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32,
THE LOG CABIN LIBRARY.
Hopkins, who had been below, came back and announced
that the signal. lights agreed_on by Doctor Le Berte were in
sight. .
AViin muffled oars, Pemberton leading in.one boat and Hop-
kins in another, in two,columns the boats moved down the bay. |
The batteries had been warned, and there was no danger to be
apprehended from them.
"The night was just the kind to cover the movement. It was
_dark as pitch, no moon, the stars covered-with a film of clouds,
a strong and steady breeze blowing right off the land.
‘Indeed, it was so dark, though steering by compass bearings,
the brig was not seen until they were close aboard.
“Ts zat you, captain?” came from her deck, in a low, cautious
tone.
**Yes, Le Berte, it is L ” eried Pemberton; no louder than
The next moment he and all his men were on the deck of he
‘
rig
Are all safe?” asked Pemberton of the brave doctor.
“Every man, sare. It take mea long time, and for some I
*ave to use the chloride of ether zat I’ave myself make, But be
very quick. If a boat or asignal is made, you will be in ze
trouble.
No one knew the value of time and a speedy use of it now,
_ better than our hero.
~The regular light of the brig was extinguished, all others, that
in the binnacle, excepted, put out. ' Hopkins took the helm.
Tho cables were slipped noiselessly, and. then, under the jib
alone, the brig was steered down the coast, as close i in as her
draught of water would permit.
7 Meanwhile, while Pemberton and Hopkins attended to sailing
the captured brig, Doctor Le Berte, with a dozen men whom he
well knew, from the crew of the schooner, took a lantern below,
and securely ironed or bound every man of the drugged English-
men, so that there would be no trouble when they woke from
their stupor.
\
. jo.
For nearly two long hours the lights of the blockading fleet
were in sight, and not till they faded entirely from view did
Pemberton dare to make sail on his prize. But at last the wel--
come order came to lay aloft and loose topsails and top-gallant-
sails, and to set courses, the spanker or main try-sail, and the
' jibs. And now the brig began to show her speed, and to dash
mo the foam high above her sharp bows.
Crowding all sail, and, hugging the shore closely to throw
Cape Cod between him and the fleet, should the wind die away
before dawn, Pemberton stood on, and when day did come he
was fully sixty miles south of the fleet.
_ . And now, looking about him, he found himself master of the
finest brig in the English service, with sixteen broadside’ and
one heavy pivot gun. Her own crew.-numbered two hundred,
and his men were now doubly armed, for they had the brig’s
arms and their own.
- The wind freshened with day, and yet Pemberton never took
in a particle of canvas. . The brig stood up well, and he was de-
termined to carry on her, as long as she would bear, her sails.
“What'll we do with these poor Britishers, sir?” asked Hop-
kins in the morning.
“[shall land them on Black Island, and send a boat to New
London for a guard to receive them,” said Pemberton. ‘I have
no room for them here, and not an hour to waste between here
and Virginia.”
“It’s a-nation good plan, cap,” said the pilot. ‘I can run yon
* into a cove where you can tumble them right over the side on
the beach, and will not delay us over an hour anyway.
So this was decided on and carried out, and before the middle
of the afternoon every one of the British crew, officers and all,
as prisoners on parole, were landed, and the brig once more,
spreading every wing, bore away to the southward, flying the
British flag, so as to be ready should they, run across any of the
British fleet.
The signal was bent on and ready to hoist:
“We carry dispatches for the admiral, and must not delay.”
* And thus for the present we must leave our hero, master of a
craft double the size of his schooner, with a crew fit to fight for
_& world. :
CHAPTER XLIV.
IN THE COILS OF THE RATTLESNAKE.
It was Sunday night. As usual on men-of-war, the men and
officers of the Formey had cleaned up and dressed in honor of
the day, but there were certain persons on board who seemed to
have taken extra pains in their appearance. Carlton was one,
Spence Sturges another.
The night set in dark, though the stars shone dimly, but lights
were at every mast-head. Just before sunset a brig-of-war was
sighted in the offing, but as she showed the English flag, and
wore her number at the fore, no notice was taken, except that a
well-known vessel of the fleet was coming back.
Soon after dark, Lord Dunmore summoned his prisoners toa
special audience in his cabin. As the summons came with an
s
armed guard, to resist it was worse than useless.-. So together,
Mr. Maynard, Maude, Fanny, and Mr. Pemberton, entered the
spacious after-cabin occupied by Lord Dunmore and Captain
Carlton.
Spence Sturges was there, ani two of his vilest Tory friends.’
In the background stood ‘a sergeant’s guard of marines, wearing. .
only their side-arms. .
“You sent for us, Lord Dunmore, J hope it is to inform us
that you intend to release us from thiS, unjust bondage,” said
Mr. Maynard, sternly, as he took the seat his weakness made
necessary.
**We sail for England to-morrow, and you sail with. us,” said
Lord Dunmore. ‘‘I have said you shall be tried for the treason
to which I am a witness, and you shall, And your friend Pem-
berton there shall bear you company to the headsman’s block. a
But I have yielded to the plea of this loyal gentleman, Mr. ' |
Sturges, and your daughter shall have her liberty after she be-
comes his wife.”
“His wife? Never! never!” cried Fanny, indignantly. ‘
“A thousand times no!” cried Mr. Maynard: ‘Sooner would
I see her a corpse at my feet!”
“Silence! Iam master here!” thundered Lord Dunmore. ‘I u /
am by his majesty’s commission authorized to solemnize mat- 8
rimony: Spence Sturges, rise and take that maiden by the
and!”
At that instant there was a slight jar and a grating noise, as if
some substance touched the ship, and Carlton, noticing Lord
Dunmore’s look of inquiry, said: “ ‘
“Some boat coming alongside—nothing more, my lord.” .
“Stand up, Fanny Maynard, and take the hand of nim who i is
to be your husband.” :
**He is here!” cried a strange voice at the cabin door, and ina A
second full twenty armed men walked in, and even the marines | i
stood awe-stricken, for Fanny Pemberton shrieked in hysteric :
”
8S,
TO yng eet
oe : -
ROT Oe neg Coe As
“He has come! my destined husband has come.’ :
“Ay, and now, my lord, though it is too much honor for you, ;
choose between death and performing the ceremony you sought |
to commence. Do it quickly—the ship isin my hands—do it
quickly, and with these rescued friends I go, leaving you un-
harmed. Refuse and you pie and the ship shall be left in
ames!” s_
‘For Heaven's sake marry them!” groaned Carlton, for he
knew that in some manner the dreaded'Rattlesnake Ned had
taken and now held his ship. .
Lord Dunmore trembled, too. He knew that he must «lo as
he was bidden, or then and there his career. was ended. Life was
dear to him.
“Fauny Maynard and Edward Pemberton join hands,” he
said, in a trembling voice.
Then, still trembling, with the book in his hand, he read the wes
matrimonial service of the English church. ~
When it was done, and the two. were solemnly pronounced
man aud wife, Edward Pemberton said:
‘Lord Dunmore, you have saved your life and this ship. If i 4
her captain within the next.ten minutes, breathes a word of “4
alarm or gives an order, he dies. I shall stay here, Fanny, till
you, your father and mine, and dear Maude are safe on my
vessel. Then I am with you, and these poor wretches may catch
us if they can.’
Accompanied by the pilot hero, - Josi Hopkins, the late
prisoners were escorted on board the brig. The moment he heard
the signal that they were safe, Edward Pemberton and his men
followed, and a second later the brig, under all sail, flew up the
bay as noiselessly as she had stolen into the center of the fleet.
And for their own sakes,.Carlton and Lord Dunmore kept this
strange visit and resene a secret, for it seemed. as if the shame
was too great for them to own. The Formey sailed at daybreak
for England, and Spence Sturges went i in her, for he dared not
stay in Virginia.
‘ Our hero, wedded to his heart’s choice, spent a short honey- -
moon on shore, and then keeping the brig forhis own command,
gave Clewline the schooner, and both served nobly till their be-
loved country was free.
Then Maude Pemberton became Mrs. Clewline, and our story
comes to
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“GENTLEMAN Jon’s Garrison; or, THE CASTLE IN TiU7
Cioups,” by the author of “Gentleman Joe,” will Ve
published in the next number (363) of the Loa Carte
Lrprary,. -
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