was a sweetness which neither had ever known -before. The gentle wind whispered of love. The curling, lipping waves -caressed the keel with sounds like kisses, and to it all their hearts -kept time. It was a respite,--a lull between two phases of the -conflict; there was love and there was peace in the little boat, and -war and tumult were far off on the horizon.</p> - -<p class="normal">By and by Elizabeth slipped down from the thwart, and crouched down in -the boat at his feet. O'Neill held the tiller with one hand; the other -lightly stroked her golden head. She was perfectly content; everything -was out of her heart but he and the present; she was very still. He -could see the soft curve of her cheek resting upon her sweet white -hand in the moonlight. After one of the little intervals of silence, -he looked down upon her again. She made no motion, and did not reply -to a word he said softly, and he discovered that she was asleep.</p> - -<p class="normal">He did not wonder. The experiences of the past few days would have -killed any ordinary woman. How heroic she had been! With what abandon -she had put aside everything for the purpose of saving him! She had -hesitated at nothing. His love for her was measured by his honor; hers -for him was boundless. 'Twas ever so; and he had reproached her, -spoken harshly to her, upbraided her, turned away from her! How could -he have been so cruel! she was so young, his heart yearned over her. -He vowed that if God did permit them to escape from the perils which -environed them, he would make up to her for every unkind word spoken, -every reproach, every cutting glance, by an eternity of devotion.</p> - -<p class="normal">The night, the ocean, the loneliness, impressed him. What had he ever -done to be so blessed in the love of this noble woman? His life, as he -had said, had been an idle one. In the courts he had played at hearts -as he had played at war on the ships for the fun of the game. With her -a serious purpose had entered his life and was before him. The silence -of the night was broken only by the soft splash of the waves, as the -little boat rocked gently through them. The gentle wind grew fainter -and fainter; presently the flap of the idle sail against the mast -apprised him that it had gone.</p> - -<p class="normal">The white Serapis and her consort were far, far ahead, going fast and -leaving a long white wake across the sea. They seemed to have kept the -breeze which had failed the small boat. Coming up from the southward -he could see the black shapes of the Richard and her attendant ships. -What would he have given to be upon the deck by the side of that -dauntless captain! But even could he approach the two ships, that -privilege would be denied him, for honor demanded that he present -himself upon the deck of the Serapis without delay. It might be that -it would be too late even then to save Coventry, but he would go and -do his best. When the boat lost way, he sat a moment in indecision. He -was so loath to awaken the tired girl, but it was necessary. Gently he -raised her head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, my dearest," she said, "was I asleep? What has happened? Oh!" it -came back to her, "you are going back to the Serapis." Then she looked -eagerly forward. The ships were far off now, several miles away; and -as the breeze still held with them, the distance was increasing with -every passing moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We do not advance," she cried, a note of joy in her voice, as her ear -detected the flapping of the sail; "the wind has died out." She laughed -triumphantly, "We shall never reach them."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And poor Coventry?" said O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I cannot help it," she answered simply. "I think only of you. Now if -I could go back alone and take his place and let you go free, I would -cheerfully do that."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What advantage would that be to me?" he asked her.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, there is little use in our discussing it any more," she -answered, "for you cannot reach either ship now before it is over. The -wind has gone over to them, and we are still."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, but I have another way of getting along."</p> - -<p class="normal">"How is that?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall row," he said quietly. "Will you take the tiller?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No!" she replied defiantly, folding her arms. "I will not help you at -all!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth! Elizabeth!" he murmured.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I will not, I tell you!" she said. "Frankly, I do not wish to. What -is Edward, what are those ships, what is the whole wide world to me -beside your safety?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I must do it alone as best I can, then," said O'Neill, leaving her -side and going forward and unstepping the mast and thrusting out the -oars, which he handled with the skill of long practice and strong -arms. The difference of speed between the boat and the two ships was -now of course greater than before.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why fatigue yourself unnecessarily?" she said to him at last, after -he had been rowing for some time. "You gain nothing; 'tis useless."</p> - -<p class="normal">"No matter," was his reply as he desperately tugged at the oars. "I -shall at least have the consciousness of knowing I did what I could." -But after pulling hard for an hour, he leaned over the handles of the -oars and turning his head looked forward. She was right; it was a -perfectly hopeless task. The nearest ships were now ten or a dozen -miles away, and going farther, when a flash of light pierced the -darkness on the horizon, followed some time after by the roar of a -heavy gun.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK V<br> -IN THE HELL OF BATTLE, ALL</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XVIII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_18" href="#div1Ref_18"><i>The Boys in Command</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"The ship is clear, sir," said Lieutenant Richard Dale, saluting -smartly. He was a handsome, dashing young sailor, the picture of sea -gallantry, as he ran lightly up the ladder from the main-deck and -stopped before the little captain of the Bon Homme Richard, standing -on the weather side of the poop, keenly surveying the scene.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good, sir," said the little man, nodding his head but not -turning toward his executive officer. "Look yonder," he added, -pointing ahead and toward the shore. "What do you make that, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"It cannot be the Alliance!" exclaimed Dale, in great surprise, as he -shaded his eyes and gazed intently in the direction of the setting sun -at a large war-ship which was edging in shore toward the harbor of -Scarborough, which apparently sheltered a numerous convoy of merchant -ships.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis indeed she!" replied Jones, sternly; "I have repeatedly -signalled to Captain Landais to follow in our wake,--to form line -ahead. If we get out of this thing safely--" He stopped, repressed his -feeling by a strong effort, compressing his lips passionately in a way -which promised trouble for Captain Landais and the Alliance, a new and -handsome frigate, the best of Jones's squadron. After a momentary -pause the commodore, a man of few words in time of action at least, -turned toward the stern of his ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Look aft there, too," he added.</p> - -<p class="normal">"That will be the Pallas, of course," said Dale, as his eye fell upon -a smaller ship which was following the Bon Homme Richard. "And the -Vengeance, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"There! Hull down on the horizon, fleeing like a coward," said Jones, -bitterly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And those two white fellows forward there," continued Dale, "reaching -out from the harbor--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Are the Serapis and the Scarborough," interrupted the captain, "if -the information sent us by O'Neill be correct."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would he were here!" exclaimed Dale.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, he is himself a host," said Jones, sadly. "We are fearfully -short-handed. O'Neill gone, and Henry and Cutting Lunt, our third and -fourth officers, both absent. The Frenchmen are an unknown quantity. I -have only you, Dale, and Stacey and Mease, and the boys, of course; -but I can depend upon you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Upon me--upon all of us," replied Dale, gallantly, "to the death -itself!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know it," said the captain, smiling and laying his hand -affectionately upon the young man's shoulder. "They are very young, -though," he continued gravely, "for such desperate work as this -promises to be, but they are brave hearts and true. They will do their -best, I doubt not."</p> - -<p class="normal">"With you to command them, sir, they'll not be found wanting, I am -sure," said the enthusiastic Dale, who was devotedly attached to his -great commander. There was a little pause.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Messieurs," said Jones, turning toward a little group of French -officers who were standing on the lee side of the poop. At the -captain's word they stepped forward and saluted gracefully.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Colonel de Weibert, you have served in the artillery, I believe?" -asked the captain of a fine-looking veteran. The Frenchman bowed. -"Will you assist Lieutenant Dale in working the battery on the -main-deck? It is an unusual place for a soldier, but we are very short -of experienced officers. You understand the handling of great guns. It -would be a great favor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Any place which enables him to fight the enemy is a good place for a -soldier, my captain. I am at Lieutenant Dale's service," replied the -gallant old soldier.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You, vicomte, and gentlemen," said Jones, turning to De Chamillard, -who was attended by several subalterns, "will take charge of the -soldiers on the quarter-deck and forecastle. I desire a continuous -small-arm fire to play upon the decks and tops of the English ships."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir captain," smilingly answered De Chamillard, a dapper, dainty -little man, as he in turn bowed profoundly, laying his hand on his -sword, "not a man shall escape my marine infantry; I answer for them -and for my friends here as well," he added indicating his gay-clad -lieutenants, who emulated the vicomte in the profundity of their -salutations.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Remember, gentlemen," said Jones, his face lighting, "'tis -for the honor of America--and of France. Mr. Brooks," he said to an -alert young midshipman who was acting as his signal officer and aide, -"signal the Pallas to edge off to the east and engage the smaller ship -of the enemy. The big fellow is our game, messieurs. See! they are -forming line ahead and are waiting for us. Brave fellows! -Quartermaster," he cried, stepping to the break of the poop and -looking down at the old seaman and his mates stationed at the wheel, -"d'ye see those two ships?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir," answered the veteran tar, shading his eyes with his -hand and peering eagerly ahead; "I sees 'em, yer Honor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"That's well. The one ahead, nearest the shore, is our mark. I intend -to round to on her port bow. Mind your course!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good, sir," answered the steersman, giving a knowing squint at -the lifting sails, and shifting the wheel a few spokes.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Now, gentlemen," continued the captain, "to your stations all! But -stay--Mr. Brooks, direct the sailing-master, purser, and the junior -officers to come up on the quarter-deck."</p> - -<p class="normal">In a short time the two older officers and a little band of youths -whose ages ranged from twelve to seventeen years stood before the -captain and saluted. His eyes fell tenderly upon the boys; so youthful -and immature were they to be charged with the heavy responsibilities -of the coming hour, which would have devolved upon the older men but -for their unfortunate absence.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Young gentlemen," he said quietly, "accident has thrust you into -positions of great responsibility which otherwise you might not have -been called upon to fill for years. We are about to engage two -powerful ships of the enemy. The Richard is heavily overmatched in -everything except in the spirit and courage of her officers and men. I -am determined--nay, we are all determined, are we not?--that the flag -which floats above us shall never be struck. We may be sunk, but we -will not surrender. I shall try to do my part; you will, I doubt not, -do yours?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"We will, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Count on us to the death, sir," broke forth from the impetuous youths -who clustered about the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Remember that we are fighting not only to uphold the honor of our -flag in the face of the most arrogant navy on the ocean, but to rescue -from a shameful death--if it be not unhappily too late--one of our -brother officers who would give his life to be here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"O'Neill, O'Neill!" cried one and another, the brave Irishman being a -great favorite with all.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I enjoin upon you the utmost vigilance and care. Supplement your -inexperience by redoubled effort. Be as brave as youths and as cool as -veterans. Give implicit obedience to the orders you receive from Mr. -Dale, Mr. Stacey, or from me, and exact the same compliance with your -orders from your men. They are a hard lot to handle; don't lose -control of them." He paused a moment, scanning the intent faces of the -lads close about him, and then continued: "Remember, too, we have more -than one foe to fight,--the prisoners below, the enemies yonder on the -sea, and disobedience in our own squadron. Who keeps guard over the -prisoners in the hold?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I, sir, with the master-at-arms," answered Payne, a resolute-looking -youth of fifteen. "I wanted to be on deck in the batteries, sir--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"You could have no more important station, my lad," replied the -captain. "Keep them under hatches! Do not hesitate to shoot the first -man who makes a move to break out! They must not be allowed to gain -the deck. At all hazards, keep them down! I repeat it, sir, keep them -down! Do you understand?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir," gravely answered the boy, awed by the emphasis of the -captain's manner.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You, Mr. Mayrant, with Mr. Mease the purser and Mr. Brooks, will -remain on deck with Mr. Stacey and me," continued the captain. "You, -Mr. McCollin, will take charge of the old eighteen-pounders on the -berth-deck. You, too, have a post of danger! Be careful of them! I -distrust them greatly, yet they must be tried."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir. Thank you, sir," said the young midshipman, delighted at -being thus distinguished.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Mr. Caswell," he added, turning to the largest and oldest, "you will -take charge of the forecastle. Mr. Fanning, I confide the maintop to -you. The rest of you will command the several divisions in the main -batteries and the other tops. Now, young gentlemen, before you go to -your stations, I would take you by the hand; and so," lifting his -cocked hat reverently, an example all present followed, "may God guard -the right!" There was a suspicious moisture in some of the eyes -looking upon the captain, but the midshipmen would have died rather -than permit an actual tear to be seen.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Three cheers for Commodore Jones and the bully Richard!" at last -shouted Payne, breaking the insupportable silence. The little party, -somewhat forgetful of discipline for the moment, crowded around their -captain, shaking him by the hand, and turned away. They had come up to -the quarter-deck a rollicking set of boys; they returned from it a -group of grave-eyed men.</p> - -<p class="normal">"What a splendid set of youngsters!" said Jones to himself, as he -watched them spring lightly toward their stations. Then he turned -toward the sailing-master: "Mr. Stacey, take the deck for a few -moments and hold on as we are. Ah!" he said, pausing with his foot on -the ladder as he saw the Pallas, a much swifter sailer than the -Richard, rushing by on the starboard side with every breath of canvas -drawing, heading for the smaller of the two English ships before them, -"there goes the Pallas. Cottineau, at least, is a brave man. I shall -remember him. Come, Dale." As he stepped down the ladder a hearty -cheer rang out from the passing frigate, which, without order, was -lustily returned from the Richard, and then the two officers walked -through the batteries.</p> - -<p class="normal">The sun had set for some time, and night had long since fallen over -the sea. The lighthouse on Flamborough Head was sending out a great -beam of warning from that jutting point. Far on the horizon a silvery -brightness had spread itself in the heavens, bespeaking the harvest -moon, the burnished rim of which even before sunset had leaped into -being on the edge of the water. Lights twinkled here and there on the -English ships before them and crowned the hills of the distant town -and harbor. Battle lanterns were lighted between decks on the Richard, -the yellow flickering radiance from which was reflected from the -sinewy, half-naked, sweat-covered bodies of the stalwart men at their -quarters, as the captain walked through the crew.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was a varied assemblage of about three hundred men which manned the -guns and filled the tops. The crew had been made up in France out of -such materials as came to hand. There were about seventy-five tried -and true American seamen, most of them veterans of many a hard fight -and bold adventure. These commanded the different guns and filled the -more important stations. There were, perhaps, one hundred and fifty -veteran French soldiers,--old artillerists,--some of whom had -volunteered at the guns; a few of the most expert marksmen among them -were stationed in the tops, but the greater portion was divided into -two large bodies drawn up on the quarter-deck and forecastle. The -balance of the crew had been gathered from the riff-raff of all -nations; perhaps a tougher, rougher, harder, more desperate body of -men never fought a ship; they had but one virtue,--they would fight.</p> - -<p class="normal">Only a resolute hand and an indomitable will like that of Jones had -ever held the motley crowd in any kind of discipline. He had ruled the -Richard with an iron heart, and in spite of bitter murmurs had forced -the men to do his will. The ship had been a slumbering volcano of -incipient mutiny and latent rebellion; but in the presence of the -enemy, these men whose passion it was to fight forgot their personal -grievances, and mindful of the finished skill and superhuman courage -of their captain, looked favorably upon him and eagerly anticipated -the conflict. Rude jests and bits of sea pleasantry, usually permitted -in moments like these, flew up and down the line between the captain -and the ruffians under his command as he passed by them in rapid -review.</p> - -<p class="normal">The watches had been piped to supper earlier than usual, and afterward -a double ration of grog had been served out. The men were in good -spirits, and good spirits in them! The captain carefully examined -every part of the ship. The young midshipmen who filled the unwonted -stations, evidently deeply impressed by their opportunities and -responsibilities, were pacing restlessly up and down, eagerly -scrutinizing every detail of their several commands. On the -berth-deck, standing before the hatch which led into the hold in which -over two hundred English prisoners were confined, the commodore found -young Payne, attended by the master-at-arms, two American seamen, and -three French soldiers, keeping guard.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah! I am glad to see you at your station," said the captain, raising -his voice, as the young midshipman, full of pride, saluted him. "You -remember my orders, sir, which were to shoot the first man who shows -his head above the hatch?"</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a hoarse murmur from the prisoners beneath the gratings -which covered the hatchway, at this speech of the captain's, which -was, as he had intended, clearly heard by them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, ay, sir. I'll do it; never fear," answered the lad, in his boyish -treble.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Remember, sir, that I regard your station as one of the most -important on the ship! Those men must not be allowed on deck!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"They shall not be!" answered Payne, resolutely. "If the ship goes -down, they go with it!"</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a harsh roar below; oaths, curses, imprecations, and cries -were blasted up from the deck beneath them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence there!" shouted Jones. "Remember!" he said to the midshipman -as he turned away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I shall not forget, sir," replied the boy, saluting proudly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do what you can," said Jones, turning to McCollin,--"do what you can -with the old eighteens."</p> - -<p class="normal">"They shall be fought as long as they exist, sir," answered the young -officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know that, sir," said Jones, glancing approvingly from him to the -little groups of half-naked men clustered about the guns, the sweat -streaming from their muscular bodies in the heat of the narrow, -confined quarters, "and you have the men with you who will back you -up."</p> - -<p class="normal">A hoarse cheer which resounded throughout the dim recesses of the -berth-deck bespoke the hearty acquiescence of the men in their -captain's shrewd estimate of their qualities.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XIX</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_19" href="#div1Ref_19"><i>'Tween Decks with the Men</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The captain, not ill pleased at this and other manifestations of -hearty spirit which had met him on every hand, mounted the ladders and -resumed his station on the high poop-deck of the frigate.</p> - -<p class="normal">Anything less like a war vessel could hardly be imagined. The Bon -Homme Richard had been an old-fashioned, high-pooped East Indiaman -with a towering forecastle. This antiquated makeshift, formerly called -the Duc de Duras, had been turned over to Jones for a ship-of-war -through the grudging kindness of France. It was the best ship Franklin -and the other commissioners of the new American Republic could procure -for their greatest sea captain. Jones, out of compliment to Franklin, -author of the "Poor Richard" papers, had renamed her; the name was the -only thing new about her. She had been pierced for thirty-six guns, -twenty-eight twelve-pounders on the main-deck, and eight nine-pounders -on the quarter-deck and forecastle. In utter desperation at her entire -inadequacy, Jones had recourse to the dangerous experiment, not often -resorted to, of mounting six eighteen-pounders in ports pierced for -them on the berth-deck, and of course very near the water line. The -guns were all of an obsolete pattern and much worn by use, the -eighteen-pounders being especially bad; as dangerous, in fact, to -friends as foes. Bad as they were, they were all he could obtain, and, -with characteristic determination, Jones resolved to make the best of -them.</p> - -<p class="normal">The ship herself was so old and rotten that she was not even fit for -an ordinary merchant cruise, much less prepared for the shocks of -battle. Through an unfortunate combination of circumstances, all of -her senior officers were absent except Dale, the first lieutenant, -Stacey, the sailing-master, and Mease, the purser. Among that half of -her crew who were soldiers, many had scarcely yet acquired their -"sea-legs," and some of them were actually seasick during the battle! -The Serapis, with which they were about to engage and to which they -were rapidly drawing near, was a brand-new, double-banked frigate, -mounting fifty guns on two covered and one uncovered decks, twenty -eighteen-pounders, twenty nines, and ten sixes. She was manned by -three hundred and fifty well-drilled able seamen and commanded by one -of the best officers in the English navy, who was ably seconded by a -full quota of capable and experienced subordinates.</p> - -<p class="normal">Pearson had no more doubt of winning the victory than he had of the -rising of the sun next morning. Leaving one factor out of a comparison -of the opposing forces, his confidence was absolutely warranted. But -Jones had no more doubt of winning the victory than Pearson had. -Pearson knew his ship and his crew; Jones knew himself. He was the -unconscious factor which vitiated Pearson's conclusions. When a man -like the little Scotch-American captain makes up his mind to do a -thing, there is only one thing to prevent his doing it, and that is to -remove the man! Jones <i>intended</i> to conquer. There never was a man who -had more of the spirit of absolute determination, of unconquerable, -unshakable, unbreakable pertinacity in continuing a conflict, than he. -He never knew when he was beaten; perhaps because he never was. There -was something in the sheer determined, persistent pugnacity of the man -which absolutely compelled success. He wrenched victory from -overwhelming odds, superior force, fortuitous chance,--everything.</p> - -<p class="normal">The men understood this, too. There is nothing your real hard-bitten -dare-devil, your imprudent ruffian, likes so much as a man who is not -afraid of him and who will be his master. Your ruffian curses and -swears at your man, plots against him, rebels, mutinies, conspires, -and in the moment of action follows him like a devotee. The little man -standing at the break of the poop, cool, calm, thoughtful, with his -student face and somewhat poetic, dreamy smile, did not look like the -iron-handed, iron-willed, indomitable master of the motley ruffian -band which had been dumped upon his deck--which he certainly was. With -the dainty manner of a Frenchman, the courteous deference of a -gentleman of the oldest and best school, the calmness of an ancient -philosopher, there was in his appearance no outward evidence of the -tremendous qualities inherent in the man, save in the sparkling, -flashing, piercing eye which plunged through and through those upon -whom its glances were fastened, with the keenness of a sword-blade.</p> - -<p class="normal">His men were wont to say that he could <i>look</i> even a frigate into -striking her colors if given an opportunity! The hardest ruffian -cringed like a cur before him, and this when he was peaceful and -quiet. When he grew angry, which was rare, his passion was like -Washington's, blasting and appalling. He was perfectly quiet now, -however, and he stood by Dale's side at the break of the poop looking -over the bows of the ship toward the enemy.</p> - -<p class="normal">As they swept forward through the peaceful sea, a fragrance of balm -and spicery and myrrh, which seemed to suggest the many voyages of the -old ship in the distant tropic latitudes, clung about the decks and -pervaded the gentle air already redolent with the sweet scent of -new-mown hay from the not distant shore. It was as calm and sweet an -autumn night as ever falls across the tired earth. The land breeze -blew softly across the decks; the bright radiance of the glorious moon -of harvest sparkled and wavered and flickered with sinuous, restless -brilliancy on the tossing water ahead. All the busy notes of -preparation had died away. There had come over the hearts of all, in -that moment before the approaching crisis, a little silence which -bespoke a recognition of the gravity of the impending conflict The -mellow-toned bell forward was striking the time; two, four, six, seven -bells in the second dog watch, half after seven o'clock. The minutes -were being rung away for some of the men upon the decks of the great -old ship; for many of them the bell would strike no more. Some who had -gazed carelessly upon the setting sun would not see it rise again. -Laughter ceased, jests failed, and some unwonted lips, while eyes were -heavenward turned, murmured the name of God in belated petition. Even -the most hardened and indifferent sailor felt the influence of the -hour and was still.</p> - -<p class="normal">Off on the starboard bow, the Pallas was gallantly speeding toward her -distant foe. The Alliance, having paid no attention to repeated -signals, was still edging in toward the convoy. The Serapis with her -topsail to the mast, her men at quarters, ports open, lanterns -lighted, was grimly waiting. As Jones's eye fell upon the Alliance, -his lips were tightened; a black shadow swept across his face which -boded ill for Landais again. When Dale, standing by his side, ventured -to break his reverie by a bitter comment upon the defection of the -frigate, Jones remarked,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never mind, sir. The fewer we are, the more honor we shall gain by -taking them."</p> - -<p class="normal">But in the main the two officers kept silent watch together. Even the -chattering Frenchmen caught the contagion of the portentous moments -and stood in quiet ranks prepared and ready. It was no quarrel of -theirs, this in which they fought, but their old and ever present -hatred of England gave them inspiration enough for the conflict. The -breeze freshened slightly; and as the Richard drew nearer the Serapis, -the latter swung her ponderous main-yard and slowly filled away. The -two ships were sailing at right angles to each other, the Richard -slightly ahead of the Serapis, which was moving to cross her bow.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Shall I go to the batteries now, captain?" asked the first -lieutenant.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, I think you would better," answered Jones, stretching out his -hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-bye, sir," said the other, grasping it firmly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good-bye; God bless you, Richard," said the older man, looking -gravely at his beloved subordinate.</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you, sir," returned Dale, with an unusual accent of tender -affection; then he turned and ran rapidly to his station.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pass the word quickly," said Jones to young Brooks, "for the men to -deliver their fire promptly and together when the word is given. Not a -gun is to be discharged until the order. After that, as rapidly as -possible."</p> - -<p class="normal">As the fleet-footed midshipman ran along the decks, a little murmur of -excitement arose. There was a shifting of positions; men sprang to -their stations; hoarse whispers came from the gun captains, as the -smouldering matches, or glowing loggerheads, were handed to them by -their subordinates.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Silence fore and aft the decks!" came the clear voice of the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">The murmurs died away as young Brooks sprang up the ladder and -reported that everything was ready. The boy officers choked down -something that rose in their throats as they walked nervously up and -down their divisions. A fleeting thought they gave to home, mother, -hours of play, so far away. It was the first battle for many of them. -Down on the berth-deck in front of the hatchway, little Payne looked -to the priming of his pistols and whispered a word or two to his men, -who stood with their muskets pointing down through the gratings -covering the hatchway. He wished he had been up on deck with the rest, -fighting a great gun, or attached to the side of the captain; but the -captain had told him that the post of honor and importance was here, -and here he would stand. There, on the starboard side, his young -messmate and friend, McCollin, gave another careful inspection to his -three old eighteen-pounders, firmly resolved to give such an account -with them, if they did not burst, as would decide the action.</p> - -<p class="normal">Caswell and Mayrant were in the forecastle to fight the two guns -there. Mr. Mease, the purser, as brave a man as ever stepped a deck, -though no sailor, had charge of the quarter-deck guns. Stacey, the -sailing-master, stood aft by the wheel to assist in working the ship. -Brooks and De Chamillard were on the poop near Jones. Fanning, with -his bullies in the maintop, was anxiously wishing that he, too, might -have a place in the centre of the conflict, the gun-deck, little -knowing what decisive moment was in store for him.</p> - -<p class="normal">They were nearer now, well within gun-shot, yet there was no sound -from either ship. The tense expectancy of the moment was becoming -unbearable to the younger hands. What were the captains of the ships -about? Why didn't they fire? Away off on the horizon, flashes of light -and the deep boom of artillery reverberating across the water, told -that their consort had joined in battle with the Scarborough. Why were -they so slow? Suddenly, in the midst of the silence, broken only by -the soft sigh of the summer wind through the top-hamper, the splashing -of the bluff bows, as they forced themselves through the rippling -water, came the sound of a hail from the English ship, the words of -which were indistinguishable.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I don't understand you," cried Jones, then he turned to the -quartermaster and said softly,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Over with the helm! Hard-a-starboard!" As the wheel was put over by -the skilful hands of the quartermaster and his mate, the great ship -swung slowly to port and rounded to off the port bow of the English -ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">The Englishman hailed again.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is the United States ship Bon Homme Richard," shouted Paul Jones -in reply, at the top of his voice, springing up on the rail the while. -"Stand by!" A quiver and shiver went through the ship from her tops to -her very vitals. "Fire!"</p> - -<p class="normal">Streams of light leaped out in the darkness; clouds of smoke rose at -once from the sides of the Richard only to be met and brushed away -by a broadside which had been delivered no less promptly from the -English ship. Groans and curses and yells and cheers rose from the -blood-stained decks upon which men writhed in the agony of ghastly -wounds, or lay contorted in hideous death where they had fallen, for -at close range both broadsides had done fearful execution.</p> - -<p class="normal">The desperate men ran the huge guns in and out and loaded them with -frantic energy and kept up a continuous cannonade upon their foes. The -roar of the great guns drowned every other sound as the two ships -sailed side by side in bitter conflict, but the trained ear of the -American captain had detected another sound coincident with the first -broadside which told a tale of disaster. When the loggerheads had been -applied to the priming of two of the eighteens, they had exploded with -a terrific concussion, killing and wounding nearly every man of their -crews.</p> - -<p class="normal">McCollin, who commanded the battery, was struck by a piece of iron and -received a dreadful wound. He remained at his post, however, clinging -tenaciously to a broken stanchion for a moment until he recovered -himself a little. As the frightened and appalled men shrank away from -the remaining gun of the battery, not yet discharged in view of the -dreadful explosion, he seized the hot iron from the dead hand of the -captain of number one gun, and setting his lips grimly staggered over -to the last cannon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Don't do it, sir!" hoarsely cried the old boatswain's mate who served -under him. "It'll blow up with ye, as the others ha' done!" There was -no reply. McCollin was beyond words. With set lips and grim face, in -silence he wavered on before the awestruck men. With tottering steps -he reached the gun and applied the iron. There was a blinding roar and -the gun whirled inboard in rapid recoil from the force of the -discharge.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Load it again," said the gasping boy, striving to stop the blood with -his hand against his side. Before the men, who, inspired by such -heroism, had sprung eagerly forward, could reach the piece, an -eighteen-pound shot from the Serapis' lower deck struck it fair and -square on the trunnion and dismounted it. That battery was useless. -The explosion had made a gaping hole in the side of the Richard, -through which the red-lighted side of the Serapis but a short distance -away could be seen plainly; the deck above and below was badly -shattered by the blowing up of the guns.</p> - -<p class="normal">"All the men alive of this division," said McCollin, thickly, "will -find places at the divisions on the gun-deck. We can do nothing more -here. Good-bye, Payne."</p> - -<p class="normal">A few moments later a powder-blackened, blood-stained, white-faced, -desperate little figure appeared out of the smoke before the captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"McCollin, you here!" he cried sternly, "why are you not with your -battery, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have to report, sir," said the boy, grasping the rail with one hand -to keep from falling, while he saluted with the other, "that two of -the berth-deck guns blew up, sir, and the other was dismounted. Have -you any orders for me, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Too bad!" cried Jones. "Orders!--but you are wounded!"</p> - -<p class="normal">At this moment a round shot struck the lad fair in the chest. With his -hand still at salute he was whirled across the deck and thrown against -the taffrail, a broken mass of what had been humanity.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good Heaven!" exclaimed the captain, staring and almost losing his -iron nerve at this double shock,--the loss of the battery and the -death of the midshipman. "Poor lad! A hero!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The ships were nearer now; the rifles of the Frenchmen were cracking -and the fire from the great guns was continuous. The Richard had drawn -well ahead; and fearful that the Serapis would cross his stern and -rake, Jones now shivered his headsails, threw his after-sails aback, -checked the way of his own ship, and the Serapis, firing madly into -the smoke, drew ahead of the Richard. Jones then put his helm up to -try to cross her stern and rake. The quick handling of the English -ship frustrated this plan. The bow of the Richard struck the port -quarter of the Serapis. The two ships hung together a moment, boarders -were called on both sides; but before they could be used, the two -ships drifted apart and formed a line ahead, with not a single gun -bearing on either ship. The roar of the guns gradually subsided and -even the crack of the small arms died away. The smoke drifted slowly -off to leeward.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XX</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_20" href="#div1Ref_20"><i>The Indomitable Ego</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">The battle had been maintained with the utmost fury for nearly three -quarters of an hour, and both ships had sustained severe injuries, the -Richard being in much the worse condition. The heavy shot from the -long eighteens of the Serapis had played havoc with her. Pearson -naturally thought that it was about time for Jones to surrender, -though the hour when Jones thought it time to surrender would never -strike. The sudden silence which had fallen upon the conflict was -broken by a voice from the British ship. In high interrogation it rang -over the waters in the moonlight.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you struck?" was the question of the Serapis. From the shattered -Richard came Jones's immortal answer,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have not yet begun to fight!"</p> - -<p class="normal">A roar of wild exultation, a gigantic Homeric laugh, broke from the -throats of the crew of the Richard, as the reply of the captain was -passed from deck to deck, until the whole ship from truck to keelson -quivered with responsive joy. It was a joke, the character of which -those blood-stained ruffians could well appreciate; but the captain -was in no mood for joking. He was serious, and in the simplicity of -the answer lay its greatness. Strike! Not now, nor ever! Beaten! The -fighting is but just begun! The preposterous possibility of surrender -cannot even be considered. What manner of man this, with whom you -battle in the moonlight, brave Pearson? An unfamiliar kind to you, and -to most, such as has not been before, nor shall be again. Yet all the -world shall see and understand at this time.</p> - -<p class="normal">"<i>I have not yet begun to fight!</i>"</p> - -<p class="normal">Surprising answer! On a ship shattered beyond repair, her best guns -exploded and useless, her crew decimated, ringed about with dead and -dying, the captain has not yet begun to fight! But there was no delay -after the answer, no philosophizing, no heroics. The man of action was -there. He meant business! Every moment when the guns were silent was a -wasted one.</p> - -<p class="normal">The helm was shifted to starboard, and the headsails shivered. The -Richard slowly swung off to port and gathered headway again. The -Serapis had lost an opportunity of tacking and raking. In order more -quickly to bring his guns to bear and perhaps to prevent a raking by -the enemy, Captain Pearson threw all aback; and the two ships, one -backing, and the other reaching ahead, slowly drew abreast each other, -the batteries speaking again as soon as the guns bore. The wind was -very light, and the motion of both ships was sluggish in the extreme, -so that they practically lay side by side, steerage way almost gone, -slowly drifting in for long minutes, until there came a sudden, -temporary breath of wind.</p> - -<p class="normal">The position was most advantageous for the Serapis, as with her -heavier and more numerous guns she could deliberately knock the -Richard into a "cocked hat." She was much the speedier and handier -ship, and might reasonably hope to choose her own distance, and, -having selected a point of vantage, maintain it to the end. Pearson's -game was to fight at long range until he had sunk his enemy; no -difficult task that last,--she was half sinking now! But what the -Richard lacked in mobility and direction, she made up in her captain. -Jones did things instinctively; Pearson had to think about them. -Jones's only hope was in getting to close quarters and making use of -the disciplined French soldiery upon his decks.</p> - -<p class="normal">They had done good service already in clearing the spar-deck of the -English. Therefore, as the Richard, gathering way, gradually forged -ahead, her helm was shifted to port and the vessel slowly swung across -the bow of the Serapis, which had just begun to fill away again, as -Pearson saw that he had nearly backed out of action. The bow of the -Serapis struck the starboard quarter of the Richard, the jib-boom -thrusting itself violently through the mizzen rigging. There was a -terrific crash at the moment of impact; and a second later the -English, cheering frantically, jumped upon the heel of the bowsprit -and clambered upon the rail of their ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">They were led by a tall distinguished-looking officer, who attracted -double attention, as he wore the red uniform of the English army. As -their heads appeared over the rail, the powerful voice of Jones could -be heard shouting, "Boarders away!" Not waiting for the men who came -springing up on the quarter-deck in obedience to his summons, the -dauntless captain seized a pike from the rack and hurled it through -the air at the leader of the Englishmen. Good fortune guided his hand, -and the steel head of the lance struck fair in the bosom of the -soldier. The British wavered a moment as their officer fell, and -Jones discharged his pistols full among them. Then De Chamillard and -those of his marines left alive upon the deck, by a well-directed -point-blank volley, drove back the boarding party of the English.</p> - -<p class="normal">The two ships were grinding against each other, and the wind on the -after-sail of the Serapis slowly forced her around until she swung -parallel to the Richard. The jib-boom snapped off short under the -strain, and her starboard anchor caught in the tangled rigging of the -American frigate; and Stacey, the sailing-master, sprang to lash the -ships together. Stacey snatched a rope from the raffle on the deck and -strove to overhaul it. It was tangled, and he found great difficulty -in clearing it. An impatient man at best, and now greatly excited, he -swore roundly as he tugged at the vexatious rope.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Don't swear, Mr. Stacey," said Jones, calmly, coming to his -assistance "In another moment we may all be in eternity, but let us do -our duty."</p> - -<p class="normal">With his own hands Jones passed the lashing.</p> - -<p class="normal">On the gun-deck below, the batteries were being fought fiercely. The -two ships were lying side by side, one heading in, the other out, the -bow of one by the stern of the other, the starboard side of the -Serapis closely touching the starboard side of the Richard. In the -hope that the Richard would drift clear, Captain Pearson now dropped -his port anchor; in vain, no bull-dogs ever clung to foes with more -tenacity of grip than did those two ships in deadly grapple joined -together. The Richard and the Serapis were fast locked for good, and -the two ships swung to the tidal current, the wind being again almost -entirely killed. In that position they lay for the next two hours, or -until the battle was over.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the Englishman had not hitherto engaged on the starboard side, the -port shutters had not been opened, and the close contact of the two -ships rendered it impossible to open them then. The Serapis' men were -therefore compelled to fire through them, blowing off the port-lids. -It was necessary for the men on both ships to extend the long handles -of the rammers and sponges of the guns through the ports into the -other ship in order to properly load their own cannon. Badinage of a -character easily to be imagined passed back and forth between the two -crews, though nothing interrupted the steady and persistent discharge -of the batteries. The battle below was literally a hand-to-hand -conflict with great guns, all the advantages in number and size being -with the English.</p> - -<p class="normal">At this juncture a new note was added to the conflict. Jones, whose -eyes were everywhere in the battle, observed a black shadow come -darting athwart the two fighting ships, shutting off the moonlight It -was the Alliance.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" he said to himself, "Landais has seen the folly of his -disobedience and has come to our assistance."</p> - -<p class="normal">As the American ship, with her French captain and half-English crew, -loomed up between him and the bright moon, he thought of course that -she would range down upon the unengaged side of the Serapis, and with -a few broadsides compel her to strike at once. But no, the Alliance -under full sail stood on. Her men were at quarters, ports triced up, -lanterns lighted. She was passing the bow of the Serapis now. Why did -she not fire? The insane and treacherous Landais held steadily on -until he was standing squarely across the stern of the Richard. Now -she was drawing past them as well. A command rang out. Good God! What -was that?</p> - -<p class="normal">Jones was well-nigh petrified with astonishment when at short range -the Alliance poured in a raking broadside, of which the Richard -received the brunt, though it was apparently discharged impartially at -the two ships. As Landais drew past the stern, the helm of the -Alliance was shifted. She swung parallel to the Richard, poured in -another broadside, circled the Richard forward, and raked her again! -The last discharge was a frightful one. The shot at close range swept -the crowded decks of the American ship, which seemed actually to -quiver and flinch at this treacherous blow. This broadside did much -damage, killing and wounding many on the forecastle, among them -Midshipman Caswell, mortally. Shrieks, groans, and cries of startled -surprise and dismay rose with increasing volume from the ship.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The Alliance, the Alliance--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We are betrayed! We are betrayed!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The English have got the ship!" came from every side in wild -confusion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is the Richard," shouted Jones at the top of his voice at the -first fire. "Hold your fire! Show the private signals there!" he cried -hastily to the faithful Brooks; but the Alliance paid no attention to -these and other warning cries. As the three broadsides were delivered -by the American frigate, the men, in their perfectly excusable terror -at this treacherous blow in the back, actually began to break from -their quarters and leave the guns. That was never to be thought of -under any circumstances.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Back!" shouted Jones, promptly. "Back to your quarters, every -mother's son of you! Shoot the first man that flinches from the guns!" -Dale and De Weibert and the midshipman gallantly seconded his orders; -and the Alliance, sailing away toward the Pallas and delivering no -more shot upon them, the conflict was resumed. That the men could be -got to the guns again after this frightfully unsettling attack, was a -supreme testimony to the quality of their officers, and to their own -as well.</p> - -<p class="normal">Indeed, upon the part of the Serapis the battle had never been -intermitted. The long eighteens of her main battery had simply -silenced and dismounted, knocked to pieces, and put out of action -nearly all the twelves on the main-deck of the Richard. The starboard -side of the American had been beaten in, and the port side beaten out -by the heavy fire at close range until the British were literally -firing through a hole; the shot hurtling through the air and falling -harmlessly in the water far on the farther side. The underpinning of -the upper decks of the ship was of course nearly knocked to pieces. -Why the decks did not fall in and the whole thing collapse was a -mystery.</p> - -<p class="normal">There had been no fighting at all on the berth-deck since the bursting -of the three guns, but poor little Payne had hung grimly to his post. -One by one the men of the guarding squad had been picked off by stray -shot until there were none left but he and the master-at-arms. Several -shot from the British had entered below the water-line of the Richard, -and she was making water fast. There was nearly four feet of water in -the hold then, and it was rising. The prisoners below were in a wild -state of terror. Imprecations, curses, appeals, had come up through -the gratings over the hatchway, to which the young man had turned a -deaf year.</p> - -<p class="normal">To the other dangers of the battle, fire now added its devastating -touch. In fact, both ships were aflame in several places. The burning -gun-wads had lodged in the chains and other inflammable positions, and -writhing, tossing, serpent-like torches threw their hot light over the -scene of terror. As the smoke drifted down the hatchway, the prisoners -in the hold could stand it no longer. There was a sudden rush below -toward the opening; the gratings were splintered and broken by the -thrust of a piece of timber; a head or two appeared in the clear; -hands clutched at the combings.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Back!" shouted Payne, trying to steady his boyish voice.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No! D--n your baby face!" shouted the first prisoner, furiously, -clutching desperately at the combing, while he was being lifted up in -the arms of the men below. "D'ye think we'll stay here and be drowned -like bloody rats in a hole!"</p> - -<p class="normal">With white lips and a sinking heart the boy thrust his pistol full -into the man's face, and with a trembling finger pulled the trigger. -He did the like to the next man with a second pistol. To seize the -musket of a dead marine and point it at the third, was the work of a -second. Awed by this resolution and the promptitude of his action, the -other prisoners fell back for the time. The sweat stood out on the -forehead of the young midshipman. He had shot a man--two men--in cold -blood! It seemed like murder. But he had done his duty. The words of -the captain rang in his ear: "<i>Keep them down!</i>"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was hot--hot as hell--on the berth-deck. The smoke poured in thick, -suffocating clouds between decks. The wavering reflections from the -flames on every side accentuated the horror. Bands of men flitted by -ghost-like, here and there, with buckets of water, striving to fight -the flames; lances of light leaped across the deck from the protruding -muzzles of the guns on the Serapis, piercing the gloomy darkness with -angry flashes. Bullets, grape, splinters of timber, solid shot, bits -of torn humanity, whistled past his head. He was wild, crazy; the -hugeness of the tragedy about him oppressed him direfully. There was a -weight in his bosom, a choking in his throat; the bitter, acrid taste -of the burned powder was in his mouth; the sickening smell of reeking -blood pervaded his being; he longed to throw down his weapon and fly, -anywhere, to get a respite from the infernal demand upon him. But he -was a sailor, the son of a race of fighters. He held on. The deep roar -of the guns above him told him that the battle was still going on. -Suddenly out of the smoke appeared the burly form of the carpenter, -wounded, blotched with red and gray, leaping forward, crying in -terror-stricken accents,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"We're sinking! we're sinking! Four feet of water in the hold!"</p> - -<p class="normal">The gunner and his mates, apparently equally terrified, came running -from the magazines as they caught the contagion of the moment. They -sprang to the gun-deck and thence to the spar-deck, repeating the -carpenter's cry, "We're sinking! we're sinking! Quarter! Quarter!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We must release the prisoners!" cried the master-at-arms, turning -toward the little officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not while I live!" said Payne, resolutely, all his courage coming -back to him in a moment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The ship is sinking; the battle is lost; make way!" returned the -burly master-at-arms, springing toward the hatchway.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Back!" cried the midshipman, fiercely, pointing his musket at him; -the boy's blood was up now. "Here they stay, and here we stay! The -orders of the captain--"</p> - -<p class="normal">He never finished his words; a grape-shot struck him fair in the -forehead. The master-at-arms tore open the hatch-cover.</p> - -<p class="normal">"On deck!" he cried; "the ship is sinking!"</p> - -<p class="normal">In panic terror, crowding and trampling upon each other like a mob of -wild beasts, the maddened prisoners scrambled up the hatchway, and, -yelling like animals, ran pell-mell for the gun-deck. The body of the -brave midshipman was spurned, crushed, and broken beneath their feet -as they ran.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXI</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_21" href="#div1Ref_21"><i>The Audacity of Despair</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">On the spar-deck things had gone better. Though De Chamillard and his -marines had been driven from the poop by the fire of the English, the -men in the tops had more than evened that reverse. As the two ships -lay side by side, the interlocking yards made a convenient bridge from -one to the other, over which a bold man might pass. It happened that -some of the choicest spirits on the Richard were stationed in the -maintop. Fanning, who had been busily engaged with small arms, saw his -opportunity. As the little parties in the two tops exchanged volleys, -the midshipman threw his men on the yard; and as the smoke cleared -away, the astonished British saw the Americans rushing toward them.</p> - -<p class="normal">The first and second men were shot down and fell to the deck of the -Serapis; the third, a gigantic man, by a desperate leap gained a -foothold in the top. Before he was cut down, Fanning and another had -joined him over the futtock shrouds; two men took the defenders in the -rear by way of the lubber's hole; the rest came swarming. The force of -their rush carried everything before it. The English, unable to stand -the irresistible onset, were shot down or thrown out of the top. No -quarter was asked or given. The Americans, having effected this -lodgement in the maintop of the Serapis, now turned their fire upon -the fore and mizzen tops, and enabled boarding parties from their own -ship to gain possession of all the upper works of the enemy.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was at this moment that the gunner and the carpenter reached the -deck, crying that the ship was sinking and proffering surrender. The -gunner ran aft shrieking, "Quarter! Quarter!" intending to lower -the flag. Jones, who had been superintending the working of the -quarter-deck guns, which were without an officer since Mease, who had -been fighting heroically, had been severely wounded, of course heard -the noise, and turning about saw the gunner running for the flag. -Fortunately the flag had been shot away; and as the gunner was seeking -it, fumbling over the halliards in the darkness, Pearson, hearing the -cries, called out again,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you ask for quarter?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Jones had taken two long leaps across the deck to the side of the -gunner. Seizing his discharged pistol, he brought the butt of it -heavily down upon the forehead of the man, cracking his skull and -silencing him forever.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Never!" he shouted in reply to the Englishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Then I will give none!" said Pearson,--an entirely superfluous -remark, by the way.</p> - -<p class="normal">It was at this juncture that the "Alliance" was seen coming down again -as before. Jones had time but for one glance of apprehension when he -heard the noise of the leaping prisoners below. He sprang to the main -hatch.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The prisoners have been released," cried De Weibert, meeting him; the -Frenchman had been toiling like a hero on the gun-deck. "The battery -is silenced, we have not a single gun to work, the ship is afire! We -must yield!" he exclaimed.</p> - -<p class="normal">As the frightened men came crowding up the hatchways, Dale, who had -just fired the only remaining gun on the deck that was left fit for -action, took in the situation at once. He stayed the rush in the nick -of time by voice and action. He sprang into the midst of them, -threatening them, striking them, beating them down, driving them back -with his sword. It was a magnificent display of hardihood and courage, -presence of mind and resource.</p> - -<p class="normal">"To the pumps!" he cried with prompt decision. "For your lives, men! -The English ship is sinking, and we'll go down with her unless you can -keep us afloat!" he shouted in thunder tones with superb audacity. The -battle lost was won again in that minute.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well done, Richard!" shouted Jones, leaping through the hatchway and -seconding the daring ruse of his noble lieutenant by his own mighty -voice and herculean efforts, crying masterfully, "Get to the pumps, -men! Lively! for God's sake! The ship is sinking under your feet! The -English ship is going!"</p> - -<p class="normal">It was unparalleled assurance, but it won. The two officers actually -succeeded in forcing the English prisoners to man the pumps, where -they worked with a frantic energy born of their persistent daze of -terror. This left the regular crew of the ship free to fight the fires -and to do what they could with the remaining guns. As Jones sprang -back to the quarter-deck, the surgeon, covered with blood, and -appalled at the carnage, came running toward him, crying,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"The ship is sinking, sir! The cock-pit is under water! I have no -place to stow the wounded. We must surrender!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Strike! Strike!" cried De Chamillard, who was wounded. "We can do no -more!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"What, gentlemen!" cried Jones, "would you have me strike to a drop of -water and a bit of fire? Up, De Chamillard! Here, doctor, help me get -this gun over."</p> - -<p class="normal">The surgeon hesitated, looked around again, and, not liking the -appearance of things about him, turned and ran below. Not to his -station, for that was under water. His mates had been killed. He -wandered up and down the decks, doing what he could--which was but -little--for the wounded where they lay. Assisted by two or three of -the seamen, with his own hands Jones dragged one of the nine-pounders -from the disengaged side of the deck across to the starboard side to -take the place of a dismounted one; and, while the heavy battery of -the Serapis continued its unavailing fire below, these three small -guns under his personal direction concentrated their fire upon the -mainmast of the Serapis.</p> - -<p class="normal">The fortuitous position of the Americans in the enemy's tops enabled -them to pour a perfect rain of small-arm fire upon the spar-deck of -the Serapis with little possibility of effective return. Man after man -was shot down by the side of the intrepid Pearson, who, whatever his -other lack of qualifications, showed that he possessed magnificent -personal courage, until he remained practically alone upon the -deck,--alone, and as yet undaunted.</p> - -<p class="normal">It is impossible to describe the scene. It is not within the power of -words to portray the situation, after over two hours of the most -frightful and determined combat. No two ships were ever in such -condition; no battle that was ever fought was like it. The decks were -covered with dead and dying; bands of men in different directions were -fighting the fires; the smoke in lowering clouds hung heavily over the -ships, for the wind had died and there was scarcely enough to blow it -away. The pale moonlight mingled with the red glare from the flames -and threw an added touch of lurid ghastliness trembling over the -smoke-wrapt sea. From below came the steady roar of the Serapis' guns, -from above the continuous crackling of the Richard's small arms. The -noises blended in a hideous diapason of destruction, which rose to an -offended Heaven in the horrid discord of an infernal region. The -prisoners, still under the influence of their terror, toiled at the -clanking pumps. The water gushed redly from the bleeding scuppers. -Order, tactics, discipline, had been forgotten. Men glared with -blood-shot eyes, set their teeth beneath foam-flaked lips, and fought -where they stood,--fought in frenzy against whatever came to hand, -whether it was the English ship, or the roaring flames, or the -rushing waters. They recked nothing of consequences. In their frantic -battle-lust they beat upon the sides of the other ship with their bare -hands and bloody knuckles, and knew not what they did. Their breath -came quick and short; the red of battle was before their vision; they -had but one thought. Slay! Kill! One would have said that the brute -instinct was uppermost in every heart. But in scenes of this kind it -is not the greatest brute that wins, but the greatest soul; and the -one man who still preserved his calmness in this orgy of war was the -man to win the battle--Jones.</p> - -<p class="normal">The Alliance had repeated her previous performance, but the men had -been worked to such a pitch that they never heeded her; many of them -did not know of it. Both ships were thoroughly beaten. It was only a -question as to which would realize it first, who would first -surrender. Nay, there was no question whatever of Jones' surrender -under any circumstances whatsoever. Pearson would give up under some -conditions, and those had at last arrived. That was the essential -difference between the two men; it was radical.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_22" href="#div1Ref_22"><i>Sinking, but Triumphant</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">And now happened the incident which finally decided the battle. By -Jones's orders, quantities of hand grenades, a small, highly -combustible, and explosive shell, about the size of a large apple, had -been placed in the tops. After the battle in mid-air by which the -Americans had gained possession, he shouted out that they be used in -accordance with his instructions. Fanning sent a man with a bucket of -grenades out on the extreme end of the main-yard-arm. Wrapping his -legs around the yard, he sat down, and leaning against the lift, -deliberately threw his bomb-shells, one by one, down the open main -hatchway of the Serapis. The powder boys of the latter ship had been -bringing charges of powder for the various guns from the magazine; and -as many of the guns had been put out of action by the American fire, -the supply had been greater than the demand. A large pile had been -carelessly allowed to accumulate upon the deck. One of the grenades -carromed against the hatch combing, and fell into the centre of the -charges.</p> - -<p class="normal">There was a detonating crash, so loud, so terrific, that it actually -seemed to blow even the roar of the battle into eternity. Twenty or -thirty men were killed or badly wounded, many of them torn to atoms, -by the explosion, and the rest of the men on the Englishman's deck -were dazed and driven from their stations by the concussion. The -clothes of many were actually ripped from their bodies, so that they -stood naked and wondering, though they were otherwise unhurt. A long -moment of ghastly silence succeeded this accident on the Serapis. Men -everywhere paused with bated breath to wait the issue. The Serapis, -dragging the Richard, reeled and rocked under the shock. It was a last -catastrophe which broke the strength of Pearson's endurance and ended -his resistance. He could fight no more. Was it the devil himself who -commanded the other ship? The English captain sprang aft to the -mizzenmast. A great English standard had been nailed to the timber of -the spar. With his own hands he tore it down. The battle was over! At -the same moment the mainmast of the Serapis undermined, and, eaten -away in its heart by the gnawing attack of the quarter-deck guns of -the Richard, came crashing down, a hopeless ruin, carrying some of the -Americans into eternity as it fell.</p> - -<p class="normal">"<i>They have struck their flag!</i>" cried Jones, who had sprung upon the -rail at the moment of the explosion and had witnessed Pearson's -action. "Cease firing!"</p> - -<p class="normal">His voice rang through the ship with such a note of proud triumph as -has rarely been heard within the fought over confines of the narrow -seas.</p> - -<p class="normal">"They have struck; the ship is ours!" ran from man to man among the -Americans. Wild cheers broke into the night in an ever-increasing -volume of sound.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Send Mr. Dale to me," said Jones to young Brooks as the flag came -down. The midshipman had been wounded, but still kept his station.</p> - -<p class="normal">As Dale came running toward his captain, Jones cried,--</p> - -<p class="normal">"Muster a boarding party and take charge of the prize; the fight is -over!"</p> - -<p class="normal">But no, the battle was not over. A few moments before, an English ship -captain among the prisoners had succeeded in escaping through the -rents in the shattered sides of the two ships and had told the plight -of the Richard to the first lieutenant of the Serapis. With this -information the men on the gun-deck had been rallied, and led by their -officers had returned to their quarters and had resumed the battle. -They, too, were heroes. Mayrant, who ran aft from the forecastle as he -saw Pearson strike his flag, jumped on the rail by Jones's orders and -followed Dale upon the deck of the English ship. Such was the -confusion of the moment that as Mayrant leaped on the deck he was -actually run through the thigh by a pike in the hand of a wounded -British sailor. Pearson was standing alone as if dazed, on the -quarter-deck of his ship, holding one clenched hand against his -breast, with the other grasping his trailing flag. In his face was -that look of defeat and despair which is the saddest aspect of baffled -impotent humanity.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Have you struck, sir?" cried Dale, stopping before the English -captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," was the grim reply; his voice was a broken whisper indicating -in the tones his mental agony.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am come to take possession."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Very good, sir," said Pearson, bitterly, as before, and dropping the -flag; then he reached for his sword.</p> - -<p class="normal">Just at this moment, Pascoe, the first lieutenant of the Serapis, came -bounding up the hatchway from the deck below.</p> - -<p class="normal">"A few more broadsides, sir, and they are ours," he cried impetuously. -"They are in a sinking--</p> - -<p class="normal">"The ship has struck, sir, and you are my prisoner," interrupted Dale, -quickly, seeing the necessity of promptitude.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Struck! This ship! Your prisoner!" cried the astonished Englishman.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir. Your sword!" demanded Dale. The man hesitated.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Disarm him!" cried the American. Two or three of the boarding parties -closed around them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," asked the lieutenant, turning to his captain, "is it true that -we have struck?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir," answered Pearson, hoarsely.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My God!" cried Pascoe. There was a momentary silence.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I have nothing more to say, sir," he added. "I will go below and call -off the men," said the lieutenant, turning away.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, sir!" interrupted Dale. "You will accompany your captain on board -our ship at once. Pass the word to cease firing. The ship has struck."</p> - -<p class="normal">As the English captain and his first lieutenant stepped over the rail -upon the high poop of the Richard, the roar of the guns died away, -this time for good. Seizing a dangling rope they swung themselves -inboard, and found themselves face to face with a little man in a -tattered uniform, hatless, covered with dust and smoke, powder-stained -and grimy with the soil of the battle. Blood spattering from a -wound in his forehead had coagulated upon his cheek. He was a -hideous-looking spectacle. The red firelight played luridly upon him. -Nothing but the piercing black eyes which burned and gleamed out of -his face in the darkness bespoke the high humanity of the man.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Is it--" -"Captain John Paul Jones, at your service, gentlemen."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My sword," said Pearson, tendering it to him formally. "I regret," he -added ungraciously, "at being compelled to strike to a man who has -fought with a halter around his neck."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said Jones, with a magnanimity as great as his valor, "you have -fought like a hero, and I make no doubt that your sovereign will -reward you in the most ample manner. Mr. Brooks, escort these -gentlemen to my cabin."</p> - -<p class="normal">And which was the gentleman then?</p> - -<p class="normal">The two ships were now cut adrift, Dale remaining on the Serapis to -take command. He had sat down a moment for rest, and as he attempted -to rise to his feet he fell to the deck, discovering only in that way -that he had been severely wounded,--a thing which had escaped his -notice in the heat of the action.</p> - -<p class="normal">By the most heroic efforts of the prize crew on the Serapis and the -remaining men on the Richard, the English prisoners were driven back -into the hold, the flames subdued, and some semblance of order -restored. Cottineau had captured the Pallas after an hour of good hard -fighting, and the victory was entirely with the Americans. But it had -been purchased at a fearful cost. There is no battle on land or sea in -the world's history where the percentage of loss was greater than the -battle between the Serapis and the Richard.</p> - -<p class="normal">About seventy per cent on the Serapis and over fifty per cent on the -Richard had been killed or wounded, and the Bon Homme Richard was in a -sinking condition. She had been literally beaten to pieces. It was not -safe to remain upon her decks. Consequently the prisoners and the -wounded, groaning and crying in anguish, were removed to the Serapis. -In the early morning of the day following, the brave ship which had -earned undying immortality in her worn-out old age, because for three -brief hours John Paul Jones and his men had battled upon her decks, -sank forever beneath the sea. The great battle-flag under which she -had fought had been reset, and fluttered above her as she went down.</p> - -<p class="normal">The refitting of the prizes for the returning voyage was at once -begun. To anticipate events, it is recorded that Captain Landais, the -jealous and false-hearted Frenchman who had so treacherously -manœuvred the Alliance, was subsequently court-martialled and -dismissed from the service. He should have been hanged from her -highest yard-arm.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h3>BOOK VI<br> -THE HAND OF GOD</h3> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXIII</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_23" href="#div1Ref_23"><i>On Board the Serapis again</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"The battle is on," said O'Neill, in the small boat, to Elizabeth, -"and I am not there. Oh, God, give us a little breeze!" he cried. In -anticipation he swung the oars inboard, stepped the mast once more, -letting the sail hang, and then resumed his place by her side.</p> - -<p class="normal">"God is good to me," she said at last. "He will not let you be there -to be killed. You have had trouble enough, and have run enough risks. -He wishes to keep you for me." He shook his head.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My place is there; my duty is on yonder deck. Would that I had -returned to the ship without going up to the castle!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, then," she said reproachfully, "you would not have seen me!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I know," he replied, "but then I would be in my rightful place, -fighting where I should be; Coventry would be honored in doing his -duty; the admiral would be happy; your marriage would take place--</p> - -<p class="normal">"And you," she cried, womanlike, placing him in the balance, as -opposed to all the rest,--"would you have been happy?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Happiness has nothing to do with that," he answered impatiently; "it -is a question of duty. I have been a fool."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Has the fool been rewarded in accordance with his folly?" she asked -him. "Nay, look at me before you reply," she cried imperiously, -turning his head until his eyes looked into her own. In the face of -that girl, in the limpid light of her magic glance, in that mystic -night, there was but one answer to be made.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I say no more," he replied, kissing her softly. "You are right. I -have you. You are worth it all. I will try to be a philosopher about -all the rest."</p> - -<p class="normal">Meanwhile the intermittent reports had been succeeded by a steady roar -of artillery which reverberated and rolled along the surface of the -water. The Scarborough, some distance from the Serapis and the Richard -to the northwest, was apparently hotly engaged with the Pallas; while -the Alliance seemed to be sailing back and forth between the two -groups of combatants, pouring in a random fire upon friend and foe -alike. Great clouds of smoke, punctured by vivid flashes of light, -overhung the ships.</p> - -<p class="normal">Back on the heights above the town the people swarmed. O'Neill could -picture the old admiral walking up and down the terrace, glass in -hand, while he surveyed the battle. There seemed to be little -manœuvring going on between the ships, except on the part of the -Alliance, and the combat seemed to be a yard-arm to yard-arm fight. -Once or twice the roar of the battle died away temporarily, and the -smoke blowing off to leeward disclosed the two ships side by side. -Sometimes great wreaths of flame, which told that one or the other -ship had been set on fire, would leap up into the air.</p> - -<p class="normal">The feelings of the young officer can be imagined. Adrift in that -little boat, watching the awful combat, not even the presence of the -woman he loved could compensate him for his absence, in spite of his -attempted philosophy. The fever of the conflict possessed him. His -breath came hard; the sweat stood on his forehead. He prayed as never -before for a breeze to take him to the fight. He murmured incoherent -words which told to the tender listener something of the terrible -struggle which raged within his bosom. So the long hours wore away.</p> - -<p class="normal">Toward eleven o'clock they heard a terrific explosion, and then the -roar of the battle slackened, and finally died away. When the smoke -drifted off, the two ships were lying side by side. Further off, -almost hull down, were the Scarborough and the Pallas, who had ceased -their fight some time before. The battle was over. Who had won? It was -a question he could not answer.</p> - -<p class="normal">But it was late, and the breeze so long wished for now sprung up once -more, and the little boat gathered way and began to slip through the -water again. The sky had become overcast; it grew very dark; the wind -freshened steadily, and finally blew so strong that it required all -the skill and address of which O'Neill was possessed to keep his -unsteady little craft from capsizing. Finally he was forced to drop -the sail and take to the oars to keep afloat at all. About two o'clock -in the morning a squall of rain came down, and they lost sight of the -ships. Toward morning the wind moderated again, and they were enabled -to set sail once more. But the ocean was covered with a dense mist; -they were in the thick of it, and could see nothing. As nearly as he -could judge without the aid of a compass, O'Neill headed the boat -toward the place where they had last made out the two ships.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We ought to pick them up in a few moments now," he said to the -cowering, frightened, exhausted girl crouching down in the stern -sheets in her wet, sodden garments, which clung to her shivering -figure. The night had been too much for her; her physical strength had -almost given way, though nothing could abate the affection he saw -shining still in her tired eyes. "Therefore, in a few moments we shall -know our fate."</p> - -<p class="normal">"How is that?" she said, rousing herself a little.</p> - -<p class="normal">"If Commodore Jones has been captured," he answered, "I have but to -give myself up and redeem Coventry and--you know the rest."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," she replied wearily and listlessly; "let it come. We have -fought a good fight, you and I; we can do no more; and the other -alternative?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, in that case," he said, "we shall be there, under our own flag; -he, too, will be saved, and the rest of our troubles are over."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What think you of the prospect?" she asked, brightening a little.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is difficult to say. The Serapis and the Scarborough should easily -be more than a match for our whole squadron. The Richard is almost -worthless as a fighting ship, as I said. Landais, who commands the -Alliance, is insane. I can't prophesy what Cottineau will do with the -Pallas. We have but one advantage."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And is that a great one?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The greatest; it may have decided the battle in our favor."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What is that, then?" she asked.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is not 'what,' but 'who,'" he answered, smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Who, then?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"John Paul Jones himself! He alone is worth a thousand."</p> - -<p class="normal">The light from the rising sun, assisted by the fitful wind, began to -dispel the mists of the morning.</p> - -<p class="normal">"See!" cried the girl, pointing. "There, right ahead of us! Are not -those the sails of a ship? What ship?"</p> - -<p class="normal">Wraithlike, as she pointed at a rift in the mist, and wreathed in -clouds of vapor, there appeared, for a second, the light canvas of a -great ship. Following her outstretched finger, he caught a fleeting -glimpse of it, but saw nothing to reassure him as to the result of the -battle; the sight struck terror to his heart. Such canvas as that was -never set above the decks of the Richard. As he looked the mist closed -around them again; the ship had vanished.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, 'tis gone, but I am certain I saw it. Which was it?" she -continued, hastily rousing herself at the prospect of decision. "'Tis -a ship, is it not? But which one?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"The mist is thinning again. 'Twill clear away in a moment," he -answered evasively. "We shall see more distinctly then; she was making -toward us, I think." He could not bear to dash her hopes with the -assurance that it was not the Richard, though he had resigned himself -to death in consequence of his glimpse at once. It was useless to try -to fly; the mist was rising in every direction, and before they could -have gone a hundred yards they would be visible to the ship in front -of them, now shoving her huge bulk through the thinning clouds of -vapor which enshrouded her. The next moment it rolled away. The -sunlight flooded the heavens in transformation; the breeze tossed the -sea into a thousand white-capped waves. It was morning. Some one on -the ship saw the little boat with its two occupants at once; an -officer leaped to the rail.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Boat ahoy!" rang out over the water. The great white frigate, deep -sunken, as if deeply laden, was moving sluggishly through the water, -and was almost upon them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The ship!" screamed the girl, wildly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is the Serapis!" answered O'Neill, in a hollow voice.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah!" she said, sinking back exhausted. "After all, it is over. I -shall never survive you."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Boat ahoy, there!" again cried the officer, standing on the rail, -pistol in hand. "Answer my hail, or I fire. Who are you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am your prisoner, escaped last night from that ship," cried -O'Neill. "I wish to deliver myself up."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come alongside, then," said the officer, turning inboard and giving a -sharp command. The way of the ship was checked; she was thrown up into -the wind, and as her broadside slowly swung opposite O'Neill, he saw -that her mainmast was gone and that she was frightfully cut up, and -bore evidence of having participated in a tremendous action. Away off -to the northeast a little cluster of ships were seen on the horizon, -too far off to distinguish them. There was no sign of the Richard that -he could see. In a few seconds the boat was brought alongside the -gangway. Elizabeth clambered up the ladder with his assistance, and -they stepped upon the decks. A frightful scene presented itself.</p> - -<p class="normal">Upon one side amidships, dead men, half-naked, covered with coagulated -blood, were literally piled up in a great heap. The deck itself was -covered with grime and blood; and a handful of men, most of them -wounded in some way, were distributed about the ship, endeavoring to -effect some restoration to order. Guns here and there were dismounted; -ropes cut in every direction were lying entangled in wild confusion -about the fife-rails and masts. The broken mainmast thrust its jagged -end a few feet into the air, above the deck; the rest of it was gone.</p> - -<p class="normal">Spars everywhere were shattered, and great rifts appeared in the -flapping canvas. The rail and bulwarks were broken and smashed on -every side. There was not a single boat left swinging at the davits. -Splintered woodwork showed where numberless shots had taken effect, -and charred pieces of timber on every hand added heartbreaking -evidence of conflagration's devastating touch. From the depths beneath -the deck came low groans and murmurs of pain, accentuated by the sharp -shriek of some deeper sufferer, or the delirious raving of some -fevered patient. Elizabeth shrank back appalled.</p> - -<p class="normal">"How horrible!" she murmured. "Take me away; I cannot stand it!" He -caught her in his arms; a little more, and she would have fainted.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good heavens!" he said. "In all my battles I never saw such a ship! -What a frightful scene! They didn't get off without a fight," he added -slowly. An officer, with head bound up in a handkerchief and his arm -in a sling, was approaching them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said O'Neill, saluting the while, "I am the officer who escaped -last night. I deliver myself up to-- Why, it's Stacey!" he cried, in -great surprise, recognizing a brother officer of the Richard. "What do -you here, man?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Fore Gad, it's O'Neill!" cried the other. "Glad are we to see you, -man. But this lady--this is no place for her."</p> - -<p class="normal">"She goes with me," said O'Neill, briefly. "But you?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"This is where I belong."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And they have captured you, I suppose?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"No; the ship is ours."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And the old Richard?" cried O'Neill.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Abandoned and sunk after the surrender," answered the young officer. -"She was cut to pieces by the Serapis's fire, but we have this ship."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Thank God!" answered O'Neill, fervently. "And Captain Jones?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Aft there on the quarter-deck."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Come, Elizabeth," he cried, seizing her by the arm; and, he assisting -her, they made their way with difficulty, in the confusion, to the -quarter-deck.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, O'Neill, thank God I see you alive again!" said Jones, springing -forward, his face beaming. "We got there in time, then, I see."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir, thanks to this lady," answered O'Neill, pointing to -Elizabeth.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Madam, you are fit for a sailor's bride," said the little captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Tis high praise, sir, from Captain Jones, I protest," she answered, -rallying herself in the relief of assured safety.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Would God that I had been with you in this battle!" cried O'Neill, -gloomily.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We missed you. I wished often for you," answered the captain. "The -poor old Richard was torn to pieces under our feet. We could not stay -on her longer, so we had to come here."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And I not there! I suppose that I have forfeited everything forever -for going up to the castle. Shall you break me, sir?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing, nothing, shall be done, my poor boy," answered the captain, -kindly. "You have been punished enough by not having been with us in -the greatest battle ever fought on the sea. But it seems to me you -have not entirely lost the game. You, too, have a prize in tow. How go -your love affairs?" he whispered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well, indeed, sir; the Lady Elizabeth is here, as you see. We are to -be married at once, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You may have the chaplain of the Serapis for that purpose."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes, sir. When he last officiated for me, he was reading my funeral -service," replied O'Neill, smiling.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Some people would say it's much the same thing," laughed the captain; -"but we know better. Ah well, that's over now, thank God; and this -lady--Madam," he said, turning to her, "I bade you welcome to a ship -once before. It is a different ship now, but the welcome is just the -same."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Know you aught of Major Edward Coventry, Captain Jones?" cried -Elizabeth. This time it was she who remembered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Why, he lies on the deck yonder, dying. He wouldn't let me take him -below. Do you know--but I forgot, he was your friend."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Take me to him!" she cried hastily, and in a moment she was kneeling -by his side. They had made him as comfortable as possible with -cushions and boat cloaks, but his hours were numbered. His head was -thrown back, his face ghastly pale. Blood stained the linen of his -shirt about his breast. His eyes were closed; the end was at hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Poor fellow!" said O'Neill, in great sorrow, "he died for me;" and -then he briefly recounted the circumstances of their escape to the -astonished captain.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Do you know how he was wounded, sir?" he asked.</p> - -<p class="normal">"It was my own hand that struck the blow," answered Jones. "Would it -had been otherwise! There was a moment in the action when they sprang -to board. He leaped upon the rail, cutlass in hand; he was a fair and -easy mark; I met them with a pike, which I buried in his bosom. He -fell back smiling. I remember that I thought it strange to see him -smiling at that time, even in the heat of the battle--too bad--too -bad!" he said.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, Edward!" cried the girl, tears streaming down her face, "I never -thought to see you thus! I never meant to bring you to this! If you -could but speak to me--to say that you forgave me for it all! If I -could have your blessing before--" The man stirred a little and opened -his eyes. He looked about him vacantly, but consciousness began to -dawn again, and with the dawn came recognition. It was the face of -Elizabeth bending over him. She was the woman whom he loved. There, -back of her, was O'Neill. He began to comprehend.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Elizabeth," he murmured, "my death--not in vain--then."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Forgive me--forgive me," she cried brokenly. "Oh, forgive me! I did -love you!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Yes," he said, faintly smiling; "but--not like--" -He glanced at O'Neill. "You, too!" he murmured; "make--her--happy." -His mind wandered a little. "Father," he cried suddenly, "don't look -at me in that way! I did it because I loved her; her happiness before -mine."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Oh, doctor, can nothing be done; is there no hope?" cried O'Neill to -the attending surgeon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Nothing, sir. 'Twill not be long now," answered the surgeon, shaking -his head.</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<br> -<h4>CHAPTER XXIV</h4> - -<p class="center"><a name="div1_24" href="#div1Ref_24"><i>Not Guilty, my Lord</i></a></p> -<br> - -<p class="normal">"There's a boat comin' alongside, sir," said a midshipman to Captain -Jones, "flying an admiral's flag."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, that will be our friend Lord Westbrooke," he said, turning toward -the gangway. "Show him to me if he comes on board." Elizabeth knelt by -the side of the dying man, who had sunk into silence again, and bathed -his head with her handkerchief, while the doctor applied some simple -restorative. In a moment the stately form of the old admiral stepped -through the gangway, and he looked about him in astonishment.</p> - -<p class="normal">"God bless me, what a fight! I knew that rebel was a desperate man, -but I never imagined anything like this! Captain Pearson?" said he, -imperiously. "Where is he?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Here, my Lord," said Pearson, mournfully, coming out of the cabin, -where he had withdrawn a little.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I congratulate you, sir, on--" -"Stop, sir!" cried the captain, in great agony. "You do not -understand. This ship--we were not successful."</p> - -<p class="normal">"What!" cried the admiral. "Is not this the Serapis?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay, but she belongs--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"To the Navy of the United States, sir," said a calm voice at his -elbow, which made him start; "and she is now commanded by Captain John -Paul Jones, at your service. I shall be glad to supply you with a -yard-arm, if you have need of one, my Lord--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Good God!" said the old man, turning to Jones. "And the Richard?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"We sunk her, sir," answered Pearson, "but it was useless."</p> - -<p class="normal">"You have done well, Captain Pearson," said the admiral. "Here is -evidence of the fight you made. Never fear; you shall receive reward. -'Twas a defeat as noble as a capture."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay," said Captain Jones, "I can bear witness to the desperate nature -of the resistance. 'Twas such as I have never met before in twenty -battles on the sea."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Pearson--my--my--son--" said the admiral, huskily. "How did he bear -himself in the fight?"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Well and nobly, sir, as I can testify," added Pearson.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I, too," said Jones,--"I saw him. 'Twas he who led your boarders, -Captain Pearson, when they tried to sweep our decks."</p> - -<p class="normal">"And is he well?" said the old admiral, striving to school himself -into composure. "That charge, you know, Pearson; I think we need not -press it now?" he added.</p> - -<p class="normal">"No, not now, nor ever, sir," said Pearson, mournfully. "Compose -yourself, my dear admiral; he--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"I am a veteran," said the admiral. "I have looked death in the face -for fifty years. Speak plainly. You would say that he is dead."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not yet, sir," answered Jones, gently.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Where is he? Take me to him!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"He lies aft there on the quarter-deck, sir."</p> - -<p class="normal">The little group around the dying man made way for the old admiral. He -knelt down on the deck opposite Elizabeth, not heeding the others, and -gazed long and earnestly in the face of the dying officer.</p> - -<p class="normal">"The last of his line," he murmured, "and he is gone!" A single tear -trickled down the weather-beaten cheek, and splashed upon the face of -the young man. "Will he live to know me, think you?" said the admiral, -simply, to the surgeon.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I think so, yes," replied the physician. As if he had heard the -question, Coventry opened his eyes; there was recognition in them.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Father," he murmured faintly.</p> - -<p class="normal">"My boy--my boy," said the admiral, bowing his head, and striving, -manlike, but in vain, to conceal his emotion.</p> - -<p class="normal">"You told me--not to see you--again; I tried to obey," said Coventry, -faintly. "The charge--</p> - -<p class="normal">"It is withdrawn; I dismiss it. You have done nobly, Captain Pearson -says, and fought like a hero. You are forgiven. I commend you," said -the old man, catching his other hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, so," said Coventry, smiling wearily. "Now I must go."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not yet!" cried the admiral.</p> - -<p class="normal">"I--my Lord--" said the young man, wandering again, "may it please the -court--may it please the court--" He struggled for breath. "Lift me -up," he said.</p> - -<p class="normal">"'Twill be his end," said the doctor, lifting a warning finger.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Lift me up," cried the dying man, more strongly than before. The -admiral nodded. The young Irishman lifted him a little.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Higher!" he cried. O'Neill lifted him to a sitting position.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not guilty, my Lord!" said the young man, resolutely, in a loud, -clear voice, throwing his arms out before him, and still smiling. The -blood gushed from his lips; and when they laid him back, his plea was -heard in that higher court before which the rich and the poor must all -finally appear, before which the admiral and the sailor equally must -plead.</p> - -<p class="normal">"<i>The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of -the Lord</i>," said the chaplain of the Serapis, reverently. The men -stood around him in a silence broken only by the woman's sobs.</p> - -<p class="normal">"He has died like a hero, sir," said Jones at last, removing his hat, -"and I venture to say that no one of his gallant race, in all the -years of their history, has ever made a better end."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah," said the admiral, rising, and mournfully regarding the little -group, Elizabeth praying by the side of his son, O'Neill still -supporting his head, "I made my plans, I tempted this honorable -gentleman to do a shameful thing; he refused, and it has all come back -upon me. I've wrought my own undoing, gentlemen. The hand of God has -worked His will, not mine. I am punished; I am overruled. He has -written this old man childless. I go down to my grave alone--forever -alone!"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Not so," answered O'Neill, rising. "You have Elizabeth. Let me, -too--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Peace, sir!" said the old man, waving him back. "The young cling -together,--think of each other,--there is nothing left for the old. -Our ways lie apart. I bear you in no unkindness, I wish you well. -Elizabeth, I had hoped to call you daughter. 'Twas my own pride -defeated the wish. May you be happy with this honest gentleman! He -deserves you even as did this, my son."</p> - -<p class="normal">"My father--my father--" cried the girl, catching his hand.</p> - -<p class="normal">The old man shook his head; his lips trembled. Gray-faced and broken, -all his years upon him, he turned away unsteadily, as if to go to his -barge.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Stop, sir!" cried Pearson. "You forget we are not in possession of -the ship. We are prisoners," he whispered.</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ah, yes," said the admiral, "I had forgotten it. Well, it matters -little to me. Captain Jones," he continued, turning to the little -Scotsman, and proffering his sword, with a painful gesture, "I am your -prisoner, it seems."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Sir," said the little captain, and twenty generations of gentle blood -could not have done it better, "allow me to match the act of an -American sailor against the word of an English officer. You are free, -my Lord. Your boat awaits you. If I can do aught--"</p> - -<p class="normal">"Be it so," said the admiral, simply. "Let me have my boy, and we will -go away together, and I shall remember you differently in the future. -If in England you ever need a friend, remember this moment, and call -upon me. Farewell."</p> - -<p class="normal">And two hung over the taffrail and watched the white sails of the -little boat bearing away to the verdant shore, where the old castle -still shone in the sunlight. Two, sad yet exultant. Their troubles -were over now. They had lost everything else, but had gained each -other in the losing.</p> - -<p class="normal">"We ought to be very good to each other," said the sweet voice of the -woman, "to make up to God all that He has preserved us from."</p> - -<p class="normal">"Ay," said O'Neill, "and to give due value to the sacrifice of him who -loved you, even as I do myself."</p> -<br> -<br> -<br> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Grip of Honor, by Cyrus Townsend Brady - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GRIP OF HONOR *** - -***** This file should be named 52540-h.htm or 52540-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/2/5/4/52540/ - -Produced by Charles Bowen from page scans provided by Google Books - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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