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Snarleyyow

<h2>Chapter XLVII</h2> <h3>Which is rather interesting.</h3> Mr Vanslyperken's retreat was not known to the crew, they thought him still on deck, and he hastened forward to secrete himself, even from his own crew, who were not a little astonished at this unexpected attack which they could not account for. The major part of the arms on board were always kept in Mr Vanslyperken's cabin, and that was not only in possession of the assailants, but there was a strong guard in the passage outside which led to the lower deck. "Well, this beats my comprehension entirely," said Bill Spurey. "Yes," replied Short. "And mine too," added Obadiah Coble, "being as we are, as you know, at peace with all nations, to be boarded and carried in this way." "Why, what, and who can they be?" "I've a notion that Vanslyperken's at the bottom of it," replied Spurey. "Yes," said Short. "But it's a bottom that I can't fathom," continued Spurey. "My dipsey line arn't long enough either," replied Coble. "Gott for dam, what it can be!" exclaimed Jansen. "It must be the treason." "Mein Gott! yes," replied Corporal Van Spitter. "It is all treason, and the traitor be Vanslyperken." But although the corporal had some confused ideas, yet he could not yet arrange them. "Well, I've no notion of being boxed up here," observed Coble, "they can't be so many as we are, even if they were stowed away in the boat, like pilchards in a cask. Can't we get at the arms, corporal, and make a rush for it." "Mein Gott! de arms are all in the cabin, all but three pair pistols and the bayonets." "Well, but we've handspikes," observed Spurey. "Got for dam, gif me de handspike," cried Jansen. "We had better wait till daylight, at all events," observed Coble, "we shall see our work better." "Yes," replied Short. "And, in the meantime, get everything to hand that we can." "Yes," replied Short. "Well, I can't understand the manoeuvre. It beats my comprehension, what they have done with Vanslyperken." "I don't know, but they've kicked the cur out of the cabin." "Then they've kicked him out too, depend upon it." Thus did the crew continue to surmise during the whole night, but, as Bill Spurey said, the manoeuvre beat their comprehension. One thing was agreed upon, that they should make an attempt to recover the vessel as soon as they could. In the meantime, Ramsay with Wilhelmina, and the Jesuits, had taken possession of the cabin, and had opened all the despatches which acquainted them with the directions in detail, given for the taking of the conspirators at Portsmouth, and in the cave. Had it not been to save his friends, Ramsay would, at once, have taken the cutter to Cherbourg, and have there landed Wilhelmina and the treasure; but his anxiety for his friends, determined him to run at once for the cave, and send overland to Portsmouth. The wind was fair and the water smooth, and, before morning, the cutter was on her way. In the meantime, the crew of the cutter had not been idle; the ladders had been taken up and hatches closed. The only chance of success was an attack upon the guard, who was stationed outside of the cabin. They had six pistols, about two hundred pounds of ammunition, but with the exception of half-a-dozen bayonets, no other weapons. But they were resolute men, and as soon as they had made their arrangements, which consisted of piling up their hammocks, so as to make a barricade to fire over, they then commenced operations, the first signal of which, was a pistol-shot discharged at the men who were on guard in the passage, and which wounded one of them. Ramsay darted out of the cabin, at the report of the pistol, another and another was discharged, and Ramsay then gave the order to fire in return. This was done, but without injury to the seamen of the cutter, who were protected by the hammocks, and Ramsay having already three of his men wounded, found that the post below was no longer tenable. A consultation took place, and it was determined that the passage on the lower deck and the cabin should be abandoned, as the upper deck it would be easy to retain. The cabin's skylight was taken off, and the boxes of gold handed up, while the party outside the cabin door maintained the conflict with the crew of the Yungfrau. When all the boxes were up, Wilhelmina was lifted on deck, the skylight was shipped on again, and, as soon as the after hatches were ready to put on, Ramsay's men retreated to the ladder, which they drew up after them, and then put on the hatches. Had not the barricade of hammocks prevented them, the crew of the Yungfrau might have made a rush, and followed the others on deck; but, before they could beat down the barricades, which they did as soon as they perceived their opponents' retreat, the ladder was up, and the hatches placed over the hatchways. The Yungfraus had gained the whole of the lower deck, but they could do no more; and Ramsay perceived that if he could maintain possession of the upper deck, it was as much as he could expect with such determined assailants. This warfare had been continued during the whole morning, and it was twelve o'clock before the cabin and lower deck had been abandoned by Ramsay's associates. During the whole day the skirmishes continued, the crew of the Yungfrau climbing on the table of the cabin, and firing through the skylight, but in so doing, they exposed themselves to the fire of the other party who sat like cats watching for their appearance, and discharging their pieces the moment that a head presented itself. In the meantime, the cutter darted on before a strong favourable breeze, and thus passed the first day. Many attempts were made during the night by the seamen of the cutter to force their way on deck, but they were all prevented by the vigilance of Ramsay; and the next morning the Isle of Wight was in sight. Wilhelmina had passed the night on the forecastle, covered up with a sail; none of his people had had anything to eat during the time that they were on board, and Ramsay was most anxious to arrive at his destination. About noon, the cutter was abreast of the Black Gang Chine: Ramsay had calculated upon retaining possession of the cutter, and taking the whole of the occupants of the cave over to Cherbourg, but this was now impossible. He had five of his men wounded, and he could not row the boat to the cave without leaving so few men on board, that they would be overpowered, for his ammunition was expended, with the exception of one or two charges, which were retained for an emergency. All that he could do now, was, therefore, to put his treasure in the boat, and with Wilhelmina and his whole party make for the cave, when he could send notice to Portsmouth for the others to join them, and they must be content to await the meditated attack upon the cave, and defend it till they could make their escape to France. The wind being foul for the cutter's return to Portsmouth, would enable him to give notice at Portsmouth, over land, before she could arrive. There was a great oversight committed when the lower deck was abandoned, the despatches had been left on Mr Vanslyperken's bed. Had they been taken away or destroyed, there would have been ample time for the whole of his party to have made their escape from England, before duplicates could arrive. As it was, he could do no more than what we have already mentioned. The boat was hauled up, the boxes of specie put in, the wounded men laid at the bottom of the boat, and having, at the suggestion of one of the men, cut the lower riggings, halyards, &c., of the cutter to retard its progress to Portsmouth, Ramsay and his associates stepped into the boat, and pulled for the cave. Their departure was soon ascertained by the crew of the Yungfrau who now forced the skylight, and gained the deck, but not before the boat had entered the cave. "What's to be done now?" said Coble. "Smash my timbers, but they've played old Harry with the rigging. We must knot and splice." "Yes," replied Short. "What the devil have they done with Vanslyperken?" cried Bill Spurey. "Either shoved him overboard, or taken him with them, I suppose," cried Coble. "Well, it's a nice job altogether," observed Spurey. "Mein Gott! yes," replied the corporal; "we will have a pretty story to tell de admiral." "Well, they've rid us of him at all events; I only hope they'll hang him." "Mein Gott! yes." "He'll have his desarts," replied Coble. "Got for tam! I like to see him swing." "Now he's gone, let's send his dog after him. Hurrah, my lads! get a rope up on the yard, and let us hang Snarleyyow." "Mein Gott! I'll go fetch him," cried the corporal. "You will--will you?" roared a voice. The corporal turned round, so did the others, and there, with his drawn sword, stood Mr Vanslyperken. "You d----d mutinous scoundrel," cried Vanslyperken, "touch my dog, if you dare." The corporal put his hand up to the salute, and Vanslyperken shook his head with a diabolical expression of countenance. "Now where the devil could he come from?" whispered Spurey. Coble shrugged up his shoulders, and Short gave a long whistle expending more breath than usual. However, there was no more to be said; and as soon as the rigging was knotted and spliced, sail was made in the cutter; but the wind being dead in their teeth, they did not arrive until late the next evening, and the admiral did not see despatches till the next morning, for the best of all possible reasons, that Vanslyperken did not take them on shore. He had a long story to tell, and he thought it prudent not to disturb the admiral after dinner, as great men are apt to be very choleric during the progress of digestion. The consequence was, that when, the next morning, Mr Vanslyperken called upon the admiral, the intelligence had been received from the cave, and all the parties had absconded. Mr Vanslyperken told his own tale, how he had been hailed by a boat purporting to have a messenger on board, how they had boarded him and beat down himself and his crew, how he and his crew had fought under hatches and beat them on deck, and how they had been forced to abandon the cutter. All this was very plausible, and then Vanslyperken gave the despatches opened by Ramsay. The admiral read them in haste, gave immediate orders for surrounding and breaking into the house of the Jew Lazarus, in which the military found nobody but an old tom-cat, and then desired Mr Vanslyperken to hold the cutter in readiness to embark troops and sail that afternoon; but troops do not move so fast as people think, and before one hundred men had been told off by the sergeant with their accoutrements, knapsacks, and sixty pounds of ammunition, it was too late to embark them that night, so they waited until the next morning. Moreover, Mr Vanslyperken had orders to draw from the dock-yard three large boats for the debarkation of the said troops; but the boats were not quite ready, one required a new gunnel, another three planks in the bottom, and the third having her stern out, it required all the carpenters in the yard to finish it by the next morning. Mr Vanslyperken's orders were to proceed to the cave, and land the troops, to march up to the cave, and to cover the advance of the troops, rendering them all the assistance in his power in co-operating with the major commanding the detachment; but where the cave was, no one knew, except that it was thereabouts. The next morning, at eight o'clock, the detachment, consisting of one hundred men, were embarked on board of the cutter, but the major commandant finding that the decks were excessively crowded, and that he could hardly breathe, ordered section first, section second, and section third, of twenty-five men each, to go into the boats and be towed. After which there was more room, and the cutter stood out for St Helen's. <hr style="width: 35%;"> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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