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diff --git a/23051.txt b/23051.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6f67721 --- /dev/null +++ b/23051.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3698 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Two Shipmates, by William H. G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Two Shipmates + +Author: William H. G. Kingston + +Release Date: March 4, 2008 [EBook #23051] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TWO SHIPMATES *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +The Two Shipmates, by William H.G. Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +This is only a short book, taking no more than three and a half hours to +read aloud, but it is beautifully written, and it packs a punch. + +The two people designated as shipmates start off at the beginning of the +book as reasonably close friends, but a weakness for alcohol causes Dick +Bracewell to behave more and more badly, while the real hero, Ralph +Michelmore, despite being taken by the Press-gang, behaves more and more +nobly as the story progresses. + +Ralph is already Mate of the Amity when pressed into the Royal Navy, but +he had accidentally gone out that evening without his "Protection", a +document attesting to his rank in the Merchant Navy. He had that very +evening become engaged to Jessie, who waits for him for years. + +With a couple of curious twists it all works out well in the end; Ralph +is reunited with Jessie, and the wicked shipmate, Dick, meets a suitable +doom. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +THE TWO SHIPMATES, BY WILLIAM H.G. KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +The stout trading brig _Amity_, Samuel Mudge master and part owner, was +gliding up Plymouth Sound on a summer's evening towards her accustomed +berth in Catwater, a few years before the termination of the last war +between England and France. She had no pilot on board; indeed, her crew +averred that the old craft could find the way in and out of the harbour +by herself; at all events, her master knew it better than most men +trading from the port, as did his young mate, Ralph Michelmore. + +The last rays of the setting sun were glancing on the topgallant +mast-heads of the brig when her anchor was dropped, and by the time her +sails were furled and all was made snug the gloom of night had settled +down on the Pool, and twinkling lights began to appear from the houses +on shore. + +"You'll be wishing to go on shore, my boy," said the old master, as +Ralph, the duties for the day over, came into the cabin to join him at +tea, which the boy had just placed on the table. "There'll be some one +who'll be right glad to see thee, lad;" and the speaker looked up at the +mate, whose handsome countenance beamed with pleasure, a slight blush +rising on it as he answered-- + +"Thank you, sir; thank you heartily. I should very much like to pay +Mistress Treviss--and--and her granddaughter a visit. I had few +opportunities of seeing them when we were last in port, and as we have +been long on this trip they may be anxious about us. But would not you +prefer going on shore yourself, captain? It's my duty to remain on +board." + +"No, do you go, as I tell ye," replied the kind old master. "I'll stay +on board and look after the ship. But I say, lad, take your protection +with you. The press-gangs are sure to be out, and you may chance to +fall in with one of them." + +"Thank you, sir, I have it here," said Ralph, producing a tin case from +his pocket; and hurriedly swallowing his tea without sitting down, he +went into his cabin to rig himself in his shore-going suit. + +Ralph's father, the commander of a merchant vessel, and an old friend +and shipmate of Captain Mudge, had been lost at sea, washed from the +deck in a heavy gale, leaving his wife and young child but ill provided +for. The widow, a truly Christian woman, exerted herself to the utmost +of her strength to support and educate her boy, but when he was about +fourteen years of age her health gave way, and she died, committing him +to the charge of good Captain Mudge. + +Ralph, who had set his heart on going to sea, was taken as an apprentice +on board the _Amity_ the next voyage she made. By his steadiness, +intelligence, and activity, he soon became a prime seaman. When on +shore he studied navigation, and as soon as his time was out, Captain +Mudge, the berth being vacant, made him his mate. Most of the crew +heartily congratulated Ralph on his promotion, for they acknowledged +him, young as he was, to be the best seaman among them. The only one +who grumbled was Dick Bracewell, who had also been an apprentice on +board the _Amity_, and being a year older than Ralph, and a very fair +sailor, considered that he had superior claims to promotion. + +"I'm not going to quarrel with you about the matter, Ralph," he said, +though he looked very much inclined to do so. "If the skipper chooses +to favour you that's not your fault; but you can't expect me, as good a +man as yourself you'll allow, to be jumping here and there at your +orders; and so as soon as we get back to Plymouth I shall take my chest +and clear out of the old ship for good. I shall easily get a berth as +mate on board another craft, and if we meet again we shall be as good +friends as ever, I hope." + +"No doubt about that, Dick," answered Ralph; "I am sorry, however, that +you have made up your mind to leave us; still it's but natural, I own." + +"Ay, I should think so," said Dick, walking forward. + +Dick might have been as active and bold a seaman as Ralph, but the +captain had, notwithstanding, ample reason for refusing to make him his +mate, for he was known to be wild on shore, and was often far from +attentive to his duty on board; while, though he professed to have +learned navigation, his calculations were not to be depended on. Still, +being good-natured and brave as need be, he was liked by the rest of the +crew, in spite of being thoughtless and inclined to give way to temper. +Ralph had a sincere regard for him. He saw his shipmate's errors, but +believed him possessed of redeeming good qualities, and hoped that he +would in time amend his bad ways. + +Dick kept to his intention, and on reaching Plymouth bade his old +captain and shipmates good-bye. This occurred about a couple of years +before the time we are speaking of, and since then Ralph had heard +nothing of Dick Bracewell. + +No sailor takes long to dress. Ralph was quickly ready, and a fine +young fellow he looked as he stepped back into the cabin habited in what +the old captain called his "shore-going toggery." Promising to be on +board again before midnight, he jumped into a boat which had just come +alongside, and told the waterman to pull for the landing-place. + +"You must keep a sharp look-out not to fall in with the press-gangs, +master," observed the latter. "They are out every night, and are in no +ways particular on whom they lay hands." + +"Thank you," answered Ralph; "I've no cause to fear them, and am not +going where they are likely to be looking for their prey." + +Ralph had proceeded a few paces after landing, when he heard steps +behind him and felt a hand placed on his shoulder. Turning round he saw +a sailor-like man, who exclaimed, "What, Ralph Michelmore, old chum! +Don't you know me? I am Dick Bracewell. I'm sure I can't be mistaken +in you, for I saw the _Amity_ come in at sunset, and hoped to fall in +with you, though I'd no fancy to go on board, do you see." + +"And I'm right glad to meet you, Dick," said Ralph, grasping the other's +proffered hand. "Where have you been all these years?" + +"Knocking about in one craft or another, and seeing something more of +the world than you have in your jog-trot old tub, I fancy," answered +Bracewell, with a laugh. "I've just come back from a voyage to the West +Indies, with my pockets full of shiners, which I'm going to try and get +rid of in enjoying myself. Come along, Ralph, and help me. I only +stepped on shore for the first time just as you did, so I've not begun +yet." + +"Thank you, Dick; you mean it kindly, but I'm on my way to see some +friends, and have promised to be on board again to-night," said Ralph, +as they walked on together. + +"What, not take a glass or two of grog with an old shipmate!" cried Dick +in an aggrieved tone. "Come, come, man, just for once be social." + +"Even if I ever took liquor, which I don't, I haven't time to stay with +you," said Ralph, firmly; adding, after a moment's reflection, in the +hope of preventing his companion from committing the folly he meditated, +"Instead of doing as you propose, come along with me to see an old lady +and her granddaughter. They are great friends of mine, and will welcome +you for my sake; indeed, I'll confess that I hope some day to marry the +little girl." + +"No, no, my boy; I should be left to do the polite to the old dame, +while you make love to the young one," answered Dick, with a hoarse +laugh, which Ralph did not like. "That sort of thing is not to my +taste; still, to please you, if you'll come in here and do as I want +you, I'll think about it." The door of a public-house stood temptingly +open. Dick endeavoured to drag in Ralph, who however resisted manfully, +and tore his arm away from his companion's grasp. + +"Once more hear me, Dick," he said, unwilling to abandon his old friend +without another effort to save him. "If you take one glass you'll take +another and another, till you won't know what you are about, and then +ten to one you'll fall into the hands of crimps who'll fleece you of +every shilling in your pocket, or you'll get picked up by a press-gang +and be carried on board a man-of-war, not to regain your liberty for +years to come." + +"Don't preach to me, Ralph; I know how to take care of myself; so if you +go on I'll follow you, and you shall see that I'm as sober as a judge," +answered Dick, and with a laugh he darted into the public-house. + +Ralph, though eager to be with his friends, waited a minute or more in +the hope that he might come out, and then, as he did not appear, +reluctantly walked on. At length, having passed through the town, he +reached a small cottage in the outskirts, with a few yards of garden in +front. Passing through the wicket-gate he stopped for a moment at the +door. The window was partly open, and he could hear a sweet voice +reading. He caught the words; they were from the Book of Books, which +he had learned to know and value. He was unwilling to interrupt the +reader. She stopped, however, having come to the end of the chapter. +He knocked. "May I come in?" he asked. "Oh, granny, it is Ralph!" The +words were uttered by the same person who had just ceased reading, but +in a very different tone. He well knew the sweet voice. His heart beat +quick. He heard the speaker come flying to the door. In a moment it +was opened. "Jessie, my own dear Jessie!" he exclaimed, as he pressed +the hand of a fair blooming girl, who welcomed him with a bright smile. + +"I hoped that you might come to-day, and yet as the hours drew on I +began to fear that I might again be disappointed," she said, as she +looked up affectionately into his face. "How slow the _Amity_ must have +sailed!" + +"She is like other craft, not able to make way without wind, and we had +scarcely a cup-full all the voyage round from the Thames; besides which, +we were detained there much longer than usual; but she has safely +reached port at last," he answered; adding, as he advanced into the room +towards a neatly-dressed old lady in a high mob-cap, seated in an +arm-chair, with knitting-needles in her hands and spectacles on her +nose,--"And how is Mrs Treviss?" + +"Ever glad to see thee, dear Ralph," answered the old lady, trying, not +without difficulty, to rise, till the young man springing forward +quietly made her sit down again. "In spiritual health I am well--the +Lord be praised for all His mercies; but bodily infirmities creep on +apace with old age, and remind me that my earthly course is well-nigh +run." + +"I hope that you will live many years to be a blessing to us, granny," +said the young sailor, affectionately, taking her hand. + +"I am ready to remain if it is the Lord's will," she answered. "And now +tell me, Ralph, how is good Captain Mudge? I hope that he will pay me a +visit before he sails again, as I want much to talk to him on a matter +of importance." + +"He is tough and hearty as ever; he will, I am sure, come and see you," +said Ralph. + +Mrs Treviss, however, did not entirely occupy the young sailor's +attention. He and Jessie had a good deal to say to each other of +especial interest to themselves as they sat side by side, Jessie's hands +having found their way into those of Ralph. At last Mrs Treviss +reminded her that their guest might possibly be hungry, and that it was +full time for supper, which she, in obedience to her grandmother, got up +to place on the table. "How neat-handed and graceful in all her +movements she is!" thought Ralph, as his eyes followed her about the +room; and they were seldom off the door watching for her return when she +went into the kitchen to warm up the old dame's posset and prepare some +other viands. Mrs Treviss took the opportunity of her absence to speak +to Ralph on a subject which he found especially interesting. "If I was +younger and stronger I would not give you this advice I am about to do," +she said. "I would say, wait for a few years till you have the command +of a ship, and Jessie is older and better able than now to keep house +and have the cares of a family, but as I fear my poor son-in-law, her +father, Captain Flamank, will never more be heard of, and I may ere long +be called to my rest, she will have no one in this world to protect her +but you; and so it's my wish that you should marry as soon as you can +manage to spend a few weeks on shore." + +"Then that may be at once," exclaimed the young lover, delighted. "The +_Amity_ requires some repairs, and the captain is much in a mind, unless +a good freight offers, to go into dock, and his wish to serve me may +settle the matter. I little thought when I came up this evening what +good news you had in store for me; I can never thank you enough." + +"Nay, Ralph, though I love you, it's my grandchild's welfare I have at +heart, for I can with perfect confidence confide her to you," said the +old lady, taking Ralph's hand and looking him earnestly in the face. +"You will cherish her and watch over her, and guard her from all evil." + +"Indeed I will, if health and strength is given me," he answered +solemnly. + +"For that we must trust to God," said Mrs Treviss. "All we can do is +to exercise the sense He has given us, and guard against the dangers we +know may occur. I have therefore made my will, and left the very small +property I possess to Jessie; but most of my income, as the widow of a +warrant-officer killed in action, ceases at my death, so that as a +single woman she would be but poorly off, though she will have something +to help keep house." + +"I would as willingly marry her if she had not a sixpence," exclaimed +Ralph, warmly. "More willingly I could not, but it would be a +satisfaction to know that I was saving her from poverty or from having +to toil for her living." + +"I know you will, Ralph, and I believe you, so say no more about that," +observed Mrs Treviss. "If your good captain settles to put the _Amity_ +into dock, you may perhaps marry some day next week. You can ask +Jessie, and I don't think she will say you nay." + +Ralph was pouring out his thanks from the bottom of his heart, with all +the ardour of a young sailor, when Jessie returned. He would at once +have broached the subject had not Mrs Treviss given him timely warning +that by so doing he would considerably interfere with the supper +arrangements. Jessie therefore went back to the kitchen and returned +several times, unaware of the interesting conversation which had taken +place, though she might have observed the animated expression of her +lover's countenance. When all was ready and they sat down to table +Ralph ate so little that Jessie began to fear he was unwell, and she at +last could not help looking up affectionately in his face and asking him +if such was the case. + +"Oh no, I never felt better in my life, Jessie; and so happy!" he +answered. + +Perhaps she herself might just then have had some suspicion of the +truth, for she forgot to eat any more; and shortly afterwards her +granny, getting up, hobbled out of the room. The young people were +alone, and, as may be supposed, Ralph did not lose much time in telling +Jessie what Mrs Treviss had said, and asking her if she would consent +to the arrangement. Jessie was as ready to obey her granny's wishes as +Ralph could desire, and as he told her there would be no difficulty in +obtaining a licence she consented to fix the following Monday for their +wedding-day, if he could, as he hoped, remain in Plymouth. He was +naturally very sanguine in the expectation of being able to obtain a +holiday. He even thought that, should the _Amity_ be offered a freight +which could not be refused, Captain Mudge would propose getting another +mate for the voyage, as it was summer time; not that he should like him +to do that. Jessie thought that Captain Mudge would not hesitate about +having the _Amity_ repaired. How could he, when so important an event +depended on his decision! At length granny came back into the room, +with a smile on her countenance, and, sitting down in her arm-chair, +looked up at the tall clock in the corner, which had gone "tick! tick! +tick!" unheeded for an hour or more since supper. + +"Well, my dears, is it all settled?" she asked. + +"Yes," answered Ralph. "Jessie has promised to make me the happiest +young fellow alive next Monday--though I am wonderfully happy for that +matter at present,"--and jumping up he kissed granny's hand and thanked +her again and again for the gift she had bestowed on him, and then he +ran back to Jessie's side. + +At that instant there came several thundering blows on the door from a +heavy cudgel, and a gruff voice cried out, "Open in the King's name;" +while another was heard to say, in a lower tone, "Go round to the back +and look out that he does not escape by that way." + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +When Dick Bracewell entered the tavern, he intended merely to take a +glass of liquor, just to show his independence, and then to follow his +friend. He, however, found a shipmate, Tom Joyce, in the bar, who +easily persuaded him to take a second, followed, naturally, by a third; +and then, his spirits raised, he was induced to accompany his companion +to a dancing hall attached to a public-house in one of the back streets +not far off. Upwards of fifty seamen were collected, many of them +half-seas-over, when a press-gang, to whose commanding officer notice +had been given of what was going forward (very likely by the landlord +himself), rushed in, and, after a severe struggle, captured whole of +them, including Dick and Tom, who, having only just fallen into the +trap, were the most sober of the party. + +While the more unruly were carried down at once to the boats, Dick and +Tom with a few others were marched along by the larger part of the +press-gang, who were evidently intent on making further captures. + +The two captives had their wits wide awake, and were not without hopes +of effecting their escape. + +The press-gang went on till they reached the outskirts of the town, when +they brought up before a neat little cottage. Three men were sent round +to the back-door, while five others advanced to the front entrance and +knocked loudly. + +"That's where Widow Treviss lives; she's not one to harbour seamen," +Dick heard one of the party observe. + +"Nol Hedger says he marked a prime seaman go in there not two hours +ago," answered another. It at once occurred to Dick that they were +speaking of Ralph Michelmore. + +"Poor fellow! It's where the young girl lives he's going to marry. If +they get hold of him they'll not mind her tears and prayers, but will +carry him off, like the rest of us, to serve the king. However he has a +protection, and has a chance of getting off, I hope." + +The blow on the door was, repeated. + +"Open in the King's name," shouted the officer. + +"I always obey that authority," answered Dame Treviss, from within, +"Ralph, unlock the door." + +The door was thrown open, and the seamen, led by their officer, rushed +in. The old dame sat calmly in her chair, while Ralph, with Jessie +clinging to his arm, stood in the centre of the room. + +"Why have you come here at this time of the evening, my friends?" asked +Mrs Treviss, with all the composure she could command. + +"Because, old lady, we have information that you are harbouring seamen +wanted for his Majesty's service, and, if I mistake not, here stands one +of them, and a likely lad too," answered the officer, a rough old +master's mate, well accustomed to such work, as he laid his hand on +Ralph's arm and made a sign to his men to seize him. + +"Oh, no, no! You cannot take him! You will not be so cruel--you shall +not have him," cried Jessie, clinging tightly to her intended husband. + +"Don't be frightened, dear Jessie, they cannot take me, I have my +protection," said Ralph, trying to free himself from the officer's +grasp. + +"Let go my arm, and I will show you the paper which proves that I am +mate of the _Amity_, and a protected man," he added, turning to the +officer. + +"Never took a fellow yet who didn't try to make out that he was +protected. However, if the young woman here won't make such a fuss +we'll let you overhaul your pockets for your protection." + +Ralph was released, and began to search in his pockets. Poor Jessie +stood by, still trembling with alarm, and anxiously watching him. + +"Oh! You must have it, Ralph," she exclaimed in a plaintive tone, as +she saw that he did not produce the important document. "Oh! Let me +try," and she plunged her hands eagerly into his pockets. She uttered a +cry of dismay when it was not to be found. + +"I must have forgotten to take it out of my other jacket when I dressed +to come on shore," said Ralph; "I had it just before I left the brig, I +know. Don't be alarmed, Jessie dear, all will come right; Captain Mudge +will send it to me, or, if the officer will permit me to go on board, +I'll get it--I will, indeed, sir," he added, addressing the old mate, +"and will, on my honour, return with it to any place you may name; I +will, on my honour." + +"That sort of note, I tell you, don't pass current with us, my lad," +answered the old mate, more moved perhaps by Jessie's agony of grief and +terror than from his gruff manner and language might have been supposed. +"It's hard lines for you, I'll allow, as matters stand, I see; out +cheer up, my good girl, many another man has had to serve his Majesty +for a year or two and come home with his pockets full of rhino to set up +house. As to the protection, I knew from the first that was all fudge; +so as we've lost too much time already palavering about it, come along, +my brave fellow, without more ado." As he spoke he again seized Ralph +by the arm, and three of the men stepped forward to assist him. + +Poor Jessie clung to Ralph frantically, entreating that he might be +allowed to remain. "He will bring you the paper to-morrow; I can answer +for him, and so can my grandmother. He never told a falsehood in his +life; he would not deceive even you," she exclaimed. "Oh, let him go! +Cruel, cruel men!" + +"The young man speaks only the truth," said Dame Treviss, trembling with +agitation as she rose from her chair and tottered to her grand child's +assistance. + +While two of the men had seized Ralph, another was about to tear Jessie +from him, when the dame took the poor girl in her arms. + +"Take off your hands, lads, and I will accompany you without attempting +to escape," he said, and the men releasing him he bore Jessie to the +little horse-hair sofa, where he placed her by the dame's side, +bestowing on her a loving kiss as he did so. + +Having released himself gently from her arms, "Now I am ready to +accompany you, sir," he said, and walked steadily towards the door. +Perhaps even then the king's officer might have felt that the merchant +seaman was, morally, his superior. + +The dame, fearing that Jessie might be exposed to some rough treatment +should she attempt to stop Ralph, held her in her arms till he had +reached the door. She cast a fond look at him as his captors hurried +him away. + +The door was closed--he was gone! She listened with aching heart to the +retreating steps of the cruel press-gang as they bore off their +prisoners, till the sound died away in the distance. In vain her +grandmother tried to console her; a fearful foreboding filled her gentle +bosom that she might never see him more, and she refused to be +comforted. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +As soon as Ralph Michelmore was in the road, though he had offered no +resistance, he was roughly thrust into the midst of the press-gang, who +again closed round their prisoners. The officer called off the men on +the watch at the other side of the house, and gave the order to proceed +back to the boats. They had not gone far when Ralph felt one of his +fellow captives stumble up against him, evidently to attract his +attention. + +"Hist, old ship! I'd have given a year's wages rather than have seen +you in the hands of the gang," whispered the man, whom he knew at once +to be Dick Bracewell. + +"Thank you, Dick," answered Ralph. "I am vexed with myself for not +having brought my protection with me. I shall, however, get it +to-morrow, without doubt, so I shall be all right. I am sorry though to +find that you have been pressed." + +"It's little odds to me where I am, but much to you whether you keep +your liberty, according to what you told me about that young girl," +answered Dick, in the same low tone. "Now, depend on't, they'll take +good care you don't receive your protection, for I've found out that we +are to be shipped this very night aboard the _Falcon_, now lying in the +Sound, and that she sails for a foreign station--the East Indies, they +say--to-morrow morning. Bless ye, old ship! Before Captain Mudge can +bring you your protection we shall have run the Eddystone out of sight." + +This information made Ralph very anxious, for he had too much reason to +fear that it was correct. Dick fancied that some of the press-gang were +observing him, and was silent for some time, though not idle with his +fingers, walking on as if resigned to his fate. Once more he stumbled, +apparently without intending to do so, against Ralph. + +"Hist, mate! You'd like to get your liberty, and come what may I've +made up my mind to help you," he whispered. "My hands are free. In +half a minute we shall be close to some dark lanes, and more than one +hiding-place I know of. I'll knock the fellow down nearest to you, and +then do you run for it." + +"I cannot do it, Dick; I promised not to run, and I must not break my +promise," answered Ralph. + +"Oh, nonsense!" cried Dick; "if those fellows made you give a promise +it's their look out." + +"A promise is a promise in God's sight, however made," said Ralph. + +"Then you don't care for the young girl you talked of marrying," said +Dick, again lowering his voice. + +"I'd give my life for her sake," answered Ralph. + +"That's not the question. Come, here's the place; say the word and +you'll be free," whispered Dick, not attending to his last remark. + +"No, I cannot," answered Ralph firmly. + +"An obstinate man will have his own way, and be sorry for it +afterwards," exclaimed Dick, in a tone of vexation. "But I'll see what +I can do in spite of you; there'll be another chance further on." + +Dick staggered on as if he were still half-seas-over, gradually +increasing his distance from Ralph till he got alongside his friend Tom. +The latter was in no mood for talking, but he listened eagerly to what +Dick had to say. + +"Ay, give the word, and I'm ready," answered Tom, after listening for +some time; "only just help me to get my hands out of limbo." + +Dick had managed to liberate his own hands, and it was the work of a +moment to free his companion's, the darkness preventing their guards +from observing them. + +They had by this time reached a street close to the water, though at +some distance from where the boats were waiting. Suddenly the +press-gang were assailed by the wildest shrieks and cries and showers of +abuse, uttered by a number of women and boys, who rushed out from some +narrow courts or other places where they had been concealed. They did +not confide their attack to words, but, supported by some men, who, +however, kept at a safe distance behind them, they opened a volley of +brickbats and stones at the heads of the sailors. The latter turned to +defend themselves and drive off their assailants, who nimbly retreated, +when pursued, in all directions, redoubling their shrieks and cries. +The officer, well knowing the object of the attack, shouted to his men +to stand fast; but some amid the din did not understand what he said, +and few were willing to obey his orders. + +Tom, whose hands had been freed, tripped up the man nearest him, and +dashed down the street towards the water, followed by two of the +press-gang. + +"Now's your time, mate," cried Dick, seizing Ralph by the arm; "come +along." + +"I cannot," answered Ralph, firmly; "I promised to remain. Save +yourself if you can." + +"You're a fool then," exclaimed Dick, and, springing past some of the +press-gang attacked by those in front, he dashed through the crowd. He +was, however, pursued, and quickly brought back. + +"Luck's against me, hearties, but I'm not the lad to pipe my eye," he +exclaimed, in a tone of bravado. "Just give me another chance, and I'll +show you who has the fastest pair of heels." + +The sailors laughed at Dick's sally, and thought him a hearty good +fellow, though they did not neglect, for all that, to lash his hands +more securely than at first. + +In the meantime Tom had reached the wharf, but finding one side blocked +up, had doubled, in the hope of escaping in another direction, when he +saw two of the press-gang close to him. Numerous vessels of all sizes +lay in the harbour. Dread of having to serve on board of a man-of-war +made him desperate. Without hesitation he plunged into the water, and +swam off, hoping to reach one of the vessels, on board which he might be +received and concealed. His pursuers, expecting a flogging should he +escape, dashed in after him. The heads of the three men could scarcely +be discerned when the officer, with the main body, reached the quay. In +vain he shouted to Tom to return and not to risk his life, while he +ordered some of his men to push off in a boat and overtake the swimmers. +No boat was, however, to be found afloat in the neighbourhood. Some +were hauled up on a slip, but they were under repair, and no oars were +in them. The people who had been mobbing the press-gang had collected +on the quay, keeping at a safe distance, and they now uttered cries of +encouragement to Tom to persevere, while they hurled execrations on the +heads of his pursuers; their voices, joined with those of the shouting +seamen, creating the wildest possible uproar. In a short time the +splash of oars was heard, and a boat was dimly seen at some distance +from the shore. The officer shouted to the people in her to take his +men on board, but his orders were unheeded. + +Almost within hail lay the _Amity_. Could Ralph once get on board her +he was safe. At that moment he caught sight of a lad running by. + +"Here, boy," he cried out, in spite of the growls of some of the +press-gang near him, "there's a golden guinea for you if you'll get +aboard the _Amity_, tell Captain Mudge that his mate, Ralph Michelmore, +has been pressed, and ask him to bring my protection, which he will find +in my jacket pocket, on board the _Falcon_. She sails to-morrow early, +so there is no time to be lost; or, if you can get off at once--and you +shall have thirty shillings if you do--he may overtake us before we +reach the boats." + +"Trust me, mate," answered the lad, a sharp young mud-larker. "I should +just like the feel of a little earnest-money, though, to show that I am +not being sent on a fool's errand." + +The seamen laughed, and told the boy that such was very likely to be the +case. Ralph, however, found a crown piece in his pocket. + +"Here, my lad," he said, giving it to the boy; "notwithstanding what +they say, I will trust you. What's your name, that I may know you +again?" + +"I'm sometimes called Peter Puddle, and sometimes Muddy Legs, and all +sorts of names, for that matter; but I'm no ways particular." + +"Well then, Peter Puddle, be smart about it, and gain the rest of your +reward," said Ralph. + +The lad, with a shout of delight, taking the money, ran off, and Ralph +was left in doubt whether or not he would fulfil his commission. + +The sailors laughed even more than before. "It's easy to see who's the +fool now," observed one of them. + +The attention of the party was, however, quickly recalled to what was +going forward in the harbour. The boat before seen could be discerned +dimly in the distance through the gloom, and from the same direction +there came the sound of oars splashing, or people struggling in the +water, and loud cries and shouts mingled with fierce oaths, while now a +piercing cry rang through the night air. Some of the press-gang were +eager to jump in and swim to their shipmates' assistance, but the +officer forbade them, ordering three or four to make another search for +a boat. At length the sounds of struggling ceased, but which party had +been defeated it was impossible to ascertain. + +The sound of oars in the water was now heard, and a boat was observed +slowly approaching the shore. She reached at length the jetty near +which the man-of-war's men were standing. Some of them went down to +meet her, and a shout proclaimed that their shipmates had returned, +though without a prisoner. The two men were lifted out of the boat, not +having strength to walk. Their arms and shoulders were fearfully +battered and bruised, and the head of one of them was cut open. They +had reached the boat, when they were attacked by the men in her with +oars and stretchers, and they would have been drowned had they not got +hold of the gunwale, and, in spite of opposition, clambered on board, +and, after a desperate struggle, turned the occupants out, just at the +moment that another boat came up. The men, they believed, had been +taken on board her, as had, they supposed, the escaped prisoner; and, at +all events, she had made off and got out of sight. + +Followed by a collection of men, women, and boys, still shouting and +hurling abuse at them, the press-gang, moving on, at length reached the +boats. Ralph and Dick were among the first not over gently hauled on +board; the rest of the captives were as quickly as possible shoved in +after them; a strong party of the press-gang remaining on shore to keep +back the mob, which seemed inclined to make a rush at the last, for the +purpose of rescuing some of their friends. Their courage, however, +failed them. The last of the man-of-war's men leaped on board, the +order to shove off was given, and the boats proceeded down the Sound, +followed by the yells and execrations of the people on shore. + +"They'll hurt their own throats more than they do us," observed an old +seaman who was pulling at the thwart on which Ralph and Dick sat. "It's +hard lines, though, you think, for yourselves, mates, I dare say; but +before long you'll be used to a life aboard a man-of-war, and be as +ready to press others as we were to press you." + +"Justice is justice; and I shall never think it right to press men +against their will," answered Ralph. "I, however, hope to be free +to-morrow, as I have a protection which will be brought on board to me." + +"Don't count too much on that, mate," said the old sailor; "when they've +got a man, they're not in a mind to let him go. It's wisest to make the +best of a bad job, and that's what I advise you to do, my hearty." + +"If I had only myself to think of, I would," said Ralph, liking the tone +of the old sailor's voice; "but I was to be married next week, and it's +bitter hard to be parted from the girl one loves, and harder for her." +Ralph's voice trembled as he spoke. + +"Ay, mate, hard, very hard!" answered the old sailor, in a sympathising +tone; "I know what it is. I was pressed the very day I had married as +sweet a young girl, and as good too, as an honest man would wish to have +for his wife. I had five years of it out round the Cape without ever +hearing a word of her, but I knew she would be true to me, and that kept +my heart up. I got home at last, with plenty of prize-money to set up +house, but she was gone. They showed me her grave. It might have been +worse--I know that--still it seemed as if the life had been crushed out +of me. I left my money with her childless mother, and volunteered +aboard the first ship I heard of fitting out for a foreign station. +From that day to this I've been at sea, turned over from one ship to +another, and never saved a sixpence. I wish I had. I'd have got your +discharge, that I would, if money could have done it." + +"Thank ye, from the bottom of my heart, old friend," said Ralph, warmly. +"Maybe I shall get my protection paper in time, and be set free." + +"Wish I could say I thought so. But you'll know at least that there's +one aboard the _Falcon_ who can feel for you, and that's something; ay, +and will stand your friend if there's a chance. Cheer up! Cheer up! +Here we are, close alongside the frigate." + +The pressed men, with Ralph and Dick among them, were sent down to the +lower deck, and placed under charge of a sentry. They were allowed to +stretch themselves on (as Dick, while bemoaning his fate, remarked) "the +softest planks they could find," for the remainder of the night. + +It seemed but a moment after Ralph had at length fallen asleep, that he +heard the boatswain's shrill whistle and the deep rough voices of his +mates rousing up all hands, while the pale light of early morning +streamed down through the hatchways. The next cry which reached him +was, "Hands aloft; loose sails." Other orders were issued; he knew too +well their meaning; preparations were being made for immediately putting +to sea. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +Poor Jessie had wished at once to hasten on board the _Amity_, to obtain +the assistance of Captain Mudge, and to get Ralph's protection, but her +grandmother persuaded her to remain till the morning, as, not knowing +where Ralph had been carried, she was sure nothing could be done till +then. + +Daylight came at length, and Jessie, receiving a loving embrace from her +grandmother, set out. With a prayer for her safety, Mrs Treviss +watched the young girl, who, like a bird released from its cage, flew +rather than walked, as she made her way in the grey light of the early +morn in the direction of the port. + +At last she reached the landing-place, some way off which Ralph had told +her the _Amity_ lay. There were several boats made fast to the shore, +or moored off it; but no watermen were about. In vain she looked along +the quays on either hand; no one was stirring. Here and there, on board +some of the vessels, men were seen just coming up the fore hatchways on +deck, but they were too far off to hear her voice had she called to +them. She felt ready to give way to tears at the delay, when every +moment might be so precious. At length she saw, through the veil of +morning mist which still hung over the mirror-like surface of the +harbour, a small boat approaching the landing-place. A boy was paddling +her at his ease, singing as he slowly dipped his oars in the water. She +hurried down to meet him, as, standing up, he gave a few more strokes +and brought the boat to shore. + +"Well, Miss, what's it you want?" he asked. + +"Oh, boy, will you take me off to the _Amity_?" said Jessie. "She lies +not far away from the shore, and I will pay you well." + +"Now that is curious," exclaimed the lad, the same Peter Puddle by name +to whom Ralph had entrusted his important commission. "I was to have +gone aboard her for a young chap who was pressed last night and had left +his protection behind him, but I got another job and couldn't, though I +am agoing when I've had breakfast." + +"Pray take me off at once, for every moment may be of consequence," +cried Jessie. "I want to see the captain about the same young man, and +he will, I am sure, give you some breakfast." + +"Well, step in, Miss, then," said Peter, offering his hand to help her, +while he kept the boat close to the shore with his boat-hook. "I +thought might be that the skipper would just hear what I'd got to say, +and then kick me down the side again, as the chances are many I've met +with would do." + +"Oh no! no! Captain Mudge will treat you kindly and reward you for the +trouble you have taken," said Jessie, as Peter began to pull away from +the shore. + +"As to trouble, Miss, I can't boast much of that, seeing I didn't go +when I said I would," answered Peter, in a greatly changed tone. "I +like you, for you speak kindly to me; and I'm sorry I didn't go when I +promised; for, as you say, Miss, there's no time to be lost. He was +taken aboard the _Falcon_, and she is to sail this morning for the +Indies, so that if he goes in her he won't be back again for many a long +year." + +This information increased poor Jessie's agitation and anxiety. +Fortunately, the boat was soon alongside the _Amity_: Peter hailed the +deck. One of the crew looked over the side, and seeing Jessie, called +the captain, who quickly made his appearance, while in the meantime the +accommodation ladder had been lowered. + +"What brings you here at this hour, my dear girl?" he exclaimed, with a +look of anxiety in his countenance as he descended the ladder to help +Jessie up the side. "Has anything happened to my mate?" + +"Oh, yes, Captain Mudge; he has been pressed, and will be carried off to +sea if we do not take him his protection," answered Jessie as she +reached the deck, no longer able to restrain her tears. "That boy knows +all about it." + +Peter Puddle was called up, and gave the message he had received from +Ralph with sufficient clearness. + +"No time to be lost indeed," exclaimed the captain. "Dear me! dear me! +poor Ralph! We'll make our way down the harbour as fast as sails and +oars will send us along, and save him if we can. Lower the boat, lads, +and take your breakfasts with you." + +Jessie, in spite of her anxiety, did not forget her promise to Peter; +and the captain told him to go forward and get some food, which Toby +Trott, the cabin boy, would give him. Peter pulled one of his shaggy +locks and hastened to the caboose, where the cook was busy blowing up +the fire, the grey smoke from which had just begun to curl in light +wreaths towards the blue sky. In the meantime, Jessie accompanied the +captain into the cabin. + +"I reminded him to take his protection just as he was going ashore. He +must have lost it, I fear, on his way," observed the latter. + +But Jessie was not so easily convinced of that. She hurried down to +Ralph's berth, and eagerly put her hand into one of the pockets of his +jacket hanging up inside the door; her countenance fell. She tried the +other pocket; "Yes, here it is!" she exclaimed in a joyful tone, drawing +out a tin case and examining it. "Oh, Captain Mudge, let us go with it +at once." + +"As soon as you have had a cup of coffee, my dear girl; I cannot let you +start without that," answered the kind old captain. "Careless fellow! +I am angry with him for giving you so much anxiety; but the fright he +has had will be punishment enough you think, I daresay. Come, come, +Jessie, don't cry; any man might have done the same. He just forgot in +his eagerness to see you that he had changed his jacket.--Here comes the +coffee." The captain poured out a cup for her, but she could only take +a few sips, while he hurriedly swallowed his breakfast. The boat was +soon ready. Jessie was handed into her, and the old captain taking his +seat, with four stout hands to row, they shoved off from the vessel's +side. They had got to a short distance off, when Peter Puddle looked +over the bulwarks. "'Mind the mate of the sovereign he promised," he +shouted. "I'll stay aboard till you come back." + +"Never fear, lad; you'll get it if he is set free," answered the +captain. + +"Oh! he must, he will be freed," cried poor Jessie, who did not like the +captain's "if." + +"I hope so, my dear girl, but we must be prepared for disappointment," +he said, in a soothing tone. "I have had a good deal in my time, though +I know that God orders all for the best, and He has given me strength to +bear it." He spoke for some time in the same strain. "It's still a +dead calm, and the ship cannot sail without a breeze, though all the +Lords of the Admiralty were to order her to get under weigh, that's one +comfort," he continued. "So cheer up, Jessie, cheer up." The boat had +got out of the Catwater, and was making good progress down the smooth +waters of the Sound, with its high, richly-wooded shores on either side. +Far ahead, at the entrance of the harbour, lay several ships-of-war and +a fleet of merchantmen. The topsails of the largest, as well as those +of the merchant vessels, were loosed and hung in the brails, and +Blue-peter was flying from their mast-heads. It was evident that they +were prepared for sea. Poor Jessie's anxiety increased. Now and anon a +catspaw had passed across the mirror-like surface of the water, just +rippling it for an instant, and then leaving it again placid as before. +Others now followed in quick succession. The sails and flags of the +ships, hitherto hanging listlessly against the masts, began to blow out, +and a vessel close-hauled was seen in the offing, gliding quickly across +the mouth of the harbour. + +"Step the mast, lads," said the captain; "we shall feel the breeze +presently, and the canvas will help us along. Keep the oars going +though." The sail was quickly hoisted and rigged out with a boat-hook, +while the sheet was passed aft to the captain. The crew pulled more +lustily than ever, for they saw that the frigate was preparing to sail, +and were eager to rescue their mate, who was beloved by all of them. +The breeze every moment increased. Poor Jessie, unable to speak from +anxiety, her heart sinking within her, kept her eyes fixed on the ships, +while the captain every now and then bent down to look at them under the +foot of the sail. "In oars, lads," he said at length, for the boat was +skimming so fast over the water that they were of no further use. Still +the wind blew stronger and stronger. They were within half a mile of +the frigate. The loud sound of a gun fired from her side boomed over +the water; it was followed by another--the signal for weighing. The +head-sails of the merchantmen were sheeted home, and in quick succession +their bows turned seaward and they glided away from their anchorage. +The _Falcon_ had not yet moved. They were now so near the frigate that +the men in the tops and on the yards and swarming up the rigging could +clearly be distinguished, while the boatswain's shrill whistle and the +voices of the officers were distinctly heard. A groan escaped from the +old captain's breast as the head-sails were let fall and sheeted home. +The yards, hitherto backed against the mast, were swung round, and the +huge anchor appeared rising above the water. Poor Jessie uttered a cry +of grief, for she understood too well that there was now no hope of ever +getting alongside. At that instant a person was seen to spring into the +main rigging: Jessie held out her hands to him--it was Ralph. He must +have recognised the boat as she approached. He waved a farewell to +Jessie. No words reached her ear; but she saw, or fancied that she saw, +his lips moving. Standing up, she seemed as if about to spring towards +her intended husband, but the old captain holding her back, she uttered +a piercing cry and sank down senseless in his arms. He could not tell +whether Ralph had seen what had happened; he had indeed enough to do in +attending to Jessie and steering the boat. Recollecting the protection, +he held up the case containing it; but it was unnoticed, or at all +events unheeded. He heard one of his seamen remark, "Now's his time! +If he was to slip overboard and swim to us, we'd pick him up fast +enough, and they'd not heave-to to send after him." The sailors in the +boat beckoned eagerly to Ralph, who could not have misunderstood their +signals. The temptation to him must have been very great; but whether +or not he intended to make the attempt they could not tell, for at that +moment three men sprang into the rigging and he was dragged down on deck +out of sight. + +Happily for Jessie, she did not see what had occurred. The ship had +paid off before the wind and was rapidly gathering way: her after-sails +were let fall, her topgallant sails hoisted, and under a crowd of canvas +she majestically glided out of the Sound. + +The boat had got a considerable way up the harbour before Jessie gave +signs of returning consciousness. The old captain sat watching her with +the affectionate care of a father. With a deep sigh she at length +recovered, and a flood of tears relieved her aching heart. She turned +her eyes seaward and gazed long and steadfastly at the proud ship which +bore Ralph away, till the man-of-war could no longer be distinguished +from the crowd of other vessels which surrounded her. The good old +captain could fully sympathise with her in her grief, for he himself +felt very sad at having his mate, whom he loved as a son, taken so +unjustly away from him. + +As the boat passed the _Amity_, Peter Puddle looked over the side and +hailed, "Haven't you got the mate in?" + +The captain shook his head. + +"Then I've lost my guinea," cried Peter; "but I mind more about the +mate, that I do." + +"Never mind your guinea, lad. I'll see after you. Stay on board till I +come back," answered the captain. + +They soon reached the shore. Captain Mudge insisted on escorting Jessie +home, for he could not bring himself to leave her till he had seen her +safe with her grandmother, who would, he fancied, comfort her better +than he could. On reaching home, Jessie, throwing herself into her +granny's arms, gave way to her tears. + +"It will do her good, and Ralph won't find fault with her when he hears +of it," observed the old captain. "Fine young man, that mate of mine, +Mrs Treviss. He's a great loss to me, no doubt about that; but it may +turn out for his good after all. Shouldn't be surprised, as I said to +Jessie just now, if he was to come back an officer in his Majesty's +Service. He'd not be the first pressed man who has risen to be an +admiral. We can all pray for him too, you know, Mrs Treviss; and +that's a great comfort, isn't it?" + +Jessie in a short time became calm again, and even looked up and smiled +at her kind old friend. Captain Mudge had a good deal of business to +attend to, so after a short chat, promising to return soon to see how +they were getting on, he took his departure. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +The _Falcon_ sailed down Channel with her convoy of merchantmen. She +was to see them safe across the Atlantic to different ports in the West +Indies, and then to proceed on her voyage to the East. + +Early in the morning, Ralph, with the other pressed men, had been sent +up on deck and their names duly entered in the ship's books. Still he +had a lingering hope that Captain Mudge would come off in time with the +protection. How cruelly that hope was disappointed has been seen. With +intense anxiety he had watched for the boat: he had seen her at length +approaching. Already the capstan had been manned, and the men were +tramping round against the pawls, the fifes playing merrily, to run the +anchor up to the bows. While stationed at the fore-topsail braces, as +he looked through a port he had recognised Jessie in the _Amity's_ boat. +The temptation to bid her farewell was greater than he could resist. +The brace was belayed: he sprang into the rigging that Jessie might see +him. A midshipman observing the boat, and thinking that he was about to +spring overboard to her, ordered him to be seized, and suddenly he found +himself dragged down on deck and placed under charge of the +master-at-arms for attempting to desert. + +Ralph had now more reason than ever to be cast down. The offence with +which he was charged was a serious one, yet the consciousness that he +had no intention of committing it supported him. For long he was kept +in suspense, while the ship with her attendant merchantmen was making an +offing from the land before shaping a course down Channel. At length he +was conducted between two marines to the quarter-deck, where Captain +Shortland and his officers were standing and a large portion of the crew +were assembled. + +"I must have you understand, my lads, that I intend to maintain strict +discipline on board this ship. I shall have an eye on those who do +their duty, and on those who neglect it. I never forgive an offence, +and shall severely punish drunkenness, insubordination, and desertion, +or attempt at desertion: and I intend to make an example of the man who +was, I am informed, about to try to desert from the ship." And the +captain looked at Ralph, who stood between his guards. All eyes were +turned towards him. "What is his name?" asked the captain of the first +lieutenant. On being told, he continued, "Ralph Michelmore, after +having entered as one of this ship's company, you were about to desert +to a boat which had come off to receive you, and I shall give you two +dozen lashes as a warning to yourself and others for the future." + +"I had no intention of deserting, sir," answered Ralph, firmly. "The +boat brought off the master of the brig to which I belong, with my +protection, and I could easily have slipped through a port had I wished +it." + +"And I can say, sir, that Ralph Michelmore speaks the truth. He's an +old shipmate of mine, and I never heard him tell the shadow of a lie," +said Dick Bracewell, stepping aft and doffing his hat. "He could have +made his escape before he was brought aboard if he'd had a mind to do +it, but he wouldn't because he'd passed his word that he'd stay quiet, +and the officer who pressed us knows it and can say so if he likes." + +The old mate who had commanded the press-gang, and was now attending to +his duties on the lower deck, was sent for, and at once corroborated +what Dick had said, explaining at the same time the circumstances of +Ralph's capture. + +"I believe you, and you may return to your duty," said the captain, +looking at Ralph. "For your sake I am sorry that you were pressed, +though I am glad to have got so smart a seaman as you appear to be; and +if you turn out as I expect, you may have no reason to regret that you +were compelled to join this ship. Pipe down." + +The men went below or forward to their respective duties. + +"Well, my lad," said the old sailor who had spoken to Ralph in the boat, +coming up to him, "I'm right glad you've got out of that scrape, and, as +I said afore, if ever you want a friend you'll find Jacob Crane a +staunch one. I can feel for you, lad; I can feel for you." + +"Thank you, Jacob," answered Ralph, putting out his hand to grasp that +of the speaker, who wrung his heartily. + +"Have you ever before served in a King's ship?" asked Jacob. + +"No, I have never so much as been on board one before," said Ralph. + +"Then I can be of use to you in putting you up to a thing or two," said +old Jacob, and forthwith he began to explain the way in which the duty +was carried on. + +Ralph listened attentively, and made such good use of the knowledge he +had gained that he was able from the first to do his duty as well as any +one. He was fortunately stationed at the gun of which Jacob was +captain, and the old sailor took pains to instruct him in handling it. +Naval gunnery not being in those days the art it has since become he was +soon a proficient. + +"How, my lad, came you to say that you have never before served on board +a man-of-war?" asked the first lieutenant one day, observing his +activity. + +"Nor have I, sir," answered Ralph, touching his hat. "I never handled a +gun before I joined this ship." + +"You do very well, then, and may look out for a higher rating before +long," observed Mr Handsel, passing on. + +This remark somewhat raised Ralph's spirits. The captain himself had +observed his activity and neat appearance, and the thorough way in which +he did everything to which he put his hand. One day the signalman was +on the sick-list. The post is a responsible one when a number of ships +are sailing in company, as a watch has to be kept on the whole fleet and +signals constantly made and answered. The captain sent for Ralph, and +after a few questions directed him to attend to the duty. He performed +it with his usual attention and intelligence. It kept him also on the +quarter-deck and under the eyes of the officers. As is customary, the +midshipmen assembled under the master each day at noon and at other +periods with their sextants or quadrants to take observations. Some of +the younger ones Ralph remarked handled their instruments rather +clumsily, and evidently did not understand their use. + +"I say, Dickenson, for the life of me I cannot manage to shoot the old +sun with this thing, it only puts my eyes out; and yesterday again my +day's work was all wrong somehow or other," said Mr Paul Chandos, a +youngster who had just come to sea, to another midshipman who had also +not been many months in the Navy. + +"I'm sure I can't help you," answered Dickenson, a gawky lad, with a +hopeless glance at his quadrant. "It seems a very useless expenditure +of our valuable eyesight when it's the proper business of the master, +and those fellows the master's assistants, to find out whereabouts the +ship is." + +"Still, I should like to know how to use this thing properly, for the +captain is sure to find out if I don't; and besides, some day I may have +command of a vessel, and I should look very foolish if I didn't know how +to find my way in her," said young Chandos, putting the quadrant to his +eye and imitating the master, who with the rest of the midshipmen stood +at some distance off. + +"It will be so long before either of us have that chance that I don't +intend to trouble myself about the matter," answered the other +midshipman, swinging his quadrant backwards and forwards as if he felt +inclined to throw it overboard. Still Chandos persevered. + +"If you like, I shall be happy to show you how to take an observation, +and the way to work it out," said Ralph, touching his hat, though he +felt more compassion than respect for the youngster. + +"I wish you would, Michelmore," answered young Chandos, in a grateful +tone; "I have been bothering away day after day and haven't liked to ask +any one." + +Ralph took the quadrant, and having first placed it to his own eye, made +Chandos hold it while he showed him how to use it, and to watch for the +moment when the lower edge of the sun seemed to touch the horizon before +it rose again. + +"There--there--I never saw it do that before," exclaimed the young +midshipman. "Thank you, Michelmore, you are a good fellow: and now just +work it out for me in this pocket-book, will you?" + +Ralph, having in the meantime taken a glance round at the different +ships of the fleet, very rapidly in a few figures did as requested. + +It happened that the captain had just before come on deck, and, +unnoticed, was an observer of the scene. He had remarked, too, the way +in which Ralph had assisted the youngster without neglecting his proper +duty. The master and his assistants, with the rest of the midshipmen, +had taken their instruments below when he went aft to where Ralph was +standing. "I see, Michelmore, you know how to take a meridional +observation," he observed. "Do you understand much of navigation?" + +"I take an interest in the study, sir, and am considered a fair +navigator," answered Ralph, modestly. + +"Have you made many voyages?" asked the captain. + +"Several, sir, up the Mediterranean, to Lisbon, Madeira, and the Baltic, +as mate," said Ralph. + +"You consider yourself competent, then, to navigate a vessel in any part +of the world," observed the captain, after a short pause. + +"Yes, sir; I should have no fears as to the correctness of my +observations," answered Ralph, modestly, though he spoke with +confidence. + +"I will consider what can be done, and will not lose sight of you," +observed the captain, walking away. + +There were grumblers and discontented men, as there are on board most +ships. Dick Bracewell was among them. He soon got tired of the strict +discipline, grumbled at being compelled to turn out neatly-dressed and +clean, and at being only allowed to smoke his pipe at certain times and +in one part of the ship, and more than all at having his grog stopped, +or being compelled to drink it mixed with nine parts of water when he +had neglected his duties or broken through any regulations, as was not +unfrequently the case. Having had a good deal of money in his pocket +when pressed, he was able to buy from others their allowance of grog. + +At length, one evening when Ralph went below, to his sorrow he found his +old shipmate unusually uproarious, now singing and shouting, now ready +to quarrel and fight with any one who interfered with him. Ralph was +doing his best to get him to sit down quietly by himself, when the +hammocks were piped below and the men sprang up on deck to bring them +down from the hammock-nettings. "I'm off for mine," cried Dick, getting +on his legs and staggering along the deck. "I look as sober as a judge, +whatever I may be, though I feel very jolly." Ralph tried to stop him, +but Dick, breaking from his friend, scrambled up the ladder, shouting +out, "I'm a free man, and no one shall stop me from doing what I +choose." His shouts drew the attention of one of the officers towards +him. He was ordered aft with his hammock, carrying which, he went +staggering along till he rolled over with it on the deck. In vain he +tried to get on his feet, so he lay still, with just enough +consciousness left to know that he was in a sad scrape, without a chance +of getting out of it till his back and the cat had become acquainted. +The officer of the watch, knowing that it would be useless to speak to +him, sent for two marines, between whom he was taken below and forthwith +placed in irons, thus to remain till he had recovered his senses. The +inevitable consequence followed. The next morning Dick received two +dozen lashes as a punishment for drunkenness. + +Dick, who had been one of the merriest fellows on board, now became +morose and surly, even to his best friends; and as the men were afraid +of selling him their liquor, he could not drown his care, as he would +have tried to do had he been able. "Don't talk to me, Ralph," he said +one day when his old shipmate was trying to arouse him to a better state +of mind. "I'm determined to take French leave, and you're not the man I +think you, if you try to stop me." + +"I have always been your friend, Dick, and I should prove that I am so +still if I prevented you from doing a mad thing, which would be sure to +bring you into a worse condition than you are now. You would, most +probably, be retaken, or should you escape, you would to a certainty get +drunk, spend all your money, and be left a beggar in a strange land." + +"I've a notion that I can take as good care of myself as you, or any +other man, though you have been mate of the _Amity_, and expect some day +to walk the quarter-deck of this ship," answered Dick, with a scornful +laugh, his old feeling of envy of Ralph reviving in his mind. "I shall +have to touch my hat and `sir' you, while you top the officer over me. +Ha! ha! ha!" + +Ralph had some time before, while in friendly converse, somewhat +incautiously, perhaps, expressed his hopes to Dick, who then seemed +cordially to sympathise with him. He felt hurt at Dick's remark, though +not the less anxious to serve him. Before he could reply the +boatswain's whistle was heard, and the crew were piped on deck to muster +at divisions. + +No one was allowed to be idle on board. The men were constantly +exercised at the guns, or in the use of the small arms, or in shortening +and making sail, the frigate sometimes dropping astern to whip up the +laggards, then crowding on again to recover her former position in the +van of the fleet. Ralph was now regularly employed as a signalman. +While he was thus constantly on the quarter-deck, not only young +Chandos, but several of the other midshipmen, were glad to get his +assistance in taking observations and in working out their day's work. +The master was glad to be relieved of the trouble of instructing them, +and the captain was pleased to encourage the young man and to give him +an opportunity of keeping up his knowledge. + +Old Jacob Crane also congratulated him on his good prospects. "I'm glad +to think on't, lad," he said, in a hearty tone. "You've the right stuff +in you, and you've what's better than all, a firm trust in God, and a +wish to do your duty in His sight. You'll do well wherever you are. +I've never seen men like you fail." + +"In saying that you unjustly condemn yourself, I suspect," observed +Ralph. + +"No, not unjustly," answered Jacob. "I did not understand that truth in +my younger days, and only learned it of late years, when too late to do +much towards altering my condition among my fellow-men. Mind, I don't +say that I'm not much the better for it even now, for I'm happy and +contented and fear no evil; but I remember what the Bible says, `Honour +thy Creator in the days of thy youth.' Those who do not, have bitterly +to regret it when they grow old, even though they then learn to know and +serve Him. The sins of our youth find us out, there is no doubt about +that; and I envy you, Michelmore, who will not have to look back to the +many misspent years that I do." + +It was now Ralph's part to direct his friend to the only sure source of +comfort--God's loving message to man, as found in His Word, "The blood +of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin," when by loving obedient faith +the sinner takes hold of the promises. Thus the one assisted the other. +Ralph indeed required support. Jessie was never out of his mind. Her +granny was old and infirm, and might soon be taken from her; and then, +should Captain Mudge be away, what would she do? "She has not, that I +know of, dear girl, a friend on whom she can depend," thought Ralph. +"Yes, she and I have one in heaven on Whom we both rely. To Him I will +pray for her, as she will, I know, for me." Earnestly and faithfully +Ralph did pray, and he did not fail to obtain that answer which true +prayer always receives. He was supported, and his heart comforted. + +The fleet was now approaching Jamaica, and Ralph was more actively than +ever engaged in making and answering signals. Port-Royal, to which most +of the ships were bound, was reached at length, when another man-of-war +took charge of the rest to escort them to their destinations. + +Dick had not concealed from those he could trust his intention of +deserting. Ralph had done his utmost to dissuade him from his foolish +intentions, and though he would not inform the officers, he determined +to keep a watch over his friend and stop him if he could. A boat, which +came alongside directly the frigate dropped anchor, brought the news +that the yellow fever was raging on shore, with orders that no one +should leave the ship. + +"You have lost your chance, Dick, and I am glad of it," said Ralph. + +"Not so sure of that," answered Dick; "I'm a pretty good swimmer, and +can make my way on shore if I've a mind for it." + +"Don't be so mad, Dick, as even to think of such a thing," said Ralph. +"Haven't you heard of Port-Royal Jack, the big shark? He will be sure +to catch you if you make the attempt." + +Dick looked incredulous, but the accounts he heard from his other +shipmates of the number of people Port-Royal Jack had swallowed made him +hesitate about putting his resolve into execution. + +The next day the frigate, having taken in fresh provisions and water, +put to sea, and Ralph hoped that Dick would be in a better mind before +they again entered a port. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +The _Falcon_ had got some way to the south of the Line. Ralph was now a +quartermaster, a position in which only seamen of merit and experience +are placed. + +It was night, and unusually dark for that latitude. A gentle breeze +filled the frigate's canvas as she glided over the calm ocean with the +wind on the larboard quarter. Ralph was in the watch on deck, stationed +near the man at the helm. Now he glanced his eyes aloft to ascertain +that the sails drew properly, now at the binnacle to see that the proper +course was kept; then he took a look on either side round the horizon. + +Ralph had turned his eyes to the south-east, when he observed a vivid +flash. It looked like lightning. Another and another flash followed in +quick succession. He made his report to the officer of the watch. The +flashes continued. There could be no doubt about the matter, an action +was taking place. A midshipman was sent to inform the captain. As soon +as he came on deck all hands were called and the yards braced up, a +course was steered which would carry the frigate to windward of the +combatants. There could be no doubt one of them was English and if the +smaller of the two, the appearance of the _Falcon_ would probably turn +the tables. In the meantime the drums beat to quarters and the usual +preparations were rapidly made for battle. Till near enough for the +night-signals to be distinguished it was important that their approach +should not be discovered, as it was as likely to discourage a friend as +to overawe a foe, or what was of more consequence, might induce a foe to +try and escape. All lights on board were therefore carefully shaded as +the frigate stood on towards the combatants. Suddenly the flashes +ceased: still, as the bearing of the strangers had been taken, there +would be no difficulty in discovering them. The crew of the _Falcon_ +waited in vain for a renewal of the flashes. The fight was over. Which +was the victor was the question. Ralph heard the subject discussed by +the officers on the quarter-deck. They expressed their fears that there +would be no fighting. + +"An English ship would not have given in so soon," observed the first +lieutenant. + +"Not unless she is the smallest," answered the purser, who was addicted +to croaking. + +"Then we shall have the satisfaction of retaking her and thrashing her +captor into the bargain," said Mr Handsel. + +"But what if her captor is bigger than we are?" asked the purser. + +"Thrash him notwithstanding," said the first lieutenant, laughing. + +"It is possible that more than two vessels were engaged," remarked the +captain. "We shall know, however, before long. Have the night-signals +ready, Mr Handsel. We must take care not to fire into a friend." + +The excitement on board increased as the frigate, moving at the rate of +two or three knots an hour, drew near the spot where it was expected +that the strangers would be discovered. The men stood at their guns +prepared to open the ports and run them out when the order should be +given. The magazines were open and powder and shot passed up. The +surgeon and his assistants were below in the cockpit, making their +arrangements for the duties they might have to perform; looking to their +instruments, their bandages and styptics, and rigging their +amputation-table. + +"How do you feel, Paul?" asked Dickenson of young Chandos. "If we could +see the enemy I shouldn't mind; but, for my part, I don't like this sort +of work in the dark, I confess." + +"I was thinking of home and my mother and sisters," answered Chandos. +"I used to long to be in a battle, and I should be sorry to miss it, but +I wish it was over. I would rather have to look back at it than +forward." + +"So would I, provided I hadn't lost an arm or a leg or been killed +outright," said Dickenson, in a dolorous tone. + +"I haven't thought about being killed, and I hope that neither you nor I +will be," answered Chandos; adding, "I shouldn't mind, perhaps, a bullet +through my arm or leg for the honour and glory of the thing, and to talk +about when we get home." + +"I'm sure I don't want any such honour and glory, and I wish you +wouldn't speak about such things," groaned out Dickenson. "Perhaps we +shan't have a fight after all." + +"I hope we shall, though," exclaimed his more plucky messmate; "that is +to say if it does not last too long. I could hold out for an hour or +so, but then I think I should begin to wish it was over." + +"Beg pardon, young gentlemen; you'd hold out better after the first hour +than for the first five minutes," observed old Jacob Crane, who had +overheard the conversation. "Just let us exchange a couple of +broadsides and you'd think no more about the matter than if you were +snowballing each other. I know the stuff you're made of too well to +doubt that." + +"Thank you, Crane, for the compliment," said Chandos; "but do you think +we shall have a fight?" + +"Sure on't," answered the old man; "just look out over the larboard bow +and you'll see three ships hove to, and some bright lights in the stern +of the biggest of them. She's a lumping frigate if she isn't something +larger, and though our signal has been hoisted some time she hasn't +answered it." + +The midshipmen, whose eyes were not so well accustomed to pierce the +gloom of night as were old Jacob's, had at first some difficulty in +distinguishing the three ships, though they saw the bright lights he +pointed out. Gradually the frigate drew near, and the tall masts and +widespread canvas of the strangers appeared clearly enough against the +sky, like large phantoms stalking across the waters. Still the private +signal remained unanswered. There could be no longer any doubt that the +largest ship was an enemy, and that she had captured one or both of the +others. Notwithstanding her apparent superiority, Captain Shortland did +not hesitate about attacking her. Sail was shortened, and the frigate +stood on with topsails, jib, and spanker set, so as to be thoroughly +under command. It was no longer necessary to keep the ports closed. +The order to open them and to run out the guns was given, and at the +same time the crews of the guns were cautioned not to fire a shot till +they heard the word of command. The hearts of the coolest beat quicker +than usual when about midnight the _Falcon_ drew within a mile of the +enemy. The lights from the fighting lanterns of the latter, which +exhibited two rows of ports, with only a small space between them, gave +her a most formidable appearance. She evidently carried many more guns +than the English frigate. + +"What's the odds, lads," cried old Jacob, when some of the men near him +remarked this. "It isn't the number of guns a ship carries will give +her the victory, it's the way they are fought, and we'll soon show the +mounseers how we can handle ours." + +In a short time the enemy filled his sails, the two ships thus nearing +each other more rapidly; then suddenly he hove in stays when on the lee +bow of the _Falcon_, and his guns thundering forth, sent their shot +flying through her rigging, the only serious effect, however, of which +was to bring down her jib. The _Falcon_ crew stood ready, the captains +of the guns with lanyards in hand eager to fire in return, but no order +came. Captain Shortland knew that he could depend on the steadiness of +his crew, and was reserving their fire for a shorter and more effective +distance. Several more shots hurtled through the air around them. + +"The weathermost of the smaller ships Is firing at us, sir," observed +the first lieutenant to the captain. + +"Never mind that, we can settle with her by-and-by," was the answer. + +Thus the _Falcon_ stood majestically on as if not a foe were near. + +Though Ralph had never before seen a shot fired in anger, he stood at +his post close to the wheel as calm and collected as the oldest seaman. + +The eager crew had not much time to wait, before, by a clever manoeuvre, +the frigate had been brought with her starboard broadside to bear +directly on the stern of the French ship at less than pistol-shot +distance. At the same moment the order to fire was passed along the +decks and rapidly obeyed. Every shot went crashing into the French +ship, raking her fore and aft, and probably killing the men at the +wheel; for before she had time to alter her position the _Falcon_ luffed +into the wind, just scraping clear of her spanker-boom, and shooting up +to leeward, let fly the whole of her other broadside with terrible +effect into her opponent. So rapidly had this manoeuvre of the English +frigate been performed, that several of the Frenchman's weather guns +went off after she had passed to leeward. The action was now carried on +broadside to broadside, the position in which British seamen most +delight. + +"Aim low, my lads! aim low!" was the oft repeated order of the officers +in charge of the guns, as they moved along the decks; not that there was +much necessity for it, as the men had got a good mark before them, and +were pounding away at it as fast as they could load and run out their +guns. The Frenchmen were at the same time vigorously returning their +fire, but as if intent on crippling their foe and then taking her at a +disadvantage, they sent most of their shot flying through her rigging, +bringing blocks and spars and ropes in thick showers down on deck. +Though most of the enemy's shot flew high, others came whizzing between +the men's heads, crashing into the sides of the frigate, or knocking +away her bulwarks. Several of the crew had been wounded and carried +below, but as yet two only had been killed, their bodies being drawn +aside, when it was found that they were really dead, out of the way of +their shipmates at the guns. Hitherto Ralph had escaped unhurt, though +the head of one of the men at the wheel close to him had been taken off +by a round shot, and an officer near him had been struck to the deck. +By the lurid glare from the quick succeeding flashes and the light of +the lanterns, he caught a glimpse of Dick working away manfully at one +of the upper deck guns, he, like most of the crew, stripped to the +waist, with a handkerchief tied round his head. Now he was visible, now +he was concealed by the clouds of smoke which, circling round and then +rising in the air, formed a dark canopy over the combatants. Young +Chandos was not far off. Whatever might have been his sensations at +first, he was collected enough now to attend steadily to his duty, and +the work going on was a pretty severe trial to young nerves. The +midnight battle raged fiercer and fiercer. A shot came flying by. +Ralph felt that he was hit severely in the arm, and was compelled to +summon another man to the wheel; but binding up his wounded limb, he +stood as before at his post. Not many minutes afterwards a round shot +struck the bulwarks, sending splinters flying in every direction. At +the same moment Ralph, who had his eye on the captain, saw him stagger, +and springing forward, caught him with his unwounded arm just as he was +falling to the deck. Others gathered round. It was evident that he had +been most seriously wounded. In vain he endeavoured to speak, but +becoming senseless was carried below. Lieutenant Handsel at once took +the command, making his clear voice, as he issued his orders, heard amid +the wild din of battle. For an hour and a half the engagement had raged +on and yet was as furious as ever. The lieutenant of marines, a tall, +handsome young man, was cut almost in two by a round shot soon after the +captain had fallen, and several more men were hit. Aloft, however, the +damage was far more severe than on deck; the running rigging hung in +festoons, the standing rigging was cut to pieces, every sail was riddled +through and through, and the masts and yards were badly wounded in many +places. Judging by the crashing sound which came back from the French +ship after each broadside fired by the _Falcon_, and the white splinters +which flew from every part of her upper works, she was in a still worse +plight. Still her crew kept up a hot fire. The young midshipmen, and +even others, might possibly have begun to wish that the battle was over. + +"Keep at it, my lads!" was the cry passed along the decks; "she'll soon +give in." + +Broadsides had been exchanged: another proceeded from the _Falcon_; but +none came in return. + +"Cease firing!" cried Lieutenant Handsel; and as soon as all was silent +he hailed the enemy and asked if she had struck. No reply was made. +Again the _Falcon_ opened fire; but as the Frenchmen did not return it, +she at once ceased, and a second time the lieutenant hailed, but no +answer was made. + +"We must give them more of it!" he shouted. + +At that instant, the smoke clearing away, it was seen that the rigging +of the French ship was swarming with men, who were endeavouring to loose +their topgallant sails, apparently with the intention of escaping. Some +of the crew of the _Falcon_ were ordered aloft to set theirs while the +rest let fly another thundering broadside. Before the Frenchmen had +time to descend, the mizenmast of their ship fell over the side, and +several must have been plunged into the water; not a minute afterwards +the main-mast, fore-mast, and bowsprit followed, and she lay a helpless +wreck on the ocean. + +Loud cheers burst from the throats of the British crew, and hearty +shakes of the hand were exchanged among them. Before the question was +asked, a voice came from the French ship, crying out that she had +struck, and entreating that the English frigate would not again fire. + +"No fear of that," was the answer; "what ship is she?" + +"The French frigate _Concorde_," replied the officer who spoke. "Send a +boat, I pray, for we have none left." + +Three boats which had escaped injury were instantly lowered, and Mr +Handsel, not aware that Ralph was wounded, ordered him to go in one of +them. When he reached the deck of the prize, such a scene of horror as +he had scarcely imagined met his sight. The boats, booms, the wheel, +capstern, binnacle, and indeed all the upper portions of the ship, were +cut to pieces; the bulwarks were destroyed and the starboard side almost +beaten in, while the decks, slippery with gore, were literally strewn +with the dead and badly wounded. The French captain, two lieutenants, +several junior officers, and fully sixty men were killed, and two other +lieutenants and eighty men were wounded. A young officer with his arm +in a sling, who by the death of his superior had succeeded to the +command, presented his sword in token of submission to the third +lieutenant of the _Falcon_. It was at once returned to him with a +compliment to his bravery and an expression of sympathy, and an +assistant-surgeon was sent for from the _Falcon_ to attend to the +sufferers. Ralph was the first person the young man spoke to on coming +on board. + +"You are hurt, Michelmore," he said, in a friendly tone; "I must look to +you at once;" and by the light of a lantern he dressed Ralph's arm, +which greatly needed care. "I fear that our good captain is mortally +wounded; but he has not forgotten you, for as soon as he came to himself +he ordered his clerk to make out your appointment as a midshipman and +signed it, though he could scarcely hold a pen. You'll come in for your +share of prize-money as such, and be placed on the quarter-deck; so I'll +congratulate you, my lad. There, now you'll do; but I must get you sent +on board again, you're not fit for work here." + +Ralph very unwillingly obeyed the order he received to return to the +_Falcon_. When he had reached her he would not even then go below; but +though he was unable to handle a rope, having reported himself to Mr +Handsel, he received directions to superintend a party of men in +refitting the rigging. There was work indeed for every one; for though +the _Falcon_ had suffered less than her antagonist, her masts and spars, +wounded in various places, required to be fished and the standing +rigging to be spliced, to enable her to make sail and go in chase of the +two other ships just before captured by the _Concorde_. Happily it fell +perfectly calm; and thus, while the prizes could not escape, time was +obtained for repairing damages. There was not a moment to be lost, for +every one knew that should a breeze spring up before the rigging had +been set to rights, the tottering masts would to a certainty go over the +side. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +Daylight found the _Falcon's_ crew still hard at work, the prisoners on +board the _Concorde_ being assisted by the English seamen taken out of +the two merchant vessels. The latter were South Sea whalers, furnished, +as was not unusual in those days, with letters of marque, and returning +home from round Cape Horn with full cargoes and a considerable amount of +booty. They lay, their sails all set, about two miles off, waiting for +a breeze to make their escape. Their masters, who had been found as +prisoners on board the _Concorde_, were eager to attempt their recovery, +and offered to man the _Falcons_ boats with their crews, and to lead an +expedition against them. Mr Handsel, however, at first considered that +it would be extremely hazardous, and he could not spare the necessary +number of men for the enterprise. So busy were all hands that no +inquiries had been made about the killed and wounded. Few perhaps even +thought of their shipmates writhing in agony below. The voices of +several officers wont to be heard were silent, and not a few of their +messmates were missed from among them. At length there was a rumour +that their brave captain was even worse hurt than was at first +supposed--it was soon whispered that he was dying--and then came the +news that he was dead. Many a tear was dropped from the eyes of his +hardy crew, which the loss of their own messmates had failed to draw +forth. But there was no time to express their sorrow. All hands had to +work on as hard as ever. The carpenters, having secured the masts and +spars, were busy with the boats. Mr Handsel at length determined to +send an expedition to recapture the whalers, which, fortunately lying +rather more than a mile apart, could not assist each other. Ralph +offered to go in one of the boats; as it was his left arm which was +wounded, he could steer or handle a cutlass with his right. + +"Yes, you will go in charge of the gig as an officer; Mr Symonds will +take command of the expedition in the pinnace; the masters of the +whalers will go in the other boats: should Mr Symonds fall, the command +will devolve on you," said Mr Handsel. Mr Symonds was a master's +mate; one of the lieutenants being wounded and the other on board the +_Concorde_, he was the next in rank able to go. Four boats were quickly +in the water, the last nail being driven in by the carpenter as they +were being lowered. Their crews were armed with pistols and cutlasses. +It was resolved to attack the nearest vessel first; and as she was said +to be the fastest sailer, should she be captured, it was hoped that the +other would be quickly overtaken. Old Jacob and Dick were with Ralph. +The boats shoved off from the ship's side and pulled for the nearest +whaler. As they approached she opened a hot fire, on which Mr Symonds +ordered them to keep apart and to steer for her stern. One of the +masters in charge of the pinnace did not hear the order. Ralph saw that +she was struck several times. Mr Symonds's boat also suffered. He +with the second cutter dashed on, the others following: one boarded on +each quarter. The Frenchmen had to quit their guns and to defend +themselves with pikes and pistols, but their assailants quickly swarmed +on board, Ralph, in spite of his wounded arm, getting up the side with +Jacob's assistance. The fight on deck was short. The prize-crew gave +way, and in three minutes the English were in possession of the ship. +Ralph looked round for Mr Symonds. He lay dead in the stern of his +boat, and Ralph found himself in command of the prize. The master of +the whaler just captured was also killed. The other was badly wounded, +and several of their men had fallen. Having secured the prisoners and +released the crew below, he ordered the boats to tow ahead towards the +other whaler. As they approached she opened her fire, but by steering +to the eastward he kept directly ahead of her, out of range of her guns. +Getting still nearer, he brought his broadside to bear on her, when the +Frenchmen, to avoid the consequences, hauled down their colours. She +was quickly taken possession of, when the prize-crew were secured and +the Englishmen remaining on board were released. As each vessel had six +boats they in a short time were towed near to the _Falcon_. As they +approached they were received with a loud cheer, and Mr Handsel ordered +Ralph to take command of the first re-captured, the _Eagle_, and to send +all the hands he could spare to assist in refitting the _Concorde_ and +setting up jury-masts. Of the other vessel, the _Penguin_, her only +surviving mate took charge; for both had fought bravely, and had not +struck till after a long chase, and when several officers and men had +fallen. Both vessels had also so severely suffered in hull and rigging, +that it would have been dangerous without undergoing repairs to proceed +on their voyage. + +Lieutenant Handsel therefore determined to proceed with all the ships to +Rio de Janeiro, the nearest port in the Brazils. Ralph could scarcely +believe that he was not in a dream when he thus found himself in command +of a fine ship, with the probability of having to navigate her home. +Should, however, a fitting man be obtained at Rio to take charge of her, +he would be superseded and have to return to the _Falcon_. He naturally +hoped that no one would be forthcoming. He should then realise his +fondest hopes--be united to Jessie--with a good sum from his prize-money +and pay as captain of the _Eagle_ with which to set up house. He might +then rejoin the navy as an officer, or obtain his discharge, or go back +to the _Amity_, should Captain Mudge wish him to do so. "I will not be +ungrateful to my kind old friend, though I suspect that Jessie would +wish me to remain in the service; and though I entered unwillingly, I +should now be sorry to leave it," he thought. "Perhaps I may rise still +higher--others have done so--why should not I, if I do my duty, and my +life is preserved?" + +Ralph quickly got accustomed to his new position. His scanty crew +acknowledged that they had never had a better captain. They were kept +of necessity at work, but he made that work as light as possible by +setting them to do it in the best way it could be done, and only +ordering them to do what was absolutely required. Sailors, as indeed is +the case with most classes of men, are very quick in discovering when +they have an efficient officer placed over them who knows his duty. +Insubordination and mutiny are generally the consequences rather of the +ignorance and sloth of the captain than of tyranny. + +Fortunately, the calm continued. The decks were washed clean of their +bloody stains; the dead were committed to their ocean graves, and their +shipmates, if they did not forget, soon ceased to talk about them. +Jury-masts were rigged on board the _Concorde_, and a breeze at length +springing up, the four ships, thus partially repaired, made sail for +Rio. + +Old Jacob and Dick had accompanied Ralph on board the _Eagle_. It was +an unfortunate circumstance for the latter. Spirits were more easily +obtained than on board the frigate, and he very soon became quarrelsome +and mutinous. Ralph, not observing his state, had directed him to +perform some duty. + +"Not for you, or any man like you. You, who were before the mast only +yesterday--you think you can top the officer over me, do you? I told +you I wouldn't stand it, and I won't," exclaimed Dick, reeling about and +flourishing his arms as his excitement increased. + +The whaler's crew laughed, and some of the rougher characters even +encouraged Dick with their applause. + +Ralph knew that discipline must be maintained, though ready himself to +bear any insult, and most unwilling to punish his former messmate. A +boat from the _Falcon_ was alongside. He ordered the boatswain and some +other men on whom he could depend to seize Dick and lower him into her. +It was done before the unhappy man knew what was happening. Ralph then +wrote a note to Lieutenant Handsel, saying that the proceeding was +necessary to prevent worse consequences, but begging that, as Bracewell +had behaved bravely in the action, his offence might be overlooked. +Dick stormed and raged when he found himself being carried back to the +frigate, and vowed that he would be revenged. Ralph regretted what had +happened, the more as he had hoped that, by keeping Dick on board the +_Eagle_, he might have prevented him from attempting to desert. He +resolved, however, as soon as they arrived at Rio, to go on board the +_Falcon_ and to try and bring him to reason. Though the distance to be +run was not great, they were very long about it. Light winds and calms +prevailed, and when there was a breeze, the other ships had to wait for +the _Concorde_, which, under jury-masts, made but slow progress. At +length land was sighted, and all hoped to get in the next day. As, +however, evening drew on the weather looked very threatening. Dark +clouds gathered rapidly in the sky. Squalls in quick succession swept +over the ocean, and a heavy sea got up, in which the ships plunged and +rolled as they made their way towards the harbour's mouth. Night coming +down on the world of waters, the rest were ordered by a signal from the +_Falcon_ to stand off the land till daylight. Ralph trembled for the +masts of the _Eagle_, and was still more anxious about those of the +_Falcon_, The night became very dark, and the gale increased. The +lights from the other ships could be distinguished at some distance +apart. The _Falcon_ and _Penguin_ appeared to be making fair way, and +the _Eagle_ behaved very well, but the _Concorde_ was evidently dropping +astern. Ralph had kept his eye on her lights. They grew dimmer and +dimmer. It was doubtful whether she was even holding her own. The +_Eagle_ was under close-reefed topsails, and could with difficulty carry +them. A perfect hurricane was blowing dead on shore. "Lord help those +on board the prize! I can nowhere see her lights," exclaimed old Jacob, +who had been looking out to leeward. "She must have carried away her +jury-masts, or her canvas has blown to ribbons, I fear. If not, we +shouldn't have lost sight of her." + +Ralph looked in vain in the direction in which he had last seen the +lights of the _Concorde_, while those of the frigate and the whaler were +clearly visible, the former about a mile ahead of the _Eagle_, and the +latter rather further off, astern. + +"If the wind doesn't change soon there'll go a good lump of prize-money +and the lives of a good many poor fellows," observed old Jacob. + +"But won't she be able to steer for the harbour, Crane?" asked young +Chandos, who was, however, thinking more of his two messmates and others +on board than of prize-money. + +"It will be a hard matter to find it, even if they can steer the ship at +all: and considering the way we knocked her about, it will be a wonder +to my mind if she doesn't go to the bottom before morning," answered old +Jacob with a sigh. + +The anxious night passed away. When day dawned, it was found that the +ships were nearer the land, notwithstanding all their endeavours to beat +off it, than they had been on the previous evening. Many a glass was +turned westward in search of the _Concorde_, though the hope of +discovering her was slight. Not a trace of her was to be seen. She, +with her prize-crew, had probably foundered or gone on shore at the +moment her lights had disappeared. Still it was thought possible that +she might have been driven into some bay, or between high rocks, and be +concealed by them from sight. Soon after dawn the _Falcon_ made the +signal to bear up for the harbour. She leading, and the two re-captured +whalers following, they stood towards it. Though the sea broke +impetuously on the rocks on either side, they safely entered the +magnificent harbour of Rio de Janeiro, and dropped their anchors off the +town. + +Lieutenant Handsel at once applied to the authorities for guides, and a +party was sent off, under the master and purser, to search the coast to +the northward for the wreck of the _Concorde_, and to assist any of the +crew who might have escaped. The sea was still too rough to allow of an +expedition by water. Ralph in the meantime was ordered to return to the +_Falcon_ with Mr Chandos and the men-of-war's men who had accompanied +him on board the _Eagle_. Mr Handsel then told him that as there was +no probability of an English master being found at Rio to take the +_Eagle_ home, he should direct him to do so, and would furnish him with +a document which would enable him to obtain a passage to rejoin the +_Falcon_ in India, should he desire to remain in the navy. "I would +strongly advise you to do so," he added; "and it will not be my fault it +you do not gain promotion." + +Ralph heartily thanked his commander, and begged that he might be +allowed to defer his decision till his arrival in England. Before going +on shore, which he had to visit to obtain workmen for the repairs of the +_Eagle_, he went below to speak to Dick Bracewell. He hoped to soothe +his anger and to persuade him to give up his intention of deserting. He +did not see him as he went along the decks. He ascertained that he had +not formed one of the exploring party. He sent others to search for +him, but he was nowhere to be found. A number of shore-boats had been +going backwards and forwards all day between the ship and the shore, and +Ralph had too much reason to fear that Dick had smuggled himself into +one of them and made his escape. He felt it his duty to inform the +commander, that watch might be kept to prevent others from following so +bad an example; and he received orders to take a couple of men and to +bring back the deserter if he could be found. He first returned to the +_Eagle_ to warn the boatswain, who was in charge, to look sharply after +their own men. + +"Half are drunk already, and as they have somehow or other managed to +get liquor on board there is no fear of them," was the unsatisfactory +answer. + +Ralph could only hope that the boatswain himself would keep sober, and +as he could not remedy matters by remaining, he pulled on shore. Having +obtained an interpreter and guide from the British consul, he commenced +his search for Dick. After looking for him for some time, he heard that +an English seaman, answering to his description, had been seen to enter +a house in the neighbourhood of the town. Though it was now nearly dark +he set off at once in the hopes of finding him before he could make his +escape. He knew that he was acting really a kind part towards Dick, who +would, if left on shore, soon fall a victim to intemperance and the +unhealthy climate. The house was reached. The inhabitants appeared to +be very much surprised at the visit, and though they allowed a search to +be made for the runaway, they protested that they had never seen or +heard of him. With much regret Ralph returned to the quay to go on +board his ship. As he and his party approached the shore they observed +a bright glare in the sky over the harbour. + +"As I'm alive, there's a ship on fire," exclaimed one of the seamen. +"Hope it isn't our frigate." + +"It is one of the ships which came in this morning, at all events," +observed the guide. + +Ralph with an anxious heart hurried down to the quay, where a number of +people were already collected. A ruddy glare extended far and wide over +the harbour from a fiery mass which floated on its surface, lighting up +the buildings and the figures of the people on the shore, and the ships +at anchor off it. Among them lay the _Falcon_, her sides and lofty +masts and rigging brought prominently into view. At some distance from +her was the _Penguin_; and what was Ralph's dismay when he discovered +that the burning ship was the _Eagle_. His impulse was to go off at +once to her--but what aid could he render? Already the flames were +bursting through her hatchways and ports and encircling her masts and +spars. The oil and casks in her hold once having ignited, no human +means could extinguish the conflagration. He looked for his boat. A +boy alone was in her; the men, as was to be expected, had gone off to a +wine-house, and only just having heard that a ship was on fire, came +reeling down to the quay, uttering exclamations of surprise when they +discovered that she was their own. Having tumbled into the boat they +were sufficiently sober to row, and Ralph ordering them to shove off, +steered for the unfortunate _Eagle_. Numerous boats were moving about, +and some around her, and he hoped, therefore, that the people on board +had been rescued. It made him fear, however, that all hope of saving +the ship had been abandoned. Still it was his duty to get on board if +he could, to ascertain that every possible effort had been made. He had +passed through an outer circle of native boats, and was dashing on, when +he was hailed by a man-of-war's boat, but not hearing what was said, he +was still continuing his course, and would soon have been close to the +ship, when there came a thundering report as if a whole broadside had +been fired. Her mizen mast shot up into the air, followed by a large +portion of the afterpart of her deck and bulwarks and interior fittings; +some parts in large pieces, others rent into numberless burning +fragments, which hung suspended in the air, and then in a thick fiery +shower came hissing down into the water, the lighter bits reaching +considerably beyond where the boats lay. Ralph had scarcely time even +to get his boat round before the shattered pieces of burning wood began +to fall thickly round his boat, threatening in an instant to sink her, +and to kill any one who might be struck. Happily no one was hurt. The +downfall of the wreck ceased; still the fire in the forepart of the ship +was raging on, when the bows and bowsprit rose in the air surrounded by +flames which, tapering up into a vast cone of fire, suddenly disappeared +as, the stern sinking first, the water swept over the remainder of this +hapless ship, and all was instantly dark, except here and there where +the smouldering ends of spars and planks floated above the calm surface +of the harbour. Ralph with a sad heart pulled on board the _Falcon_, +feeling himself reduced from the position of captain of a fine ship to +that of a master's assistant; and what weighed still more on his +spirits, that he had no longer the prospect of returning to England and +to his dear Jessie. He was thankful to find that the boatswain and most +of the crew of the _Eagle_ had been rescued, with the exception of three +unhappy men who, overcome by liquor, had been suffocated below. The +whole of the survivors entered on board the _Falcon_--indeed, they were +not offered a choice. A dozen of her best hands were also taken out of +the _Penguin_--such being the custom of the times, when a King's ship +wanted men. Their places were filled by Portuguese and other +foreigners, thirty of whom were shipped by the _Falcon_ to make up her +complement, in addition to a few runaway English seamen reduced to +beggary, and sent on board by the consul. The exploring party returned +without a survivor from the _Concorde_, a few pieces of wreck alone +having been found as evidence of her fate. Such is the sad result of +warfare. Three hundred human beings had lost their lives on board the +four ships, two only of which now remained afloat. Ralph did his utmost +to discover Dick, but without success, and at length he began to fear +that he had been drowned in trying to make his escape, or had--not an +unlikely occurrence--been murdered on shore. The _Falcon_, her repairs +being completed, and Mr Handsel having written his despatches to send +home by the _Penguin_, and having given himself an acting order as +commander, sailed for the East Indies. + +Ralph, as may be supposed, did not fail to write to Jessie and Captain +Mudge by the _Penguin_, and to leave duplicates of two letters with the +consul, to be forwarded by another opportunity. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +Poor Jessie Flamank had good cause to be sad. For long she hoped +against hope. Whenever the door opened her heart beat quick, and she +looked up half ready to spring from her seat in expectation that her +Ralph would appear. Her kind granny was unwilling to say anything which +might quench the hope which kept up her spirits, yet the dame knew full +well that Ralph was too good a seaman to be allowed his liberty. +Captain Mudge looked in every evening when his work on board the _Amity_ +was over for the day, and did his utmost to comfort Jessie. He would +not say, however, whether he thought that Ralph would come back soon, +but he told her that he was sure to get on well, and be better off in +many respects than on board the brig. "As to danger," he continued, "to +my mind a man is as safe in one place as in another. God, remember, +looks after those who trust in Him; they would be in a bad case if they +had no other protection than such as they can find for themselves; so I +don't see, Jessie, that any of us can do more for him than we are doing, +that is, praying heartily for him. As I always say, it's a blessed +thing that we can do that for ourselves and others, though we can do +nothing else for our own or their help." + +Jessie did trust to God, but her trial was hard to bear notwithstanding. +Still it made her throw herself more than she might otherwise have done +on His fatherly care, and she felt her heart lightened in a way she had +not supposed possible. She had abundance of occupation; for Mrs +Treviss was accustomed to take in needlework, to assist her limited +means, and as her eyesight had of late become dim, Jessie endeavoured to +relieve her by labouring with redoubled diligence. + +Kind-hearted Captain Mudge seldom came to the cottage without some +welcome present, which he said he had received as a gift from a brother +skipper just returned from a foreign voyage. One day it was a Dutch +cheese, another a few pounds of choice tea, or a box of dried fruit or +some bottles of wine, and so on. One day, when the package was larger +than would have been becoming for him, master of the good brig _Amity_, +to carry through the streets, he was followed by a boy wheeling it along +in a barrow. The lad, who was dressed in a neat sailor-like costume, +set it down in the passage and was going away, when Jessie recognised, +in spite of his changed appearance, her young tatterdemalion boatman, +Peter Puddle. "What, Peter, I scarcely knew you again," she said. "You +must stop and have something to eat." + +"Thank ye, miss, I'm not hungry, as I used to be," he answered, in a +tone of satisfaction. "Captain Mudge has taken me aboard the _Amity_, +and I get as much grub as I want, though I shouldn't mind a bit of bread +and cheese, thank you." + +Jessie invited Peter into the kitchen and placed before him a loaf of +bread and some cheese, to which, notwithstanding his assertion, he did +ample justice. She observed that he had improved in his manners as well +as in his appearance. Before beginning to eat, he said grace exactly in +the words the captain used and in the same tone. He told her that +Captain Mudge had given him an outfit, and was teaching him to read and +say his prayers, and was ever so kind in all sorts of ways. "Oh, miss, +there isn't no one like him," he added. "And only to think if I'd gone +off at once that night and hadn't picked those fellows up, I might have +saved your young man from going to sea in the frigate. I be main sorry, +you may depend on't; but I'll do all the captain tells me, that I will." + +Jessie sighed. "The men might have lost their lives had you not picked +them up, though it was, indeed, careless of you to forget your +commission," she said. "But what I have to forgive I heartily do +forgive, and I hope that you will obey Captain Mudge, and follow his +advice." + +"That I will, miss, and thank you, too, for speaking so kindly to me," +answered Peter warmly. "I hope I may have a chance of showing that I am +grateful, some day, though it isn't likely, I'll allow." + +The _Amity_ was at length ready for sea. She was bound out to Riga for +staves, a somewhat dangerous voyage in the autumn. Captain Mudge came +to wish the widow and her granddaughter farewell. "I've got a fresh +mate," he said, "a decent lad; but he isn't like Ralph, and I doubt if +he's much of a navigator." + +"Good-bye, Jessie, good-bye; heaven bless and protect you; keep a good +heart, my girl, you'll see Ralph back some day," were his last words, as +he wrung her hand at the porch and hurried down the road. + +When he had gone, Jessie felt that she had lost the truest friend she +possessed in the world next to her granny, and she could not help +fearing that the days of her only relative were numbered. Every week +Jessie saw a marked change in her. She could no longer get up and +downstairs without the greatest difficulty, her eyesight grew worse, and +her trembling fingers refused to hold a needle, while she could scarcely +convey her food to her mouth. In one respect she had not changed: her +mind remained clear and her trust in God as firm as ever. She knew that +she was dying, though she was loth to say so to her grandchild, who +would thus be left alone in the world. "God will look after the dear +one," she said often to herself; "He is ever the father of the +fatherless, and will not forsake her." She longed, however, for the +return of Captain Mudge, but though it was the time for him to be back, +no news had come from him. A letter at last arrived from Ralph, written +from the West Indies, which gave her an account of his prospects of +promotion, and cheered her up. He was well and as contented as could +be, and she was thankful for that; still it compelled her to abandon all +hopes of his speedy return. When his next letter arrived, giving an +account of the battle and of the loss of the _Eagle_ and of his own +bitter disappointment, she was sitting by the death-bed of Mrs Treviss. +Had it not been for the burning of the _Eagle_, Ralph might even now +have been with her, but instead, he had certainly gone to that far, far +off Indian Ocean, where he might be kept for years. Jessie restrained +her tears that she might not disturb her grandmother's last hours. + +Mrs Treviss, who was thinking of Captain Mudge, asked faintly if he was +coming. + +"No hope of it, dear granny," she answered, in a faltering voice. + +"God's will be done! Trust to Him! Trust to Him!" whispered, the old +woman, closing her eyes as if she were weary and wanted sleep. + +Jessie sat long watching her anxiously. There was no movement. She +took her hand. It was icy cold. Her granny was dead, and she was alone +in the world. The doctor some time after looked in and found the young +girl still seated by the bedside. He sent a woman, Dame Judson by name, +to assist her, and promised to make arrangements for the funeral, but he +had a large family of his own, and could do little more except in the +way of sympathy and advice. Mrs Treviss was carried to her grave, +Jessie being the only mourner, while Dame Judson walked by her side to +afford her support. + +When she came back to her solitary home she could not for some time +arouse herself from her grief, though Dame Judson, a motherly sort of +woman, tried her best to console her. Jessie, however, felt that it was +necessary to consider what she should do for her support. The cottage +was hers, and she had about ten pounds a year left her, the interest of +a sum in the hands of Messrs. Grayson and Company, shipowners, of +Plymouth. She could make something by her needle, but scarcely +sufficient, though she was resolved to try her best. She would have let +her cottage and looked for a situation as a lady's-maid or a +nursery-governess, but then should Ralph come back he would be +disappointed at not finding her there, and she might not even hear of +his return, so she would not entertain the idea for a moment. She might +find an old lady to lodge with her, and her last idea was to open a +school for little girls. She had no one to consult with. Worthy Dame +Judson hadn't an idea above charing; with her neighbours she was but +slightly acquainted. Messrs. Grayson and Company had paid her +grandmother's interest regularly, but were not pleasant people to speak +to. They had been part owners with her father in the _Dolphin_, the +ship in which he had been wrecked. Having neglected to insure her they +had lost a good deal of money by the circumstance, and being especially +narrow-minded entertained an ill feeling even for poor Jessie herself, +which they exhibited whenever she went to their office. She had been to +a good school in Exeter, but the lady who kept it, and who would have +been of great assistance, was dead, and the school broken up. + +The clergyman of the church Jessie attended, on hearing of her +unprotected condition, immediately called on her to offer such +consolation and assistance as he had the power to bestow. He was, +however, the vicar of an extensive parish, which, in addition to its +usual large number of poor, contained at the time very many widows and +orphans of the soldiers and sailors killed during the long protracted +war, who demanded all his sympathy and attention. Having also but a +limited income, insufficient for the extensive demands on his purse, he +was unable to afford her any pecuniary assistance. His visits, few and +far between, like those of angels, as they of necessity were, afforded +her much comfort and support, as he never failed to urge her to seek for +that strength from on high which will always be granted when asked for +with a believing heart; and to place her reliance on Him who orders all +for the best, though man, with his finite powers of mind, often fails to +perceive it. + +The only other person she could consult was Mr Barry, the apothecary, +and he had but little time to give his thoughts to the subject. + +The _Amity_ had in the meantime gone back to London, and had made +several other distant voyages without returning to Plymouth. The +captain had written to her, but on each occasion had again sailed +without receiving her replies, and was thus not aware of her +grandmother's death. At length a letter reached him while he lay in the +Thames, and in his answer he promised to come and see her without fail +at the end of the next voyage. A long time passed after this, and no +tidings came of him. She lived on in hopes, however, of his promised +visit, till at length she heard from Mrs Judson of a rumour that the +_Amity_ was lost with all hands. + +"But don't ye take on so now, my dear," exclaimed the good woman when +she saw the effect her announcement had produced. "We often hear of +vessels going to the bottom which are all the time snug in some port or +other, and perhaps the _Amity_, which has to be sure been a terrible +long time missing, will come back some day with her old captain all +right." + +These remarks slightly revived poor Jessie's hopes, but weeks and weeks +went by and the old captain did not appear. Still she thought that the +_Amity_ might have been captured by the enemy and be in some foreign +port; but the brokers had not heard from Captain Mudge, and even though +a prisoner he would have managed to send a letter. She had long been +expecting also to hear from Ralph. She was certain that he would have +written if he had had the opportunity, but no news came of him. India +was a long way off, and letters were often six months or even a year in +coming, she knew. She was, therefore, though anxious, not alarmed, but +she could not help watching with a beating heart each day at the hour +the postman was wont to pass her door, in the expectation that he would +stop with a letter in his hand. + +Months and months passed, none came. Her heart sickened, her cheeks +grew pale. Again Dame Judson was the bearer of bad tidings. "She +didn't wish to alarm Miss Flamank, not she, but she had heard a report +that one of his Majesty's ships had been lost in the Indian seas with +all hands, and she was greatly afraid that it might be the _Falcon_. +There were many other ships, though, on the station, and it might just +as likely be one of them." + +Jessie had never before fainted in her life, but she would have fallen +to the ground had not Mrs Judson caught her and carried her to the +sofa. The good woman was dreadfully frightened, for she thought that +Jessie was dead, and that she had killed her by her incautious +announcement. She tried all the usual expedients to restore animation, +and at length the poor girl opened her eyes, but there was a pained yet +vacant expression in them which the dame could not fail to remark. + +Mr Barry happened soon afterwards to look in to say that he had the +promise of four or five pupils, but he at once saw that poor Jessie +would be unable to receive them for a long time to come. For weeks she +remained in a sadly prostrated state, attended by Dame Judson, who +looked after her, as she said truly, without hope of fee or reward. +Youth and a good constitution prevailed at length, and Jessie recovered +her health, though her heart seemed crushed, and she was unable to exert +herself as she knew was necessary to obtain a livelihood. Poor girl! +she felt utterly alone in the world. Still, though the news of the +_Falcon's_ loss was confirmed beyond all doubt, and the widows and +children of her officers and crew entitled to pensions had received them +she heard, she herself would not abandon all hope of seeing Ralph. Had +she not prayed to God that he might be preserved from all dangers with +the truest faith? and oh, how earnestly! though, as in duty bound, she +had added, "Thy will be done." She even now tried from her heart to +repeat those words and to bow meekly to the will of her Heavenly Father. +"He knows what is best, and does all for the best, as granny used to +tell me, and as the kind vicar often says," she repeated to herself; "I +am sure of that, though I cannot see it in this case, but that arises +from my blindness and little faith." + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +Kind Mrs Judson had gone to her own house. Jessie was seated at her +work near the window for the sake of the light on an evening in the +spring of the year, when she saw a man in a sailor's dress pass the +garden gate, then stop and make inquiries of a passer by. Presently he +came back, and opening the gate, knocked at the door. Her heart beat +violently. He was a stranger, not at all like Ralph; but could he have +brought news of him? She flew to open the door. + +"Beg pardon, ma'am; are you Jessie Flamank?" asked the stranger, pulling +off his hat with a sailor's courtesy. + +"Oh, who are you? Oh, tell me why you have come!" exclaimed Jessie, +scarcely able in her agitation to utter the words. + +"Why, do you see, I'm an old shipmate of one you knew once upon a time, +and I thought as now I was at Plymouth I'd come and look you up and see +how you were getting on, and have a talk about him," answered the man, +stepping in as Jessie made way for him. + +"Then do you bring me no news of him--of Ralph Michelmore?" she asked, +in a trembling voice. + +"Not what you may call news; seeing as how it's better than two years +since I last set eyes on my old messmate," answered the stranger, taking +a chair, while Jessie, unable to support herself, sank into the one she +had left. "He told me all about you," he continued, "how you were to be +married when he was pressed along with me and others, and so I came to +know you: and, said I to myself, now that he's gone, poor fellow, and +she's all forlorn-like, maybe, I'll try and comfort her a bit." + +Poor Jessie! This strange address from the rough sailor, though +apparently kindly meant, had anything but the effect intended, for she +burst into tears. + +"Now don't take on so," said the sailor, "I didn't think as how I'd have +made you cry, or I wouldn't have talked about Ralph. Maybe he wasn't +lost with the old _Falcon_. I've known men turn up after ever so many +years, whom I thought fathoms deep below the waves long afore. Not but +what he'd have been sure to come back to you if he could, that's +certain." + +"You have not told me who you are. How did you escape from the +shipwreck?" said Jessie, at length becoming calm enough to speak. + +"I've had a purser's name [see note 1] for some time past, but I don't +mind telling you I'm Dick Bracewell, who sailed along with Captain Mudge +in the _Amity_ once upon a time," answered her visitor. "And as to how +I escaped, why I'd left the ship after we took the Frenchman and put +into Rio, and I didn't know but what Ralph was still aboard her, and a +lieutenant by that time, till I heard when I came ashore last that she +was lost with all hands." + +Jessie did not quite like Dick's way of speaking, still it was a +melancholy satisfaction to her to talk of Ralph; and as her visitor +appeared to mean kindly, she did not express any wish that he would take +his departure. He sat and sat on telling her many particulars about +Ralph while on board the _Falcon_; how well he had behaved in the +action, and how he had been made an officer, and been placed in command +of the _Eagle_, Dick did not, however, tell her everything that had +occurred regarding himself; but though he was not aware of it his tone +betrayed the feeling of jealousy which he had entertained, and which her +quick perception detecting, did not raise him in her estimation. At +last she had to tell him that it was getting late, and to beg that he +would go away. + +"Well, I hope that I may call again and spin another yarn about old +times," he answered, as he took up his hat. + +She did not like to say no, and yet his conversation had not left a +pleasant impression on her mind. When she had closed the door behind +him, she sat down and cried bitterly. It seemed to her more certain +than ever that Ralph was lost. Her evening reading of the Bible and her +prayers, that solace of the afflicted, restored calmness to her mind. + +Day after day Dick Bracewell came to pay her a visit, and, believing him +to have been Ralph's particular friend, she did not like to decline +seeing him. He told her that after he had left the _Falcon_ he had +joined a privateer, which had been wonderfully successful; that they had +taken a rich Spanish galleon and many other valuable vessels, and that +he, having become one of the mates of the ship, had had a large share of +prize-money; enough, he declared, to set him up as an independent +gentleman for life. To wind up his good luck he had come home in charge +of the last prize they had made, which was fully as rich as any of the +rest. + +"My old shipmate, he that's gone, told me that I should be ruined if I +left the frigate, but he was wrong, you see," added Dick. "He thought, +too, that I hadn't the sense to take care of my money, if I got any; but +I had had a sharp lesson or two, and I made up my mind not to touch +liquor, whether afloat or ashore, and I've kept to it for better than +two years." + +Jessie had heard Ralph mention Dick Bracewell once or twice, but knowing +nothing about his character, did not doubt the truth of his statements. +Still Dick had not, as he supposed, gained her confidence. His frequent +visits were, as might have been expected, noticed by Jessie's +neighbours, and Dame Judson looked in one morning on purpose to tell her +of the remarks she had heard, and to give her advice on the subject. +She concluded by saying, "If you think that he is worthy of you, my +dear, which I don't, why, there is nothing to say. You are your own +mistress, and can marry him when--" + +"I marry him!" interrupted Jessie. "Oh, Mrs Judson, how can you think +of such a thing? I did not suppose that he or any one else dreamed for +a moment that I fancied he was making up to me, or I would not have +received him after his first visit. Do, Mrs Judson, stay with me +to-day, and if he comes tell him that I cannot see him, and beg that he +will not come again." + +Mrs Judson very readily consented to do as Jessie wished. She had made +inquiries about Dick Bracewell, and did not altogether believe in the +capture of the Spanish galleon, though she heard that he had come ashore +from a prize brought into Plymouth to be sold. The dame had brought her +work, and took Jessie's usual place by the window to watch for Dick. +She had not been there long before she saw a young sailor approach the +house, and, without stopping, walk straight up to the door. "That isn't +Dick Bracewell. I wonder who he can be," she exclaimed, as a knock was +heard. + +"Can it be Ralph?" gasped out Jessie, rising from her seat. + +"Oh, no, my dear, he's much too young-looking. You mustn't have such a +fancy. I'll see what he wants," said the dame, going to the door. + +"Please, ma'am, does Miss Flamank still live here?" asked the young +sailor. + +"What do you want to say to her?" said the dame. + +"I've a great deal to say to her, and I think shell know me when I tell +her who I am," replied the sailor. + +"Do let him come in, Mrs Judson," exclaimed Jessie, eagerly, her heart +beating with the belief that she should hear news of Ralph. + +The stranger, doffing his hat, advanced into the room and stood before +Jessie with a smile on his countenance as if expecting instantly to be +recognised. "I thought, Miss Flamank, that you'd have known me," he +said at length; "I've never forgotten you and your kindness to me. +Don't you remember Peter Puddle?" + +"Oh! yes, yes; indeed I do," exclaimed Jessie, putting out her hand. +"And is the _Amity_ not lost? Is Captain Mudge still alive?" + +Peter shook his head. "I wish I could say there was any chance of +that," he answered. "When the old brig went down in the dead of night, +I was left afloat on a hen-coop, which the old captain had just before +cast loose and told me to cling to, for all our boats were stove in. +And I never saw him, nor any one belonging to the _Amity_ alive again. +Next morning I was picked up by a ship bound out to the West Indies, and +I've been knocking about in those seas ever since. The captain had +taught me navigation, and, what was better still, to read the Bible; and +as I just did what that tells me to do, I got a good character aboard. +I was made third mate, and the other two dying, I became first mate for +want of a better man; though I was very young for such a charge. But I +did my best, and the captain was satisfied, and says that, as he didn't +want a better, I should sail with him again next voyage. We sailed for +home at last, bound for London; but having sprung a leak, and carried +away our fore-mast, we put into Plymouth for repairs--and that's how +I've been able to come up to see you. But I've not yet spun all my +yarn. Tell me, Miss, have you never got any letters from me?" + +"No," answered Jessie, "I have not received a single letter from abroad +for three long years or more," and she sighed sadly. + +"I thought 'twas so when I got no answers to three I wrote," said Peter. +"What I had to tell you was this,--that just before the brig went down +the captain made fast to the hen-coop a bag with fifty golden guineas in +it, and charged me, if I escaped, to take it to you. I unlashed it and +managed to get it into my pocket just before I was hoisted on board. +There would have been small chance of my keeping it, however, if I had +not fallen among honest people; but when I came to know the captain, I +was sure that it would be safe in his hands, so I gave it into his +charge, and he stowed it away for me, and showed me where it was kept. +If he hadn't done this I should have lost it, for a few months ago, when +we were down in the Bay of Honduras, we were chased and overtaken by a +schooner under Spanish colours. Her crew, a set of fellows of all +nations, calling themselves privateer's-men, though they were more like +pirates, robbed us of everything they could lay hands on, and all the +specie they could find belonging to the captain and owners, and had +begun to scuttle the ship, and would, no doubt, have set fire to her +besides and carried off our boats, when an English man-of-war hove in +sight, bringing up a strong breeze. The pirates, some of whom I was +sure were Englishmen, in spite of their dress, for I heard them +speaking, and should know two or three of them again, made off, and +allowed us to stop the auger holes and pump out the water. Their +schooner, being a fast craft, escaped; but the man-of-war, having seen +us safe on our way to Barbadoes, went back to look for her. If she +didn't find her, she would at all events have made those seas too hot +for the pirate. I was better pleased than anything else that your money +was saved, and here it is all right, just as the captain did it up for +you." + +As Peter spoke he placed on the table before Jessie a small +weather-stained canvas bag, and, undoing the string, counted out fifty +guineas. + +"They are all right," he continued, "and my heart is lightened of the +thought I've always had that I might lose them, though I would have made +it up to you somehow or other--that I would." + +Tears choked Jessie's utterance as she thought of the kind captain who +had remembered her in his last moments, and of the sturdy honesty and +faithfulness of Peter. + +"I am, indeed, grateful to you as I am to Captain Mudge," she said at +length; "but surely you are entitled to some of this." + +"Not a dollar would I touch, not if all the judges in the land were to +order me to take it," answered Peter, replacing the money in the bag, +which he tied up and pressed into her hands. "There, it's all for you, +and I wish you knew how happy I am to give it to you safe at last." + +Before Jessie could reply there was a knock at the door. Mrs Judson +went to open it. "Miss Flamank cannot see you," Jessie heard her say. + +"She never sent that message," exclaimed Dick Bracewell, brushing by her +and entering the room. He cast an angry glance at Peter, as if he +considered him an intruder, and advanced to shake hands with Jessie. +She drew back, greatly annoyed at his conduct. + +"Mrs Judson told you I was engaged," she said. + +"She told me you couldn't see me; but when a man loves a girl, and knows +pretty well that she likes him, he isn't to be stopped by trifles," he +answered, throwing himself into a chair, as if he felt perfectly at +home. + +A feeling of indignation prevented Jessie from saying anything. +Meantime Peter had been narrowly eyeing her unwelcome visitor, and, +stepping up to him, said-- + +"You've just come from the West Indies, mate, I've a notion?" + +"Yes, I've been in those seas," answered Dick, for, having told Jessie +so, he could not deny the fact. + +"I thought as much; and we met there not long ago in a way I'm not +likely to forget," said Peter, quietly. "Maybe you don't remember me, +but I do you, I can tell you; and there are not a few of the crew of the +_Kate_ who will remember you, too, if they set eyes on you." + +Dick; taken by surprise, turned pale, and declared he did not know what +the young man meant; but Peter again minutely described how his ship had +been boarded by pirates on the Spanish main, and positively asserting +that Dick was one of them, advised him, if he valued his life and +liberty, to clear out of Plymouth without delay. + +Dick, as might have been expected, swore that the young man, as he +called Peter, was mistaken; but shortly after, observing that it was +clear he was not wanted, took up his hat, and, without much +leave-taking, hurried out of the house. + +Jessie, who feared that Peter was right in his suspicions, thanked him +for giving Dick the warning. + +"He was once, at all events, Ralph Michelmore's friend, and I should +have grieved if you had been the means of bringing him to punishment," +she said. + +"I'd not hurt him, Miss Jessie, on any account," answered Peter; "but as +I judged by the way you spoke to him that he was not welcome, I thought +I would just say what would make him keep away for the future." + +Peter remained to dinner and amused Jessie and Mrs Judson with an +account of his adventures, in all of which his honesty and courage were +remarkable, though he was not aware that what he said exhibited it. + +"That's what the right training of good Captain Mudge has done for him," +observed Mrs Judson, when he had gone. "I remember him a regular +pickle; and, if he had been left to himself, he would have been a +vagabond all his life, like many others who have had no kind friends to +look after them." + +Peter's warning had not, it appeared, been lost upon Dick Bracewell; for +from that day Jessie saw him no more. + +Peter came constantly, while he remained in Plymouth, to see her. At +his last visit he put the sum of thirty pounds into her hands. "I want +you to take this, Miss Flamank, and to spend any of it you like," he +said, while a blush spread over his sunburnt countenance. "It's my +savings since I was picked up by the _Kate_, and I always intended it +for you.--Well, if you won't accept it as a gift, remember, if what +happens to many a sailor happens to me, it will be yours. Now, don't +say no, and you'll make me more happy than I can tell you." + +Peter would take no refusal, so at last Jessie consented to receive the +money, though she resolved not to spend it on any account. After Peter +had sailed, Jessie lived on much as before, except that with the money +she had received she was able to obtain many of the necessaries she had +before denied herself. Still her pale cheek told of a sad heart, and +though more than one young man well to do in the world asked her to +become his wife, she remained faithful to the memory of her lost Ralph. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1: A fictitious name sailors who have deserted generally assume to +escape recognition. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +The _Falcon_ proceeded on her voyage to India. Though she was refitted +as thoroughly as was possible in a foreign port, her commander had no +wish to encounter another enemy with so large a proportion of his crew +untried and inexperienced. He did his utmost, however, to get them into +efficient order, and every day that the weather permitted they were +exercised at the guns, as well as at making and shortening sail, and +taught the use of the small arms. + +Ralph Michelmore was fully occupied, and had but little time to think of +his bitter disappointment at not returning home in the _Eagle_. By the +time the _Falcon_ reached the Hoogly, the crew had been brought into +excellent order, and were highly complimented by the admiral on the +station. There being no post-captain to supersede him, Mr Handsel +received an acting order to continue in the command. The _Falcon_ was +allowed just time to take on board a fresh supply of powder, shot, and +other stores and provisions, when she was ordered to proceed in search +of an enemy's cruiser, said to have captured several English merchantmen +in the southern part of the Indian Ocean. She was supposed to be a +heavy frigate, equal, if not superior, in force to the _Falcon_, but +neither Captain Handsel nor any of his ship's company had the slightest +doubt as to what would be the result of an action should they be +fortunate enough to fall in with her. + +A sharp look-out was kept, and the ocean traversed in all directions for +several weeks, but no traces of her could be discovered, till at length +a prize she had taken only two days before was re-captured. Her +probable whereabouts having been ascertained from the prisoners, the +prize being sent on to Calcutta, the _Falcon_ under all sail steered in +the direction where it was hoped the enemy would be found. The stormy +season was approaching. The weather, indeed, had already changed for +the worse; but still Captain Handsel was unwilling to return to port, +when on the point, as he hoped, of meeting the long looked-for foe. + +A strong breeze was blowing from the northeast, and the frigate was +steering south, under all the canvas she could bear. The crew had just +been piped to breakfast. + +"A sail on the lee bow," shouted the look-out at the mast-head. + +Ralph was sent aloft to examine the stranger. She was standing +close-hauled to the northward. From the squareness of her yards, he had +little doubt, seen even at that distance, that she was a man-of-war, but +as the two ships were rapidly nearing each other, the matter would soon +be decided. The course of the _Falcon_ was altered so as to intercept +the stranger. Suddenly, however, the latter was seen to wear ship, and, +setting more sail, to stand away before the wind. The _Falcon_ was +already carrying as much as she could well stagger under; still, eager +to overtake the fugitive the captain ordered the topgallant sails to be +loosed, and on flew the _Falcon_, like the bird from which she took her +name, in chase of her expected prey. A stern chase is proverbially a +long chase. It seemed doubtful, after the lapse of several hours, +whether she was gaining ground on the stranger. The evening was drawing +on: the gale was increasing. + +"Hand the topgallant sails!" shouted the captain. The crew were going +aloft when there came a loud crash. The fore and main topgallant masts +were carried away. Two poor fellows were struck--one fell dead on the +deck, the other was knocked overboard. To heave-to was impossible. The +wreck of the masts was cleared away, and two reefs taken in the +topsails, and the courses brailed up. The frigate flew on at her utmost +speed. It was now almost night, and it was feared that the chase would +escape in the darkness. Still it was possible, with the heavy gale +blowing, that she might continue on the course she was steering. + +When darkness came down over the ocean the chase could still be seen +through the night-glasses, standing as before. As night, however, drew +on, clouds gathered thickly in the sky, the obscurity became greater, +the gale heavier, and after a tremendous squall, which struck the +frigate, had passed over, those on the look-out could nowhere discern +the chase. + +The captain, however, did not believe that she had hauled her wind, and +hoped to come up with her perhaps with her masts gone. The master, +after speaking with the captain, had gone below to examine the chart, +but even that could not be relied on, as the part of the ocean they were +then in, was, in those days, but imperfectly known, and prudence +dictated that they should heave-to till daylight. + +The captain, in the meantime, expecting every instant again to sight the +chase, kept the ship on her course. Ralph was standing aft with his two +young messmates, Chandos and Dickenson, who had become much attached to +him. + +"What do you think of it, Michelmore? I don't like running into the +darkness as we are doing," observed the former. + +"The darkness will not hurt us, and provided there are no rocks or +shoals in our course we may run on as safely as in the daytime," +answered Ralph. "I examined the chart, and the nearest islands marked +on it are, if they are correctly laid down, full fifty leagues to the +south of us, though there are some shoals rather nearer." + +The master, who had been below, returned hurriedly on deck, and spoke to +the captain. + +"If so, we'll heave the ship to," was the answer. + +Scarcely had the order been given to "Put the helm a-lee," than the +look-out forward shouted "Breakers ahead!" and the next instant a +fearful crashing sound was heard. The ship quivered from stem to stern, +the tall masts rocked, and those on deck, unable to hold on to the +bulwarks, were thrown off their feet. It was a moment of intense +suspense. The head-sheets had been let fly. Would the ship answer her +helm? No. A tremendous sea met her bows, sweeping over her deck, and +carrying several men in its relentless grasp into the raging surf to +leeward. Again she struck, with greater violence than before; the next +sea hove her on her beam ends. The carpenter reported twelve feet of +water in the hold, and rapidly increasing--a rock had gone through her. +The captain ordered the masts to be cut away. He had abandoned all +hopes of saving the ship, and his only thought now was how to preserve +the lives of his people. A party of the crew, led by Ralph and other +officers, with gleaming axes quickly severed the weather rigging, and a +few strokes were sufficient to send the tall masts, with their spars, +crashing over to leeward. The furious seas in quick succession struck +the devoted ship, carrying away her bulwarks, and destroying several of +her boats. The officers and crew were collected on the quarter-deck, +for the stern of the ship having swung round it was least exposed to the +assaults of the waves. Ralph had sought out his two young friends, +Chandos and Dickenson, wishing to help them if he could. Looking over +the larboard quarter, he observed that the water in that direction was +less broken than elsewhere, and he felt sure that he saw the land rising +to a considerable height at no great distance. He told the captain that +he thought he might reach the shore, and, if it was inhabited, bring +assistance to the ship. A small boat hung at the after-davits capable +of carrying four or five people. + +"You can try it," said the captain; "choose any two of the men on whom +you can rely to accompany you, and take these two youngsters," touching +Chandos and Dickenson on the shoulders, "there will be less risk for +them than by their remaining on board, I fear. Remember, Michelmore, if +you escape, that I was in chase of an enemy when the ship was lost, and +that there was an error in the chart. Heaven bless and preserve you!" +he wrung Ralph's hand as he spoke. + +The two young midshipmen were placed in the boat, which was carefully +lowered, with Jacob Crane, and another man, Ned Hawkins, whom Ralph +selected, he himself following. He put Jacob at the helm, confident of +the old man's judgment, and got out an oar, the rest doing the same. +Sheltered by the wreck, the boat at first floated in comparatively +smooth water, but scarcely had her head been got round than she was in +the foaming waves, which rolled in towards the shore. They, however, +did not break as they did at the fore part of the ship, and Ralph knew +from this that she had struck on the extreme point of a reef, and he +hoped that, could the remaining boats or rafts be launched, his +shipmates might yet be saved. Anxious to communicate this information, +he directed Jacob to steer back to the ship, but after pulling for some +time they found that they had made no progress, and it became evident +that a strong current was sweeping round the point, and that their +utmost efforts would be in vain. The boat's head was therefore once +more turned towards the shore. The current, however, swept them at a +rapid rate to the westward, so that they soon lost sight of the ship. +Not a glimpse either of the land could be obtained, and they began to +fear that they should be carried out to sea. + +"Never say die if we are," observed Jacob; "it may be better for us than +having to run through the surf with the chance of being rolled over and +over in it." + +The storm raged with greater fury than before. Jacob advised, as the +only hope of preserving their lives, that they should keep the boat's +head to the sea, and allow her to drift on till daylight, when they +might discover some spot where they could attempt to land with a +prospect of success. In spite of all their efforts the seas continually +washed into the boat, and compelled the two midshipmen to work hard at +baling out the water, while Ralph and Ned Hawkins, with their two oars, +kept the boat in a right position. Their anxiety about the fate of +their shipmates prevented them from contemplating as much as they would +otherwise have done the perils of their own situation. To return to the +wreck was impossible; to land in safety seemed equally so. At any +moment a raging sea might overwhelm them, and it required their utmost +strength and skill to avert the catastrophe. Now and then, as the boat +rose to the summit of a billow, Ralph fancied that he could distinguish +through the darkness the dim outline of the coast, and as its form had +changed since first seen, he was convinced that they were still drifting +along it. He feared that, unless the direction of the current changed, +they might be carried far away out to sea, when death from hunger and +thirst must be their lot; still, trusting in God's mercy, he did his +utmost to keep up the courage of his companions. The midshipmen behaved +as became them, not a word of complaint escaping their lips, while every +time a sea broke on board, Chandos cried out, "Hurrah, here's more work +for us; bale away, Dickenson; we must clear her before the next comes." +It seemed, indeed, wonderful that so small a boat could live in such a +sea. Thus the night wore on. + +At dawn of day Ralph discovered, less than half a mile to the +south-west, a rocky point, the extreme eastern end, he supposed, of a +somewhat elevated island, along the northern coast of which they had +been drifting during the night. The light rapidly increased, while the +clouds cleared away, and the wind abated. As far as the eye could reach +to the westward appeared an unbroken line of raging surf, into which, +had the boat been carried, her destruction would have been certain. He +pointed out to his companions how mercifully they had hitherto been +preserved; "and if we can get round yonder point we shall be in smooth +water, under the lee of the island, and shall probably without +difficulty get on shore," he added. + +Once more he cast an anxious look westward, but not a trace of the wreck +could be seen. Had the _Falcon_ and her gallant crew been totally +engulfed by the waves? + +"I fear that it's all over with them," said Jacob; "I don't think we +could have come so far as to lose sight of the wreck altogether if she +still hung together." + +The boat's head was now cautiously got round, and the midshipmen +resuming their oars, they pulled away in a direction which would enable +them to round the point clear of the surf. They were round it at last, +but a fringe of black rocks, over which the sea leaped and foamed, +warned them to keep at a distance. On and on they rowed. The coast was +uninviting. No trees were to be seen; no signs of human habitation. At +length a small sandy bay appeared, with high rocks on either side of it, +while beyond was a valley, its sides clothed with trees and green +herbage. No spot could be more desirable. Pulling in, they landed, and +hauled up their boat on the beach. + +"We are not ashamed, I hope, of thanking Him who preserved us through +the dangers of the last dark night, and asking Him to take care of us +for the future," said Jacob. + +"No, indeed," answered Ralph and the midshipmen, and at once they knelt +down on the sand, and, led by the old man, together offered up their +prayers to the All Merciful One, to Whom they acknowledged their safety +was alone due; for vain would have been all their efforts and skill +without His aid. Rising from their knees, they set off in search of +water, and their eyes were soon gladdened by the sight of a clear stream +running down the valley. Having quenched their thirst, they looked +about for food. + +They had not gone far when, to their surprise, they saw close under the +hill, shaded by trees, a well-built hut, evidently not the habitation of +a savage. They hurried towards it, expecting to find the occupant +within. No one appeared. The door was open. They entered. There was +a bedstead with the clothes still on it, a fireplace built of rough +stone, the ashes of a recently burning fire within it. Hung against the +wall were several cooking utensils, and on some shelves were arranged +some plates and dishes and cups and knives and forks. In the centre of +the hut was a cabin table, and placed round it were three chests, which +had apparently served as seats. They contained only a few old shoes and +worn-out clothes. No books or writing materials were found, or anything +to show who had been the occupants of the hut. If it had contained any +articles of value, they had been carried away. Both Ralph and Jacob +were of the opinion, from the workmanship of the chests and table, that +they were French. As no food was found in the hut, they were eager to +continue their search for some. At a short distance off was a small +garden, but it had lately been dug up, and all the vegetables and roots +it had contained had been carried off. + +"It's my opinion that there were three people who messed together in the +hut. One lived in it--either the captain or another officer--and the +other two slept elsewhere," observed Jacob. "We shall find their +roosting place not far off. One thing seems certain, that they are not +here now, and there's little doubt that a vessel visited the place +lately, and that they and everything of value were carried away by her, +as well as the produce of the garden." + +Ralph and the rest thought that Jacob was probably right in his +conjectures. + +"Well, I can't make it out at all," exclaimed Jacob, who had gone ahead +of his companions. He pointed, as they came up, to three long, narrow, +grass-covered mounds on a level spot at some distance from the hut. +They were evidently graves. + +"If the poor fellows lie there they can't have got away; but, then, how +could the last have managed to bury himself?" + +Chandos remarked that perhaps there were four people, and that a +survivor had performed that office for the rest; but the old man was +positive that there were only three, as he had counted that number of +plates and knives and forks, and had, moreover, found three worn-out +pairs of shoes. Their hunger put a speedy end to the discussion, and +made them continue their search for food. Birds flitted by them, but +they had no fowling-pieces, and in vain they tried to knock some down. +Berries and some larger fruits hung temptingly on the trees out of reach +above their heads. + +"Those birds do not live upon nothing," observed Chandos. "If we cannot +catch them, we may at all events eat the fruit they live on." + +"A bright idea," exclaimed Dickenson. "I see a big fellow pecking away +at a yellow, juicy-looking fruit up there. Depend on it, he finds it +ripe. Now, if you and Ned will give me a hoist, I can manage to reach +the lowest branch, and though the boughs might break with the weight of +a heavier man, they will bear me--if not, look out and catch me." + +Dickenson, with the aid of Chandos and Ned--the first of whom mounted on +the others' shoulders--soon clambered up the tree, and though the +branches bent with his weight, he managed to throw down several ripe +fruit. Having put two or three in his pocket, he retired to the inner +end of a branch to stop the cravings of hunger, while Chandos and Ned +were employed in the same way below. The fruit had stones in the +centre, and was more mealy and much richer than a pear. + +Ralph and Jacob had in the meantime gone down to the beach to collect +mussels or other shell-fish. Chandos shouted to them, but as they did +not hear him, he set off with a supply of the fruit in his pockets. +They had found shell-fish in abundance, and had collected as many as +they could require. Having no means of lighting a fire, they were +obliged to eat them uncooked; but notwithstanding this, with the aid of +the fruit, they contrived to make a hearty meal. Having thus somewhat +recruited their strength, although they would gladly have thrown +themselves on the ground and gone to sleep, they determined at once to +set out in search of any of their shipmates who might have escaped from +the wreck. The distance, Ralph feared, would, however, prove +considerable, and tax their strength to the utmost. He proposed, +therefore, that the midshipmen should remain behind, and, after taking +the rest they required, employ themselves in searching for food. + +"No! no! we'll hold out as well as any of you," exclaimed Chandos. "If +our friends require help, the more there are to give it the better." + +As Ralph could not object to this he agreed that they should come. + +The bay in which they had landed looked towards the rising sun, and was +thus near one end of the island, while the wreck had occurred, Ralph +calculated, close to the other. They would have probably ravines to +cross, hills to ascend, and other impediments to encounter. Having +collected as many shell-fish and fruit as they could carry, they-- +notwithstanding their expected difficulties--set out with sturdy hearts, +determined to overcome them. + +The country was generally rocky and barren. Bleak hills destitute of +vegetation, narrow ravines, and savage gorges appeared on every side. +Often it seemed impossible that they could make any further progress; +but after several hours spent in climbing and scrambling they at length +reached the point for which they had been directing their course, on the +north-western shore. As they approached it they observed a few spots of +a more fertile character, and below them on level ground, forming the +shores of a small bay, waved several cocoa-nut and other tropical trees. +As no other huts were seen, or any plantations, they were convinced +that the island was uninhabited. Their chief attention was, however, +directed seaward in search of the wreck. Though the wind had gone down, +the surf still beat furiously along the whole line of coast, so that no +boats or rafts could have reached the shore in safety. About half a +mile off rose, from amid a mass of foam, the black rugged points of a +reef, now for a minute in sight, now concealed by the heavy rollers +which dashed over them and came rushing on with an angry roar towards +the cliffs which formed that end of the island. + +"That must be the reef on which the frigate struck," said Ralph, with a +deep sigh, and tears of manly sorrow sprang to his eyes. "Poor fellows! +Not one can have escaped." + +"It's too likely," said Jacob, gazing at the spot; "the ship must have +fallen off the reef, and the current would have swept her and all on +board away." + +The rest of the party shared Ralph's grief, but they had no time to +indulge in it. He was anxious to examine the coast on the bare +possibility of any one having been washed on shore alive, and they then +would have to search for water and some sheltered spot where they might +pass the night. With some difficulty they descended the cliffs to the +first line of beach they could discover, which extended for some +distance towards the east. Here and there lighter pieces of the wreck +strewed the shore, but the heavier fragments had been carried away by +the current. The wreck would serve for fire-wood, but then they had no +means of lighting a fire, and none of the pieces were large enough to be +of use towards building a hut. They did not therefore stop to collect +them, but pushed on, still not without some faint hopes that one or more +of their shipmates might have reached the shore alive on planks or +spars. The midshipmen, though their spirits kept them up, were, +however, much fatigued, and were longing to find a sheltered spot where +they might stop and rest. + +An object in the surf now caught their sight, some way ahead, at a spot +free from rocks. Hastening forward they found that it was a cask, and +after several efforts, at the risk of being carried off by the sea, they +succeeded in rolling it upon the beach. It was full of beef, which, +though they were compelled to eat it raw, greatly restored their +strength. Further on a tangled mass of rigging had already been thrown +on the shore. Perhaps a human being might be found among it. They ran +on, eager to examine it. It consisted of spars and ropes and torn +canvas. The latter might assist to form a roof for a hut, if not large +enough for a tent. They were cutting it clear, when Chandos discovered +the stock of a musket, with part of the barrel broken off, rolled up in +its folds. + +"That will not be of much use as we have no powder or shot," observed +Dickenson. + +"No, but see, the lock and flint are still on it," answered Chandos. +"Hurrah! We shall now have the means of lighting a fire." + +This success encouraged them to make further search. Several casks of +pork, and flour, and other provisions, an invaluable iron saucepan with +the lid tightly jammed on, as well as two sea-chests, with clothing and +numerous useful articles, rewarded their labours. The wide bay they had +before seen was reached at last. The extent of fertile ground was +smaller than they had supposed, and but few cocoa-nut trees grew on it. +Still, as the evening was advancing, and a sheltered nook near a rill of +water was discovered, they settled to go no further. While Ralph with +Jacob and Ned were putting up a rough hut the midshipmen collected some +dry grass and broken branches. As they were hunting about they +discovered several fungi growing near the roots of the trees. + +"This stuff looks very like tinder," said Chandos. "Let us try if it +will take a spark." + +He produced the flint from the lock of the musket. In a few minutes, by +dint of blowing and puffing, they had a blazing fire, and the iron pot +with a piece of beef in it was put on to boil. The flour, though +damaged by the salt water, supplied them with cakes cooked under the +ashes. They had now no longer the fear of suffering from starvation. +After an ample meal they lay down to rest, and it was broad daylight +before any of the party awoke. The next day they resumed their search +along the shore. More casks of beef and pork were secured, and numerous +other articles. Among the things in one of the chests was a Bible, +which being enclosed in a leathern case had escaped injury. The owner +had apparently but seldom opened it. To Ralph and his companions it was +of unspeakable value. Though he had been accustomed to read the +Scriptures on a Sunday on board ship he had seldom gone to them for +guidance and strength on other days in the week. Now morning and +evening he read aloud from the precious volume, which from henceforth +became the source of comfort and support to the castaways. Several days +were spent in collecting whatever the sea had thrown on the shore from +the wreck, but not a human body was found. Probably the ship had broken +suddenly up, and all on board had been engulfed together. Having dried +the contents of the chests, and stored them and their provisions in the +hut, they returned to the bay in which they had landed. Its attractions +being far greater than those of any other part of the coast, in addition +to its possessing a well-built abode, they resolved to settle there. + +The direct distance across the island was less than three miles, and by +a bird's-eye survey from the highest point in the centre, they +calculated that the most practicable path would be about five miles. By +this they at once set about removing their goods; carrying them in some +parts on their shoulders, and in others dragging them on a truck, built +out of wreck timber. The whole north shore presented no safe +landing-place, or could they have taken them round by sea much labour +would have been saved. One of the most welcome prizes was a bundle of +fish-hooks, found in the boatswain's chest. Lines were easily +manufactured, and less than an hour's fishing gave them food for the +day. Birds were frequently caught in snares; and roots and fruits were +not wanting. Thus, sterile as the island at first appeared, they had +reason to be thankful that it supplied them with everything absolutely +necessary for sustaining life. + +The end of three months found them settled in the hut, following an +almost regular routine of labour. Men-of-war's men, from their +training, dislike idleness; and the three young officers and the two men +cut out ample employment for themselves during every hour of the day. +They did not fail, however, to discuss every possible means of escaping. + +The midshipmen and Ned proposed to raise the sides of their small boat +and to put to sea in her in the hopes of reaching India, or of finding +some inhabited island at which ships were likely to touch, so that they +might ultimately find their way home. + +To this proposal Jacob Crane strongly objected, though Ralph was at +first rather inclined to favour it, desperate as it appeared. + +"Nothing we can do to the boat can make her fit for a long voyage, even +if the weather should prove fine," observed Jacob. "To my mind, we +ought to be thankful at being as well off as we are. God has mercifully +saved our lives and placed us here, and here we should be content to +remain and make the best use of our time till He thinks fit to send us +relief. If we were likely to be starved, or if there were savages +threatening to kill us, the case would be different. It then would be +perfectly right for us to put off in our boat, and we might trust to Him +for protection. If we had been supplied with tools, it might then have +been our duty to try and build a vessel large enough for the voyage to +India or the Cape of Good Hope; but we haven't got them, and there isn't +a shipwright among us. Perhaps some vessel may be wrecked on the coast, +and we may be the means of saving the lives of the people aboard her. +Depend on it God has always got a purpose in all that He does or allows, +though we don't see it--that's my firm belief--therefore I say again, +let us be content with the blessings God has sent us, and be resigned to +His will." + +Jacob's argument decided Ralph, and won over the rest of the party. + +Though their boat was not large enough for a voyage, they made frequent +trips in her along the coast, and were by her means able to catch many +more fish than they could have caught from the rocks. + +A few seeds were found in the hut, and several plants which had been +left in the ground sprang up, so that they were able to restore the +garden, which had been destroyed, and also greatly to increase its size. + +The discovery of some strong fibre enabled them to manufacture twine, +which served not only for fishing-lines, but as they improved in the art +of making it, they produced a fishing-net of fair size. With this they +caught at times far more fish than they could consume, so they pickled +the remainder with salt collected from the hollows of the rocks, and had +consequently a supply during stormy weather. + +Happily in one of the chests were a couple of books on navigation, and +three or four others of an interesting character. By means of the first +Ralph was able to give instruction to the midshipmen in the science so +necessary to them in their professional career. He also made the model +of a ship's deck and rigging, which, while it afforded a source of +amusement, gave them a more thorough knowledge than they possessed of +seamanship, while the other books were read till nearly got by heart. +Thus the youngsters' time, which might otherwise have been utterly lost, +was usefully employed. + +Flagstaffs were erected on high points at the northern and southern +sides of the island: and a board was nailed to the former, with a +direction carved on it to their cove. They were constantly on the +look-out; but months and months went by and not even a distant sail was +seen, to give them hopes that deliverance was near. At length, even +Ralph began to fear that they were doomed to a life-long imprisonment on +that unknown islet. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +Bells were ringing; bonfires blazing throughout England. The battle of +Waterloo had been fought. Peace, broken by the return of Napoleon from +Elba, was restored; and the great agitator of Europe was a captive on +board a British man-of-war, about to sail for Saint Helena. Though the +nation was rejoicing, the hearts of many of all ranks, who had lost +loved ones on the field of battle, were mourning. + +Jessie Flamank was not alone in her sorrow. She was resigned; but time +had not assuaged it, nor lessened her tender love for Ralph's memory. +She had, of late, ample work, as several ladies in the neighbourhood who +had heard her history were in the habit of sending for her to assist in +making dresses for their families. Among them was a Mrs Chandos, whose +husband, Colonel Chandos, had just returned home wounded from Waterloo, +in which battle their only son had fallen. + +The bereaved mother, while arranging the mourning for her little girls, +spoke of him to Jessie, adding, with tears in her eyes, "His younger +brother perished on board the _Falcon_, five years ago, in the Indian +Ocean." + +Jessie naturally became deeply interested in the poor lady, and could +not help telling her that her intended husband was an officer in the +same ship. + +"We long hoped against hope that some might have escaped, and that our +son might be among the number," said Mrs Chandos; "but now we know that +we have lost both our brave boys." + +"All things are possible with God, ma'am; He orders all for the best; we +should trust Him," answered Jessie, gently. + +Scarcely had she reached home, when a young sailor, whom she at once +recognised as Peter Puddle, hurried up to the door. + +"Oh, Miss Flamank, I am so glad to find you!" he exclaimed eagerly; "I +have been twice to the house, and was afraid that you had left it. May +I come in?" + +Jessie assured him that he was welcome. + +"I have news for you. Wonderful news, which you little expected to +hear," he continued. + +"Oh, tell me! What is it?" cried Jessie, gasping for breath, and her +heart beating violently. + +"I had always heard say, what you thought also, that your father, +Captain Flamank, perished at sea; now I've got to tell you that he +didn't, for I've seen him, and he is alive and well, and he sent me on +to tell you that he would be with you soon." + +"My father alive!" ejaculated Jessie. Is she to be blamed if she felt +disappointed at hearing his name instead of Ralph's as she had expected? +Her affection for her father, long supposed dead, however, quickly +revived, and she became eager to welcome him home. + +Peter told her that the captain of the ship to which he himself belonged +having died at the Cape of Good Hope, it became necessary for the +consignees to find another. That one had been selected who, with other +officers, had just arrived after having been prisoners to the French for +several years in a remote island in the Indian Ocean. The crews of the +captured vessels had been sent away and exchanged; but the officers had +been detained till the termination of the war, for fear that they might +give information to the English of the position of the island, the +favourite rendezvous of French privateers. + +"You may suppose how surprised I was to hear that our new captain's name +was Flamank," continued Peter. "I at once told him that I knew you, and +how kind you had been to me, and soon found that he was your father. He +seemed never tired of asking me questions about you, and so of course I +gave him a full account of all that I thought would interest him. He, +in return, told me a great deal about himself. His ship had not been +wrecked, as was supposed, but had been captured by a French privateer, +on board which he had been taken. She was shortly afterwards wrecked on +an island in the Indian Ocean, when the Frenchmen attempted to reach the +shore in their boats, leaving the prisoners on board. The boats were +swamped, and all in them perished. Notwithstanding this, most of the +prisoners having built a raft, pushed off on it and shared their fate. +Captain Flamank and two others, seeing signs of the gale abating, +refused to join them, and the next day landed safely in a sheltered +cove, in the neighbourhood of which they took up their abode, having +brought on shore a large store of provisions and everything they +required from the wreck before she went to pieces. His two companions, +one of whom was wounded, died, and he was left alone for several years +till taken off by another French privateer. From what the captain said +I have an idea that he thinks of going back there if he has an +opportunity, as he had hidden away no small amount of treasure, taken +out of the wreck, which he didn't tell the French privateer's-men of, +for more reasons than one. First, he couldn't speak their lingo; +secondly, as bad weather was coming on, they were in a hurry to be off; +and as it was property which their countrymen had taken from English +vessels, he had no fancy to let them get it. But I've still another +strange thing to tell you. Soon after the captain was taken aboard the +privateer, she was chased by an English frigate during a heavy gale. +The privateer narrowly escaped shipwreck on the island they had left; +and it was the opinion of the Frenchmen, and the captain thinks they +were right, that the frigate was cast away. There can be no doubt that +she was the _Falcon_, and he thinks that some, if not all the crew, may +have escaped, and be still living on the island." + +Jessie was making many eager inquiries on the subject, when Peter, +looking at his watch, jumped up, and telling her that she would soon see +the captain, hurried away. Before an hour was over she was clasped in +her father's arms. He had much to hear from her of her numerous trials +and difficulties, and she in return longed to learn more about his +adventures and the supposed wreck of the _Falcon_ than Peter had told +her. He confirmed in all points the account she had heard. + +"It has always been supposed, I find, that my ship, the _Dolphin_, was +driven on shore during a hurricane in the Indian Ocean, and that all on +board had perished," continued Captain Flamank. "The report was brought +home as you know by another English ship, the _Chieftain_, which had +been in company with us. She herself narrowly escaped the outer end of +a reef, and was driven far away to the southward, and her master having +observed our perilous position, and not again falling in with us, +naturally concluded that we had been lost. This I have only lately +learned. We were truly in great danger, but happily, being carried +through an opening in the reef, were able to anchor in safety under the +lee of the land. + +"We congratulated ourselves on our escape. Scarcely, however, had we +made sail after the gale was over, than we saw standing out of a bay, a +short distance off, which a lofty headland had concealed from us, a +large ship which we soon knew to be a French privateer. In vain we did +our utmost to escape, while we fired our stern guns in the hopes of +crippling her. She soon ranged up alongside, when, finding that further +resistance would be useless, with a sad heart I hauled down my flag. I +was at once transferred to the privateer with several of my men, and a +prize-crew was put on board the _Dolphin_, which sailed to the +northward. As I never heard of her again, I suspect that she went down +in a hurricane before she reached her destination. The privateer +cruised for some time in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, and +after taking another prize with a large amount of specie, which was of +course removed on board her, she one night was wrecked on a small rocky +island, of the existence of which no one appeared to be aware. I will +not describe the horrors which ensued. All discipline was lost, each +man, regardless of the rest, thinking only how he could secure his own +safety." + +Captain Flamank then gave Jessie a full account of the occurrences of +which Peter had already told her. + +"The years spent on that lone island, especially after the death of my +two companions, were indeed sad ones," he continued. "Often I believed +that I should never again see the face of a fellow-creature. I thought +of you, too, my child, left as I feared you would be when your +grandmother was taken away, alone in the hard, cruel world, with no one +to protect you from its snares, or to help you in your distress." + +"But God protects those who trust in Him, and He never forsook me, but +sent me kind friends who gave me all the help I needed," exclaimed +Jessie, looking up in her father's face. + +"I know that now, Jessie, but I did not then. I should have borne my +misfortunes much better had I done so," he answered. "That good young +fellow Peter, my mate, first put the truth before me on the voyage home. +Many men would not dare to speak as faithfully to their captain as he +did to me. He got me to read the Bible, and showed me throughout the +Psalms God's numberless gracious promises to those who trust to Him, and +His boundless love to sinful men in the Gospels, and what ample rules +under all circumstances in life He has afforded us in the Epistles." + +"Peter did not tell me of this," said Jessie. + +"No, I should have supposed that he would not," answered her father; "he +is too modest and humble to boast of anything he has done. I need not +tell you, after the years I had spent in solitude, with what joy I +welcomed the sight of a ship approaching the island. It was greatly +damped, however, when I discovered that she was French. Still I +resolved if I could to go on board her, hoping ultimately to make my +escape. The very day before the wreck I had discovered the latitude and +longitude we were in, and had noted it in my pocket-book, so that I +could calculate the exact position of the island. I had also buried all +the treasure which my companions and I had landed, and had raised over +it a mound exactly resembling those I had placed over their graves. I +thus should be able at any time to find the spot, I thought, while no +one else was likely to disturb it. On ascertaining from the Frenchmen +who landed that their ship was a privateer, and that they were still at +war with the English, I said nothing about the treasure, determined +rather to let it remain concealed for ever than allow them to possess +it, for I knew that though I might claim it they would without scruple +take it from me. Of this I was convinced from the way in which they +pulled up all the vegetables in my garden and carried off everything of +value which they found in the hut. Among other articles were my +sextant, chronometer, and nautical almanacks, which I had brought in my +chest from the _Dolphin_, though unable to use them on board the +privateer till the day I spoke of. The chronometer I had carefully +wound up every day, and it was still going when I returned to the wreck. +I was thus able when on the island to verify my previous calculations +and to ascertain its exact position. + +"Having claimed the sextant and chronometer when I was carried on board, +I was told that they were no longer mine, and care was taken that I +should not ascertain the ship's position. In short, for several days I +was kept below, so that I could not even discover the course we were +steering. From what I overheard, however, I found that three days after +leaving the island we were chased during a heavy gale by an English +frigate, when we narrowly escaped destruction on a reef at its western +end, on which it was supposed the frigate had been cast away. She, I +have no doubt from what I have since heard, was the _Falcon_, to which +Ralph Michelmore belonged. From my own experience, I have hopes if such +was the case that some of the people may have reached the shore, and are +still living there." + +"Oh, father! I cannot doubt it; and that Ralph is among them," +exclaimed Jessie, clasping her hands. + +"I pray for your sake, my child, that he may be," said Captain Flamank. +"Such scenes as took place when I was wrecked in the privateer are not +likely to have occurred on board a well-disciplined man-of-war. After +again, as I have described, narrowly escaping shipwreck, I began to hope +that the time when I should be free and able to return to England was +approaching. Notwithstanding the vigilance of the Frenchmen, I managed +on several occasions to creep on deck at night, when a glance at the +stars in the clear sky overhead assured me that the ship was steering to +the northward, and as I supposed to one of the French settlements in +India. What was my surprise, therefore, to find one morning that we +were standing towards a small hilly island, with the appearance of which +I was totally unacquainted. On being seen by the captain I was sent +below, and when I was allowed to return on deck I discovered that we +were in a completely land-locked harbour, with several other ships at +anchor, most of which I knew from their build to be English. Lofty +cliffs circled nearly round the harbour, concealing the masts even of +the largest ships from being seen by any passing stranger. In one place +the land sloped more gradually from the water, and on it were a number +of huts, mostly well-built and of considerable size, forming a regular +village. Some way above the village were several more huts surrounded +by a high palisade with a gateway, before which paced a couple of +sentries. I had not had much time to make my observations when I was +ordered into a boat, and on landing was at once conducted up to the +last-mentioned group of huts. Entering the gate I was led into a hut +close to it, in which sat an officer who told me that I must consider +myself a prisoner of war, and that as the English shut up the French who +fell into their hands in Porchester Castle, I had no reason to complain. +I urged that I had not been taken prisoner, and that after years of +absence from my home I was anxious to return there. He shrugged his +shoulders, smiling grimly, and made no reply. I found between thirty +and forty persons living within the palisade, most of them masters and +mates of captured ships. Several had been there from nearly the +commencement of the war. They told me that they were strictly watched, +and that they found it impossible to send letters home to inform their +friends of their fate. Civilians and common seamen had of late not been +allowed to land, but had been sent away immediately; the object of the +French being, it was evident, to conceal this convenient rendezvous of +their privateers from the enemy. I found this account too true, and +though I made many attempts to send letters to you I was unable to +succeed. We were not otherwise harshly treated, but we all pined for +freedom, and great was our joy when peace was concluded, and we were +sent off to the Cape. Care was even then taken to prevent us from +learning the exact position of the island of our captivity; but we +ascertained it pretty correctly, and should another war break out it is +not likely to be again used for the same purpose. On reaching the Cape +I at once obtained, as you know, the command of a ship, and thus had no +means of informing you of my existence before my arrival." + +Much more interesting conversation, as may be supposed, passed between +the father and daughter. + +Jessie was very anxious to repeat what she had heard to her friend Mrs +Chandos, and Captain Flamank consented to accompany her to the house of +that lady. What mother could listen to such a narrative without the +hope arising that her son might be among those who had escaped? Colonel +Chandos, though less sanguine than his wife, was willing to make every +effort necessary to ascertain the truth. + +With the aid of the friends of other officers of the _Falcon_, a fine +brig, the _Hope_, was chartered and quickly fitted out, Captain Flamank +taking the command of her, with Peter as one of his mates. A picked +crew having been easily obtained, she sailed on her long voyage. + +Jessie knew that she must pass many anxious months before the brig could +return; but would not He Who had restored her father to her have +preserved also her still fondly loved Ralph? She had many kind friends +to comfort and encourage her; and the warm sympathy of Mrs Chandos +assisted greatly to keep up her spirits. + +We might follow the _Hope_ on her course. We can picture the delight of +the exiles as they saw a brig, with English colours flying, heave-to off +the bay, and her boat approach the shore. We can imagine their +surprise, as they warmly grasped his hand on landing, when Captain +Flamank announced himself as the former occupant of the hut, and, after +the first greetings were over, led them to the spot which they had +supposed was a grave, and with their assistance unearthed the +long-hidden treasure. + +We need scarcely speak of the eager questions Ralph put to the captain +about Jessie, or say that before night the exiles with the treasure were +on board the brig, and that she was on her homeward voyage. + +Seven months had passed since the _Hope_ had sailed, and Jessie had +begun anxiously to count the days and hours as they went slowly by. +That her Ralph would return she felt sure. Often she went to a spot +whence she could gaze down the Sound, in expectation of seeing the brig +with her white canvas spread gliding up it; but as often was she +disappointed. Many a vessel left the harbour with a favouring breeze +which kept the homeward bound at a distance. She had one day been asked +to visit Mrs Chandos, with whom she was seated, when voices were heard +in the hall, and soon afterwards the colonel entered the room. + +"Prepare yourselves for a joyful event," he said, looking at his wife +and Jessie. "Some young naval officers have just arrived, and if you +will accompany me, Miss Flamank, I will lead you to the dining-room, +where you will find one of them whom you know." + +As they left the room a stranger sprang by them, and Jessie heard Mrs +Chandos exclaim, "My son! My own dear boy!" In another instant Jessie +was weeping tears of joy, supported in the arms of Ralph. + +They were soon joined by her father and Dickenson, who, after spending a +few hours with his friends, set off to afford a happy surprise to his +own family in Hampshire. + +Their voyage home had been prosperous, excepting the loss of a man +overboard who had joined the brig at the Cape. + +"He was in a wretched condition, produced by drunkenness; but the +captain could not refuse him a passage," observed Ralph. "I knew him +directly he came on board, though he entered under a feigned name, as my +old shipmate Dick Bracewell; but I don't think he recognised me. He no +longer appeared the smart seaman he once was; indeed, he could with +difficulty perform his duty. I intended, however, to make myself known, +and to speak to him with earnestness and kindness, when during the only +gale we encountered, directly after leaving the Cape, he fell from the +fore-topsail yard, and before an effort could be made to save him he had +sunk for ever." + +Jessie did not till long afterwards tell Ralph of the way his old +shipmate had behaved to her. + +"I forgive him," said Ralph. "When a man once leaves the right course +and takes to drinking as unhappy Dick did, it is impossible to say of +what vile actions he may be guilty." + +Ralph and Jessie were married shortly after the return of the _Hope_. +And Chandos, who acted as best-man to his old messmate, declared that it +was the happiest day of his life. + +They neither of them again went to sea, Ralph having been appointed to +the coastguard, in which service he obtained a situation for Jacob +Crane; while Captain Flamank enjoyed an ample competency from the +treasure he had brought home in the _Hope_. Of that vessel, which the +captain purchased, honest Peter, in the course of a few years, obtained +the command. She proved a more fortunate craft than the _Amity_, and +being well formed, and well manned, and well commanded, never failed to +bring in to him and her liberal owner a good return. + +Ralph and Jessie enjoyed many years of happiness, ever acknowledging +that all the trials and anxieties through which they had gone had been +ordered for the best, and ever grateful for the present blessings +bestowed on them. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Two Shipmates, by William H. G. 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