The Fight on the Sweepstakes.
"Pitch him over, sir," said Simmonds, holding his cutlass in his teeth, and putting up his hands to receive the prisoner. "We'll catch him."
"O, now, I'd just like to see you do it," drawled Tom, seizing the rail with both hands and holding on with a death grip. "I won't stand no such treatment. Let me alone, Richardson!"
If Tom wanted to see himself thrown overboard, he was certainly accommodated; for the words were scarcely out of his mouth, when he flew through the air, and striking the water head-foremost, went down out of sight; and the midshipman, without waiting to see what had become of him, sprang over the rail, just in time to escape from the boat-hook, with which Friday attempted to catch him by the collar. This movement created a great commotion among the Crusoe men. They were astonished at the recklessness of the students, and feared that they were about to lose Tom after all. Like many others of their class, they had been accustomed to look upon a well-dressed, gentlemanly-appearing youth as an arrant coward. The term "spooney," which the Night-hawks had used to designate a studious, well-behaved boy, meant, with Sam and his crowd, a fellow who had neither strength nor courage; but they had learned that the word, as applied to the students, was not exactly correct. They had discovered that good clothes, strong muscles, and reckless bravery go together sometimes; and that the crew of the jolly-boat, although they were young gentlemen, were antagonists not to be despised. The governor stood for a moment, looking over the rail and watching the fight that was going on in the water—for Tom still kept up a furious resistance—and then called out:
"Xury, go to the wheel an' throw the schooner up into the wind; an' the rest of us man the skiff. Let go Tommy's collar, spooney, or I'll chuck this handspike at you!"
"Help! help!" roared Tom, who was being pulled through the water toward the jolly-boat. "Release me at once, Dave Richardson! Hit him, Sam."
The chief made a desperate effort to strike the young officer, but the latter was just out of reach. Then Sam raised the handspike, and was about to throw it at the midshipman, but lowered it again, when he took a second look, and saw that he was likely to hit one as the other. He hurried off to assist his men who were hauling the skiff alongside, and then began a most exciting contest for the possession of the prisoner. Richardson's object was to escape with him, and the governor's to rescue him. The officer and one of his men held fast to Tom, and Simmonds, who was an excellent swimmer, struck out for the jolly-boat, hoping to return with her and pick up his companions before the Crusoe band could man the skiff. The governor saw and understood the move, and resolved to defeat it. If the students succeeded in getting Tom into their boat, Sam's chances for recovering his man would be very slim indeed. "Hurry, fellers!" he exclaimed, excitedly. "Can't you see what them spooneys are up to? Man the oars, Will Atkins an' Jack Spaniard," he added, as his crew sprang into the skiff, "an' give way fur dear life."
Just as the skiff was shoved off from the schooner, Simmonds climbed into the jolly-boat, and catching up the oars, pulled swiftly to the assistance of his companions. He was nearer to them than the Crusoe men, but Atkins and Jack Spaniard were good oarsmen, and they came out ahead in the race. "Keep away from here, spooney!" exclaimed Friday, shaking his boat-hook at Simmonds, as the skiff dashed up to the struggling captain of the Crusoe band, "'taint safe to come no nearer."
"Now, then," cried the chief, seizing the midshipman by the collar, and plunging his head under the water, "I reckon you'll turn Tommy loose, won't you?"
The students, knowing that it was useless to contend longer against such heavy odds, released their prisoner, and dived out of sight to escape the savage blows which Atkins and Jack Spaniard aimed at them with the oars. Tom was dragged into the skiff by the governor, who ordered the
band back to the schooner; and the midshipman, after being picked up by Simmonds, took his seat in the stern of the jolly-boat, and directed her course up the harbor. He had made a gallant attack upon a superior force of the enemy, and had succeeded in capturing one of them; but he had got the worst of the fight in the end, his prisoner had been rescued, and now the only thing he could do was to report the state of affairs to his superior officer.
"I am sorry that we are obliged to let them go," drawled Tom, as he sprang upon the deck of the schooner, and saw the jolly-boat disappearing in the darkness. "I'd like to have them prisoners long enough to pay them for the ducking they gave me. Friday, drop the skiff astern. Fill away, Xury, and hold for the head of the island. Atkins, are you sailor enough to loose those gaff top-sails?"
"I reckon," was the reply.
"Well, go aloft, then, and do it. Governor, you and Jack Spaniard hoist the flying jib. We have need of all the rags we can spread, now."
In a few minutes every inch of canvas the Sweepstakes carried had been given to the breeze, and the little vessel boomed along over the waves at a terrific rate. The topmasts bent and cracked, the foam rolled away in great masses from under her bows, and now and then a fierce gust of wind would fill the sails, and the schooner would roll down until she seemed on the point of capsizing. Her captain, no longer the coward he was when he accompanied Mr. Graves on the trial trip of the Storm King, stood holding fast to the rail, and looking back toward the harbor. He knew that the fire-bells would soon arouse the town, that the news of the robbery and the destruction of the yacht would spread like wild-fire, and that the pursuit would not be long delayed. He wanted a good start in the race; and he would have spread all the canvas if the wind had been blowing a gale.
"We've got a long voyage to make, you know, skipper," said the chief, "an' we must be careful of our vessel."
"But when we are in danger we must get all that we can out of her," replied Tom. "Hold her to it, Xury, don't luff an inch. If she can't stand this breeze, we've no business to go to sea in her. But I don't discover any signs of the fire yet, do you Sam?"
"No, I don't. Mebbe them swells have put it out."
"O, now, they haven't, either," drawled Tom, who could not be persuaded to believe that his "splendid idea" had failed, after all the trouble and danger he had incurred to make it successful. "They couldn't put it out—there was too much coal-oil in the galley. She must be entirely consumed by this time; but, if I thought she wasn't, I should be tempted to go back and try it again."
"There come them spooneys, cap'n," shouted Xury, from his place at the wheel.
Tom looked toward the village, and could just distinguish the dim outlines of a vessel which was coming out of the harbor, and appeared to be following in the schooner's wake. The thought that it was the Storm King had scarcely passed through his mind, when his mate continued:
"We've wasted a heap of good time in helping you carry out your idea. You had oughter done your work well, while you were at it. That's the sloop you tried to burn."
"O, now, you don't know what you are talking about," drawled Tom.
"I reckon I do. I can tell the Storm King as fur as I can see her. Friday, bust open the door of the cabin, an' bring up the 'squire's spy-glass."
Friday went forward after a handspike, and Tom leaned his elbows on the rail and watched the approaching vessel. The thought that this last grand idea of his would share the fate of all his splendid schemes, had never once entered his head. He had been certain that it would prove successful—he did not see how it could be otherwise; but now he was convinced that it had failed, for he had examined the yacht so often and so closely, that he knew the exact shape of every sail and rope on her, and it did not require the aid of the 'squire's spy-glass to satisfy him that the vessel following in his wake was the one he had tried to destroy. He knew it was the Storm King. No other sloop of that size about the village could sail so swiftly, or ride the waves so gracefully. Even while he leaned over the rail, so filled with rage and
disappointment that he could scarcely breathe, he could not help saying to himself, as he had done a hundred times before, that she was the prettiest object in the shape of a vessel that he had ever seen. And now to think that he must go away from Newport, and leave her in the hands of his rival! He would never have another opportunity to try any of his splendid ideas on her; and while he was wandering about the world, a fugitive from justice, Harry Green would remain in the village, surrounded with friends, beloved and respected by all who knew him, and, worse than all, first lieutenant of the Storm King. It was some time before the captain of the Crusoe band could realize all this; but when he did, he was so nearly beside himself that he would not have cared a grain if the schooner had foundered at that moment, carrying all hands, himself included, to the bottom.
"O, now, did any body in this world ever see or hear of so unlucky a boy as I am?" yelled Tom, stamping his foot on the deck, and fairly trembling with anger. "I never can do any thing like other fellows, for something is forever happening to bother me. Another of my grand ideas has ended in smoke! The yacht is above water yet. I wish she would capsize. Go away with your spy-glass, Friday. What do I want with a spy-glass, when I know it is the Storm King?"
"What did I tell you, cap'n?" said Xury.
"O, now, I want you to hush up!" shouted Tom, placing his hands on the rail, and jumping up and down as if he were about to precipitate himself into the waves. "Don't speak to me; don't any body dare speak to me. I am a desperate man; and if you don't look out, I'll—I'll—I've the greatest notion in the world to jump overboard."
"There's the yawl, an' I can see them two bugglars standin' by it," said Atkins.
He addressed himself to the governor, not deeming it safe to speak to Tom, who showed an alarming disposition to break things. He had caught up a handspike, and was swinging it around his head, glaring fiercely at
his companions as if he had half a mind to strike one of them; but, thinking better of it, he turned and brought the handspike down upon the rail with such force that the little vessel fairly trembled under the blow. The governor stood off at a safe distance and looked at him, hoping that his rage would soon subside, and that he would give his attention to his duties. But Tom continued to beat the rail with the handspike, now and then stopping to look at the yacht, which seemed to be rapidly falling behind. "Be you gone clean crazy?" Sam ventured to ask, at length.
"No, I haven't!" shouted Tom. "I wish I had about twenty good men; I would board that yacht and make sure work of her. I'd cut a hole through her bottom, and I'd stay by her and watch her until she had sunk completely out of sight. Then I'd like to see Harry Green get her again."
"We've got to stop here fur the yawl an' them bugglars," suggested the chief.
"Well, get a crew ready to man the skiff," said Tom, throwing down the handspike after hitting the rail one more blow harder than all the rest. "You will take charge of the skiff, governor, and tow the yawl out to us. We'll make her fast alongside, and take the outfit aboard as we go along. Tell those robbers that if they want to sail with us, they can get into the skiff. Be in a hurry, now, for we haven't a single instant to lose."
When the skiff had been hauled alongside, the schooner was thrown up into the wind, and Sam and two of his men pulled for the island. Although they used all possible haste, a good deal of precious time was consumed in towing out the yawl; and when she had been brought alongside, and the Sweepstakes was ready to fill away again, the Storm King was half way across the bay. During this time the schooner had made considerable lee-way, having drifted past the head of the island. This was something Tom had not calculated upon; and, so busy was he in brooding over his disappointment, that he did not notice it, until it was too late to prevent it. It had been his intention to run down the north shore, where he could get the full benefit of the breeze; but he was afraid to attempt it now, for the yacht was rapidly approaching, and, if he rounded the head of the island again, he would, of course, be obliged to sail directly toward her. This was something he did not like to do, for he was already as close to the sloop and her angry crew as he cared to be. The only course left him was to follow the south shore, which he did; and in a few minutes he had left the yacht out of sight behind the island.
"Let that skiff go adrift," commanded the skipper, as soon as the schooner was fairly under-way. "We can't afford to have any dead weights dragging after us now. Governor, turn to with the rest of the hands and pass up the outfit. As we are in something of a hurry," he added, turning to the robbers, "perhaps you gentlemen will lend us a hand."
The "gentlemen" declared themselves willing to do any thing; and, with their assistance, the outfit was soon taken on board, and stowed away in the cabin; after which the yawl was also turned adrift, and the Sweepstakes, with nothing to retard her progress, bounded merrily on her way.
"Hurrah for us, skipper!" cried the governor, joyfully, "we're off now. After three months hard work, we've got fairly started for our island. Who cares for them spooneys in the yacht? We've got a swift vessel, an' we can show 'em a pretty pair of heels."
The chief was as gay and jubilant as Tom was vexed and disappointed.