Roger Willoughby: A Story of the Times of Benbow

by William Henry Giles Kingston

“One good thing is, we need not fight,” said Stephen. “The most prudent thing we can do is to stow ourselves away as soon as we are within gunshot.”

“The agreement from the first was that we might remain in our cabin,” remarked Roger.

“Oh no; but I propose that we get into the lowest depths of the ship, where there is less chance of a shot coming,” said Stephen.

“Suppose she is sent to the bottom,” said Roger, “we shall be drowned with the rest. We shall see the water rising, and if so, we must hurry up on deck.”

While Roger and Stephen were holding this conversation, they observed a good deal of excitement among the officers. Presently two or three came aft to the Captain, and, by their gestures, it was very evident that they were insisting that the ship should be put about, and that they should try and make their escape. The Captain yielded; the helm was put up, the yards squared, and away the Tiger ran before the wind, every additional stitch of canvas which she could carry being set. The stranger was not near enough to fire, or it might have fared ill with the pirate.

“Our chance of liberty is diminishing by this time,” observed Roger. “The Tiger before the wind has a remarkably fast pair of heels.”

The stranger, however, seeing what the pirate was about, also made all sail, and came bowling away after her, guessing probably her character.

“She will not catch us, gentlemen,” said Sam, who came up to them. “Cannot say that I am sorry we are running away. I put the officers up to insisting on it, by telling them that we should be sent to the bottom, or captured and strung up to the yard-arm, and they fortunately believed me.”

At first it was doubtful which ship was sailing the fastest; and Roger thought, in spite of what Sam said, that the stranger was coming up with them, but after a time it became evident that the Tiger was getting ahead. The Captain told Roger to be careful to mark down their course, as they were standing away from the land to the westward. All day long the chase continued; there was still some chance of their falling in with another large ship, and if so, they might have to fight after all. It was some hours past noon; they had already sunk the courses of the stranger below the horizon, but there she was, in her former position, still following, though a dark bank of clouds was now seen rising to the westward, indicating a change of wind, and probably a heavy gale. The clouds rose fast, and came scouring across the blue sky, while the hitherto calm ocean was covered with foam-crested seas, which rose higher and higher. Hamet ordered sail at once to be taken in—not a moment too soon, for down came the gale, and the stout ship heeled over to it. The Tiger, however, still kept to the southward. At last the gale increased to such an extent that the Captain ordered her to be hove-to. Roger looked out for the stranger, but she was nowhere to be seen. That danger was escaped, but the question was how the slightly-built rover would endure the tempest. They might have run for a port on the Barbary coast, but that was a long way off, and no other would afford them shelter; for as their hands had turned against every nation, so every nation was a foe. Night came on, and as there was no good in their remaining on deck, Roger and Stephen went to their cabin. Poor Jumbo soon made his way there.

“Oh dear, me tink we go to de bottom,” he said. “Wish we had stayed on shore; all my doing too, for if I no say you knew how to manage de ship, Hamet not bring you.”