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: THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY. | 49
their original course, or even communicated with the English
men-of-war, their supplies would soon have been in thé hands
of General Gage, in Boston.
The wind freshened after dark, and Pemberton shortened sail
on the Rattlesnake, for fear of running away from the fleet in the
night, just keeping such speed as he thought would insure their
being in sight in the morning. This seemed to succeed, for in
a little while a huge, lumbering ship was seen close aboard,
standing in the prescribed direction. . ‘
Hailing her, Pemberton learned that she was a transport ship,
the Sheerness,. loaded with arms, ammunition, and provisions,
with nearly half her crew down with dysentery owing to bad
water, caused by dirty tanks which they had not been allowed
time for cleaning. : oy
“We must have that craft for a prize, anyway. What do you
say, Clewline, to taking ten men and going aboard to help her
into port?” .
“Tam agreeable, if it is your wish,” said the gallant young
officer.
“Tt is,” said Pemberton. ‘You need not mind me after you
get on board, but crowd all the sail you can and get into New
London, We'll sight land at daylight.” ©
“All right, sir; put me aboard.”
‘‘Heave up in the wind!” cried out Pemberton to the captain
ofthe ship. ‘‘You are so weak-handed I’! send an officer and
ten men to help navigate you into port.”
«Thank you, sir, you are very kind,” said the English captain,
little dreaming that this kindness would be ruin to him. |
In a short time after Clewline had got on board the ship, she
crowded all sail and soon parted company with the Rattlesnake.
Nothing farther of any note occurred until daybreak. Then
Pemberton, just woke from a short nap by Josi Hopkins, his
pilot, found the transport fleet terribly scattered—several ves-
sels far in shore of him, one of which, a iarge ship, he had no
doubt was the Sheerness, with Clewline on board. .
The sloop-of-war was inside of him, while three large, heavy-
laden ships were yet outside.
“Jerusalem, cap’n! we’re ina scrape, sure as you're born!”
cried Hopkins, as he leveled his glass at a vessel coming up
close hauled from the southward.
“There’s the very craft that couldn’t overhaul us on account
of the tide at Hell Gate. He knows us, too. See how he is
crowding sail.” |
“Thunder! It is too. true!” cried Pemberton, snatching the
glass and taking alook for himself. “But I'll teach John Bull
a lesson yet before I make tracks.” :
Instantly he had his helm put up, ran alongside of the nearest
transport, boarded her ina second, ordered all her crew into
the Rattlesnake, and set her on fire. .
Thon, with the American flag flying, his own colors mast-
headed, he sét every stitch of canvas he could carry, and Lore
away due eust, with his old enemy ‘in full chase, and the com-
mander of the Disk utterly confounded, signaling to the new-
comer, and gathering up such of his convoy as were yet in signal
distance. .
While the transport he had just boarded flamed up, Pember-
ton questioned her captain as to his cargo. It was almost en-
tirely composed of cannon, shot, and powder, and before the
Rattlesnake was a mile away aterrible explosion told that the
king had lost another valuable cargo, and the owners had to
mourn the loss of a ship.
The Disk, having learned by signal what the pretended tender
really was, joined the corvette in chase and this pleased Pember-
ton all the more, since he now felt confident that Clewline would
get his prize in safety, and perhaps decoy other transports in
that were too far in to see the signals on board the sloop-of-
war.
With a fresh and fair breeze, every inch of his canvas drawing,
Pemberton stood square off the coast, intending to draw the
cruisers as far out as he could before night, and when darkness
shielded the movement to haul on a wind and make for New
London, to see how Clewline had got on, and take him aboard
again.
“The men-of-war crowded every sail they could get on their
spars, but tho gallant little schooner head-reached on them all
the time.
CHAPTER XXVI.
CLEWLINE’S CAPTURE.
When Clewline, still in his British uniform, got ou board the
transport ship Sheerness, he was warmly welcomed by her bluff,
old porter-drinking captain, for he had been doing extra duty
half the voyage,and had hardly men enough to set or take in sail,
- not to speak of the many other ship-board duties.
“Y’m goin’ in for a four-and-twenty-hour sleep, lieutennt,”
~+
‘
. i .
a A Ee ernboreten, he
said he to Clewline.
nearly worn out.”
.“Thatis what I came for, sir. Turn in and sleep as long ss
you like. Ill notdisturb you till we are safe in port,” said
Clewline, cheerfully. __
“First, come in, and.take a pot o’ porter with me,” said the
captain.
This Clewline did not refuse.
Ten minutes later the drowsy captain was in his bunk, and
Clewline had sail after sail packed on the old ship till she could
carry no more. , Two transports which he passed hailed him te
know his hurry, and he said it was orders from the Disk to carry
all sail and stand in for the land as fast as possible.
These vessels at.once crowded sail and followed him, and wher
daylight came, all three were close inland, and New London
harbor in plain sight ahead.
For it Clewline steered, for, fortunately, he had been in be-
fore and knew the channel, and hauling up as soon as he could,
without hoisting any colors, he kept steadily on until he was
past three batteries which hé knew would protect his prize.
In a little while he shortened sail, and while the astonished
“That is, if you'll take all charge, for I’r
New Londoners gazed in wonder, dropped his anchor, and ,
springing into a boat, bnrried ashore to make known his situa-
tion, and get more men to hold his prize till the Rattlesnake got
in. ’ ,
For the other two transports were close astern, and he
wanted to seize and secure all before they were aware of their
danger. . : ,
He was back aboard the Sheerness before her old captain was ~
awake, and as soon as the other vessels came in, he took one of
his own men as a prize captain for each, and with men from
shore, seized each vessel and landed her crew, and put them un-
der guard. }
Clewline, proud of his success, now anxiously waited for the
Rattlesnake, and as soon as he had the prizes snug, sent off a cour-
ier to General. Washington, with a list of the vessels and their
cargoes, announcing them all as prizes to the Rattlesnake, of
which he was the executive officer, adding in his dispatch that
i expected the Rattlesnake in port every hour with more of
the fleet. : ~ “ .
Fearing one messenger might miscarry or be captured by ;
Gage’s scouts, he sent another by a different route, asking, as
the cargoes were of material needed in the Continental Army,
that they might be appraised and removed speedily, for thw
schooner did not want barnacles gnawing at her keel.
At night, after seeing all clear and ready at the batteries, he
took a small pilot boat with half a dozen New Londoners on
board, and ran outside the harbor to watch for the schooner,
should she come in near the port in the night. ;
All hight this boat cruised off the port, and just as day dawned
Clewline was rewarded for his vigil.
The Rattlesnake had evaded, and, doubling on her pur-—
sners, run in, and Clewline on her deck, acted as second pilot,
for Hopkins, good everywhere, must still be considered as
rst. : :
' Pemberton told of his narrow escape, for had the other eruiser
once got him under her guns, it would have been hard ‘to get
away. He approved of what Clewline lad done in regard to dis-
patches, and soon the beautiful schooner lay where her guus
could aid the batteries in holding the prizes.
CHAPTER XXVIL. -
RUNNING AWAY.
Both couriers arrived safely at Cambridge, and General Wash-
ington in a conncil of officers announced the glad news of, fur-
ther supplies captured by the already renowned cruiser Rattle-
snake. He also wrote tothe Congress assembled at Philadelphia
in regard to these captures and the prize-money due the captors,
which promptly paid would add to their energy in the future.
He sent officers by post to appraise and receive the needed stores,
and to provide for their security and transportation.
The first news which General Gage and Admiral Howe re
ceived, was on the arrival of the Disk, with four vessels lost from
the convoy—three captured and one destroyed, and the second
corvette coming in after the fruitless chase, reported the Rattle-
snake as too fast to be caught in a fair chase, yet so dangerous
that her destruction must be secured, orshe would do incal-
eulable damage among the English transports bound to our
shores, : :
Howe was furions when he heard how Commander Paget had
been duped, and he ordered that officer under arrest and to he
court-marshaled,. although, under all the cireumstances, any
other officer would bavo acted precisely as he did.
Thinking, as was really the case, that the terrible scourge of
the sea was in New London harbor with her prizes, he sent two