CHAPTER FOUR.
ON BOARD HIS MAJESTY'S FRIGATE.
Scarcely were we on board the ship than the gale came down with greaterfury than before, so that the seamen being required to hand the sailsleft us to ourselves. Two or three persons, however, gathered round us,one of whom--the surgeon, I concluded--advised that we should be takenbelow, and stripped of our wet clothes, for our teeth were chatteringwith the cold.
Very thankful to be so treated, we had no time to ask questions beforewe found ourselves in the officers' cabin; Dick and I being placed inone bed, and Lancelot in another, while Martin was allowed to go forwardamong the men, to obtain such assistance from them as they were inclinedto give.
After a short time some food and a cup of warm tea were brought us,having partaken of which, thanks to its genial warmth, we soon fellasleep.
Once I awoke when the rolling and pitching, the battering of the seaagainst the sides, and the noises overhead, told me that the gale wasstill blowing. I was soon asleep again, and when I opened my eyes itwas broad daylight. No one was in the cabin. I roused my companions.Our clothes had been brought back tolerably well dried, so we dressed,intending to go on deck and learn what ship we were on board of, andwhere we were bound.
The pistols, hangers, and other weapons hanging up against the bulkheadshowed us she was a ship of war, and Lancelot discovered several printsornamenting his cabin, which made us suspect that she did not belong tothe Puritans.
"If they inquire who we are, as they are sure to do, what shall we sayabout ourselves?" asked Dick.
"Tell the truth and shame the devil! Whoever they are, we should begrateful to them for having saved our lives, and maybe, if we speak themfair, they'll set us on shore at the first port they touch at," answeredLancelot.
"If they're Cavaliers, there's no port they can put into on the southcoast without the certainty of being fired at," I observed, "thoughperhaps they may be induced to set us ashore in one of their boats, andwe can find our way back over land. I much wish to relieve the anxietythat Audrey and Cicely and your father must be feeling about us, forthey will--should we not return--give us up for lost."
"We shan't grow wiser by staying here," said Lancelot, as he led the wayon deck.
"Halloa, young masters. Who are you?" exclaimed a gentleman in plumedhat, scarlet doublet, and sword hanging by a rich scarf at his side.
An officer approached and spoke to the gentleman, whom we guessed mustbe the captain.
I had time to look around; the sea had somewhat gone down, but it wasstill blowing fresh. Over the starboard quarter I observed a longpoint, which I at first thought was the Start, but afterwards learnedwas the Lizard. The frigate, for such I saw was the vessel we were onboard of, was heeling over to the breeze, and the Union Jack waving fromher peak showed me that she belonged to the Royalist party; indeed, whenI remarked the varied costumes of the officers, the careless manners ofthe crew, and heard their strange oaths, I had no doubt about thematter.
Seeing that we were expected to reply to the question put to us,Lancelot advanced and informed the captain that we were young gentlemenbelonging to Lyme, and were taking a pleasure trip when caught by thegale.
"Young Roundheads, I wot," answered the captain, with an oath. "Youmight have been left to drown with small loss to honest men. However,as you are now on board the frigate, you may remain, and we will see towhat use we can put you. You have a companion, I understand. Is he asailor?"
"Yes!" I answered, somewhat incautiously. "He spent his early life atsea, and visited many strange parts with my late father, CaptainBracewell."
"So much the better for him. He shall serve on board, and I will orderhis name to be entered on the books."
From the way we were first received, we fancied that we should have beentreated like young gentlemen, but on his ordering us with an oath to goforward and do what we were told, such we found was not the captain'sintention. We obeyed, for we had no choice. On our way we encountereda big fellow with a knotted rope in his hand, who, from the chain with awhistle hanging to it round his neck, we knew was the boatswain.
"Come along, my young masters. I'll soon find tasks for you. You!" heexclaimed, seizing Dick, "go and help the cook in the galley, you twowill pick oakum," he added, turning to Lancelot and me; "and when thehands are sent aloft to reef sails, as you seem active fellows, you'llgo to the foretop-gallant yard."
"But I have never been aloft," said Lancelot, "and shan't know what todo when I get there."
"Then the sooner you go the faster you'll learn, or you'll have a tasteof my persuader," and he flourished the knotted rope. "Up, both of you,and let me see how you can lay out on the yard."
As we hesitated, flourishing the rope, he laid it across our shoulders,at which the men standing by laughed and jeered at us. To remonstratewas useless, so to avoid a repetition of the unpleasant infliction, wesprang into the rigging and began to mount, taking care to hold tight aswe went up until we got into the top, where we both stood looking down,not liking to go higher.
"Aloft with you, aloft, or I'll send a couple of hands to start you,"shouted the boatswain from the deck.
We looked up at the tall mast swaying to and fro, and I fully expected,should I make the attempt, to fall down on deck, or to be plunged intothe sea, for which I had no wish; but looking down for a moment, andseeing two men about to come up the rigging, I told Lancelot that Iwould run the chance.
"It is the only thing we can do," he answered.
Catching hold of the topmast shrouds, we began to mount. We got up atlength, and crawled out on the yard, holding on tightly by the ropeswhich seemed most secure. Finding that it was not so terrible as I hadsupposed, I crawled out to the very end of the yard, where I clung on,in spite of the fearful way in which it moved about.
Thankful I was, however, to hear the boatswain shout, "You may come downnow, lads;" and I made my way into the top.
Lancelot had gone out at the other end of the yard, and when we met ondeck he could not help shaking hands, as if we had arrived successfullyfrom some desperate enterprise. The seamen laughed as they saw us, andeven the boatswain's grim features wrinkled into a smile.
"You'll do, lads," he said. "You'll make prime topmen in a few weeks,and thank me for having taught you."
Such was the commencement of our sea life. Things, we agreed, mighthave been worse, though we got many a kick and rope's ending, not onlyfrom the boatswain, but from others among the more brutal of the crew.
Martin, when on deck, always came to our rescue, but old as he was, hewas but ill able to contend with so many opposed to him.
"Better grin and bear it, Master Ben," he said; "they'll soon give upill-treating you if you take it with good temper, and I should do moreharm than good if I was to shove in my oar except at a favourable time;but I shall be on the watch, never fear, and I'll take care mattersdon't grow too bad."
We followed Martin's advice, and found it answer. The seamen of thefrigate were a lawless and disorderly set, every sentence they utteredbeing accompanied by strange oaths, while below, when not asleep, theyspent their time in dicing and gaming.
We found, I should have said, that we were on board the _Charles_frigate, Captain Blackleach, carrying one hundred and fifty men andthirty-two guns, one of Prince Rupert's squadron, from which she hadbeen separated while in chase of a trader the captain had hoped tocapture, but which had escaped.
A bright look-out was now kept for the squadron, and for traders of allnations.
Our cruising ground was the mouth of the English Channel, where we layin wait to pounce down upon any unwary vessel coming up with a richcargo.
We were all three below, poor Dick by this time looking as black as anegro; he had unfortunately let it be known whose son he was, andconsequently, I believe, got a double allowance of ill-treatment.
"All hands make sail!" was shouted, and we with the rest sprang on deck.
"Aloft, you youngsters!" cried the boat
swain, looking at Lancelot andme.
We ran up the rigging to the fore-topgallant-yard, and with the aid oftwo other men let fall the sail which had been furled.
On looking ahead, we saw a large ship in the distance, for which thefrigate was steering. The stranger held on her course, not apparentlyfearing us, though we had the Union Jack flying at the peak, while thatof Holland fluttered at hers.
On getting within range of our guns, we opened fire from a dozen piecesor more, but without doing her much damage. Again we fired, sending ourshot crashing on board her, when the guns being run in and reloaded, westood on, receiving her broadside, the shots going through our sails andcutting some of our running rigging, then luffing-up across her bows, weraked her fore and aft, and went about, showing that we intended to giveher the other broadside. Not relishing this, she hauled down hercolours and triced up her sails.
A well-armed boat's crew was sent on board to take possession, when hership's company were speedily removed, and those of her people whoremained in her were ordered to steer her to Kinsale harbour, a shortdistance to the southward of Cork, in Ireland.
The next vessel we chased proved to be English, and as she was bound forthe Thames, she was captured and sent away like the first, with part ofthe Dutch crew, who, being promised good pay, had no objection tonavigate her.
A third vessel was seen the next day, carrying the flag of France.Chase was given to her also, and the _Charles_ coming alongside, shestruck without firing a shot. She was also sent away, under command ofone of the officers, for the same harbour as the former prize.
"Why, these fellows are pirates," observed Lancelot to me, though hetook care to speak in a low voice, so that only Martin and I who wasstanding near could hear him.
"Little doubt about that," answered Martin; "all's fish that comes totheir net! I wish that we were well free of them, but how to get awayis the difficulty. I suspect that if a Parliamentary ship was to catchthe frigate, they'd hang us all up at the yard-arms."
"Heaven forbid!" said Lancelot.
A few days after this, the look-out from the mast-head shouted--
"Five sail to the eastward!"
Presently afterwards three more were seen standing down channel, underall the canvas they could carry.
"What if they should prove to be Parliamentary ships," I said toLancelot.
"We must try and explain who we are, and how we came on board," heanswered.
"But what if they won't believe us?" I asked. "We may be strung upbefore they find out the truth."
"That would be a hard case, but I do not see how we are to escape,unless we jump overboard when the fight begins, and try to swim to oneof them."
Instead of running away, as we expected, the _Charles_ stood boldlytowards the approaching squadron. At length from the peak of theleading ship we saw the Union Jack flying.
"That must be Prince Rupert's squadron after all," said Lancelot.
That this was the case was soon evident, for the frigate, ranging upalongside the big ship, exchanged friendly salutes.
An officer in handsome costume, with a gold chain round his neck, wasseen standing on the after-castle. When Captain Blackleach raised hisbeaver, the officer took off his in return, and inquired how many prizeshe had made.
"Three since we parted with your highness," was the answer, "and theyare by this time safe in Kinsale harbour."
"You have used diligence; you shall have a bigger ship before long,"said the officer in the handsome dress.
"Who is he?" I asked one of the men standing by.
"What! have you never seen Prince Rupert, the bravest commander in theking's armies, and now his best admiral? Wherever he leads, rich prizesare sure to be found."
Such we discovered was a fact, for that very day the squadron capturedwell-nigh a dozen merchantmen homeward bound, which mistook it for theEarl of Warwick's fleet, and fell without firing a shot into itsvoracious jaws.
In high glee the Prince with his prizes stood for Kinsale harbour, wherewe found a dozen other goodly ships, which had been captured by hiscruisers, including the three taken by the _Charles_. While we layhere, Lancelot and I, when no one was by, often talked over variousschemes for escaping, but we had to ask ourselves the question, whereshould we go? The whole southern part of Ireland was in favour of theKing, as the Prince of Wales was now called, his father having been putto death in London. Thus, even should we reach the shore, we should runa great risk of being knocked on the head when attempting to travelthrough the country, for rumours had reached us of the fearful way inwhich the Romanists had treated the Protestants residing among them.
Martin to whom we confided our wishes, was as eager as we were toescape, being anxious, as he said, to get away from the swearing,drinking, gambling crew. "I won't say there's not a godly man amongthem, because there are two or three who have been pressed into theservice, and are ready to get away if they can, but the rest, the Lorddeliver us from them," he said, while we were standing on the forecastleone evening, out of hearing of the rest of the ship's company.
Lancelot, who was full of devices, proposed that we should take a boatand pull away out to sea, hoping that we might get across to the Welshcoast and be picked up by a Parliamentary cruiser, some of which weresaid to be in the Irish Channel.
This plan seemed most feasible, though in reality full of danger. Itwould be no easy matter, in the first place, to get hold of a boat, andto obtain provisions and water. It would be still more difficult toslip away out of the harbour unperceived; and then, after all, we mightbe picked up by one of Prince Rupert's squadron and treated asdeserters.
"Nothing risk, nothing have!" said Martin. "I would chance it formyself, but I do not like the thought of hazarding your young lives.Howsumdever, I'll speak to the men I think will join us, and hear whatthey say."
The _Charles_ was one of the outer line of frigates placed at theentrance of the harbour to give due notice of the approach of an enemy,so that we should have a better opportunity of getting off than wouldhave been the case had we been higher up the harbour; but then thedifficulty of obtaining a boat was greater.
Many of the crew were allowed to go on shore, but we had hitherto alwaysbeen refused. Lancelot suggested that if we could by some means get onshore, we might obtain a boat, and late in the evening pretend to bereturning in her to the ship, instead of which we might pass her and getout to sea.
"I fear that the guard ships keep too sharp a look-out to allow us to dothat," observed Martin; "still, I see no better way of making ourescape."
"We must wait for our opportunity; it will come, maybe, when we leastexpect it," said Lancelot.
Buoyed up with this hope, when our watch was over, we turned into ourhammocks.
Next morning a frigate came in, towing a boat. She passed close to us.On her deck stood ten men heavily ironed, their features, which we couldclearly see, showing that they felt themselves to be in a dangerouspredicament. The frigate sailed on, and brought up in the centre of thesquadron.
Soon afterwards a signal from the flag-ship was seen flying, orderingtwo boats from each vessel to come alongside. Ours were in the water,when the captain ordered Martin and three other men, together withLancelot, Dick, and me, to go in one of them.
"It may teach you a lesson, lads, which for your own sakes I advise younot to forget," he said with a significant look.
"I am afraid the captain has an inkling of our plans," whisperedLancelot to me as we went down the side.
We took our seats in our respective boats, which pulled away up theharbour. We found numerous other boats, the men resting on their oarsround the flag-ship. Presently a gun was fired from her, and up wentten human beings dangling by their necks to the yard-arms. Somestruggled in a way it was fearful to look at. They were the men we hadseen on the deck of the frigate, and who had, we heard, attempted tomake their escape in a boat, just as we proposed doing. Such would havebeen our fate had we carried out our intention and been c
aptured.
We returned on board very low-spirited.
"We must be careful what we are about," said Lancelot to me; "I have nofancy to share the lot of those unhappy fellows."
"What's to be done?" I asked.
"Grin and bear it, as Martin would say," he answered.
Although we were not allowed to go on shore, we saw what was takingplace up the harbour. Boats were constantly going backwards andforwards, carrying the cargoes of the captured vessels to the town,where the goods were disposed of to eager traders, who came in from allparts to purchase them--often for less than half their value; but still,from the number of vessels taken, they must have realised a large profitto the Prince, seeing that he had paid nothing for them.
The cargoes being discharged, the stouter ships were fitted out withguns, there being found no lack of men ready to serve under sosuccessful a corsair, for such the Prince had become.
The fleet being ready, we once more sailed in quest of fresh prizes. Idid not note the number taken, but I often grieved to see the despair ofthe poor ship-masters and owners when they found themselves robbed oftheir hard-earned gains. No flag protected them--Dutchmen, Spaniards,Portuguese, Englishmen, all were treated alike. Some fought prettyhard, especially the English, but the frigates hung about them,preventing their escape, until the big ships came down and they werecompelled to strike their flags.
We were cruising about the mouth of the Channel, and, favoured by fineweather, had taken many prizes, when a south-westerly wind sprang up,and soon increased to a heavy gale, harder than any we had yetencountered.
The dark leaden seas came rolling up from the Atlantic, crested withfoam, which flew in masses across our decks. The sky, covered withblack clouds, sent forth vivid flashes of lightning, whilst peals ofrattling thunder vied with the loud howling of the blast through therigging, the creaking of blocks and bulkheads, and the dashing of thewaves against the bows and sides. Now the wind blew from one quarter,now from another, and prevented our running for Kinsale, the onlyharbour in which we could have found a secure refuge.
We could see the rest of the fleet tumbling and tossing about underclose-reefed canvas, scattered far and wide, some in one direction, somein another. Thus the night closed down upon us. We had to keep awatchful eye on every side, for should we run foul of another ship undersuch circumstances, the destruction of both would be inevitable.
The next day and the greater part of the following night the storm ragedwith as much fury as ever. Fearful of being driven on the Scilly Isles,or the southern coast of England, our captain endeavoured to keep a goodoffing, though we thereby lost sight of the rest of the fleet. Aboutthe middle of the next night the storm began to abate, and when morningcame we found ourselves enveloped in a thick fog, while the ocean,though still heaving in slow undulations, gradually assumed a glass-likesurface of leaden hue.
We, having borne up, stood to the northward in search of the squadron.The captain ordered a bright look-out to be kept.
"Marry! a bright look-out. We must have eyes of a different nature tomost men to pierce through this dense mist," quoth Martin, laughing.
Still, such a look-out as was possible was kept, the captain hoping erelong to see one of the Prince's vessels, and to learn from her where therest were to be found. At length, about noon, the sun made an effort toburst through the thick veil which shrouded us. Soon afterwards themist lifted for an instant ahead, and during that instant I saw whatappeared to me the hull of a ship, the canvas just rising above it; butit was only a glimpse, and it needed a sharp pair of eyes to discern anyobject a few fathoms off. I pointed her out to Lancelot, but he wasdoubtful whether I had actually seen a vessel, and no one else appearedto have observed her. The frigate therefore stood on, and unless thestranger which I supposed I had seen was sailing at equal speed, we musthave passed her to leeward. Presently the wind blowing stronger, thefog once more lifted, and the sun bursting through, it fell on the whitecanvas of a tall ship close aboard us to windward.
Putting up her helm, she came nearer, when the captain hailed throughhis trumpet, supposing her to be one of Prince Rupert's squadron. Theanswer was not heard, but the question, "What ship is that?" came downclearly to us.
"The _Charles_," answered the captain, again putting the same question.
Scarcely had he spoken than we heard the words, "Strike to theParliament ship, _Constant Warwick_!" and, the mist clearing still more,we saw flying from her peak a white flag with a red-cross.
"We are caught in a trap, and must fight to get out of it," exclaimedthe captain, ordering the drums to beat to quarters.
The men rushed to the guns, which they were well accustomed to handle;but before they could cast off the lashings and run them out, abroadside from the _Constant Warwick_ came crashing into us, several ofthe crew being struck to the deck to rise no more. With scant ceremonytheir shipmates hove the bodies overboard, while the gunners, runningout their pieces, returned with interest the fire of the other frigate.
I prayed that neither my friends nor I might be killed or wounded,though we ran as great a risk as the rest. I felt thankful when we wereall three ordered down to the magazine to bring up powder, for below therisk of being hit was less, though neither of us felt any cowardlyfears.
Having brought up the powder, we were ordered to sit on the tubs untilit was wanted. We could thus see what was going forward, though wewould far rather, I must confess, have been below. Captain Blackleach,a brave fellow, to give him his due, seemed in no way inclined to strikewhile he had a chance of getting off. The _Constant Warwick's_fore-yard was soon shot away, and her main topmast shortly afterwardsfell, on which our corsair crew cheered lustily, and with redoubledvigour plied their guns. I looked round to see how it was faring withmy friends, Dick and Lancelot. They were seated on their tubs, Dickmaking himself as small as possible, so as to have less chance of beinghit. A short way off stood Martin Shobbrok among the sail trimmers.Just then two of the gunners fell, their heads shot off, and theirbrains scattered over the deck. The captain, seeing what had occurred,shouted to Martin and another man to take their places. Martin stoodwith his arms folded, as if he did not hear the order. The captainagain shouted to him.
"I'll do a seaman's duty, but will not fight against those who havejustice and right on their side," answered Martin.
"Mutiny! mutiny!" shouted the captain. "Suffer the fate of a mutineer!"and, drawing a pistol from his belt he fired.
I expected to see my old friend fall, but the bullet merely grazed oneof his grey whiskers; and, fixing his eye on the captain, he answered--
"The Lord forgive thee, and be thankful thou hast not murdered an oldman who is acting as his conscience bids him."
The captain, unmoved by this rebuke, was about to draw another pistol.
"I must save Martin, even at the hazard of my own life," I exclaimed,and was about to spring aft to strike up the pistol when the cry arose--
"Another enemy close aboard us!"
Looking round, I saw, looming large through the fog, the wide-spreadcanvas of a tall ship coming up on our quarter.
Boy who sailed with Blake Page 4
