Tom Cringles Log | Page 6

"I sall take your vord for any ting else in de large vorld, mi Capitain;
but I see someting glance behind dat rampart, parapet you call, dat look
dem like de shako of de infanterie legere of dat willain de Emperor
Napoleon. Ah! I see de red worsted epaulet of de grenadier also; sacre!
vat is dat pof of vite smoke?"
What it was we soon ascertained to our heavy cost, for the shot that had
been fired at us from a long 32--pound gun, took effect right abaft the
foremast, and killed three men outright, and wounded two. Several
other shots followed, but with less sure aim. Returning the fire was of
no use, as our carronades could not have pitched their metal much more
than halfway; or, even if they had been long guns, they would merely
have plumped the balls into the turf rampart, without hurting any one.
So we wisely hauled off, and ran up the river with the young flood for
about an hour, until we anchored close to the Hanoverian bank, near a
gap in the dike, where we waited till the evening.
As soon as the night fell, a boat with muffled oars was manned, to carry
the messenger on shore. I was in it; Mr Treenail, the second lieutenant,
steering. We pulled in right for a breach in the dike, lately cut by the
French, in order to inundate the neighbourhood; and as the Elbe at high
water is hereabouts much higher than the surrounding country, we were
soon sucked into the current, and had only to keep our oars in the water,
pulling a stroke now and then to give the boat steerage way. As we shot
through the gap into the smooth water beyond, we once more gave way,
the boat's head being kept in the direction of lights that we saw
twinkling I in the distance, apparently in some village beyond the inner
embankment, when all at once we dashed in amongst thousands of
wild--geese, which rose with a clang, and a concert of quacking,
screaming, and hissing, that was startling enough. We skimmed
steadily on in the same direction "Oars, men!" We were by this time
close to a small cluster of houses, perched on the forced ground or
embankment, and the messenger hailed in German.
"Qui vive!" sung out a gruff voice; and we heard the clank of a musket,
as if some one had cast it from his shoulder, and caught it in his hands,
as he brought it down to the charge. Our passenger seemed a little taken
aback; but he hailed again, still in German. "Parole," replied the man. A
pause. "The watchword, or I fire." We had none to give.

"Pull round, men," said the lieutenant, with great quickness; "pull the
starboard oars; we are in the wrong box; back water the larboard. That's
it! give way, men."
A flash--crack went the sentry's piece, and ping sung the ball over our
heads. Another pause. Then a volley from a whole platoon. Again all
was dark and silent. Presently a field--piece was fired, and several
rockets were let off in our direction, by whose light we could see a
whole company of French soldiers standing to their arms, with several
cannon, but we were speedily out of the reach of their musketry.
Several round shots were now fired, that hissed, recochetting along the
water close by us. Not a word was spoken in the boat all this time; we
continued to pull for the opening in the dike, although, the current
being strong against us, we made but little way; while the chance of
being cut off by the Johnny Crapeau, getting round the top of the
embankment, so as to command the gap before we could reach it,
became every moment more alarming.
The messenger was in great tribulation, and made several barefaced
attempts to stow himself away under the stem sheets.
The gallant fellows who composed the crew strained at their oars until
every thing cracked again; but as the flood made, the current against us
increased, and we barely held our own. "Steer her, out of the current,
man," said the lieutenant to the coxswain; the man put the tiller to port
as he was ordered.
"Vat you do soch a ting for, Mr Capitain Lieutenant?" said the emissary.
'Oh! you not pershave you are rone in order de igh bank! How you sall
satisfy me no France infanterie legere dere, too, more as in de fort, eh?
How you sall satisfy me, Mister Capitain Lieutenant, eh?"
"Hold your blasted tongue, will you," said Treenail, "and the infantry
legere be damned simply. Mind your eye, my fine fellow, or I shall be
much inclined to see whether you will be Legere in