The Pirate
"Cleveland," said Minna, "I will not reproach you with abusing my
inexperience, or with availing yourself of those delusions which the
credulity of early youth had flung around me, and which led me to
confound your fatal course of life with the deeds of our ancient heroes.
Alas, when I saw your followers, that illusion was no more!--but I do
not upbraid you with its having existed. Go, Cleveland; detach yourself
from those miserable wretches with whom you are associated, and believe
me, that if Heaven yet grants you the means of distinguishing your name
by one good or glorious action, there are eyes left in those lonely
islands, that will weep as much for joy, as--as--they must now do for
sorrow."
"And is this all?" said Cleveland; "and may I not hope, that if I
extricate myself from my present associates--if I can gain my pardon by
being as bold in the right, as I have been too often in the wrong
cause--if, after a term, I care not how long--but still a term which may
have an end, I can boast of having redeemed my fame--may I not--may I
not hope that Minna may forgive what my God and my country shall have
pardoned?"
"Never, Cleveland, never!" said Minna, with the utmost firmness; "on
this spot we part, and part for ever, and part without longer
indulgence. Think of me as of one dead, if you continue as you now are;
but if, which may Heaven grant, you change your fatal course, think of
me then as one, whose morning and evening prayers will be for your
happiness, though she has lost her own.--Farewell, Cleveland!"
He kneeled, overpowered by his own bitter feelings, to take the hand
which she held out to him, and in that instant, his confidant Bunce,
starting from behind one of the large upright pillars, his eyes wet with
tears, exclaimed--
"Never saw such a parting scene on any stage! But I'll be d----d if you
make your exit as you expect!"
And so saying, ere Cleveland could employ either remonstrance or
resistance, and indeed before he could get upon his feet, he easily
secured him by pulling him down on his back, so that two or three of the
boat's crew seized him by the arms and legs, and began to hurry him
towards the lake. Minna and Brenda shrieked, and attempted to fly; but
Derrick snatched up the former with as much ease as a falcon pounces on
a pigeon, while Bunce, with an oath or two which were intended to be of
a consolatory nature, seized on Brenda; and the whole party, with two or
three of the other pirates, who, stealing from the water-side, had
accompanied them on the ambuscade, began hastily to run towards the
boat, which was left in charge of two of their number. Their course,
however, was unexpectedly interrupted, and their criminal purpose
entirely frustrated.
When Mordaunt Mertoun had turned out his guard in arms, it was with the
natural purpose of watching over the safety of the two sisters. They had
accordingly closely observed the motions of the pirates, and when they
saw so many of them leave the boat and steal towards the place of
rendezvous assigned to Cleveland, they naturally suspected treachery,
and by cover of an old hollow way or trench, which perhaps had anciently
been connected with the monumental circle, they had thrown themselves
unperceived between the pirates and their boat. At the cries of the
sisters, they started up and placed themselves in the way of the
ruffians, presenting their pieces, which, notwithstanding, they dared
not fire, for fear of hurting the young ladies, secured as they were in
the rude grasp of the marauders. Mordaunt, however, advanced with the
speed of a wild deer on Bunce, who, loath to quit his prey, yet unable
to defend himself otherwise, turned to this side and that alternately,
exposing Brenda to the blows which Mordaunt offered at him. This
defence, however, proved in vain against a youth, possessed of the
lightest foot and most active hand ever known in Zetland, and after a
feint or two, Mordaunt brought the pirate to the ground with a stroke
from the but of the carabine, which he dared not use otherwise. At the
same time fire-arms were discharged on either side by those who were
liable to no such cause of forbearance, and the pirates who had hold of
Cleveland, dropped him, naturally enough, to provide for their own
defence or retreat. But they only added to the numbers of their enemies;
for Cleveland, perceiving Minna in the arms of Derrick, snatched her
from the ruffian with one hand, and with the other shot him dead on the
spot. Two or three more of the pirates fell or were taken, the rest fled
to their boat, pushed off, then turned their broadside to the shore, and
fired repeatedly on the Orcadian party, which they returned, with little
injury on either side. Meanwhile Mordaunt, having first seen that the
sisters were at liberty and in full flight towards the house, advanced
on Cleveland with his cutlass drawn. The pirate presented a pistol, and
calling out at the same time,--"Mordaunt, I never missed my aim," he
fired into the air, and threw it into the lake; then drew his cutlass,
brandished it round his head, and flung that also as far as his arm
could send it, in the same direction. Yet such was the universal belief
of his personal strength and resources, that Mordaunt still used
precaution, as, advancing on Cleveland, he asked if he surrendered.
"I surrender to no man," said the Pirate-captain; "but you may see I
have thrown away my weapons."
He was immediately seized by some of the Orcadians without his offering
any resistance; but the instant interference of Mordaunt prevented his
being roughly treated, or bound. The victors conducted him to a
well-secured upper apartment in the House of Stennis, and placed a
sentinel at the door. Bunce and Fletcher, both of whom had been
stretched on the field during the skirmish, were lodged in the same
chamber; and two prisoners, who appeared of lower rank, were confined
in a vault belonging to the mansion.
Without pretending to describe the joy of Magnus Troil, who, when
awakened by the noise and firing, found his daughters safe, and his
enemy a prisoner, we shall only say, it was so great, that he forgot,
for the time at least, to enquire what circumstances were those which
had placed them in danger; that he hugged Mordaunt to his breast a
thousand times, as their preserver; and swore as often by the bones of
his sainted namesake, that if he had a thousand daughters, so tight a
lad, and so true a friend, should have the choice of them, let Lady
Glowrowrum say what she would.
A very different scene was passing in the prison-chamber of the
unfortunate Cleveland and his associates. The Captain sat by the window,
his eyes bent on the prospect of the sea which it presented, and was
seemingly so intent on it, as to be insensible of the presence of the
others. Jack Bunce stood meditating some ends of verse, in order to make
his advances towards a reconciliation with Cleveland; for he began to be
sensible, from the consequences, that the part he had played towards his
Captain, however well intended, was neither lucky in its issue, nor
likely to be well taken. His admirer and adherent Fletcher lay half
asleep, as it seemed, on a truckle-bed in the room, without the least
attempt to interfere in the conversation which ensued.
"Nay, but speak to me, Clement," said the penitent Lieutenant, "if it be
but to swear at me for my stupidity!
'What! not an oath?--Nay, then the world goes hard,
If Clifford cannot spare his friends an oath.'"
"I prithee peace, and be gone!" said Cleveland; "I have one bosom friend
left yet, and you will make me bestow its contents on you, or on
myself."
"I have it!" said Bunce, "I have it!" and on he went in the vein of
Jaffier--
"'Then, by the hell I merit, I'll not leave thee,
Till to thyself at least thou'rt reconciled,
However thy resentment deal with me!'"
"I pray you once more to be silent," said Cleveland--"Is it not enough
that you have undone me with your treachery, but you must stun me with
your silly buffoonery?--I would not have believed _you_ would have
lifted a finger against me, Jack, of any man or devil in yonder unhappy
ship."
"Who, I?" exclaimed Bunce, "I lift a finger against you!--and if I did,
it was in pure love, and to make you the happiest fellow that ever trode
a deck, with your mistress beside you, and fifty fine fellows at your
command. Here is Dick Fletcher can bear witness I did all for the best,
if he would but speak, instead of lolloping there like a Dutch dogger
laid up to be careened.--Get up, Dick, and speak for me, won't you?"
"Why, yes, Jack Bunce," answered Fletcher, raising himself with
difficulty, and speaking feebly, "I will if I can--and I always knew you
spoke and did for the best--but howsomdever, d'ye see, it has turned out
for the worst for me this time, for I am bleeding to death, I think."
"You cannot be such an ass!" said Jack Bunce, springing to his
assistance, as did Cleveland. But human aid came too late--he sunk back
on the bed, and, turning on his face, expired without a groan.
"I always thought him a d----d fool," said Bunce, as he wiped a tear
from his eye, "but never such a consummate idiot as to hop the perch so
sillily. I have lost the best follower"--and he again wiped his eye.
Cleveland looked on the dead body, the rugged features of which had
remained unaltered by the death-pang--"A bull-dog," he said, "of the
true British breed, and, with a better counsellor, would have been a
better man."
"You may say that of some other folks, too, Captain, if you are minded
to do them justice," said Bunce.
"I may indeed, and especially of yourself," said Cleveland, in reply.
"Why then, say, _Jack, I forgive you_," said Bunce; "it's but a short
word, and soon spoken."
"I forgive you from all my soul, Jack," said Cleveland, who had resumed
his situation at the window; "and the rather that your folly is of
little consequence--the morning is come that must bring ruin on us all."
"What! you are thinking of the old woman's prophecy you spoke of?" said
Bunce.
"It will soon be accomplished," answered Cleveland. "Come hither; what
do you take yon large square-rigged vessel for, that you see doubling
the headland on the east, and opening the Bay of Stromness?"
"Why, I can't make her well out," said Bunce, "but yonder is old Goffe,
takes her for a West Indiaman loaded with rum and sugar, I suppose, for
d----n me if he does not slip cable, and stand out to her!"
"Instead of running into the shoal-water, which was his only safety,"
said Cleveland--"The fool! the dotard! the drivelling, drunken
idiot!--he will get his flip hot enough; for yon is the Halcyon--See,
she hoists her colours and fires a broadside! and there will soon be an
end of the Fortune's Favourite! I only hope they will fight her to the
last plank. The Boatswain used to be stanch enough, and so is Goffe,
though an incarnate demon.--Now she shoots away, with all the sail she
can spread, and that shows some sense."
"Up goes the Jolly Hodge, the old black flag, with the death's head and
hour-glass, and that shows some spunk," added his comrade.
"The hour-glass is turned for us, Jack, for this bout--our sand is
running fast.--Fire away yet, my roving lads! The deep sea or the blue
sky, rather than a rope and a yard-arm!"
There was a moment of anxious and dead silence; the sloop, though hard
pressed, maintaining still a running fight, and the frigate continuing
in full chase, but scarce returning a shot. At length the vessels neared
each other, so as to show that the man-of-war intended to board the
sloop, instead of sinking her, probably to secure the plunder which
might be in the pirate vessel.
"Now, Goffe--now, Boatswain!" exclaimed Cleveland, in an ecstasy of