old cottage first, not knowing anything about thechange. He had found strangers there, and his heart had sunk to zero.
"Perhaps," he thought, "they are dead and gone."
No Bob to meet him! no Babs! no dancing crane!
He hadn't had the heart to go in; he just ran right away to CaptainWeathereye's, and he told him all.
Ransey had had to sling his hammock here the first night, and visit MissScragley's next day.
And Eedie was now ten years of age, and shy, but welcomed Ransey with asoft handshake and a bonnie blush, and in her little secret morsel of aheart admired him.
"Didn't I tell you I'd make a man of him, Miss Scragley? See how tallhe is. Look at those bold blue eyes of his, and the sea-tan on hischeeks," said the captain.
No wonder that it was Ransey's turn to blush.
"Tell your father, dear boy, that in four or five days I'm coming downto B--to see him. A breath of the briny will do an old barnacle like mea power of good."
"That I will," the boy had replied.
Then, after saying good-bye, Ransey went off to see Mrs Farrow; andthat good lady was indeed pleased, for she had always had an idea thatthose who went to sea hardly ever returned.
She had to put the corner of her apron to her eyes now; but, if she didshed a tear, it was one of joy and nothing else.
Well, it would have done your heart good to have witnessed the happinessof Ransey and Babs, as they wandered hand in hand along the goldensands. Bob, too, was so elated that he hardly knew what to do withhimself at first. This joy, however, settled down into a watchful kindof care and love for his young master; and he used to walk steadilybehind him on the beach as if afraid that, if he once let him out ofsight, he might be spirited away and never be seen again.
The Admiral was quite a seafarer now, and wonderful and sweet were themorsels he found or dug up for himself on the wet stretches of sand.The sea-gulls at first had taken him for something uncanny; but they nowtook him for granted, and walked about quite close to him, although attimes, when this marvellous bird took it into his long head that a dancewould do him good and increase his circulation, they were scared indeed,and flew screaming seawards.
But the Admiral didn't mind that a bit; he just kept dancing away tillthere really didn't seem to be a bit more dance left in him. Then hedesisted, and went in for serious eating once more.
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One beautiful day, while the dancing crane was holding a levee ofsea-gulls, with a sprinkling of rooks, far seawards on the wet sands,while Mr Tandy was seated, smoking as usual, on a bench with hischildren near him, Bob uttered a defiant kind of a growl, and stood upwith his hair on end from ears to rump. A gentleman dressed in blue,with sailor's cap on his head, and reading a newspaper, was approachingthe seat, on which there was plenty of room for one more.
But it was not at him that Bob was growling. No, but at a beautifulScottish collie which was walking by his side.
Bob rushed forward at once, and the two met face to face and heads up.
Scottie carried his tail defiantly high.
Young England would have done the same with his, had he had anything toshow.
The conversation seemed to be somewhat as follows:--
"You and I are about the same size, aren't we?" said Bob.
"There isn't much to figure on between us, I think," replied Scottie.
"Lower your flag, then, or I'll shake you out of your skin."
"Scotland never lowered flag to a foreigner yet. Why don't you raiseyour standard? Why, because you haven't got one to raise. Ha, ha! whata fright you are! I only wonder your master lets you go about likethat."
"Yah--ah--r-r--r-r--r-r!"
"Waugh--r-r--r-r--r-r--r!"
And there _was_ war next second.
Tandy rushed to the scene of action.
"I'm very sorry, sir," he said. "Which dog, do you think, began thefight?"
"I think they both began it," said the newcomer, laughing.
Scotland and England were having a terrible tulzie, as Scotland andEngland have often had in days long, long gone by.
They were rolling over each other, sometimes Bob above, sometimes Bobbelow, and the yellow sands were soon stained with blood.
Little Nelda was in tears, and the Admiral scray-scraying and dancingwith joy.
"I think," said the stranger, "they've both had enough of it, and myproposal is this--I'll pull my dog off by the tail, and you do the sameby yours."
"I'd gladly do so," said Tandy, laughing, "but, my dear sir, the fact isthat my dog is like Tam o' Shanter's mare after she escaped from thewitches--
"`The ne'er a tail has he to shake.'"
Dogs are just like men, however, and these two, seemingly satisfied thatneither could kill the other, soon made it up, and presently they wentgalloping off together to the sea to wash the sand out of their shaggyjackets.
Down sat the stranger between Ransey and his father. He rolled up hispaper and lit his pipe, and soon the two were engaged in a very animatedconversation.
Sailors all three. No wonder that the acquaintance thus brought aboutby their honest dogs ripened into friendship in a few days.
Captain Halcott--for so this new friend was named--had, some monthsbefore this, reached England after a very long and strangely adventurouscruise.
"Are you like me, I wonder?" he said to Tandy, as they sat smoking thecalumet of peace together on a breezy cliff-top, while Ransey and hissister were fishing for curios in the pools of water left among therocks by the receding tide. "Are you like me, I wonder? for I am nosooner safely arrived in Merrie England than I begin once more to longfor life on the heaving billows."
"You're a free man, Captain Halcott; I've got a little family; andyou're a somewhat younger man, as well."
"Yes, yes; granted. But, before going further, tell me what is yourChristian name?"
"Dick."
"Well, and mine's Charlie. We're both seafarers; don't let us `Mr'each other, or `captain' each other either. You're Tandy or you'reDick, I'm Halcott or I'm Charlie, just as, for the time being, thehumour may suit us. Is that right?"
"That's right--ship-shape and seaman-fashion." Two brown fists met andwere shaken--no mincing landlubber's shake, but a firm and hearty gripand wholesome pressure; a grip that seemed to speak and to say,--"Thine,lad, thine! Thine in peace or war; in calm or tempest, thine!"
How is it that sailors so often resemble one another? I cannot answerthe question. But it is none the less true.
Tandy and Halcott appeared to have been cast in the same mould; the sameopen, bronzed, and weather-beaten faces, the same eyes--eyes that couldtwinkle with merriment one moment and be filled with pity the next.
Even Captain Weathereye himself, although older than either, andsomewhat lighter in complexion, might easily have passed as brother toboth.
"Well," said Halcott, "I daresay you have a story to tell."
"I've had strange experiences in life, and some were sad enough. Forthe sake of that dear boy and girl, I thank God I am no longer in thegrip of poverty; but, my friend, I've seen worse days."
"Tell us, Tandy."
Tandy told him, sitting there, all the reader already knows and muchmore, receiving silent but heartfelt sympathy.
"So you've sold the _Merry Maiden_!"
"Yes; although some of the happiest years of my life were spent on boardof her, and in the little cottage. Heigho! I wish I could bring backthe past; but if I live to be able to afford it, I shall build a housewhere the old cot stands, and will just end my days there, you know.And now for your story."
"Oh, that is a strange and a sad one; but as your friend is coming downto-morrow, I propose postponing it. This Captain Weathereye must, fromall you say, be a real jolly fellow."
This was agreed to; and next morning Tandy met bluff old Weathereye atthe little railway station.
"I'll stay a week, Tandy, a whole week. Yes,
my hearty, I'll gladlymake your house my home, and shall rejoice to see your friend, and hearthe yarn he has got to spin."
Book 2--CHAPTER THREE.
A QUARTERDECK DREAM.
"Once a sailor, gentlemen," began Halcott, as he filled his pipe, gazingthoughtfully over the sea, "always a sailor.
"That's a truism, I believe. Why, the very sight of the waves outyonder, with the evening sunlight dancing and playing on their surface,makes me even at this moment long to tread the deck again.
"And there are, perhaps, few seafarers who have more inducements to stayat home than I, Charlie Halcott, have.
"I have a beautiful house of my own, and some day soon, I hope, you willboth come and see it,