Commodore Barney's Young Spies Page 20

  CHAPTER XIX.

  THE UNEXPECTED.

  There is little need for me to set it down that we neither slackenedpace nor halted until we were in the cuddy of the pungy.

  Not a member of our party spoke until we descended the companion-waystairs, and faced the lads and my father, who had lighted a candle asa sort of welcome, and then Darius exclaimed:

  "Well I'm blowed if you don't look kind'er cozy here! Who'd think thiscrowd had been hob-nobbin' with the Britishers for the last two orthree days? Bob Hanaford, where did the lads run afoul of you, an' whydidn't you get your pungy down river before the enemy's fleet cameup?"

  There was a deal of handshaking and congratulations before we settleddown to anything like rational talk, and then Jerry and I told how wefound the captain, and what had happened since Darius left thesmoke-house.

  Then it was the old man's turn to give an account of hismisadventures, and this he did after refreshing himself with anenormous piece of tobacco.

  "I went out, leavin' you people in hidin', with the idee that if manyshops were to be robbed by the soldiers I might get somethin' to eatout'er the general wreck. First off nothin' came my way, an' then Iran square across a basket of ship's bread. Thinks I, this is goodenough for one trip, an' I gathered the stuff under my arm, puttin'for the smoke-house under full sail without bein' noticed by thered-coats, who were havin' too lively a time to give me muchattention. As luck would have it, the thought never came into my mindthat I had need to look for anybody but Britishers, an' before I washalfway to port I struck up agin that sneak, Elias Macomber.

  "Then it was I understood that the red-coats wasn't the only snags inthe road, an' I gave him one clip on the jaw that I counted wouldknock him down an' out; but my calkerlations was wrong. Instead oftopplin' over as a decent man would have done after gettin' the fullweight of my fist, he began to screech an' yell fit to raise the dead.My legs moved mighty lively jest then, for a blind man could have seenwhat might happen; but the Britishers had me foul before I'd more'ngot well started. No less than six grappled me, an' I hauled down myflag, 'cause there wasn't any sense in makin' a bad matter worse.

  "Them soldiers must have had orders in advance to lug any prisonersthey might take, to the shanty back of the arsenal, for they steered astraight course for the place without stoppin' to ask any man'sadvice, an' what chafed me more'n everythin' else was that rat of aMacomber, close at my heels, as he told what he would do now that hisfriends had taken possession of the country. I contrived to give himone kick on the shins which I'll guarantee he remembers this minute,an' then he kept well back in the rear. That's the end of the yarn,lads."

  "But where did you meet Bill?" I asked.

  "In the jail. He was brought up with a sharp turn durin' the retreat,bein' so stuffy that he kept well in the rear, instead of pushin'ahead as he might have done."

  "Did Macomber succeed in getting into the prison?"

  "He wasn't inside, an' that's a fact; but he stood at the window, an'kept shoutin' all kinds of threats till one of the sentries drove himaway, havin' had too much of his yip."

  "You saw me quickly enough."

  "Well, you see, lad, I had my eye on the window, countin' to throw myshoe through the glass when he showed his ugly face again, hopin' thathe'd get cut a bit, an', besides, I somehow had it in my head that youan' Jerry would flash up sooner or later."

  "But how did you contrive to come at the scuttle?" Captain Hanafordasked.

  "That was plain sailin'. Bill was one of the first put into the place,an' knowin' he'd take a trip to the yard-arm when the Britishers foundout who he was, he naturally took advantage of the chance to snoop'round a bit. We had the run of the whole buildin', seein's therewasn't many of us, an' when he went in the prisoners didn't numbermore'n twenty. He found a key in the door that led up to the attic,which seemed to be a sort of store-room, an', thinkin' it might comein handy if the others didn't know the lay of the land, he locked thebloomin' place, havin' done so without bein' seen. When I came hedidn't know anythin' about the scuttle; but we figgered that if therewasn't one, we could get up stairs an' pull bricks enough out of thechimney to give us a hole. There wasn't any need of doin' that,however, 'cause we found the hatch bolted on the inside, an' the restwas easy. The only thing about the whole business which bothers me is,why the Britishers didn't have a good look around before turnin' thebuildin' into a jail."

  "The drubbin' they got at Bladensburg, even though they did win thebattle, confused them," my father said with a chuckle of satisfaction.

  "It strikes me that we'd better get the pungy under way mighty soon,"Captain Hanaford interrupted. "It can't be a great while before someof the crowd sees the rope we left danglin' from the chimney, an' thenyou may set it down as a fact that this city will be searched in a waythat won't be comfortable for us."

  "But where'll you go, Bob?" Bill Jepson asked. "The British fleet isin the river, an' to sail up stream strikes me as bein' dangerous, forthey can send light boats after us, an' this draft won't make muchfist of runnin' away from them in such a breeze as you've got now."

  "I had an idee the wind was gettin' up," the oysterman said as heopened the hatch a few inches, and at that instant a gust swept intothe cuddy bringing with it a full pail of water.

  "A good, nice little thunder squall," the captain said in a tone ofcontent, "an' if it comes from the right quarter, we're in luck."

  Darius was on deck in a twinkling, and I followed him, hoping that wemight be able to leave our mooring, for at such a time it would not bea very difficult matter to get so far up stream as to baffle pursuit.

  At the moment, however, it seemed as if our good fortune had desertedus. The wind was drawing down the river with a force that shut off allhope of sending the pungy against it, and the rain came in suchtorrents that the deck was awash in short order.

  "It's a case of stayin' where we are, or takin' the chances of runnin'down river when you couldn't see a nigger under your nose," Dariussaid as he and I re-entered the cabin wet to the skin, although we hadnot been exposed to the fury of the tempest above two minutes. "I'mwillin' to run a good many risks; but puttin' this pungy under sail,with half a dozen frigates somewhere on the course, is a little toosteep for me."

  Captain Hanaford was exceeding anxious to be under way; but heunderstood that nothing could be done while the storm raged with suchfury, and we sat in the darkness, discussing what might be done whenthe morning came.

  It was finally decided that we would take all the risk of going downstream as soon as the tempest abated, for there were many creeks alongthe shore where we might run under cover to avoid the fleet, or, ifthe worst came, we could go on shore, abandoning the pungy.

  In order that Captain Hanaford might be willing to take the chances oflosing his vessel, I showed him the guarantee we had received fromCommodore Barney, and promised that when we got the money from thegovernment he should share equally with us.

  "I'm ready to do whatsoever is agreed upon without askin' you lads topay for my pungy in case I lose her," he said stoutly. "There ain'tany certainty I'd been able to keep her if you hadn't come aboard, forif the Britishers will burn nigh on to a whole city, they won't stopat a few oyster-boats, if there's any fun to be had in settin' 'emafire. I don't jest hanker, though, to fool around with a lot offrigates, an' that's a fact."

  "We won't fool with 'em," Darius said decidedly. "It stands to reasonthey must be below Fort Washington, else we'd heard the firin' whenthey tried to come past. Now 'twixt here an' there we should find acreek where a pungy like this could be hidden."

  "I know of a place about eight miles from here," the captain saidthoughtfully, and Bill Jepson cried cheerfully:

  "Then that settles the whole business. We'll get under way when this'ere squall is over, and before daylight be where we can keep out ofsight till the fleet comes up. Once they're this side of us we shallbe in clear water."

  But Bill was not calculating on the force of the "squall." I have seena g
ood many summer storms; but never one to equal that on the night ofAugust twenty-fifth, in the year of grace 1814.

  We could hear now and then ashore, even amid the howling of the windand the crashing thunder the rending of wood as houses were unroofed,and from the terrible uproar which came later we believed the treesgrowing near where we lay were being torn up by the roots, as wasreally found to be the case when morning dawned.

  The pungy rocked to and fro as if in the open bay, straining at herhawsers until it became necessary to pass extra ones, otherwise shewould have been swept from her moorings.

  Those of us who went on deck to do this work were wetted in an instantas if we had jumped overboard, and at times it became necessary tohold fast by the rail, otherwise we would have been literally blowninto the river.

  There was no possibility of getting under way that night, and allhands kept watch in the cuddy until day broke, when, and not untilthen, did the storm abate.

  The wind had aided the Britishers in working havoc. From the deck ofthe pungy I saw no less than four houses, the roofs of which had beentorn off, and one negro shanty was in ruins. As far as we could seethe trees were uprooted, and the river ran so full of wreckage that Iwondered we had not been swamped off hand.

  "We'll stay here a few hours longer, I reckon," Darius said to me ashe pointed toward the fragments of buildings and trees with which theriver seemed literally to be choked. "If this pungy struck fair onsomethin' like that yonder, she'd founder for a fact."

  The veriest landsman who ever lived would have understood that it wasfolly to think of getting under way just then, and my heart grew heavyas lead in my breast, for I firmly believed that before another hourhad passed the enemy would be out searching for the prisoners who hadescaped, in which case all hands of us stood a good chance of seeingthe interior of that "stone house."

  As we stood on deck, regardless of the possibility that some of theenemy might come that way, a man ran down the street toward thewater's edge, waving his arms about and otherwise acting as if nearlybeside himself with joy or grief.

  "What is the matter, friend?" Captain Hanaford cried at the fullstrength of his lungs, and the man made quite a lengthy reply; but allwe could hear of it was this one exclamation:

  "The British!"

  "Are they comin' this way?" the captain demanded, screaming until hisface was crimson, and Bill Jepson suddenly dropped out of sightthrough the companion-way.

  "They've gone!" the man replied, and we could now hear his words moredistinctly because he was coming nearer each instant.

  "Gone where?" Captain Hanaford cried impatiently. "Can't you tell uswhat has happened?"

  "The British have cleared out bag an' baggage--went durin' the storm!"

  "What?" Darius screamed, and we looked at each other incredulously,for surely it could not be possible that the enemy had evacuated thecity so soon.

  "Come on board an' tell us what you know!" Captain Hanaford cried. "Itis of the greatest importance for us to learn exactly the situation ofaffairs."

  The stranger did not accept the invitation to come on board; but hehalted within easy speaking distance and thus told the story, whichseemed incredible:

  "Last night the people livin' near the encampment were warned, on painof death, to remain within doors from sunset till sunrise. Those whowere curious enough to look out of the windows saw that the camp fireshad been increased, an' supposed reinforcements were comin' in; butthis mornin' neither hide nor hair is to be seen of the red-coats, an'a planter comin' in from nearabout Long Old Fields, reports that thesoldiers are marchin' in the direction of Nottingham. An' that ain'tall, for the troops that stayed at Bladensburg after the battle, areon the way to Upper Marlboro, 'cordin to the report of an old darkeywho came into town not half an hour ago."

  Having thus unfolded his budget of news, the man hurried on to spreadthe glad tidings, leaving us who were aboard the pungy in a state ofmingled bewilderment and joy.

  "I can't understand it," Darius said after a brief pause, duringwhich we had looked at each other questioningly. "I'm goin' to takethe chances of findin' out for myself."

  The old man went over the rail as he spoke, and I would have followed,but that he said sharply:

  "Stay where you are, lad. We ain't dead certain 'bout that yarn, an'if it's a case of gettin' into trouble, it better be one than two whopays for nosin' 'round a British camp."

  Captain Hanaford felt certain the news must be correct, for ourinformant had the appearance of being an honest man, and nothing couldhave been gained by spreading such a story.

  "We'll cook the best breakfast to be had, by way of rejoicin'," hesaid, "an' after that's been done all hands shall come into a councilof war, to decide if we're to make the venture down the river."

  "If the enemy has really evacuated the city, it is reasonable tosuppose that the fleet will go back down the bay," I said, thinkingmyself very wise in such matters. "It strikes me that the way homelies open before us."

  My companions were of the same opinion, and a very merry party we wereon the oyster pungy that morning as we tried in vain to guess why theenemy had left so suddenly, when there seemed to be nothing to preventhim from taking possession of all the country round about.

  Before the feast was ready to be eaten Darius returned, and a singleglance at his face was sufficient to show that the good news was true.

  "They've gone, an' there's no mistake about it," he announced, as hesprang over the rail lightly as any boy. "I went to the place wherethe troops were encamped, before bein' willin' to believe they'dturned tail so suddenly. Now I'd like to know if that very friendlygentleman Elias Macomber, has been left behind, or if he followed theforce? If he's in this city I could make it mighty interestin' forhim."

  "Never mind the sneak, Darius!" my father cried. "There is no need foryou to punish him, because if the British go away he'll find it veryuncomfortable around here, and that's enough to serve the cur out forall he has done."

  Darius did not appear to think that Macomber's misdeeds could beatoned so easily; but he kept his opinion to himself, and joined us inwhat was at the same time a feast of rejoicing and thanksgiving.

  Not until the meal was come to an end did we begin the discussion asto how we should get home, and then Captain Hanaford opened thequestion by asking:

  "Now, lads, are we to run up stream into the mud, or take our chancesof findin' the British fleet 'twixt here an' the bay?"

  Darius immediately proposed that we strike out for the Chesapeake,using the same argument I had, that since the retreat of the soldiersthere was little chance the vessels would make any effort at runningpast Fort Washington.

  Bill Jepson, who could not be blamed for feeling a bit nervous atgoing any nearer a British vessel of war than was absolutelynecessary, believed that it would be safer for us to go back toBenedict by land, keeping at a respectful distance in the rear of theenemy; but his plan was not considered, because it would be impossiblefor my father to travel on foot, and I, at least, was not disposed topart company with him.

  We spent a full hour discussing the situation, and then it had beendecided that we would run boldly down the river, nearly all of usfeeling confident that there were no longer any British vessels toblock our way.

  There was nothing to delay us in making the start as soon as the rivershould be clear of the tokens sent by the storm, except Darius' desireto make systematic search for Elias Macomber; but to this all of usobjected so strongly that, much against his will, he was forced togive over the idea.

  For my part I had seen enough of the British-lover; we had capturedhim twice, which was our full share of such business, and if we didspend time hunting him down, providing he yet remained in the city,what could we do with the villain? He had forfeited all rights ofcitizenship in our section of the country, and I had no doubt thatwherever he went his sins would find him out. It was better we leavehim alone, from whatever standpoint I viewed it.

  Captain Hanaford decided that the river w
ould be clear of drift bymorning, therefore we were agreed to set sail then, and, as a means ofpassing the time pleasantly, we lads went over to the "stone house" tosee how the old shell-backs managed to escape so readily.

  We found the building open and abandoned. The enemy had taken theprisoners away, and we were not hindered in going over it thoroughly.

  When that inspection was ended, we viewed the ruins in the differentparts of the city, paid a visit to the smoke-house, and returned tothe pungy late in the afternoon, well satisfied to bring our visit tothe capital to the earliest possible close.

  On that evening Captain Hanaford brought aboard a surgeon, who caredfor my father's wound, and, what was better, declared that he saw noreason why it should not heal speedily, leaving him none the worse forhaving received it.

  We were eager to be under way, as may be supposed, and as soon as theday dawned on the 27th of August, we cast off from the dock, feelingthat the good God had been very kind in permitting us to return to ourhomes when so many had been left at Bladensburg to fill soldiers'graves.

  It was as if everything favored us at the start of the homewardjourney. The river was free from the drift of all kinds which hadcovered its surface; the wind was blowing gently from the north, andthe day gave promise of being clear.

  The pungy slipped along as if conscious that she, like ourselves, hadescaped from great dangers, and was longing for another cargo ofoysters in her hold.

  Bill Jepson acted as if he had suddenly lost his senses. He sang thewildest kind of songs, danced two or three hornpipes, and theninsisted on Darius joining him, while Jim Freeman furnished the musicby whistling fast and furiously. As a matter of fact, all of us, evenincluding my father, were disposed to be exceeding jolly now that wewere homeward bound with the belief that the enemy was no longer in aposition to annoy us.

  We lads talked of the pungy we would buy when the government paid usfor the Avenger, and laid many a plan for the future when Jim, his twofriends, Jerry, Darius and I would begin oystering again, in a craftcapable of carrying three or four times the cargo we had been able tosqueeze into the old boat which had been sacrificed at Pig Point.

  Then, when it was near noon, we had come within sight of FortWashington, and as we rounded the bend Captain Hanaford gave vent toan exclamation of surprise and fear, which was echoed by Bill Jepson.

  At some considerable distance down the river it was possible to seethe upper spars of seven vessels of war which were slowly approachingthe fortification from the southward.

  "It's the British fleet!" Captain Hanaford cried as he shoved thetiller hard down, thereby swinging the pungy's nose into the mud ofthe eastern bank. "We were bloomin' fools to think that the enemy hadall run away!"

  "It's the fleet under Captain Gordon, an' I can tell you just howstrong it is," Bill Jepson said as he rubbed his head nervously."There are two frigates of thirty-six an' thirty-eight guns; tworocket ships of eighteen guns each, two bomb vessels of eight gunseach, an' one schooner carryin' two guns."

  "The schooner would be enough to bring us up with a sharp turn,therefore I hold that it don't make any difference how many frigatesare behind her," Darius cried. "The question is whether the fort canprevent their comin' up the river?"

  No one aboard could say what might be done by those in thefortification, or how strongly it was garrisoned; but later I read thefollowing in one of the newspapers, and will set it down here so thatwhat happened while we were on the river may be the better understood.

  "The only obstruction to the passage of the fleet on which theAmericans might place the least reliance, was Fort Washington, on theMaryland side of the Potomac, about twelve miles below the nationalcapital. It was a feeble fortress, but capable of being made strong.So early as May 1813, a deputation from Alexandria, Georgetown andWashington waited upon the Secretary of War, and represented theimportance of strengthening the post.

  "An engineer was sent to examine it. He reported in favor ofadditional works in the rear, while he believed that the armament ofthe fort, and its elevated situation, would enable a well-managedgarrison to repulse any number of ships of war which might attempt topass up the river. Nothing more was done.

  "In July, 1814, when a British fleet and army were in the Chesapeake,the authorities of Alexandria again called the attention of theSecretary of War to the feeble condition of Fort Washington. Thesecretary did not believe the enemy would push for the capital, andnothing was done. The Alexandrians appealed to General Winder, whorecommended the strengthening of the post. Three of the banks inAlexandria offered to loan the government fifty thousand dollars forthe construction of more defences for the District. The money wasaccepted, but nothing was done to Fort Washington. When the battle ofBladensburg occurred, and the seat of government was left to the mercyof the invaders, Fort Washington was as feebly armed as ever, and itsgarrison consisted of only about eighty men, under Captain Samuel T.Dyson."