CHAPTER FOUR.
The day arrived for Owen to go on board the "Druid." She was bound forthe East Indian seas. How far off that was Kezia had no exact notion,but she knew it must be a long way, and many months, at all events, mustpass by before Owen could come back. She embraced him with an affectionwhich made him think of his old nurse, Jane Hayes. "May God, who rulesboth sea and land, protect you from the many dangers you have toencounter. I don't hide them from myself, and I don't want you to shutyour eyes to them, but trust in Him, and be prepared for whatever mayhappen. I'll pray for you, Owen, and He will hear the prayers even ofsuch an obstinate, self-opiniated old woman as I am."
She had insisted that Joseph should go on board with Owen, in order tobring her back a last account of the boy. She would have gone herself,but she had to take care of the house.
Owen and Joseph drove off. They were to call at the office at Wappingbefore they took boat to proceed down the river.
Owen hurried in. Mr Fluke received him in his private room, and,putting a purse into his hand, said, "Take care of that. Spend itscontents as you may find necessary, but do not be swindled out of it. Iam not given to words, Owen, but understand that I am pleased with you,and proud of acknowledging you as a relative; and when you come back,strong and well, as I hope, I shall be glad to see you and stand yourfriend."
The old man got up and placed his hand on Owen's shoulder, and thenturned away to conceal some very unusual feelings which agitated him.
Mr Tarwig, who had been his chief task-master, shook him warmly by thehand, and said more kind words than he had ever before been known toutter. The rest of the clerks imitated his example; and Owen, with aheart grateful for all the kindness he had received, rejoined Joseph inthe coach. They were soon at that well-known locality "Wapping oldstairs," from whence they embarked and pulled down the river to wherethe "Druid" was lying.
Joseph was able to report that Owen had a small berth to himself openingfrom the main cabin; that Captain Aggett had received him with greatkindness, and expressed his pleasure that he had been allowed to come.
The river pilot was soon on board, the sails were loosened, the anchorhove up, and the "Druid," with a fair wind, glided down the stream.
"Although you may not take to the sea, you'll like to learn as muchseamanship and navigation as you can while you are on board," observedCaptain Aggett.
"Indeed I should, sir," answered Owen; "but I want to make myself usefulto you also, if you can show me how."
"Certainly you can," said the captain; "you shall act as my clerk, andyou will be of great assistance to me."
Fine weather continued, and the "Druid" had a quick passage downchannel. Owen, from the first set to work to learn the names of all thesails and ropes, indeed of everything onboard.
There were several other boys--apprentices--of whom two were calledmidshipmen, although they had to do the same duty as the rest. CaptainAggett had entered Owen as an apprentice, but he was looked upon as thecaptain's guest, and only mixed with the others when on duty. He wasbusy from morning until night, always learning something, when notengaged in writing for the captain in the cabin. He quickly masteredall the simpler details of seamanship, while the captain in themeantime, according to his promise, gave him instruction in navigation;so that he was shortly able not only to take meridional observationscorrectly (or to shoot the sun, as midshipmen call it), and to work aday's work as well as anyone, but to use the chronometer and to take alunar.
Owen was not a prodigy; any lad of intelligence; who possesses asufficient knowledge of mathematics, may do the same. He learned tosteer, beginning first in fine weather, and he soon could go aloft andand and reef with any of the lads in the ship, some of whom had alreadymade two or three voyages. The rapid proficiency he acquired, and thefavour bestowed upon him by the captain, created some jealousy in thebreasts of several of his younger shipmates. Strange to say, the firstmate, Jonas Scoones, imbibed an ill-feeling for Owen, without any otherreason, as far as could be known, except that he was the captain'sfavourite.
Mr Scoones was a first-rate seaman, but a poor navigator, for he wasalmost destitute of education; indeed he was as rough-looking inappearance and manners as any of the men before the mast. How CaptainAggett had consented to his becoming first mate it was difficult to say;perhaps he thought that his excellence as a seaman would make up for hisimperfect knowledge of navigation. He was also a good disciplinarian,and, by mixing freely with the men, while still maintaining his ownposition, he was well able to manage them. The second mate, Ralph Grey,was a great contrast to Jonas Scoones. He was a young man of goodmanners and disposition, well-educated, and was an especially expertnavigator, so that he was well able to assist the captain.
Scoones overawed him, however, by his blustering, dictatorial manners,so that Grey never ventured to dispute a point with the first mate,however obviously wrong the latter might be.
Ralph Grey liked Owen, and was always ready to assist him with anyinformation he required, and was never tired of explaining the why andthe wherefore of everything. The third mate was a young man, a fairseaman, but without anything particular about him worthy of notice.
The captain was certainly not aware of his first mate's propensity todrink hard when the opportunity occurred. Scoones generally avoideddoing so when there was any duty to be performed, but he spent most ofhis time on shore in a state of intoxication, which had certainlycontributed to weaken his mental faculties.
The "Druid" was a large ship of nearly nine hundred tons, and waschartered by the British Government to carry out stores to the squadronthen engaged in operations against the Dutch East Indian islands, whichhad been taken possession of by the French. She carried sixteen gunsand a numerous crew, in order that she might protect herself, not onlyagainst any French cruisers, but might be able to beat off the piraticalMalay proas which swarmed in those seas. Her duty, however, was not tofight, but simply to defend herself if attacked. That she might be ableto do so, Captain Aggett, as soon as the ship was fairly at sea,exercised the men daily at the guns, by which means he gave them plentyof employment, the best plan for keeping a ship's company in good order.
Owen took a pleasure in learning the gun exercise, as he did inacquiring a knowledge of all the other duties of a sailor. Every day herapidly gained health and strength, while the colour returned to hischeeks, which were getting well-browned by the hot sun and sea air.
"Your friends at Wapping would not know you again," observed CaptainAggett, after they had been at sea a few weeks. "When we get back theywill declare I have exchanged you for some one else. I don't know howyou will like returning to your high desk in Mr Fluke's dingy office."
"If it is my duty to go back, I shall be ready to do so, sir," answeredOwen; "but I confess that I should prefer a life at sea, as far as myexperience goes."
"You are right, Owen; as to doing what duty demands, stick to thatprinciple, and you will never go wrong!" observed the captain. "But youmust remember we do not always enjoy the fine weather we have hithertohad. You must take the rough with the smooth; we may chance to meetwith a typhoon in the eastern seas, or heavy gales off the Cape, andthings won't be as pleasant as they are now."
"I am aware of that, sir," said Owen. "When I came to sea I was fullyprepared to meet with bad as well as fair weather. I should be mostsorry not to meet with a gale of wind during the voyage."
"You are not likely to be disappointed in that respect, although I havebeen out and home without having had to lift tack or sheet for weekstogether," observed the captain.
"I was going to ask you, sir, if I might be placed in a watch, shouldyou think me sufficiently competent to do the duty."
"O yes, I will trust you for that; and as you wish it, you shall be inthe first mate's watch."
"And so, youngster, you want to turn sailor?" said Mr Scoones, thefirst night on which Owen was in his watch.
"As I am at sea I wish to learn all I can," answered Owen.
"You'll have a chance of picking up a smattering before we get homeagain; but I never knew any `cabin young gentlemen' turn out sailors,"answered the mate, with a sneer. "A man is not worth anything unless hecomes in at the `hawse holes,' to my mind."
"I will do my best while I am on board, and get all the knowledge Ican," said Owen.
"Well, you'll have to obey me pretty smartly, or look out for squalls,"growled the mate, turning away.
Owen did not like these remarks, but of course he made no reply. Hesoon found that the first mate acted up to his threats. Among the boyswas a young lad, Nat Midge by name, who was constantly the victim of themate's tyranny. Nat had come to sea for the first time, and, althoughintelligent and fairly educated, did not always understand what he wasto do. He also was in the first mate's watch. When he did not appearto comprehend the orders he received Owen explained them, taking everyopportunity of instructing him. Nat was grateful, and conceived a warmfriendship for his instructor.
Owen told him how he himself had learned so rapidly, and advised him tofollow the same plan.
"Among so many men you will find several good natured enough to explainmatters to you, and never fail to ask the why and the wherefore ofanything you see done," he said. "Do not be disheartened should youreceive a rebuff. If you ask me, and I don't know, I'll try and getinformation from some one."
Nat followed this advice, and improved rapidly. The first mate had nowno legitimate excuse for ill-treating him, but it seemed,notwithstanding that his ill-feeling towards the lad had increased, sothat even on the most trivial pretexts he would give him a taste of therope's end. Midge, although he keenly felt the ill-treatment hereceived, did not resent it. Of course the example set by the mate wasfollowed by the badly disposed among the crew, who unmercifully bulliedpoor Nat.
Owen, observing this, was highly indignant.
"You should complain to the captain. I am sure that he would not allowit," observed Owen.
"If I do I shall only be worse off than ever, for the mate will bringproof that I deserve all I get," answered Nat.
"But I can bear evidence in your favour," said Owen.
"The mate will prove that you know nothing about the matter, that you donot see how I behave, and I shall be treated ten times as badly asbefore," said poor Nat. "Tom Dicker, who has made two voyages, saysthat he had to go through as much as I have, and advised me to grin andbear it. Sometimes it is more than I feel I can do, and I am like tojump overboard."
"Don't allow so dreadful a thought to enter your mind," exclaimed Owen.
"O no, no! I don't really think of doing it," answered Nat. "I shouldmiss the object for which I came to sea. I have a number of brothersand sisters, and no father or mother. I want to become a sailor, andmake money and help to support them, for there is only our oldgrandmother left, and it is a hard matter for her to feed and clothethem."
Owen, on hearing this, became more resolved than ever to protect Nat.He thought over various plans, and at last decided that the next time hesaw the boy punished unjustly he would speak privately but boldly to themate, and try to talk him out of such conduct, but that if he did notsucceed, he would tell the captain and clearly explain how mattersstood. Nat might be somewhat saved by being removed into the secondmate's watch, although he would still of course be subjected toill-treatment in the day-time when all hands were on deck. He had notlong to wait. A paint pot had been upset. The mate came forward, andNat was, by some of his enemies, pointed out as the culprit, whereuponMr Scoones, calling him up, gave him a severe rope's ending. Nat knewthat it was owing to the carelessness of one of the men, but dared notaccuse him. Owen at that moment came forward, but he of course couldnot interfere. When the mate returned aft he went up to him andexplained that Nat was innocent, and went on to say that he had veryoften seen him punished without any just cause.
"It is sufficient, sir, to make the boy grow weary of life, and what aheavy responsibility would rest on those who drove him to commit an actof desperation."
"What's all that you are talking about, boy?" exclaimed Mr Scoones, inan angry tone. "Mind your own business; you'll soon be fancyingyourself captain of this ship, I suppose."
"I know my position," answered Owen, "but I cannot stand by and see anyone so cruelly ill-treated as Nat Midge is. I do not wish to appear ashis champion in public, but I felt it my duty to speak to you."
"You'll find it your duty to hold your tongue, youngster," answered themate, with an oath. "Look out, or I'll treat you as I treat the otherboys; I would advise you in future to attend to your own business."
Owen feared that he had done no good by speaking to Mr Scoones. Hedetermined therefore to mention the matter to the captain, although wellaware that he should thus bring upon himself the vengeance of the mate.
He carried out his intention the first time that he found himself alonewith the captain in the cabin.
"Such things will occur on board ship," answered Captain Aggett, "but Idid not suppose that the first mate would have been guilty of suchtyranny as you describe; I always fancied that he was a favourite withthe men."
"He may be with some of them, sir," observed Owen, "but he certainly isnot with others, and I could not bear longer to see a helpless boyill-treated, as young Midge has been for many weeks past."
"I'll see to the matter," said Captain Aggett. "Take care not to letthe mate discover that you have spoken to me; it will place you in adisagreeable position with him, and, if he is capable of acting as youhave described, he may do you some injury."
"I'll run the risk of that rather than let the boy be bullied," saidOwen.
Several days passed by, and, as far as Owen could judge, Nat was bettertreated than formerly; he hoped, therefore, that his remarks to the matehad produced some effect. The mate's manner, however, was distant andsurly, showing that he had no good feeling towards him. When crossingthe line the usual ceremonies were gone through, the captain notconsidering it necessary to forbid them. Neptune, with his wife andTritons, came on board, accompanied by the barber and doctor--thecharacters who invariably take part in the drama. The arrangements hadbeen made under the superintendence of the first mate, who had selectedthe seamen he chiefly favoured.
A sail triced up was filled with water to serve as a bath. The barbercarried a piece of rusty hoop instead of a razor, and a pot of greasefor lather, while the doctor, with a huge pill box and a knife, which hecalled his lancet, stood by to prescribe the treatment each patient wasto receive. When Neptune and Amphitrite had taken their places, thosewho had not crossed the line were summoned to appear before them, andwere interrogated as to their birth-place and parentage, how long theyhad been at sea, and the voyages they had made. Those who could notgive proof that they were freemen of the ocean were instantly seized,and after being shaved in order to get the hay seeds from their hair,were doused in the bath to wash the dust off their feet. No one had achance of escape, for, if he attempted to fly and hide himself, he waschased and brought back by the Tritons. Owen and Nat Midge were amongthe chief sufferers. The barber covered their faces and heads withlather, and when they attempted to cry out dabbed the brush into theirmouths; then he applied the iron hoop, and scraped away, pretending toshave off their hair, while the doctor felt their pulses, declaring thatthey must be bled and blistered, and take a dozen of his pills.Fortunately, before he could administer his remedies the Tritons carriedthem off to plunge them in the bath. After undergoing this disagreeableprocess for some time till they were almost drowned, they withdifficulty scrambled out, and made their way below. The first matestood by grinning as he saw the youngsters undergoing this ordeal. Owenmade no resistance, nor did he cry out; but as soon as possible he gotaway to his berth, to cleanse himself from the filth with which he hadbeen covered. Some of the other lads and young men resisted lustily,and suffered in consequence far more even than had either Owen or Nat.The crew having amused themselves for some time, the captain ordered themate to pip
e to quarters. The bath was emptied, Neptune and his gangspeedily doffed their theatrical costume and appeared in their properdresses, each man hurrying to his station at the guns ready to meet anenemy should one have been in sight.
"You behaved wisely, Owen," observed Captain Aggett the next day. "Isaw that you were pretty severely treated, but it would not have donefor me to have interfered; depend upon it, the men will respect you themore for not having complained."
Owen found that the captain was right. A day or two afterwards one ofthe men, as usual, was ill-treating Nat. Owen, who was on deck, wentforward.
"If you had a younger brother, or a nephew, how would you like to seehim rope's ended and treated as you do that orphan boy, who has nofriends to protect him?" he exclaimed.
"Are you an officer of this ship?" asked the man. "If not, what righthave you to command me?"
"I do not command you," said Owen, "I am merely asking you a simplequestion."
"The young gentleman's right," observed several of the men. "Let himalone, Dan; the little chap has had hard lines since he came aboardhere, from you and others, and we won't stand by and see him ill-usedany longer."
Dan dropped the rope he held in his hand, and turned away, while Owen,hoping that he had gained friends for poor Nat, walked aft.
"He'll make a smart officer one of these days," observed one of the men.
"Ah, that he will, Ned," said another. "He is as handy already as manywho have been at sea ten times as long."
The ship had now got well to the southward, and the influence of thetrade-winds began to be felt. With yards squared she stood for theCape.
Owen had just come on deck, when, looking forward, he saw a figurefalling into the water. Instantly there was a cry of "man overboard."He ran on to the poop. The first mate, who was the officer of thewatch, instantly gave the necessary orders to clew up the courses, putthe helm down, to brace the yards to starboard, and bring the ship on awind. At the same time preparations were made to lower a boat.
Owen, who saw that the person, whoever he was, unless a good swimmer,would be drowned before a boat could be lowered, seized a grating, andhove it overboard, then throwing off his jacket, plunged after it. He,though little accustomed to salt water had been from his earliest daysin the habit of swimming in a large pond not far from Fenside, and hispride had been to swim round it several times without resting. He nowbrought his experience into practice; pushing the grating before him, hemade towards the drowning person, who, from the wild way in which hethrew his arms about in attempting to keep afloat, was evidently noswimmer. The sea was tolerably smooth, so that Owen made good way, andin a short time he saw that the person was no other than his friend NatMidge.
"Cheer up, Nat," he shouted. "Do not exhaust yourself; keep your handsquiet and tread water."
Nat heard him, and did his best to obey his injunctions. The shipappeared to be getting further and further from them, but the gratingwould be sufficient to support both if Owen once got it up to Nat. Itwas very clear, however, that Nat could not swim to it.
Owen struck out with all his might. He would have got on faster withoutthe grating, but, in case Nat should get frightened, it might bedangerous to approach him. "It must be done, though," thought Owen; "hewill sink if I do not get up to him quickly." Leaving the grating,therefore, he struck out rapidly for the boy, and had just time to seizehim before, exhausted by his fruitless exertions, he was disappearingbeneath the surface. Owen held him up. Happily the drowning ladretained his senses.
"Put your hand on my shoulders," said Owen, "and I will tow you up tothe grating; just float, and do not attempt to help yourself."
Nat did as he was bid, and at length Owen had the satisfaction ofreaching the grating, which Nat at once grasped.
"Hold on tight, and do not struggle so as to exhaust yourself. The boatwill soon come to pick us up. If you can keep your head above waterthat is all that is necessary," said Owen.
But Nat had scarcely sufficient strength even to hold on. Owen,therefore, taking one of his hands assisted him to retain his holdbeside him. The grating enabled them to keep their heads well out ofthe water, and Owen found that he could raise himself high enough up tolook about him. Where was the ship? She appeared far away to leeward,but, as she had hove to, he felt sure that a boat was being lowered.Still it seemed a long time to wait; the wind was increasing and the seawas getting up. It would be a hard matter to hold on to the grating,over which the sea frequently washed.
"They won't leave us, Mr Hartley?" said Nat; "it would be hard for youto have to die with me."
"No fear of that," answered Owen. "Do not give way; and see, there'sthe boat coming."
He was right. The boat which had been lowered on the lee side at thatmoment appeared from under the stern of the vessel, and pulled rapidlytowards them.
Owen undid his handkerchief and waved it above his head. He had thrownoff his cap before he had jumped overboard.
The boat, which was commanded by the second mate, was soon up to them.
"You did that well and bravely, Hartley," said Mr Grey, as Owen wasseated by his side supporting poor Nat, who was in a very exhaustedstate. "I did not know even that you could swim, and you are the onlyone who thought of jumping overboard to the poor lad."
Loud cheers greeted them as they came alongside, and Owen received thecompliments of the captain and the officers; even Mr Scoonescondescended to acknowledge that he had done a brave thing.
Nat, under the care of the doctor, soon recovered.
"You have saved my life, Mr Hartley, and you have stood my friend eversince I came on board this ship," exclaimed Nat, the tears bursting fromhis eyes. "I wish I could show what I feel, but I cannot, and I nevercan thank you as much as I ought to do, that I know!"
"I don't see that I did anything out of the way," said Owen. "I sawsomebody drowning, and I just acted as I judged best to save him; anytolerable swimmer could have done the same."
"That may be, sir," answered Nat, "but no one thought of doing it, andif you had not I should have been drowned, so I have good reason tothank you."
Captain Aggett had been for some time unwell, although he had come ondeck as usual. He now grew worse, and for days together was confined tohis cabin. Owen endeavoured to repay the kindness he had received bybeing unremitting in his attentions. He sat by his bedside smoothingthe pillow which supported his fevered head. He read to him whenever hewas able to listen, and was always at hand to give him a cooling mixturewith which to moisten his parched lips. Although he talked of goingashore at the Cape, he had so much recovered by the time the shipreached Table Bay that he resolved to continue the voyage.
The ship therefore only remained sufficient time to take in water andfresh provisions, and to have some slight repairs made which could notbe done at sea, when she again sailed.
Owen had been very regular in taking observations, which Mr Grey alwaysfound to be correct, although they differed frequently from those of thefirst mate.
"The truth is that he is wrong, and you are right," observed Mr Grey."If the captain falls ill again I do not know which of us two is tonavigate the ship. If we go by his calculations, the chances are thatwe shall run her bows on some rock or other."
"I sincerely hope that the captain will not fall ill," said Owen. "Ifhe does, I am afraid that Mr Scoones will not acknowledge that hehimself is ever out in his calculations."
Unhappily the captain's fever returned, and he became utterly unable toleave his berth. The doctor shook his head when speaking about him, andexpressed a fear that his illness would prove fatal.