Chapter Four.
The Departure of the Convoy.
About daybreak the wind veered round and blew a fine, fresh, steady breeze from the northward, enabling the barque to lay her course with flowing sheets; and sunset found her safely anchored in Plymouth Sound, one of a fleet of nearly two hundred merchantmen, which had assembled there for the purpose of being convoyed across the Atlantic.
The convoy was to sail on the following day but one; the men-o’-war which constituted their escort were already in the Sound, along with several other ships of the royal navy; and as the cable smoked out through the Aurora’s hawse-pipe that evening, when she dropped her anchor, George fondly hoped his troubles were at an end.
But he was mistaken.
As soon as the canvas was furled, Captain Leicester manned a boat, and, proceeding on board the admiral’s ship reported the circumstance of the capture and recapture of his vessel, requesting at the same time to be relieved as soon as possible of the custody of his prisoners. This was speedily arranged. By the admiral’s orders an armed boat’s crew was at once despatched to the Aurora, the prisoners were released from their bonds, passed into the man-o’-war’s boat, and in little more than an hour from their arrival in the Sound safely lodged on board a prison-hulk.
So far, so good. But George had yet to learn that there was one inconvenient result generally attendant upon a request to a man-o’-war for assistance. The boat, after conveying the Frenchmen to the prison-hulk, duly returned to the admiral’s ship; but, instead of the crew at once passing out of her, they were ordered to remain where they were, the lieutenant in charge alone going on deck and holding a short conference with the captain, after which he re-entered the boat, and she proceeded once more alongside the Aurora.
George saw her coming, and wondered what could possibly be her errand. He was not left long in doubt.
“I am very sorry to trouble you,” remarked the lieutenant, as he encountered George at the gangway, whither the latter had repaired to meet him, “but I must ask you to kindly muster your men.”
George knew only too well then what this visit boded, but he was quite helpless; so, putting the best face he could upon the matter, he answered as cheerfully as he could, and directed that all hands should be summoned on deck.