CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
The next morning, at daylight, the blue Peter was hoisted at theforemast, and the gun fired as a signal for sailing; all was bustle--hoisting in, clearing boats of stock, and clearing the ship of women andstrangers.
At ten o'clock Captain Delmar made his appearance, the hands were pipedup anchor, and in half an hour we were standing out for St. Helen's.Before night it blew very fresh, and we went rolling down the Channelbefore an easterly wind. I went to my hammock very sick, and did notrecover for several days, during which nobody asked for me, or anyquestions about me, except Bob Cross and Tommy Dott.
As soon as I was well enough, I made my appearance on deck, and wasordered by the first lieutenant to do my duty under the signalmidshipman: this was day duty, and not very irksome; I learnt the flags,and how to use a spy-glass.
We were charged with despatches for the fleet, then off Cadiz, and onthe tenth day we fell in with it, remained a week in company, and thenwere ordered to Gibraltar and Malta. From Malta we went home again withdespatches, having been out three months.
During this short and pleasant run, I certainly did not learn much of myprofession, but I did learn a little of the ways of the world. First,as to Captain Delmar, his conduct to me was anything but satisfactory;he never inquired for me during the time that I was unwell, and took nonotice of me on my reappearance.
The officers and young gentlemen, as midshipmen are called, were askedto dine in the cabin in rotation, and I did in consequence dine two orthree times in the cabin; but it appeared to me, as if the captainpurposely took no notice of me, although he generally did say a word ortwo to the others; moreover as the signal mids were up in the morningwatch, he would occasionally send to invite one of the others tobreakfast with him, but he never paid me that compliment.
This annoyed me, and I spoke of it to Bob Cross, with whom I had hadsome long conversations. I had told him all I knew relative to myself,what my suspicions were, and I had shown him my mother's reply. Hisopinion on the subject may be given in what follows:--
"You see, Master Keene, you are in an awkward position; the captain is avery proud man, and too proud to acknowledge that you are any wayrelated to him. It's my opinion, from what you have told me, and fromother reasons, particularly from your likeness to the captain, that yoursuspicions are correct; but, what then? Your mother is sworn tosecrecy--that's clear; and the captain won't own you--that's also veryclear. I had some talk with the captain's steward on the subject when Iwas taking a glass of grog with him the other night in this berth. Itwas he that brought up the subject, not me, and he said, that thecaptain not asking you to breakfast, and avoiding you, as it were, wasanother proof that you belonged to him; and the wishing to hide thesecret only makes him behave as he does. You have a difficult game toplay, Master Keene; but you are a clever lad, and you ask advice--mindyou follow it, or it's little use asking it. You must always be veryrespectful to Captain Delmar, and keep yourself at as great a distancefrom him as he does from you."
"That I'm sure I will," replied I, "for I dislike him very much."
"No, you must not do that, but you must bend to circumstances; by-and-bythings will go on better; but mind you keep on good terms with theofficers, and never be saucy, or they may say to you what may not bepleasant; recollect this, and things will go on better, as I saidbefore. If Captain Delmar protects you with his interest, you will be acaptain over the heads of many who are now your superiors on board ofthis frigate. One thing be careful of, which is, to keep your owncounsel, and don't be persuaded in a moment of confidence to trustanything to Tommy Dott, or any other midshipman; and if any one hints atwhat you suppose, deny it immediately; nay, if necessary, fight for it--that will be the way to please the captain, for you will be of his sidethen, and not against him."
That this advice of Bob Cross was the best that could be given to one inmy position there could not be a doubt; and that I did resolve to followit, is most certain. I generally passed away a portion of my leisurehours in Bob's company, and became warmly attached to him; and certainlymy time was not thrown away, for I learnt a great deal from him.
One evening, as I was leaning against one of the guns on the main deck,waiting for Cross to come out of the cabin, I was amused with thefollowing conversation between a boatswain's mate and a fore-top man. Ishall give it verbatim. They were talking of one that was dead; andafter the boatswain's mate had said--
"Well, he's in heaven, poor fellow."
After a pause, the fore-top man said--
"I wonder, Bill, whether I shall ever go to heaven?"
"Why not?" replied the boatswain's mate.
"Why, the parson says it's good works; now, I certainly have been apretty many times in action, and I have killed plenty of Frenchmen in mytime."
"Well, that's sufficient, I should think; I hold my hopes upon just thesame claims. I've cut down fifty Frenchmen in my life, and if thatain't good works, I don't know what is."
"I suppose Nelson's in heaven?"
"Of course; if so be he wishes to be there, I should like to know whowould keep him out, if he was determined on it; no, no; depend upon ithe walked _slap_ in."
On our return to Portsmouth, the captain went up to the Admiralty withthe despatches, the frigate remaining at Spithead, ready to sail at amoment's notice.
I was now quite accustomed to the ship and officers; the conviction Ihad of my peculiar position, together with the advice of Bob Cross, hadvery much subdued my spirit; perhaps the respect created by discipline,and the example of others, which produced in me a degree of awe of thecaptain and the lieutenants, assisted a little--certain it is, that Igained the goodwill of my messmates, and had not been in any scrapeduring the whole cruise.
The first lieutenant was a stern, but not unkind man; he would blow youup, as we termed it, when he scolded for half an hour without ceasing.I never knew a man with such a flow of words; but if permitted to go onwithout interruption, he was content, without proceeding to furtherpunishment. Any want of respect, however, was peculiarly offensive tohim, and any attempt to excuse yourself was immediately cut short with,"No reply, sir."
The second day after our return to Spithead, I was sent on shore in thecutter to bring off a youngster who was to join the ship; he had neverbeen to sea before; his name was Green, and he was as green as agooseberry. I took a dislike to him the moment that I saw him, becausehe had a hooked nose and very small ferrety eyes. As we were pulling onboard he asked me a great many questions of all kinds, particularlyabout the captain and officers, and to amuse myself and the boat's crew,who were on the full titter, I exercised my peculiar genius forinvention.
At last, after I had given a character of the first lieutenant, whichmade him appear a sort of marine ogre, he asked how it was I got on withhim:--
"O, very well," replied I; "but I'm a freemason, and so is he, and he'snever severe with a brother mason."
"But how did he know you were a mason?"
"I made the sign to him the very first time that he began to scold me,and he left off almost immediately; that is, when I made the secondsign; he did not when I made the first."
"I should like to know these signs. Won't you tell them to me?"
"Tell them to you! oh no, that won't do," replied I. "I don't know you.Here we are on board--in bow,--rowed of all, men. Now, Mr Green, I'llshow you the way up."
Mr Green was presented, and ushered into the service much in the sameway as I was; but he had not forgotten what I said to him relative tothe first lieutenant; and it so happened that, on the third day hewitnessed a jobation, delivered by the first lieutenant to one of themidshipmen, who, venturing to reply, was ordered to the mast-head forthe remainder of the day; added to which, a few minutes afterwards, thefirst lieutenant ordered two men to be put both legs in irons. MrGreen trembled as he saw the men led away by the master-at-arms, and hecame to me:
"I do wish, Keene, you would tell me those signs," said he; "can't yoube persuaded
to part with them? I'll give you any thing that I havewhich you may like."
"Well," said I, "I should like to have that long spy-glass of yours, forit's a very good one; and, as signal-midshipman, will be useful to me."
"I will give it you with all my heart," replied he, "if you will tell methe signs."
"Well, then, come down below, give me the glass, and I will tell them toyou."
Mr Green and I went down to the berth, and I received the spy-glass asa present in due form. I then led him to my chest in the steerage, andin a low, confidential tone, told him as follows:--
"You see, Green, you must be very particular about making those signs,for if you make a mistake, you will be worse off than if you never madethem at all, for the first lieutenant will suppose that you are tryingto persuade him that you are a mason, when you are not. Now, observe,you must not attempt to make the first sign until he has scolded youwell; then, at any pause, you must make it; thus, you see, you must putyour thumb to the tip of your nose, and extend your hand straight outfrom it, with all the fingers separated, as wide as you can. Now, do itas I did it. Stop--wait a little, till that marine passes. Yes, thatis it. Well, that is considered the first proof of your being a mason,but it requires a second. The first lieutenant will, I tell youfrankly, be or rather pretend to be, in a terrible rage, and willcontinue to rail at you; you must, therefore, wait a little till hepauses; and then, you observe, put up your thumb to your nose, with thefingers of your hands spread out as before, and then add to it yourother hand, by joining your other thumb to the little finger of the handalready up, and stretch your other hand and fingers out like the first.Then you will see the effects of the second sign. Do you think you canrecollect all this? for, as I said before, you must make no mistake."
Green put his hands up as I told him, and after three or four essaysdeclared himself perfect, and I left him.
It was about three days afterwards that Mr Green upset a kid of dirtywater upon the lower deck which had been dry holystoned, and the mate ofthe lower deck, when the first lieutenant went his round, reported thecircumstance to exculpate himself. Mr Green was consequently summonedon the quarter-deck; and the first lieutenant, who was very angry,commenced, as usual, a volley of abuse on the unfortunate youngster.
Green, recollecting my instructions, waited till the first lieutenanthad paused, and then made the first freemason sign, looking up veryboldly at the first lieutenant, who actually drew back with astonishmentat this contemptuous conduct, hitherto unwitnessed on board of aman-at-war.
"What! sir," cried the first lieutenant. "Why, sir, are you mad?--you,just come into the service, treating me in this manner! I can tell you,sir, that you will not be three days longer in the service--no, sir, notthree days; for either you leave the service or I do. Of all theimpudence, of all the insolence, of all the contempt I have heard of,this beats all--and from such a little animal as you. Consider yourselfas under an arrest, sir, till the captain comes on board, and yourconduct is reported; go down below, sir, immediately."
The lieutenant paused, and now Green gave him sign the second, as areply, thinking that they would then come to a right understanding--butto his astonishment, the first lieutenant was more curious than ever;and calling the sergeant of marines, ordered him to take Mr Green down,and put him in irons, under the half-deck.
Poor Green was handed down, all astonishment, at the want of success ofhis mason's signs. I, who stood abaft, was delighted at the success ofmy joke, while the first lieutenant walked hastily up and down the deck,as much astonished as enraged at such insulting and insolent conductfrom a lad who had not been a week in the service.
After a time the first lieutenant went down below, when Bob Cross, whowas on deck, and who had perceived my delight at the scene, which was tohim and all others so inexplicable, came up to me and said:--
"Master Keene, I'm sure, by your looks, you knew something about this.That foolish lad never had dared do so, if he knew what it was he haddone. Now, don't look so demure, but tell me how it is."
I walked aft with Bob Cross, and confided my secret to him; he laughedheartily, and said:--
"Well, Tommy Dott did say that you were up to any thing, and so I thinkyou are; but you see this is a very serious affair for poor Green, and,like the fable of the frogs, what is sport to you is death to others.The poor lad will be turned out of the service, and lose his chance ofbeing a post captain; so you must allow me to explain the matter so thatit gets to the ears of the first lieutenant as soon as possible."
"Well," replied I, "do as you like, Bob; if any one's to be turned outof the service for such nonsense, it ought to be me, and not Green, poorsnob."
"No fear of your being turned out; the first lieutenant won't like youthe worse, and the other officers will like you better especially as Ishall say that it is by your wish that I explain all to get Mr Greenout of the scrape. I'll go to the surgeon and tell him--but, MasterKeene, don't you call such matters _nonsense_, or you'll find yourselfmistaken one of these days. I never saw such disrespect on aquarter-deck in all my life--worse than mutiny a thousand times." HereBob Cross burst out into a fit of laughter, as he recalled Green'sextended fingers to his memory, and then he turned away and went downbelow to speak to the surgeon.
As soon as Cross had quitted the deck, I could not restrain my curiosityas to the situation of my friend Green; I therefore went down the ladderto the half-deck, and there, on the starboard side between the guns, Iperceived the poor fellow, with his legs in irons, his hands firmlyclasped together, looking so woeful and woe-begone, every now and thenraising his eyes up to the beam of the upper deck, as if he would appealto heaven, that I scarcely could refrain from laughing. I went up tohim and said:--
"Why, Green, how is all this?--what has happened?"
"Happened?" said the poor fellow; "happened? see what has happened; hereI am."
"Did you make the freemason's signs?" replied I.
"Didn't I? Yes--I did: Oh, what will become of me?"
"You could not have made them right; you must have forgotten them."
"I'm sure I made them as you told me; I'm quite sure of that."
"Then perhaps I did not recollect them exactly myself: however, be ofgood heart; I will have the whole matter explained to the firstlieutenant."
"Pray do; only get me out of this. I don't want the glass back."
"I'll have it done directly," replied I.
As I went away, Bob Cross came up, and said I was wanted by the firstlieutenant in the gun-room. "Don't be afraid," said he: "they've beenlaughing at it already, and the first lieutenant is it a capital humour;still he'll serve you out well; you must expect that."
"Shall I make him the sign, Cross?" replied I, laughing.
"No, no; you've gone far enough, and too far already; mind what I say toyou."
I went down into the gun-room, when a tittering ceased as the sentryopened the door, and I walked in.
"Did you want me, sir?" said I to the first lieutenant, touching my hat,and looking very demure.
"So, Mr Keene, I understand it was you who have been practising uponMr Green, and teaching him insult and disrespect to his superiorofficers on the quarter-deck. Well, sir?"
I made no reply, but appeared very penitent.
"Because a boy has just come to sea, and is ignorant of his profession,it appears to be a custom--which I shall take care shall not be followedup--to play him all manner of tricks, and tell him all manner offalsehoods. Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?"
"Mr Green and I have both just come to sea, sir, and the midshipmen allplay us so many tricks," replied I, humbly, "that I hardly know whetherwhat I do is right or wrong."
"But, sir, it was you who played this trick to Mr Green."
"Yes, sir, I told him so for fun, but I didn't think he was such a foolas to believe me. I only said that you were a freemason, and thatfreemasons were kind to each other, and that you gave one another signsto know one another by; I
heard you say you were a freemason, sir, whenI dined in the gun-room."
"Well, sir, I did say so; but that is no reason for your teaching him tobe impudent."
"He asked me for the signs, sir, and I didn't know them exactly; so Igave him the signs that Mr Dott and I always make between us."
"Mr Dott and you--a pretty pair, as I said before. I've a great mindto put you in Mr Green's place--at all events, I shall report yourconduct when the captain comes from London. There, sir, you may go."
I put on a penitent face as I went out wiping my eyes with the back ofmy hands. After I went out, I waited a few seconds at the gun-roomdoor, and then the officers, supposing that I was out of hearing, gavevent to their mirth, the first lieutenant laughing the loudest.
"Cross is right," thought I, as I went up the ladder; a minuteafterwards, Mr Green was set free, and, after a severe reprimand, wasallowed to return to his duty.
"You are well out of that trick, my hearty," said Bob Cross; "the firstlieutenant won't say a word to the captain, never fear; but don't try itagain."
But an event occurred a few hours afterwards which might have beenattended with more serious consequences. The ship was, during the day,surrounded by shore boats of all descriptions, containing Jews, sailors'wives, and many other parties, who wished to have admittance on board.It was almost dusk, the tide was running strong flood, and the wind wasvery fresh, so that there was a good deal of sea. All the boats hadbeen ordered to keep off by the first lieutenant, but they stilllingered, in hope of getting on board.
I was looking over the stern, and perceived that the boat belonging tothe bumboat woman, who was on board of the ship, was lying with herpainter fast to the stern ladder; the waterman was in her, as well asone of the sailors' wives, who had left her own wherry in hopes ofgetting on board when the waterman went alongside to take in thearticles not sold, when the bumboat woman left the ship, which would bein a few minutes, as it was nearly gun-fire for sunset. The waterman,who thought it time to haul alongside, and wished to communicate withhis employer on board, was climbing up by the stern ladder.
"That's against orders, you know," cried I to the man.
"Yes, sir; but it is so rough, that the boat would be swamped if it wereto remain alongside long, and I hope you won't order me down again;there's some nice cakes in the boat, sir, just under the stern sheets,if you would like to have them, and think it worth while to go down forthem."
This was a bribe, and I replied, "No, I don't want your cakes, but youmay come up."
The man thanked me, and walked forward as soon as he had gained thedeck. On second thoughts, I determined that I would have the cakes; soI descended by the stern ladder, and desiring the woman who was left inthe boat to haul upon the rope, contrived to get into the boat.
"What is it you want, my dear?" said the woman.
"I come for some of those cakes under the stern sheets," replied I.
"Well, I'll soon rummage them out," said she, "and I hope you will letme slip on board when the boat is alongside. Mind, sir, how you step,you'll smash all the pipes. Give me your hand. I'm an old sailor."
"I should not think so," replied I, looking at her. I could hardly makeout her face, but her form was small, and, if an old sailor, shecertainly was a very young woman.
We had a good many articles to remove before we could get at the cakes,which were under the stern sheets; and the boat rocked and tossed soviolently with the sea which was running, that we were both on our kneesfor some little while before we obtained the basket: when we did, to oursurprise, we found that the boat's painter, somehow or another, hadloosened, and that during our search we had drifted nearly one hundredyards from the ship.
"Mercy on me!--why, we are adrift," exclaimed the woman. "What shall wedo? It's no use hailing, they'll never hear us; look well round for anyboat you may see."
"It is getting so dark that we shall not see far," replied I, not muchliking our position. "Where shall we go to?"
"Go to!--clean out to St. Helen's, if the boat does not fill before weget there; and further than that too, if I mistake not, with this galeof wind. We may as well say our prayers, youngster, I can tell you."
"Can't we make sail upon her?" replied I. "Can't we try and pull onshore somewhere? Had we not better do that, and say our prayersafterwards?"
"Well said, my little bantam," replied the woman: "you would have made agood officer if you had been spared; but the fact is, boy, that we cando nothing with the oars in this heavy sea; and as for the sail, how canyou and I step the mast, rolling and tossing about in this way? If themast were stepped, and the sail set, I think I could manage to steer, ifthe weather was smoother, but not in this bubble and this gale; itrequires older hands than either you or I."
"Well, then, what must we do?"
"Why, we must sit still and trust to our luck, bale out the boat, andkeep her from swamping as long as we can, and between times we may cry,or we may pray, or we may eat the cakes and red herrings, or the softbread and other articles in the boat."
"Let's bale the boat out first," said I, "for she's half full of water;then we'll have something to eat, for I feel hungry and cold already,and then we may as well say our prayers."
"Well, and I tell you what, we'll have something to drink, too, for Ihave a drop for Jem, if I could have got on board. I promised it tohim, poor fellow, but it's no use keeping it now, for I expect we'llboth be in Davy's locker before morning."
The woman took out from where it was secreted in her dress, a bladdercontaining spirits; she opened the mouth of it, and poured out a portioninto one of the milk-cans; having drunk herself, she handed it to me,but not feeling inclined, and being averse to spirits, I rejected it,"Not just now," said I, "by-and-by perhaps."
During the time of this conversation we were swept by a strong tide andstrong wind right out of the anchorage at Spithead; the sea was veryhigh, and dashed into the boat, so that I was continually baling to keepit free; the night was as dark as pitch; we could see nothing except thelights of the vessels which we had left far away from us, and they werenow but as little twinkles as we rose upon the waves. The wind roared,and there was every appearance of a heavy gale.
"Little hopes of our weathering this storm," said the woman; "we shallsoon be swamped if we do not put her before the wind. I'll see if Icannot find the lines."
She did so after a time, and by means of a rudder put the boat beforethe wind; the boat then took in much less water, but ran at a swift ratethrough the heavy sea.
"There, we shall do better now; out to sea we go, that's clear," saidthe woman; "and before daylight we shall be in the Channel, if we do notfill and go down; and then, the Lord have mercy upon us, that's all!Won't you take a drop?" continued she, pouring out some spirits into thecan.
As I felt very cold, I did not this time refuse. I drank a smallquantity of the spirits; the woman took off the remainder, which, withwhat she had previously drunk, began to have an effect upon her.
"That's right, my little Trojan," said she, and she commenced singing."A long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether; in spite of wind andweather, boys, in spite of wind and weather. Poor Jem," continued she,"he'll be disappointed; he made sure of being glorious to-night, and Imade sure to sleep by his side--now he'll be quite sober--and I'll befood for fishes; it's a cold bed that I shall turn into before morning,that's certain. Hand me the cakes, boy, if you can fumble them out; themore we fill ourselves, the less room for salt water. Well, then, windand waves are great bullies; they fly slap back in a fright when theybang against a great ship; but when they get hold of a little boat likethis, how they leap and topple in, as if they made sure of us [here awave dashed into the boat]. Yes, that's your sort. Come along, swamp alittle boat you washy cowards, it's only a woman and a boy. Poor Jim,he'll miss me something, but he'll miss the liquor more; who cares?Let's have another drop."
"Give me the lines, then," said I, as I perceived she was letting themgo, "or we shal
l be broadside to the waves again."
I took the rudder lines from her, and steered the boat, while she againresorted to the bladder of spirits.
"Take another sip," said she, after she had filled the milk-can; "itwon't harm you."
I thought the same, for I was wet through, and the wind, as it howled,pierced me to the bones; I took a small quantity as before, and thencontinued to keep the boat before the wind. The sea was increasing verymuch and although no sailor, I felt fully convinced that the boat couldnot live much longer.
In the meantime the woman was becoming intoxicated very fast. I knewthe consequence of this, and requested her to bale out the boat: she didso, and sang a mournful sort of song as she baled, but the howling ofthe wind prevented me from distinguishing the words.
I cannot well analyse my feelings at this time--they were confused; butthis I know, self-preservation and hope were the most predominant. Ithought of my mother, of my aunt, of Captain Bridgeman, Captain Delmar,and Bob Cross; but my thoughts were as rapid as the gale which bore usalong, and I was too much employed in steering the boat, and preventingthe seas from filling it, to have a moment to collect my ideas.
Again the woman applied to the bladder of spirits, and offered some tome; I refused. I had had enough, and by this time she had had too much,and after an attempt to bale she dropped down in the stern sheets,smashing pipes and everything beneath her, and spoke no more.
We had now been more than four hours adrift; the wind was as strong asever, and, I thought, the sea much higher; but I kept the boat steadybefore the wind, and by degrees, as I became more accustomed to steer,she did not take in so much water; still the boat appeared to be sinkingdeeper down, and after a time I considered it necessary to bale her out.I did so with my hat, for I found it was half full of water; and then Iexecrated the woman for having intoxicated herself, so as to be uselessin such an emergency.
I succeeded in clearing the boat of the major portion of the water,which was no easy task, as the boat, having remained broadside to thewind, had taken in the sea continually as I baled it out. I then oncemore resumed the helm, and put the boat before the wind, and thus did Icontinue for two hours more, when the rain came down in torrents, andthe storm was wilder than ever, but a Portsmouth wherry is one of thebest boats ever built, and so it proved in this instance. Still I wasnow in a situation most trying for a lad between fourteen and fifteen;my teeth chattered with the cold, and I was drenched through andthrough; the darkness was opaque, and I could see nothing but the whitefoam of the waves, which curled and broke close to the gunwale of theboat.
At one moment I despaired, and looked for immediate death; but mybuoyant spirit raised me up again, and I hoped. It would be daylight ina few hours, and oh! how I looked and longed for daylight. I knew Imust keep the boat before the wind; I did so, but the seas were worsethan ever; they now continually broke into the boat, for the tide hadturned, which had increased the swell.
Again I left the helm and bailed out; I was cold and faint, and I feltrecovered with the exertion; I also tried to rouse the woman, but it wasuseless. I felt for her bladder of liquor, and found it in her bosom,more than half empty. I drank more freely, and my spirits and mycourage revived. After that, I ate, and steered the boat, awaiting thecoming daylight.
It came at last slowly--so slowly; but it did come, and I felt almosthappy. There is such a horror in darkness when added to danger; I feltas if I could have worshipped the sun as it rose slowly, and with awatery appearance, above the horizon. I looked around me: there wassomething like land astern of us, such as I had seen pointed out as landby Bob Cross, when off the coast of Portugal; and so it was--it was theIsle of Wight: for the wind had changed when the rain came down, and Ihad altered the course of the boat so that for the last four hours I hadbeen steering for the coast of France.
But, although I was cold and shivering, and worn out with watching, andtired with holding the lines by which the wherry was steered, I feltalmost happy at the return of day. I looked down upon my companion inthe boat; she lay sound asleep, with her head upon the basket of tobaccopipes, her bonnet wet and dripping, with its faded ribbons hanging inthe water which washed to and fro at the bottom of the boat, as itrolled and rocked to the motion of the waves; her hair had fallen overher face, so as almost to conceal her features; I thought that she haddied during the night, so silent and so breathless did she lie. Thewaves were not so rough now as they had been, for the flood tide hadagain made; and as the beams of the morning sun glanced on the water,the same billows which appeared so dreadful in the darkness appeared todance merrily.
I felt hungry; I took up a red herring from one of the baskets, and toreit to pieces with my teeth. I looked around me in every quarter to seeif there was any vessel in sight, but there was nothing to be seen butnow and then a screaming sea-gull. I tried to rouse my companion bykicking her with my foot; I did not succeed in waking her up, but sheturned round on her back, and, her hair falling from her face,discovered the features of a young and pretty person, apparently notmore than nineteen or twenty years old; her figure was slight and wellformed.
Young as I was, I thought it a pity that such a nice-looking person--forshe still was so, although in a state of disorder, and very dirty--should be so debased by intoxication; and as I looked at the bladder,still half full of spirits I seized it with an intention to throw itoverboard, when I paused at the recollection that it had probably savedmy life during the night, and might yet be required.
I did not like to alter the course of the boat, although I perceivedthat we were running fast from the land; for although the sea had gonedown considerably, there was still too much for the boat to be putbroadside to it. I cannot say that I was unhappy; I found my situationso very much improved to what it was during the darkness of the night.The sun shone bright, and I felt its warmth. I had no idea of beinglost--death did not enter my thoughts. There was plenty to eat, andsome vessel would certainly pick us up. Nevertheless, I said myprayers, more devoutly than I usually did.
About noon, as near as I could guess, the tide changed again, and as thewind had lulled very much, there was little or no swell. I thoughtthat, now that the motion was not so great, we might possibly ship theforemast and make some little sail upon the boat; and I tried again moreearnestly to rouse up my companion; after a few not very politeattempts, I succeeded in ascertaining that she was alive.
"Be quiet, Jim," said she, with her eyes still closed; "it's not fivebells yet."
Another kick or two, and she turned herself round and stared wildly.
"Jim," said she, rubbing her eyes, and then she looked about her, and atonce she appeared to remember what had passed; she shrieked, and coveredher face up with her hands.
"I thought it was a dream, and was going to tell Jim all about it, atbreakfast," said she, sorrowfully, "but it's all true--true as gospel.What will become of me? We are lost, lost, lost!"
"We are not lost, but we should have been lost this night if I had beenas drunk as you have been," replied I; "I've had work enough to keep theboat above water, I can tell you."
"That's truth," replied she, rising up and taking a seat upon the thwartof the boat. "God, forgive me, poor wretch that I am: what will Jimthink, and what will he say, when he sees my best bonnet in such apickle?"
"Are you quite sure that you'll ever see Jim again, or that you'll everwant your best bonnet?" replied I.
"That's true. If one's body is to be tossed about by green waves, it'slittle matter whether there's a bonnet or shawl on. Where are we, doyou know?"
"I can just see the land out there," replied I, pointing astern. "Thesea is smooth; I think we could ship the foremast, and get sail uponher."
The young woman stood up in the boat.
"Yes," said she, "I'm pretty steady; I think we could. Last night inthe dark and the tossing sea I could do nothing, but now I can. What ablessing is daylight to cowards like me--I am only afraid in the dark.We must put some sail upon the
boat, or nobody will see us. What didyou do with the bladder of liquor?"
"Threw it overboard," replied I.
"Had you courage to do that?--and watching through the the night so wetand cold. Well you did right--I could not have done it. Oh! thatliquor--that liquor; I wish there wasn't such a thing in the world, butit's too late now. When I first married James Pearson, and the garlandwas hung to the main-stay of the frigate, nobody could persuade me totouch it, not even James himself, whom I loved so much. Instead ofquarrelling with me for not drinking it, as he used to do, he nowquarrels with me for drinking the most. If you'll come forward, sir,and help me, we'll soon get up the foremast. This is it, you see, withthe jib passed round it. Jim often says that I'd make a capital sailor,if I'd only enter in man's clothes--but as I tell him, I should be putup at the gangway, for not being sober, before I'd been on board aweek."
We contrived to ship the mast, and set the jib and foresail. As soon asthe sheets were hauled aft, my companion took the steering lines,saying, "I know how to manage her well enough, now it's daylight, andI'm quite sober. You must be very tired, sir; so sit down on thethwart, or lie down if you please, and take a nap; all's safe enoughnow--see, we lie up well for the land;" and such was the case, for shehad brought the boat to the wind, and we skimmed over the waves at therate of three or four miles an hour. I had no inclination to sleep; Ibaled the boat out thoroughly, and put the baskets and boxes into somekind of order. I then sat down on the thwarts, first looking round fora vessel in sight; but seeing none, I entered into conversation with mycompanion.
"What is your name?" said I.
"Peggy Pearson; I have my marriage lines to show: they can throw nothingin my face, except that I'm fond of liquor, God forgive me."
"And what makes you so fond of it now, since you say that, when you weremarried, you did not care for it?"
"You may well say that: it all came of _sipping_. James would have meon his knee, and would insist on my taking a sip; and to please him Idid, although it made me almost sick at first, and then after a while Idid not mind it; and then, you see, when I was waiting at the sallyportwith the other women, the wind blowing fresh, and the spray wetting usas we stood on the shingle with our arms wrapped up in our aprons,looking out for a boat from the ship to come on shore, they would have aquartern, and make me take a drop; and so it went on. Then James mademe bring him liquor on board, and I drank some with him; but whatfinished me was, that I heard something about James when he was atPlymouth, which made me jealous, and then for the first time I gottipsy. After that, it was all over with me; but, as I said before, itbegan with sipping--worse luck, but it's done now. Tell me what haspassed during the night. Has the weather been very bad?"
I told her what had occurred, and how I had kicked her to wake her up.
"Well, I deserved more than kicking, and you're a fine, brave fellow;and if we get on board the Calliope again--and I trust to God we shall--I'll take care to blow the trumpet for you as you deserve."
"I don't want any one to blow the trumpet for me," replied I.
"Don't you be proud; a good word from me may be of use to you and it'swhat you deserve. The ship's company will think highly of you, I cantell you. A good name is of no small value--a captain has found outthat before now; you're only a lad, but you're a regular trump, and theseamen shall all know it, and the officers too."
"We must get on board the ship first," replied I, "and we are a long wayfrom it just now."
"We're all right, and I have no fear. If we don't see a vessel we shallfetch the land somewhere before to-morrow morning, and it don't look asif there would be any more bad weather. I wonder if they have sentanything out to look after us?"
"What's that?" said I, pointing astern, "it's a sail of some kind."
"Yes," said Peggy, "so it is; it's a square-rigged vessel coming up theChannel--we had better get on the other tack, and steer for her."
We wore the boat round and ran in the direction of the vessel; in threehours we were close to her; I hailed her as she came down upon us but noone appeared to hear us or see us, for she had lower studding-sails set,and there was no one forward. We hailed again, and the vessel was nowwithin twenty yards, and we were right across her bows; a man cameforward, and cried out, "Starboard your helm," but not in sufficienttime to prevent the vessel from striking the wherry, and to stave herquarter in; we dropped alongside as the wherry filled with water, and wewere hauled in by the seamen over the gunwale, just as she turned overand floated away astern.
"Touch and go, my lad," said one of the seamen who had hauled me onboard.
"Why don't you keep a better look out?" said Peggy Pearson, shaking herpetticoats, which were wet up to the knees. "Paint eyes in the bows ofyour brig, if you haven't any yourself. Now you've lost a boatful ofred-herrings, eggs, and soft tommy--no bad things after a long cruise;we meant to have paid our passage with them--now you must take us fornothing."
The master of the vessel, who was on deck, observed that I was in theuniform of an officer. He asked me how it was we were found in such asituation? I narrated what had passed in few words. He said that hewas from Cadiz bound to London, and that he would put us on shore at anyplace up the river I would like, but that he could not lose the chanceof the fair wind to land me anywhere else.
I was too thankful to be landed anywhere; and telling him that I shouldbe very glad if he could put me on shore at Sheerness, which was thenearest place to Chatham, I asked leave to turn into one of the cabinbed-places, and was soon fast asleep.
I may as well here observe, that I had been seen by the sentry abaft togo down by the stern ladder into the boat, and when the waterman cameback shortly afterwards to haul his boat up, and perceived that it hadgone adrift, there was much alarm on my account. It was too dark tosend a boat after us that night, but the next morning the case wasreported to the admiral of the port, who directed a cutter to get underweigh and look for us.
The cutter had kept close in shore for the first day, and it was on themorning after I was picked up by the brig, that, in standing more out,she had fallen in with the wherry, bottom up. This satisfied them thatwe had perished in the rough night, and it was so reported to theport-admiral and to Captain Delmar, who had just come down from London.
I slept soundly till the next morning, when I found that the wind hadfallen and that it was nearly calm. Peggy Pearson was on deck; she hadwashed herself and smoothed out with an iron the ribbons of her bonnet,and was really a very handsome young woman.
"Mr Keene," said she, "I didn't know your name before you told it tothe skipper here; you're in a pretty scrape. I don't know what JimPearson will say when you go back, running away with his wife as youhave done. Don't you think I had better go back first, and smooththings over."
"Oh! you laugh now," replied I; "but you didn't laugh the night we wentadrift."
"Because it was no laughing matter. I owe my life to you, and if I hadbeen adrift by myself, I should never have put my foot on shore again.Do you know," said she to me, very solemnly, "I've made a vow--yes, avow to Heaven, that I'll leave off drinking; and I only hope I may havestrength given me to keep it."
"Can you keep it?" said I.
"I think I can; for when I reflect that I might have gone to my accountin that state, I really feel a horror of liquor. If James would onlygive it up, I'm sure I could. I swear that I never will bring him anymore on board--that's settled. He may scold me, he may beat me (I don'tthink he would do that, for he never has yet); but let him do what hepleases, I never will; and if he keeps sober because he hasn't the meansof getting tipsy, I am sure that I shall keep my vow. You don't knowhow I hate myself; and although I'm merry, it's only to prevent mysitting down and crying like a child at my folly and wickedness inyielding to temptation."
"I little thought to hear this from you. When I was with you in theboat, I thought you a very different person."
"A woman who drinks, Mr Keene, is lost to everything. I've
oftenthought of it, after I've become sober again. Five years ago I was thebest girl in the school. I was the monitor and wore a medal for goodconduct. I thought that I should be so happy with James; I loved himso, and do so still. I knew that he was fond of liquor, but I neverthought that he would make me drink. I thought then that I should curehim, and with the help of God I will now; not only him, but myself too."
And I will here state that Peggy Pearson, whose only fault was thepassion she had imbibed for drinking, did keep her vow; the difficultyof which few can understand who have not been intemperate themselves;and she not only continued sober herself, but by degrees broke herhusband of his similar propensity to liquor.
It was not till the evening of the fourth that we arrived at the Nore.I had four pounds in my pocket at the time that I went adrift, which wasmore than sufficient, even if I had not intended to go and see mymother. A wherry came alongside, and Peggy Pearson and I stepped intoit, after I had thanked the captain, and given a sovereign to the seamento drink my health.
As soon as we landed at Sheerness I gave another of my sovereigns toPeggy, and left her to find her way back to Portsmouth, while I walkedup to Chatham to my mother's house.
It was past eight o'clock and quite dark when I arrived; the shop wasclosed, and the shutters up at the front door; so I went round to theback to obtain admittance. The door was not fast, and I walked into thelittle parlour without meeting with anybody. I heard somebody upstairs,and I thought I heard sobbing; it then struck me that my supposed lossmight have been communicated to my mother. There was a light on theparlour table, and I perceived an open letter lying near to it. Ilooked at it; it was the handwriting of Captain Delmar. The candlerequired snuffing; I raised the letter to the light that I might readit, and read as follows:--
"MY DEAR ARABELLA:--
"You must prepare yourself for very melancholy tidings, and it is most painful to me to be compelled to be the party who communicates them. A dreadful accident has occurred, and indeed I feel most sincerely for you. On the night of the 10th, Percival was in a boat which broke adrift from the ship in a gale of wind; it was dark, and the fact not known until too late to render any assistance.
"The next day a cutter was despatched by the admiral to look for the boat, which must have been driven out to sea; there was a woman in the boat as well as _our_ poor boy. Alas! I regret to say that the boat was found bottom up, and there is no doubt but that _our_ dear child has perished.
"You will believe me when I say that I deeply lament his loss; not only on your account, but because I had become most partial to him for his many good qualities, and often have I regretted that his peculiar position prevented me from showing him openly that regard which, as _his father_, I really felt for him.
"I know that I can say nothing that will alleviate your sufferings, and yet I fain would, for you have been so true, and anxious to please me in every point since our first acquaintance and intimacy, that there is nothing that you do not deserve at my hands.
"Comfort yourself, dear Arabella, as well as you can with the reflection that it has been the will of Heaven, to whose decrees we must submit with resignation. I am deeply suffering myself; for, had he lived, I swear to you that I intended to do much more for him than ever I had promised you. He would have made a good and gallant sailor had it pleased Heaven to spare him, and you would have been proud of him; but it has been decided otherwise, and we must bow in obedience to His will. God bless you, and support you in your afflictions, and believe me still,
"Yours, most sincerely and faithfully,
"PERCIVAL DELMAR."
"Then it is so," thought I; "here I have it under his own hand." Iimmediately folded up the letter, and put it into my bosom. "You and Inever part, that is certain," murmured I. I had almost lost my breathfrom emotion, and I sat down to recover myself. After a minute or two Ipulled the letter out and read it over again. "And he is my father, andhe loves me, but dare not show it, and he intended to do more for methan even he had promised my mother."
I folded up the letter, kissed it fervently, and replaced it in mybosom. "Now," thought I, "what shall I do? This letter will berequired of me by my mother, but never shall she get it; not tears, northreats, nor entreaties shall ever induce me to part with it. Whatshall I do? Nobody has seen me--nobody knows that I have been here. Iwill go directly and join my ship; yes, that will be my best plan."
I was so occupied with my own reverie, that I did not perceive afootstep on the stairs, until the party was so far down that I could notretreat. I thought to hide myself. I knew by the list shoes that itmust be my grandmother. A moment of reflection. I blew out the lighton the table, and put myself in an attitude: one arm raised aloft, theother extended from my body, and with my mouth wide open and my eyesfixed, I awaited her approach. She came in--saw me--uttered a fearfulshriek, and fell senseless on the floor; the candle in her hand wasextinguished in the fall: I stepped over her body; and darting out intothe back-yard, gained the door, and was in the street in a minute.