Part 20 (1/2)
”They have hot oat-cakes for us,” said Paul; ”let 'em come. To encourage them, show them the English ensign, Israel, my lad.”
Soon the boat was alongside.
”Well, my good fellows, what can I do for you this afternoon?” said Paul, leaning over the side with a patronizing air.
”Why, captain, we come from the Laird of Crokarky, who wants some powder and ball for his money.”
”What would you with powder and ball, pray?”
”Oh! haven't you heard that that b.l.o.o.d.y pirate, Paul Jones, is somewhere hanging round the coasts?”
”Aye, indeed, but he won't hurt you. He's only going round among the nations, with his old hat, taking up contributions. So, away with ye; ye don't want any powder and ball to give him. He wants contributions of silver, not lead. Prepare yourselves with silver, I say.”
”Nay, captain, the Laird ordered us not to return without powder and ball. See, here is the price. It may be the taking of the b.l.o.o.d.y pirate, if you let us have what we want.”
”Well, pa.s.s 'em over a keg,” said Paul, laughing, but modifying his order by a sly whisper to Israel: ”Oh, put up your price, it's a gift to ye.”
”But ball, captain; what's the use of powder without ball?” roared one of the fellows from the boat's bow, as the keg was lowered in. ”We want ball.”
”Bless my soul, you bawl loud enough as it is. Away with ye, with what you have. Look to your keg, and hark ye, if ye catch that villain, Paul Jones, give him no quarter.”
”But, captain, here,” shouted one of the boatmen, ”there's a mistake.
This is a keg of pickles, not powder. Look,” and poking into the bung-hole, he dragged out a green cuc.u.mber dripping with brine. ”Take this back, and give us the powder.”
”Pooh,” said Paul, ”the powder is at the bottom, pickled powder, best way to keep it. Away with ye, now, and after that b.l.o.o.d.y embezzler, Paul Jones.”
This was Sunday. The s.h.i.+ps held on. During the afternoon, a long tack of the Richard brought her close towards the sh.o.r.es of Fife, near the thriving little port of Kirkaldy.
”There's a great crowd on the beach. Captain Paul,” said Israel, looking through his gla.s.s. ”There seems to be an old woman standing on a fish-barrel there, a sort of selling things at auction to the people, but I can't be certain yet.”
”Let me see,” said Paul, taking the gla.s.s as they came nigher. ”Sure enough, it's an old lady--an old quack-doctress, seems to me, in a black gown, too. I must hail her.”
Ordering the s.h.i.+p to be kept on towards the port, he shortened sail within easy distance, so as to glide slowly by, and seizing the trumpet, thus spoke:
”Old lady, ahoy! What are you talking about? What's your text?”
”The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance. He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.”
”Ah, what a lack of charity. Now hear mine:--G.o.d helpeth them that help themselves, as Poor Richard says.”
”Reprobate pirate, a gale shall yet come to drive thee in wrecks from our waters.”
”The strong wind of your hate fills my sails well. Adieu,” waving his bonnet--”tell us the rest at Leith.”
Next morning the s.h.i.+ps were almost within cannon-shot of the town. The men to be landed were in the boats. Israel had the tiller of the foremost one, waiting for his commander to enter, when just as Paul's foot was on the gangway, a sudden squall struck all three s.h.i.+ps, das.h.i.+ng the boats against them, and causing indescribable confusion. The squall ended in a violent gale. Getting his men on board with all dispatch, Paul essayed his best to withstand the fury of the wind, but it blew adversely, and with redoubled power. A s.h.i.+p at a distance went down beneath it. The disappointed invader was obliged to turn before the gale, and renounce his project.
To this hour, on the sh.o.r.es of the Firth of Forth, it is the popular persuasion, that the Rev. Mr. s.h.i.+rrer's (of Kirkaldy) powerful intercession was the direct cause of the elemental repulse experienced off the endangered harbor of Leith.
Through the ill qualities of Paul's a.s.sociate captains: their timidity, incapable of keeping pace with his daring; their jealousy, blind to his superiority to rivals.h.i.+p; together with the general reduction of his force, now reduced by desertion, from nine to three s.h.i.+ps; and last of all, the enmity of seas and winds; the invader, driven, not by a fleet, but a gale, out of the Scottish water's, had the mortification in prospect of terminating a cruise, so formidable in appearance at the onset, without one added deed to sustain the reputation gained by former exploits. Nevertheless, he was not disheartened. He sought to conciliate fortune, not by despondency, but by resolution. And, as if won by his confident bearing, that fickle power suddenly went over to him from the ranks of the enemy--suddenly as plumed Marshal Ney to the stubborn standard of Napoleon from Elba, marching regenerated on Paris. In a word, luck--that's the word--shortly threw in Paul's way the great action of his life: the most extraordinary of all naval engagements; the unparalleled death-lock with the Serapis.