Part 32 (1/2)
”You must ask the clerk of the weather,” the skipper replied. ”At present there is not a breath of wind stirring, and from the look of the sky I see no chance of a change at present.”
Day after day pa.s.sed, and still the vessels remained at anchor. Not a breath of wind stirred the water, and the troops had nothing to do but to lounge idly about the decks and whistle for a breeze. Whenever a vessel came in from England boats were lowered and rowed alongside to get the latest news. This was little enough. It was, however, known that all the powers had determined to refuse to recognize Napoleon as Emperor of France, and that a great coalition against him was being arranged. There were rumors that Belgium was likely to be the scene of operations.
Already, by the terms of the late treaty, several English regiments were stationed on the Belgian frontier, and three or four more were already under orders to embark for that country. It was reported that Russia, Austria, and Prussia were taking steps to arm. The militia had been called out at home, and high bounties were offered for volunteers from these regiments into the line. Recruiting was going on vigorously all over the country. Horses were being bought up, and efforts made to place the attenuated regiments on a war footing. All this was tantalizing news to the Twenty-eighth. The colonel was known to have written to influential friends in London, begging them to urge upon the authorities the folly of allowing a fine regiment like his to leave the country at such a moment. But little was hoped from this, for at any moment a change in the weather might place them beyond the possibility of a recall.
Three weeks pa.s.sed and then the barometer fell, and there were signs of a change. There was bustle and movement on board the s.h.i.+ps, and even the soldiers were glad that the monotony of their imprisonment on board was about to come to an end, and their voyage to commence. The sails were loosed from their gaskets, and the sounds of the drum and fifes struck up as the capstans were manned, the soldiers lending a hand at the bars, and the chains came clanking in at the hawse-holes.
”There is a vessel coming in round the point,” O'Connor said. ”But we shall hardly get the last news; we shall be under way before she anchors.”
”She is signaling to the fort on the hill,” Ralph said, as he watched the flags run up on the signal-staff on the summit of Spike Island; ”and they are answering down below there at the station in front of the commandant's house.”
A moment later a gun was fired.
”That's to call our attention, I think,” the skipper said, taking up his gla.s.s and directing it to the sh.o.r.e. ”Yes, there is our number flying. Get the signal-book, boy. Mr. Smith, run up the answering pennant.”
As soon as this ascended the flags on sh.o.r.e were lowered, and a fresh set run up--3. 5. 0. 4.
”Give me the book. 'The vessels are not to sail until further orders,'” he read aloud.
”Hooray, lads!” Captain O'Connor shouted at the top of his voice. ”We are stopped until further orders.”
A loud cheer broke from the troops, which was echoed by a roar from the other vessel; and for a few minutes the greatest excitement reigned. The men threw their caps into the air, and shouted until they were hoa.r.s.e. The officers shook each other by the hand, and all were frantic with delight at the narrow escape they had had.
As soon as the brig had dropped anchor boats rowed off to her, but nothing further was learned. Just as she was leaving Plymouth an officer had come on board with dispatches, and instructions to the captain to signal immediately he arrived at Cork that if the Twenty-eighth had not already sailed they were to be stopped. Owing to the lightness of the wind the brig had been eight days on her pa.s.sage from Plymouth.
For another fortnight the regiment remained on board s.h.i.+p. The imprisonment was borne more patiently, now they felt sure that they were not at any rate to be sent across the Atlantic. Then a vessel arrived with orders that the Twenty-eighth were at once to proceed to Ostend, and two hours afterward the transports set sail.
Belgium was hardly the spot which the troops in general would have approved of as the scene of operations, for the disastrous expedition to Walcheren was still fresh in mens' minds. They would, moreover, have preferred a campaign in which they would have fought without being compelled to act with a foreign army, and would have had all the honor and glory to themselves. Still Belgium recalled the triumphs of Marlborough, and although every mail brought news of the tremendous efforts Napoleon was making to reorganize the fighting power of France, and of the manner in which the veterans of his former wars had responded to the call, there was not a doubt of success in the minds of the Twenty-eighth, from the colonel down to the youngest drummer-boy.
Ralph was sorry that he had not been able to pay a flying visit to his mother before his departure on active and dangerous service.
He had been somewhat puzzled by her letters ever since he had been away. They had been almost entirely devoted to his doings, and had said very little about herself beyond the fact that she was in excellent health. She had answered his questions as to his various friends and acquaintances in Dover; but these references had been short, and she had said nothing about the details of her daily life, the visits she paid, and the coming in of old friends to see her. She had evidently been staying a good deal, he thought, with the Withers, and she kept him fully informed about them, although she did not mention when she went there or when she had returned.
She frequently spoke about the missing will, and of her hopes it would some day be recovered; and had mentioned that the search for it was still being maintained, and that she felt confident that sooner or later it would come to light. But even as to this she gave him no specific details; and he felt that, even apart from his desire to see his mother, he should greatly enjoy a long talk with her, to find out about everything that had been going on during his absence.
Mrs. Conway had indeed abstained from giving her son the slightest inkling of the work upon which she was engaged; for she was sure he would be altogether opposed to her plan, and would be greatly disturbed and grieved at the thought of her being in any menial position. Whether if, when he returned, and she had not attained the object of her search she would let him know what she was doing she had not decided; but she was determined that at any rate until he came home on leave he should know nothing about it.
”So we are going to fight Bony at last, Mister Conway,” Ralph's servant said to him. ”We've never had that luck before. He has always sent his generals against us, but, by jabbers, he will find that he has not got Roosians and Proosians this time.”
”It will be hot work, Denis; for we shall have the best troops of France against us, and Napoleon himself in command.”
”It's little we care for the French, your honor. Didn't we meet them in Spain and bate them? Sure, they are are hardly worth counting.”
”You will find them fight very much better now they have their emperor with them. You know, Wellington had all his work to beat them.”
”Yes, but he did bate them, your honor.”
”That's true enough, Denis; but his troops now are old soldiers, most of whom have been fighting for years, while a great part of our force will be no better than militia.”
”They won't fight any the worse for that, your honor,” Denis said confidently. ”We will bate them whenever we meet them. You see if we don't.”
”We will try anyhow, Denis; and if all the regiments were as good as our own I should feel very sure about it. I wish, though, we were going to fight by ourselves; we know what we can do, but we do not know how the Belgians and Dutch and Germans who will be with us can be depended upon.”