The Pirate Read online

  CHAPTER XX.

  Of an outlawe, this is the lawe-- That men him take and bind, Without pitie hang'd to be, And waive with the wind.

  _The Ballad of the Nut Brown Maid._

  Mordaunt had caused the sentinels who had been on duty since midnight tobe relieved ere the peep of day, and having given directions that theguard should be again changed at sunrise, he had retired to a smallparlour, and, placing his arms beside him, was slumbering in aneasy-chair, when he felt himself pulled by the watch-cloak in which hewas enveloped.

  "Is it sunrise," said he, "already?" as, starting up, he discovered thefirst beams lying level upon the horizon.

  "Mordaunt!" said a voice, every note of which thrilled to his heart.

  He turned his eyes on the speaker, and Brenda Troil, to his joyfulastonishment, stood before him. As he was about to address her eagerly,he was checked by observing the signs of sorrow and discomposure in herpale cheeks, trembling lips, and brimful eyes.

  "Mordaunt," she said, "you must do Minna and me a favour--you must allowus to leave the house quietly, and without alarming any one, in order togo as far as the Standing Stones of Stennis."

  "What freak can this be, dearest Brenda?" said Mordaunt, much amazed atthe request--"some Orcadian observance of superstition, perhaps; but thetime is too dangerous, and my charge from your father too strict, that Ishould permit you to pass without his consent. Consider, dearest Brenda,I am a soldier on duty, and must obey orders."

  "Mordaunt," said Brenda, "this is no jesting matter--Minna's reason,nay, Minna's life, depends on your giving us this permission."

  "And for what purpose?" said Mordaunt; "let me at least know that."

  "For a wild and a desperate purpose," replied Brenda--"It is that shemay meet Cleveland."

  "Cleveland!" said Mordaunt--"Should the villain come ashore, he shall bewelcomed with a shower of rifle-balls. Let me within a hundred yards ofhim," he added, grasping his piece, "and all the mischief he has done meshall be balanced with an ounce bullet!"

  "His death will drive Minna frantic," said Brenda; "and him who injuresMinna, Brenda will never again look upon."

  "This is madness--raving madness!" said Mordaunt--"Consider yourhonour--consider your duty."

  "I can consider nothing but Minna's danger," said Brenda, breaking intoa flood of tears; "her former illness was nothing to the state she hasbeen in all night. She holds in her hand his letter, written incharacters of fire, rather than of ink, imploring her to see him, for alast farewell, as she would save a mortal body, and an immortal soul;pledging himself for her safety; and declaring no power shall force himfrom the coast till he has seen her.--You _must_ let us pass."

  "It is impossible!" replied Mordaunt, in great perplexity--"This ruffianhas imprecations enough, doubtless, at his fingers' ends--but whatbetter pledge has he to offer?--I cannot permit Minna to go."

  "I suppose," said Brenda, somewhat reproachfully, while she dried hertears, yet still continued sobbing, "that there is something in whatNorna spoke of betwixt Minna and you; and that you are too jealous ofthis poor wretch, to allow him even to speak with her an instant beforehis departure."

  "You are unjust," said Mordaunt, hurt, and yet somewhat flattered by hersuspicions,--"you are as unjust as you are imprudent. You know--youcannot but know--that Minna is chiefly dear to me as _your_ sister. Tellme, Brenda--and tell me truly--if I aid you in this folly, have you nosuspicion of the Pirate's faith!"

  "No, none," said Brenda; "if I had any, do you think I would urge youthus? He is wild and unhappy, but I think we may in this trust him."

  "Is the appointed place the Standing Stones, and the time daybreak?"again demanded Mordaunt.

  "It is, and the time is come," said Brenda,--"for Heaven's sake let usdepart!"

  "I will myself," said Mordaunt, "relieve the sentinel at the front doorfor a few minutes, and suffer you to pass.--You will not protract thisinterview, so full of danger?"

  "We will not," said Brenda; "and you, on your part, will not availyourself of this unhappy man's venturing hither, to harm or to seizehim?"

  "Rely on my honour," said Mordaunt--"He shall have no harm, unless heoffers any."

  "Then I go to call my sister," said Brenda, and quickly left theapartment.

  Mordaunt considered the matter for an instant, and then going to thesentinel at the front door, he desired him to run instantly to themain-guard, and order the whole to turn out with their arms--to see theorder obeyed, and to return when they were in readiness. Meantime, hehimself, he said, would remain upon the post.

  During the interval of the sentinel's absence, the front door was slowlyopened, and Minna and Brenda appeared, muffled in their mantles. Theformer leaned on her sister, and kept her face bent on the ground, asone who felt ashamed of the step she was about to take. Brenda alsopassed her lover in silence, but threw back upon him a look of gratitudeand affection, which doubled, if possible, his anxiety for their safety.

  The sisters, in the meanwhile, passed out of sight of the house; whenMinna, whose step, till that time, had been faint and feeble, began toerect her person, and to walk with a pace so firm and so swift, thatBrenda, who had some difficulty to keep up with her, could not forbearremonstrating on the imprudence of hurrying her spirits, and exhaustingher force, by such unnecessary haste.

  "Fear not, my dearest sister," said Minna; "the spirit which I now feelwill, and must, sustain me through the dreadful interview. I could notbut move with a drooping head, and dejected pace, while I was in view ofone who must necessarily deem me deserving of his pity, or his scorn.But you know, my dearest Brenda, and Mordaunt shall also know, that thelove I bore to that unhappy man, was as pure as the rays of that sun,that is now reflected on the waves. And I dare attest that glorious sun,and yonder blue heaven, to bear me witness, that, but to urge him tochange his unhappy course of life, I had not, for all the temptationsthis round world holds, ever consented to see him more."

  As she spoke thus, in a tone which afforded much confidence to Brenda,the sisters attained the summit of a rising ground, whence theycommanded a full view of the Orcadian Stonehenge, consisting of a hugecircle and semicircle of the Standing Stones, as they are called, whichalready glimmered a greyish white in the rising sun, and projected farto the westward their long gigantic shadows. At another time, the scenewould have operated powerfully on the imaginative mind of Minna, andinterested the curiosity at least of her less sensitive sister. But, atthis moment, neither was at leisure to receive the impressions whichthis stupendous monument of antiquity is so well calculated to impresson the feelings of those who behold it; for they saw, in the lower lake,beneath what is termed the Bridge of Broisgar, a boat well manned andarmed, which had disembarked one of its crew, who advanced alone, andwrapped in a naval cloak, towards that monumental circle which theythemselves were about to reach from another quarter.

  "They are many, and they are armed," said the startled Brenda, in awhisper to her sister.

  "It is for precaution's sake," answered Minna, "which, alas, theircondition renders but too necessary. Fear no treachery from him--that,at least, is not his vice."

  As she spoke, or shortly afterwards, she attained the centre of thecircle, on which, in the midst of the tall erect pillars of rude stonethat are raised around, lies one flat and prostrate, supported by shortstone pillars, of which some relics are still visible, that had onceserved, perhaps, the purpose of an altar.

  "Here," she said, "in heathen times (if we may believe legends, whichhave cost me but too dear) our ancestors offered sacrifices to heathendeities--and here will I, from my soul, renounce, abjure, and offer upto a better and a more merciful God than was known to them, the vainideas with which my youthful imagination has been seduced."

  She stood by the prostrate table of stone, and saw Cleveland advancetowards her, with a timid pace, and a downcast look, as different fromhis usual character and bearing, as Minna's high air and loftydemeanour, and calm contemplative post
ure, were distant from those ofthe love-lorn and broken-hearted maiden, whose weight had almost bornedown the support of her sister as she left the House of Stennis. If thebelief of those is true, who assign these singular monuments exclusivelyto the Druids, Minna might have seemed the Haxa, or high priestess ofthe order, from whom some champion of the tribe expected inauguration.Or, if we hold the circles of Gothic and Scandinavian origin, she mighthave seemed a descended Vision of Freya, the spouse of the ThunderingDeity, before whom some bold Sea-King or champion bent with an awe,which no mere mortal terror could have inflicted upon him. Brenda,overwhelmed with inexpressible fear and doubt, remained a pace or twobehind, anxiously observing the motions of Cleveland, and attending tonothing around, save to him and to her sister.

  Cleveland approached within two yards of Minna, and bent his head to theground. There was a dead pause, until Minna said, in a firm butmelancholy tone, "Unhappy man, why didst thou seek this aggravation ofour woe? Depart in peace, and may Heaven direct thee to a better coursethan that which thy life has yet held!"

  "Heaven will not aid me," said Cleveland, "excepting by your voice. Icame hither rude and wild, scarce knowing that my trade, my desperatetrade, was more criminal in the sight of man or of Heaven, than that ofthose privateers whom your law acknowledges. I was bred in it, and, butfor the wishes you have encouraged me to form, I should have perhapsdied in it, desperate and impenitent. O, do not throw me from you! letme do something to redeem what I have done amiss, and do not leave yourown work half-finished!"

  "Cleveland," said Minna, "I will not reproach you with abusing myinexperience, or with availing yourself of those delusions which thecredulity of early youth had flung around me, and which led me toconfound your fatal course of life with the deeds of our ancient heroes.Alas, when I saw your followers, that illusion was no more!--but I donot upbraid you with its having existed. Go, Cleveland; detach yourselffrom those miserable wretches with whom you are associated, and believeme, that if Heaven yet grants you the means of distinguishing your nameby one good or glorious action, there are eyes left in those lonelyislands, that will weep as much for joy, as--as--they must now do forsorrow."

  "And is this all?" said Cleveland; "and may I not hope, that if Iextricate myself from my present associates--if I can gain my pardon bybeing as bold in the right, as I have been too often in the wrongcause--if, after a term, I care not how long--but still a term which mayhave an end, I can boast of having redeemed my fame--may I not--may Inot hope that Minna may forgive what my God and my country shall havepardoned?"

  "Never, Cleveland, never!" said Minna, with the utmost firmness; "onthis spot we part, and part for ever, and part without longerindulgence. Think of me as of one dead, if you continue as you now are;but if, which may Heaven grant, you change your fatal course, think ofme then as one, whose morning and evening prayers will be for yourhappiness, though she has lost her own.--Farewell, Cleveland!"

  He kneeled, overpowered by his own bitter feelings, to take the handwhich she held out to him, and in that instant, his confidant Bunce,starting from behind one of the large upright pillars, his eyes wet withtears, exclaimed--

  "Never saw such a parting scene on any stage! But I'll be d----d if youmake your exit as you expect!"

  And so saying, ere Cleveland could employ either remonstrance orresistance, and indeed before he could get upon his feet, he easilysecured him by pulling him down on his back, so that two or three of theboat's crew seized him by the arms and legs, and began to hurry himtowards the lake. Minna and Brenda shrieked, and attempted to fly; butDerrick snatched up the former with as much ease as a falcon pounces ona pigeon, while Bunce, with an oath or two which were intended to be ofa consolatory nature, seized on Brenda; and the whole party, with two orthree of the other pirates, who, stealing from the water-side, hadaccompanied them on the ambuscade, began hastily to run towards theboat, which was left in charge of two of their number. Their course,however, was unexpectedly interrupted, and their criminal purposeentirely frustrated.

  When Mordaunt Mertoun had turned out his guard in arms, it was with thenatural purpose of watching over the safety of the two sisters. They hadaccordingly closely observed the motions of the pirates, and when theysaw so many of them leave the boat and steal towards the place ofrendezvous assigned to Cleveland, they naturally suspected treachery,and by cover of an old hollow way or trench, which perhaps had ancientlybeen connected with the monumental circle, they had thrown themselvesunperceived between the pirates and their boat. At the cries of thesisters, they started up and placed themselves in the way of theruffians, presenting their pieces, which, notwithstanding, they darednot fire, for fear of hurting the young ladies, secured as they were inthe rude grasp of the marauders. Mordaunt, however, advanced with thespeed of a wild deer on Bunce, who, loath to quit his prey, yet unableto defend himself otherwise, turned to this side and that alternately,exposing Brenda to the blows which Mordaunt offered at him. Thisdefence, however, proved in vain against a youth, possessed of thelightest foot and most active hand ever known in Zetland, and after afeint or two, Mordaunt brought the pirate to the ground with a strokefrom the but of the carabine, which he dared not use otherwise. At thesame time fire-arms were discharged on either side by those who wereliable to no such cause of forbearance, and the pirates who had hold ofCleveland, dropped him, naturally enough, to provide for their owndefence or retreat. But they only added to the numbers of their enemies;for Cleveland, perceiving Minna in the arms of Derrick, snatched herfrom the ruffian with one hand, and with the other shot him dead on thespot. Two or three more of the pirates fell or were taken, the rest fledto their boat, pushed off, then turned their broadside to the shore, andfired repeatedly on the Orcadian party, which they returned, with littleinjury on either side. Meanwhile Mordaunt, having first seen that thesisters were at liberty and in full flight towards the house, advancedon Cleveland with his cutlass drawn. The pirate presented a pistol, andcalling out at the same time,--"Mordaunt, I never missed my aim," hefired into the air, and threw it into the lake; then drew his cutlass,brandished it round his head, and flung that also as far as his armcould send it, in the same direction. Yet such was the universal beliefof his personal strength and resources, that Mordaunt still usedprecaution, as, advancing on Cleveland, he asked if he surrendered.

  "I surrender to no man," said the Pirate-captain; "but you may see Ihave thrown away my weapons."

  He was immediately seized by some of the Orcadians without his offeringany resistance; but the instant interference of Mordaunt prevented hisbeing roughly treated, or bound. The victors conducted him to awell-secured upper apartment in the House of Stennis, and placed asentinel at the door. Bunce and Fletcher, both of whom had beenstretched on the field during the skirmish, were lodged in the samechamber; and two prisoners, who appeared of lower rank, were confinedin a vault belonging to the mansion.

  Without pretending to describe the joy of Magnus Troil, who, whenawakened by the noise and firing, found his daughters safe, and hisenemy a prisoner, we shall only say, it was so great, that he forgot,for the time at least, to enquire what circumstances were those whichhad placed them in danger; that he hugged Mordaunt to his breast athousand times, as their preserver; and swore as often by the bones ofhis sainted namesake, that if he had a thousand daughters, so tight alad, and so true a friend, should have the choice of them, let LadyGlowrowrum say what she would.

  A very different scene was passing in the prison-chamber of theunfortunate Cleveland and his associates. The Captain sat by the window,his eyes bent on the prospect of the sea which it presented, and wasseemingly so intent on it, as to be insensible of the presence of theothers. Jack Bunce stood meditating some ends of verse, in order to makehis advances towards a reconciliation with Cleveland; for he began to besensible, from the consequences, that the part he had played towards hisCaptain, however well intended, was neither lucky in its issue, norlikely to be well taken. His admirer and adherent Fletcher lay halfasleep, as it seemed, on a truckle-bed
in the room, without the leastattempt to interfere in the conversation which ensued.

  "Nay, but speak to me, Clement," said the penitent Lieutenant, "if it bebut to swear at me for my stupidity!

  'What! not an oath?--Nay, then the world goes hard, If Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath.'"

  "I prithee peace, and be gone!" said Cleveland; "I have one bosom friendleft yet, and you will make me bestow its contents on you, or onmyself."

  "I have it!" said Bunce, "I have it!" and on he went in the vein ofJaffier--

  "'Then, by the hell I merit, I'll not leave thee, Till to thyself at least thou'rt reconciled, However thy resentment deal with me!'"

  "I pray you once more to be silent," said Cleveland--"Is it not enoughthat you have undone me with your treachery, but you must stun me withyour silly buffoonery?--I would not have believed _you_ would havelifted a finger against me, Jack, of any man or devil in yonder unhappyship."

  "Who, I?" exclaimed Bunce, "I lift a finger against you!--and if I did,it was in pure love, and to make you the happiest fellow that ever trodea deck, with your mistress beside you, and fifty fine fellows at yourcommand. Here is Dick Fletcher can bear witness I did all for the best,if he would but speak, instead of lolloping there like a Dutch doggerlaid up to be careened.--Get up, Dick, and speak for me, won't you?"

  "Why, yes, Jack Bunce," answered Fletcher, raising himself withdifficulty, and speaking feebly, "I will if I can--and I always knew youspoke and did for the best--but howsomdever, d'ye see, it has turned outfor the worst for me this time, for I am bleeding to death, I think."

  "You cannot be such an ass!" said Jack Bunce, springing to hisassistance, as did Cleveland. But human aid came too late--he sunk backon the bed, and, turning on his face, expired without a groan.

  "I always thought him a d----d fool," said Bunce, as he wiped a tearfrom his eye, "but never such a consummate idiot as to hop the perch sosillily. I have lost the best follower"--and he again wiped his eye.

  Cleveland looked on the dead body, the rugged features of which hadremained unaltered by the death-pang--"A bull-dog," he said, "of thetrue British breed, and, with a better counsellor, would have been abetter man."

  "You may say that of some other folks, too, Captain, if you are mindedto do them justice," said Bunce.

  "I may indeed, and especially of yourself," said Cleveland, in reply.

  "Why then, say, _Jack, I forgive you_," said Bunce; "it's but a shortword, and soon spoken."

  "I forgive you from all my soul, Jack," said Cleveland, who had resumedhis situation at the window; "and the rather that your folly is oflittle consequence--the morning is come that must bring ruin on us all."

  "What! you are thinking of the old woman's prophecy you spoke of?" saidBunce.

  "It will soon be accomplished," answered Cleveland. "Come hither; whatdo you take yon large square-rigged vessel for, that you see doublingthe headland on the east, and opening the Bay of Stromness?"

  "Why, I can't make her well out," said Bunce, "but yonder is old Goffe,takes her for a West Indiaman loaded with rum and sugar, I suppose, ford----n me if he does not slip cable, and stand out to her!"

  "Instead of running into the shoal-water, which was his only safety,"said Cleveland--"The fool! the dotard! the drivelling, drunkenidiot!--he will get his flip hot enough; for yon is the Halcyon--See,she hoists her colours and fires a broadside! and there will soon be anend of the Fortune's Favourite! I only hope they will fight her to thelast plank. The Boatswain used to be stanch enough, and so is Goffe,though an incarnate demon.--Now she shoots away, with all the sail shecan spread, and that shows some sense."

  "Up goes the Jolly Hodge, the old black flag, with the death's head andhour-glass, and that shows some spunk," added his comrade.

  "The hour-glass is turned for us, Jack, for this bout--our sand isrunning fast.--Fire away yet, my roving lads! The deep sea or the bluesky, rather than a rope and a yard-arm!"

  There was a moment of anxious and dead silence; the sloop, though hardpressed, maintaining still a running fight, and the frigate continuingin full chase, but scarce returning a shot. At length the vessels nearedeach other, so as to show that the man-of-war intended to board thesloop, instead of sinking her, probably to secure the plunder whichmight be in the pirate vessel.

  "Now, Goffe--now, Boatswain!" exclaimed Cleveland, in an ecstasy ofimpatience, and as if they could have heard his commands, "stand bysheets and tacks--rake her with a broadside, when you are under herbows, then about ship, and go off on the other tack like a wild-goose.The sails shiver--the helm's a-lee--Ah!--deep-sea sink thelubbers!--they miss stays, and the frigate runs them aboard!"

  Accordingly, the various man[oe]uvres of the chase had brought them sonear, that Cleveland, with his spy-glass, could see the man-of-war's-menboarding by the yards and bowsprit, in irresistible numbers, their nakedcutlasses flashing in the sun, when, at that critical moment, both shipswere enveloped in a cloud of thick black smoke, which suddenly arose onboard the captured pirate.

  "Exeunt omnes!" said Bunce, with clasped hands.

  "There went the Fortune's Favourite, ship and crew!" said Cleveland, atthe same instant.

  But the smoke immediately clearing away, showed that the damage had onlybeen partial, and that, from want of a sufficient quantity of powder,the pirates had failed in their desperate attempt to blow up theirvessel with the Halcyon.

  Shortly after the action was over, Captain Weatherport of the Halcyonsent an officer and a party of marines to the House of Stennis, todemand from the little garrison the pirate seamen who were theirprisoners, and, in particular, Cleveland and Bunce, who acted as Captainand Lieutenant of the gang.

  This was a demand which was not to be resisted, though Magnus Troilcould have wished sincerely that the roof under which he lived had beenallowed as an asylum at least to Cleveland. But the officer's orderswere peremptory; and he added, it was Captain Weatherport's intention toland the other prisoners, and send the whole, with a sufficient escort,across the island to Kirkwall, in order to undergo an examination therebefore the civil authorities, previous to their being sent off to Londonfor trial at the High Court of Admiralty. Magnus could therefore onlyintercede for good usage to Cleveland, and that he might not be strippedor plundered, which the officer, struck by his good mien, andcompassionating his situation, readily promised. The honest Udallerwould have said something in the way of comfort to Cleveland himself,but he could not find words to express it, and only shook his head.

  "Old friend," said Cleveland, "you may have much to complain of--yet youpity instead of exulting over me--for the sake of you and yours, I willnever harm human being more. Take this from me--my last hope, but mylast temptation also"--he drew from his bosom a pocket-pistol, and gaveit to Magnus Troil. "Remember me to--But no--let every one forget me.--Iam your prisoner, sir," said he to the officer.

  "And I also," said poor Bunce; and putting on a theatrical countenance,he ranted, with no very perceptible faltering in his tone, the words ofPierre:

  "'Captain, you should be a gentleman of honour: Keep off the rabble, that I may have room To entertain my fate, and die with decency.'"