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“ prove to bea British cruiser, will be the
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Bo Po THE LOG
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“A ship coming out of Delaware Bay? Heaven grant she be
not an English man-of-war!” muttered Clewline. ‘For if she
is, it'll be hard work to clear her with these other chaps in our
wake.” o “
“Have we an English flag in our signal locker?” asked Pem-
berton. -
“Yes, sir—English, French, and Spanish. I got them out
in Norfolk, knowing we might want to use false colors some
time.” .
“Good! Down with the rattlesnake and up with the cross of
St. George. This schooner when hailed, if, that vessel should
art, tender to. the
Magenta—’94,’ the flag-ship of the fleet in the bay, carrying dis-
patches to General Gage at Boston!” °;
“All right, sir.” , - :
Quickly the flags were exchanged, and none too’ soon, for as
the schooner drew up near the cape, a large frigate flying the
English flag, was seen standing out, so close already that the
* schooner was under her guns. :
“It is well for us them other chaps are so far astern, sir,” said
Clifton, who had come on deck with his watch.
“Ts your gun shotted?” asked Pemberton,’
“Yes, sir; and every swivel loaded ” Z :
~ “Allright. Have your matches alight below. If. this bull-
dog should scent our real character, he shall feel our bite before
he can use his own teeth.’ Though our chances would be slim
under his batteries.” -
The two vessels were nearing each other very. fast now, and
the frigate, backing her main yards and coming up in the wind,
swung around nearly in the course of the schooner.
As the latter Inffed slightly, coming nearly nnder the stern of
the frigate, an officer of the man-of-war hailed:
“What schooner is that?”
“His majosty’s schooner Dart -tender to the Chesapeake fleet,
bound to Boston.with dispatches for General Gage. Lord Dun-
more has much trouble with the rebels in’ Virginia, and we are
sent. for troops to put them down!” * |
“All right, good speed!” cried the unsuspecting Briton, and
the schooner flew along on her course, whilé the ponderous
ship with her two tiers of guns filled’ away: and stood out to
sea. - :
“In the smoother water, as the schooner drew across the bay,
and got under the low, piny point, Cape May, with every reef
shaken out, the Rattlesnake made splendid “headway, and the
frigate last spoken was fully ten miles to leeward, when she was
seen suddenly to take in her studding-sails, and under whole
courses and topsails to haul on a wind, heading north.
“Now number three is in the chase,” said Pemberton, laugh-
ing. ‘Haul down that English rag, and hoist our own colors.
Let them see that we do not fear them anyhow.” ,
Quickly the colors changed places, and now the officers of the |
Rattlesnake watched with intense interest, to see if the chasers
gained on them. ,They soon found that very slowly, still per-
ceptibly, all three of the square-rigged vessels were rising on the
horizon. : Co
The schooner kept on, and the hours flew by, and when it
was near night, the Highlands of Navesink were close on the lee
bow. Anxiously had Pemberton and his officers watched this
point, for should English men-of-war be lying inside of Sandy
Hook, to pass them, with the three Englishmen now but a little
out of gunshot astern, would be next to impossible.
It wasin the haze of twilight that the schooner scudded
past the low sandy point close in, and to his joy, Pemberton
~saw clear water ahead as he eased off sheets to run past the
point. . Oo
Then lufflng in toward the channel /inside of Staten Island,
Clewline, as pilot, cried out: _
‘Let them follow us in here and their keels will get bedded in
Jersey mad. > , ;
The ships, evidently without pilots, had shortened sail as they
- approached the bar of the main channel,’ and now guns were
fired, evidently to summon the desired help.
‘Safe for to-night, anyhow,” cried Pemberton, as he saw
the inside of Staten Island, for they were heading into Amboy
Bay now. :
“Safe altogether from these vultures, if we can make the East
River 4nd run Hell Gate by morning,” said Jack Clewline.
“There isn’t a pilot around who would undertake to put a man-
of-war through there at night. . It is risk enough for a schooner
like this, that answers her helm at a touch, and goes over a bar
or reef with ten foot of water on it,”
CHAPTER XI.
/ A ROSE IN A SNOW-BANE.
After Lord Dunmore had left, ostensibly to get back to the
Goverment House, for he would trust. his miserable escort of
drunken troops no farther, Fanny was astonished to hear her
father propose a visit to the Pemberton Mansion.
An hour later, the father and daugher, preceeded by a ser-
vant who carried a change of clothing for both in a huge port-
manteau behind his saddle, rode away toward Pemberton Man-
lon.
On their arrival in front of the house, Maude rushed out to
embrace and welcome Fanny, while Mr. Pemberton courteously,
but with dignity, received Mr. Maynard, and assisted Fanny to
alight. '
“Iam glad to welcome neighbor Maynard and his fair dangh- .
ter,” said Mr..Pemberton. ‘‘I have been expecting.a visit of a
less pleasant nature. Lord Dunmore started from Government
House to visit me and some of my friends, I was informed.”
“It is true, sir. But I flatter myself he listened to reason,
and I took a great deal of pains to convince him that such a visit
would increase dissension rather than allay it.
lordship to return home, and remain there for the present, and
he has done so.” :
Mr. Pemberton was puzzled, to say the least. He did not
expect.the influence of Mr. Maynard to be exerted in ‘his favor,
but rather to the contrary. He feared there was some treachery
hidden -under, this pleesant appearing, but he knew Fanny
would be no party to it, and he instantly made up his. mind: to
wait and watch, He wanted to see her alone, if he could, to get
an explanation of the real cause of Dunmore’s return, and his ,
exemption from thethreatened official visit—one for which he
was well prepared; since by signal, either night or day, in two
hours, he knew he could call together over one hundred true
Sons of Liberty. .
Fanny got off with Maude.in a little while, and told her the
happy news that Ned had. got to sea in the Rattlesnake, and
what a daring deed he had done in firing into a large frigate as
he passed her.
Maude was pleased, and said it was no more than she expected :
of her brother; she only hoped he would not be too imprudent.
She relied greatly on the wisdom of. his first lieutenant, Jack
Clewline, who was brave, but careful.
The two young ladies were speedily called to dinner, and they
found their two fathers apparently on excellent terms.
‘Miss Fanny, do you think the millennium is close at hand?”
asked Mr. Pemberton, with a singular smile on his frank end
noble face. . a
They had separated a little from Maude and’ Mr. Maynard,
who were walking in the large flower garden attached to the
mansion., i
“Because my father seems tc have forgotten his devotion to.
the king, you mean?” she asked, with a smile.
“Frankly, yes.. What does it mean?” .
“JT can hardly.tell, sir. The conversion has been so sudden
Ihave had no chance to study it. To tell the truth, I fear that
Lord Dunmore has induced my father to appear thus indifferent
for the purpose of throwing you off.your guard. I can see no
other reason. I know that three days ago—nay, but two—both
were as virulent as virulent can be when talking of you and your
son. I had no hope of ever seeing my dear, dear Maude, except
by fstealth, when all at once my father himself proposed this
visit.” : ‘
“There is some hidden reason.
Meantime, remember, dear child, no matter what occurs, or how
others may act, you are here a trusted and welcome visitor.” .
“I know it, Mr. Pemberton, and I will deserve the trust. No
harm shall ever reach you or your friends that I can avert. But
look—-Maude is laughing as if she would go ‘into convulsions.
Father must have been saying something very funny, but his
face does not look very jovial.”
“No. Maude laughs very easily. Your father looks annoyed.
Let us join them. ' .
“What is the matter, Maude? You seem very gay,” asked
her father.
“J was laughing at a singular idea of Mr. Maynard’s,” she
answered. ‘tHe has an idea that a rose can blossom on a snow-
bank.”
“You misunderstood me, Miss Mande,” he ‘said, stiffly. “I
am aware that when one approaches a rose-bush he is like to
feel thorns before he plucks the flowers, but when he is resolved
_ to possess it, the man who winces from a thorn is hardly worthy
: 1
of the rose. If I set my. .heart on possessing a ‘flower, I wi
have it if [ destroy the bush and all its kindred.” -
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