Travel Scholarships

13. The Aviso Essex

P a r t i 124 } away to the west-southwest. With a cool breeze carrying it along, there was no doubt that the Alert would begin to see the highlands of Saint Thomas before sunset. Thus Tony Renault and Magnus Anders spent that afternoon aloft in the rigging, the one on the yards of the mainmast, the other on the yards of the foremast, to see who would be the first to shout: “Land! Land!” The Aviso Essex Toward four o’clock in the afternoon, a shout was heard from Tony Renault. That shout was not “Land ho!” but rather “Ship!” Straight ahead to port, at a distance of five or six miles, there was smoke showing to the west just over the horizon. A steamer was coming from the opposite direction, and it was certain that it was moving at high speed. Half an hour later, its hull was visible, and half an hour after that, it was only a quarter-mile off the beam of the Alert. The passengers, gathered on the poop deck, were exchanging their observations: “It’s a government ship,” one would say. “You’re right,” another would answer, “since there is a pennant waving on top of its mainmast.” “Moreover, it’s a British ship,” the latter would continue. “Named the Essex,” would add the former. Indeed, with the aid of the telescope, they could read the name on the transom when the ship was coming about. “Hey!” exclaimed Tony Renault, “I bet it’s maneuvering in order to draw up alongside us!” It seemed that these were indeed the Essex’s intentions; the Essex was an aviso—a dispatch boat—between five and six tons, who had just hoisted her flag. Neither Harry Markel nor the others were mistaken about this. No doubt, the Essex wanted to communicate with the Alert and slowly continued to move closer. One can understand the anguish that these scoundrels were experiencing . Was it not possible that a few days ago a dispatch had arrived at one of the English Antilles; that, one way or another, they were aware of what had happened in Queenstown before the Alert’s departure—its 13 { 125 t H e a V i s o e s s e x being seized by the Markel gang, the massacre of Captain Paxton and his men—and that the Essex had been sent to bring back these criminals ? And yet, after all consideration, no!, that could not be. Why would Harry Markel, who certainly would not have spared his passengers any more than he had spared Captain Paxton’s crew, have sailed to the Antilles ? Would he have pushed his audacity to sail the Alert to its destination instead of fleeing? Such imprudence was impossible to conceive of. Nevertheless, Harry Markel awaited the meeting with the Essex with more sangfroid than had John Carpenter and Corty. If the commander of the Essex entered into communication with him, he would see. Besides , the aviso had stopped at only a few cable-lengths away, and, under a the aviso’s signal, the Alert had to heave to. Its yards braced and the foresails backed, it was almost immobile. At any rate, since the Essex had hoisted its flag, the Alert had had to hoist hers. It goes without saying that, had Harry Markel not wished to comply with the orders given by a state ship, he still would have been constrained to do so. It would be impossible to escape, if chased by this aviso that had both speed and strength on its side. A few firings of its cannon would have immediately rendered the Alert powerless. But to repeat, Harry Markel was not thinking about that. If the aviso’s commander ordered him to go on board, he would go. As for Mr. Patterson, Louis Clodion, Roger Hinsdale, and their classmates , the arrival of the Essex and the order to communicate given to the three-masted schooner naturally interested them to the highest degree . “Has this warship been sent out to meet the Alert to welcome us on board and leave us at one of the Antilles?” This idea would only spring in a mind always adventurous, such as Roger Hinsdale’s. It must be added that this opinion was his exclusively. At that moment, two officers took their seats in one of the Essex’s longboats as soon as it was lowered. With a few strokes of the oars, the boat had drawn...