CHAPTER III
"Well, one evening my sister Jane and I went to a race-ball at Epsom,where, of course, we saw all the 'beauty and fashion,' as they say, ofthe country round, with plenty of the army men, who were in all theirglory, with Waterloo and all that; we two or three poor nauticals beingquite looked down upon in comparison, since Nelson was dead, and we hadleft ourselves nothing at the end to fight with. I even heard one belleask a dragoon 'what uniform that was--was it the horse-artillery corps?''Haw!' said the dragoon, squinting at me through an eyeglass, and thenlooking with one eye at his spurs, and with the other at his partner,'not at all sure! I _do_ think, after all, Miss----, 'tis the--themarine body--a sort of amphibious animals! They weren't with _us_,though, you know--_couldn't_ be, indeed, though it _was Water_loo! Haw!haw! you'll excuse the joke, Miss----?' 'Ha! ha! how extremely witty,Captain----!' said the young lady, and they whirled away towards theother end of the hall. I never felt more inclined to pull a fellow'snose, till all of a sudden my head turned, and I forgot there was such athing as a dragoon in the world, for I saw what I thought the loveliestyoung creature ever crossed my eyes, coming out of the refreshment-roomwith two ladies, an old and an elderly one. The first was finely dressedout, and I set her down for an aunt, she was so unlike; the other for agoverness. The young lady was near sixteen to appearance, all in white.There were many beauties in the ball-room you would have calledhandsomer; but there was something about her altogether I could compareto nothing else but the white figure-head of the _Iris_, sliding gentlyalong in the first curl of a breeze, with the morning sky far out on thebow--curious as you may think it, ladies! Her hair was brown, and hercomplexion remarkably pale notwithstanding; while her eyes were as darkblue, too, as--as the ocean near the line, that sometimes, in a clearcalm, gets to melt till you scarcely know it from the sky. 'Look,Edward!' whispered my sister, 'what a pretty creature! She can't beEnglish, she looks so different from everybody in the room. And suchpearls in her hair! such a beautifully large diamond in that brooch! Whocan she be, I wonder?' I was so taken up, however, that I neverrecollected at all what Jane said till at night, in thinking the matterover; and then a whole breeze of whisperings seemingly came from everycorner of the cloakroom, of 'Who is she?' 'Who can she be?' 'Who's herfather?' and so on, which I remembered to have heard. I only noticed atthe time that somebody said she was the daughter of some rich East Indianabob or other, just come home. A post-captain who was present--one ofCollingwood's flag-lieutenants--went up to the old _chaperon_, whom heseemed to know, and got into talk with her: I found afterwards she wasan admiral's widow. In a little I saw him introduced to the young lady,and ask her to dance; I fancied she hung back for a moment, but the nextshe bowed, gave a slight smile to the captain's gallant sea-fashion ofdeep respect to the sex, and they were soon swimming away in the firstset. Her dancing was more like walking with spread wings upon air thanupon planks with one's arms out, as the captain did. I'd have given myeyes, not to speak of my commission and chances to come, to have gonethrough that figure with _her_. When the captain had handed her to herseat again, two or three of the dragoons sauntered up to Lady Somers'ssofa: it was plain they were taken; and after conversing with the oldlady, one of them, Lord Somebody, as I understood, got introduced, inhis turn, to the young beauty. As may be supposed, I kept a look-out forhis asking her to dance, seeing that, if she had done so with one of theembroidered crew, and their clattering gear, I'd have gone out thatinstant, found out the Waterloo fellow next day, and, if not shotmyself, have drilled him with an anchor button for a bullet, and run offin the first craft I could get. The cool, easy, impertinent way thissecond man made his request, though--just as if he couldn't be refused,and didn't care about it--it was as different from the captain of the_Diomede's_ as red from blue! My heart went like the main-tack blocksthrashing when you luff too much; so you may guess what I felt to seethe young lady, who was leaning back on the sofa, give her head apettish sort of turn to the old one, without a word, as much as to sayshe didn't want to. 'My love!' I heard the old lady say, 'I fear you aretired! My Lord, your lordship must excuse Miss Hyde on this occasion, asshe is in delicate health!' The dragoon was a polite nobleman, accordingto his cloth; so he kept on talking and smiling, till he could walk offwithout seeming as if he'd got his sabre betwixt his feet; but I fanciedhim a little down by the head when he did go. All the time the youngbeauty was sitting with her face as quiet and indifferent as may be,only there was a sparkle in her blue eyes, and in nothing else but thepearls in her hair, as she looked on at the dancing; and, to my eye,there was a touch of the rose came out on her pale cheek, clear thoughit was before the dragoon spoke to her. Not long after, an oldishgentleman came out with a grey-haired old general from therefreshment-room: a thin yellow-complexioned man he was, with nowhiskers and bald forehead, and a bilious eye, but handsome, and hisface as pompous and solemn-looking as if he'd been First Lord, or hadgot a whole court-martial on his shoulders for next day. I should haveknown him from a thousand for a man that had lived in the East, were itnothing but the quick way he looked over his shoulder for a servant ortwo, when he wanted his carriage called--no doubt just as one feels whenhe forgets he's ashore, like I did every now and then, looking up out towindward, and getting a garden-wall or a wood slap into one's eyesight,as 'twere. I laid down the old gentleman at once for this said nabob; infact, as soon as a footman told him his carriage was waiting, he walkedup to the young lady and her companions, and went off with them, asteward and a lady patroness convoying them to the break of the steps.The only notion that ran in my head, on the way home that night with mysister, was, 'By heavens! I might just as well be in love with the bitof sky at the end of the flying-jibboom!' and all the while theconfounded wheels kept droning it into me, till I was as dizzy as thefirst time I looked over the fore-royal-yard. The whole night long Idreamt I was mad after the figure-head of the _Iris_, and asked her todance with me, on which she turned round with a look as cold as water,or plain 'No.' At last I caught firm hold of her and jumped overboard;and next moment we were heaving on the blue swell in sight of the blackold Guinea coast--when round turned the figure and changed into MissHyde; and the old nabob hauled us ashore upon a beautiful island, whereI woke and thought I was wanted on deck, although it was only my mothercalling me.
"All I had found out about them was, that Sir Charles Hyde was the nameof the East Indian, and how he was a Bengal judge newly come home; wherethey lived, nobody at the ball seemed to know. At home, of course, itwas so absurd to think of getting acquainted with a rich Indian judgeand his daughter, that I said no more of the matter; although I lookedso foolish and care-about-nothing, I suppose, that my mother said toJane she was sure I wanted to go to sea again, and even urged me to'take a trip to the Downs, perhaps.' As for going to sea, however, Ifelt I could no more stir, _then_, from where I was, than with a bestbower down, and all hands drunk but the captain. There was a favouritelazy spot of mine near the house, where I used to lie after dinner, andpuff away amongst the grass, at the back of a high garden-wall with twodoors in it, and a plank across a little brook running close under them.All round was a green paddock for cows; there was a tall tree at hand,which I climbed now and then half-mast high, to get a look down a longlane that ran level to the sky, and gave you a sharp gush of blue fromthe far end. Being a luxurious dog in those days, like the cloth ingeneral when hung up ashore, I used to call it 'The Idler's Walk,' and'The Lazy Watch,' where I did duty somewhat like the famous bo'sun thattold his boy to call him every night and say the captain wanted him,when he turned over with a polite message, and no good to the oldtyrant's eyes.
"Well, one afternoon I was stretched on the softest bit of this retreat,feeling unhappy all over, and trying to think of nothing in particular,as I looked at the wall and smoked my cheroot. Excuse me if I thinkthat, so far as I remember, there is nothing so consolatory, though itcan't of course cure one, as a fine Manilla for the 'green sickness,' asour foremast fellows would say. My main idea was that noth
ing on earthcould turn up to get me out of this scrape, but I should sticketernally, with my head sails shivering aback, or flapping in asickening dead calm. It was a beautiful hot summer afternoon, as quietas possible, and I was weary to death of seeing that shadow of thebranch lying against the white wall, down to the keyhole of the nearestdoor. All of a sudden I heard the sweetest voice imaginable, coming downthe garden as it were, singing a verse of a Hindostanee song I had heardthe Bengal girls chant with their pitchers on their heads at the well,of an evening:
La li ta la, ta perisi, La na comalay ah sahm-re, Madna, ca--rahm Ram li ta, co-ca-la lir jhi! La li ta la, vanga-la ta perisi.
'Coc-coka-cokatoo!' screamed a harsh voice, which I certainly coulddistinguish from the first. 'Pretty cockatoo!' said the other coaxingly;and the next minute the large pink-flushed bird itself popped his headover the top-stones above the door, floundering about with his throatfoul of the silver chain fast to his leg, till he hung by his beak on myside of the wall, half-choked, and trying to croak out--'Pretty--prettycocky!' Before I had time to think, the door opened, and, by heavens!there was my very charmer herself, with the shade of the green leavesshowered over her distressed face. She had scarcely seen me before Isprang up and caught the cockatoo, which bit me like an imp incarnate,till the blood ran down my fingers as I handed it to its mistress, myheart in my mouth, and more than a quarter-deck bow in my cap. The younglady looked at me first in surprise, as may be supposed, and then, witha smile of thanks that set my brain all afloat, 'Oh, dear me!' exclaimedshe, 'you are hurt!' '_Hurt!_' I said, looking so bewildered, I suppose,that she couldn't help laughing. 'Tippoo is very stupid,' continued she,smiling, 'because he is out of his own country, I think. You shall haveno sugar to-night, mister cockatoo, for biting your friends.'
"'Were you--ever in India--madam?' I stammered out. 'Not since I was achild,' she answered; but just then I saw the figure of the nabobsauntering down the garden, and said I had particular business and mustbe off. 'You are very busy here, sir?' said the charming young creaturearchly. 'You are longing till you go to sea, I daresay--like Tippoo andme.' 'You?' said I, staring at the keyhole whilst she caught my eye, andblushed a little, as I thought 'Yes, we are going--I long to see Indiaagain, and _I_ remember the sea, too, like a dream.'
"Oh, heavens! thought I, when I heard the old gentleman call out--'Lota!Lota, _beebee-lee_! _Kabultah, meetoowah?_'[6] and away she vanishedbehind the door, with a smile dropped to myself. The tone of the judge'svoice, and his speaking Hindoo, showed he was fond of his daughter atany rate. Off I went, too, as much confused as before, only for the newthought in my head. 'The sea, the sea!' I shouted, as soon as out ofhearing, and felt the wind, as 'twere, coming from aft at last, like thefirst ripple. 'Yes, by George!' said I, 'outward bound for a thousand.I'll go, if it was before the mast.' All at once I remembered I didn'tknow the ship's name, or when. Next day, and the next again, I wasskulking about my old place, but nobody appeared--not so much as ashadow inside the keyhole. At last one evening, just as I was goingaway, the door opened; I strolled slowly along, when, instead of thecharming Lota, out came the flat brown turban of an ugly _kitmagar_,with a moustache, looking round to see who was there. '_Salaam_, sah'b,'said the brown fellow, holding the door behind him with one paw. '_Burrajudge sahib bhote bhote salaam_ send uppiser[7] sah'b--'ope not_dekhe_[8] after sahib cook-maid.' '_Joot baht, hurkut-jee_,'[9] said I,laughing. 'Sah'b been _my_ coontree?' inquired the Bengalee morepolitely. '_Jee_, yes,' I said, wishing to draw him out 'I Inglitsh canis-peek,' continued the dark footman, conceitedly; 'ver well sah'b, butone misfortune us for come i-here. Baud _carry_ make--plenty too much_poork_--too much graug drink. Termeric--chili--banana not got--notcoco-tree got--pah! Baud coontree, too much i-cold, sah'b?' 'Curse therascal's impudence,' I thought, but I asked him if he wasn't going back.'Yis, sah'b, _such baht_[10] Al-il alah? Mohummud _burra Meer-kea_. Botetoo much i-smell, _my_ coontree.' 'When are you going?' I asked,carelessly. 'Two day this time, sah'b.' 'Can you tell me the name of theship?' I went on. The _kitmagar_ looked at me slyly, stroked hismoustache, and meditated; after which he squinted at me again, and hislips opened so as to form the magic word, _Buckshish_? '_Jee_,' said I,holding out a crown piece, 'the ship's name and the harbour?' 'Se,'began he; the coin touched his palm--'ring'; his fingers closed on it,and 'patahm,' dropped from his leathery lips. 'The _Seringapatam_?' Isaid. '_Ahn_, sah'b.' 'London, eh?' I added; to which he returnedanother reluctant assent, as if it wasn't paid for, and I walked off.However, I had not got round the corner before I noticed the figure ofthe old gentleman himself looking after me from the doorway; his worthy_kitmagar_ salaaming to the ground, and no doubt giving information howthe 'cheep uppiser' had tried to pump him to no purpose. The naboblooked plainly as suspicious as if I had wanted to break into his house,since he held his hand over his eyes to watch me out of sight.
[6] Little girl! Do you hear, sweet one?
[7] Officer.
[8] Look.
[9] 'Tis a lie, you scoundrel.
[10] That is true.
"At night, I told my mother and sister I should be off to London nextday for sea. What betwixt their vexation at losing me, and theirsatisfaction to see me more cheerful, with talking over matters, we satup half the night. I was so ashamed, though, to tell them what Iintended, considering what a fool's chase it would seem to anyone butmyself, that I kept all close; and, I am sorry to say, I was so full ofmy love-affair, with the wild adventure of it, the sea, and everythingbesides, as not to feel their anxiety enough. How it was to turn out Ididn't know; but somehow or other I was resolved I'd contrive to make arope if I couldn't find one; at the worst, I might carry the ship, gainover the men, or turn pirate and discover an island. Early in themorning I packed my traps, drew a cheque for my prize-money, got thecoach, and bowled off for London, to knock up Bob Jacobs, my seagodfather; this being the very first step, as it seemed to me, in makingthe plan feasible. Rough sort of confidant as he may look, there was noman living I would have trusted before him for keeping a secret. Bob wastrue as the topsail sheets; and if you only gave him the course tosteer, without any of the 'puzzlement,' as he called the calculatingpart, he would stick to it, blow high, blow low. He was just the fellowI wanted for the lee brace, as it were, to give my weather one apurchase, even if I had altogether liked the notion of setting off allalone on what I couldn't help suspecting was a sufficiently harebrainedscheme as it stood; and, to tell the truth, it was only to astraightforward, simple-hearted tar like Jacobs that I could haveplucked up courage to make it known. I knew he would enter into it likea reefer volunteering for a cutting out, and make nothing of thedifficulties--especially when a love matter was at the bottom of it: thechief question was how to discover his whereabouts, as Wapping is rathera wide word. I adopted the expedient of going into all the tobacco-shopsto inquire after Jacobs, knowing him to be a more than commonly hardsmoker, and no great drinker ashore. I was beginning to be tired out,however, and give up the quest, when, at the corner of a lane near thedocks, I caught sight of a little door adorned with what had apparentlybeen part of a ship's figure-head--the face of a nymph or nereid, fourtimes as large as life, with tarnished gilding, and a long wooden pipein her mouth that had all the effect of a bowsprit, being stayed up by apiece of marline to a hook in the wall, probably in order to keep clearof people's heads. The words painted on its two head-boards, as under aship's bow, were 'Betsy Jacobs,' and 'licensed' on the top of the door;the window was stowed full of cakes of cavendish, twists of negrohead,and coils of pigtail; so that, having heard my old shipmate speak of acertain Betsy, both as sweetheart and partner, I made at once prettysure of having lighted, by chance, on his very dry-dock, and went inwithout more ado. I found nobody in the little shop, but a rough voice,as like as possible to Jacobs' own, was chanting the sea-song of 'Come,cheer up, my lads, 'tis to glory we steer,' in the back-room, in acurious sleepy kind of drone, interrupted every now and then by the suckof his pipe, and a myster
ious thumping sound, which I could only accountfor by the supposition that the poor fellow was mangling clothes, orgone mad. I was obliged to kick on the counter with all my might, incompetition, before an eye was applied from inside to the little window;after which, as I expected, the head of Jacobs was thrust out of thedoor, his hair rough, three days' beard on his chin, and he in his shirtand trousers. '_Hisht!_' said he, in a low voice, not seeing medistinctly for the light, 'you're not calling the watch, my lad! Hold ona bit, and I'll serve your orders directly.' After another stave of'Hearts of oak are our ships,' etc., in the same drawl, and a still morevigorous thumping than before, next minute out came Bob again; with awonderful air of importance, though, and drawing in one hand, to mygreat surprise, the slack of a line of 'half-inch,' on which he gave nowand then a tug and an ease off, as he came forward, like a fellowhumouring a newly-hooked fish. 'Now, then, my hearty!' said he, shadinghis eyes with the other hand, 'bear a----' 'Why, Jacobs, old ship,' Isaid, 'what's this you're after? Don't you know your old apprentice,eh?'
"Jacobs looked at my cap and epaulette, and gave out his breath in awhistle, the only other sign of astonishment being that he let go hisunaccountable-looking piece of cord. 'Lord bless me, Master Ned!' saidhe--'I axes pardon, Lieutenant Collins, your honour!' 'Glad you know methis time, Bob, my lad, 'said I, looking round--'and a comfortable berthyou've got of it, I daresay. But what the deuce _are_ you about inthere? _You_ haven't a savage, _too_, like some friends of yours I fellin with a short time ago! Or perhaps a lion or a tiger, eh, Jacobs?''No, no, your honour--lions be blowed!' replied he, laughing, butfiddling with his hands all the while, and standing between me and theroom, as if half-ashamed. ''Tis ownly the tiller-ropes of a small craftI am left in charge of, sir. But won't ye sit down, your honour, tillsuch time as my old 'ooman comes aboard to relieve me, sir? Here's a_cheer_, and may be you'd make so free for to take a pipe of primeAmericane, your honour?' 'Let's have a look into your cabin though, Bob,my man,' said I, curious to know what was the secret; when all at once atremendous squall from within let me sufficiently into it. The old salthad been rocking the cradle, with a fine little fellow of a baby in it,and a line made fast to keep it in play when he served the shop. 'Allthe pitch is in the fire now, your honour,' said he, looking terriblynonplussed; 'I've broached him to, and he's all aback till his mammygets a hold of him.' 'A good pipe the little rogue's got though,' saidI; 'and a fine child he is, Jacobs--do for a bo'sun yet.' 'Why, yes,sir,' said he, rubbing his chin with a gratified smile, as the urchinkicked, threw out his arms, and roared like to break his heart; 'I'mthinking he's a sailor all over, by natur', as one may say. He don'tlike a calm no more nor myself; but that's the odds of being ashore,where you needs to keep swinging the hammocks by hand, instead of havin'it done for you, sir.' In the midst of the noise, however, we werecaught by the sudden appearance of Mistress Jacobs herself--agood-looking young woman, with a market-basket full of bacon and greens,and a chubby little boy holding by her apron, who came through the shop.The first thing she did was to catch up the baby out of the cradle, andbegin hushing it, after one or two side-glances of reproach at herhusband, who attempted to cover his disgrace by saying, 'Betsy, my girl,where's your manners? why don't you off hats to the leftenant?--it's mywife, your honour.' Mrs Jacobs curtsied twice very respectfully, thoughnot particularly fond of the profession, as I found afterwards; and Isoon quite gained her smiles and good graces by praising her child, withthe remark that he was too pretty ever to turn out a sailor; for, sharpas mothers are to detect this sort of flattery to anybody else'sbantling, you always find it take wonderfully with respect to their own.Whenever Jacobs and I were left to ourselves, I struck at once into myscheme--the more readily for feeling I had the weather hand of him inregard of his late appearance. It was too ridiculous, the notion of oneof the best foretopmen that ever passed a weather-earing staying at hometo rock his wife's cradle and attend the shop; and he was evidentlyaware of it as I went on. It was a little selfish, I daresay, and MrsJacobs would perhaps have liked me none the better for it; but Iproposed to him to get a berth in the Indiaman, sail with me for Bombay,and stand by for a foul hitch in something or other. 'Why, sir,' saidhe,' it shan't be said of Bob Jacobs he were ever the man to hang backwhere a matter was to be done that must be done. I doesn't see the wholebearings of it as yet, but ownly you give the orders, sir, and I'llstick to 'em.' ''Tis a long stretch between this and Bombay, Jacobs,'said I, 'and plenty of room for chances.' 'Ay, ay, sir, no doubt,' saidhe, 'your honour can _talk_ the length of the best bower cable.' 'Morethan that, Bob, my lad,' said I, 'I know these Company men; if they onceget out of their regular jog, they're as helpless as a pig adrift on agrating; and before they grow used to sailing out of convoy, with nofrigates to whip them in, depend upon it Mother Carey will have to teachthem a new trick or two.' 'Mayhap, sir,' put in Jacobs, doubtfully, 'thebest thing 'ud be if they cast the ship away altogether, as I've seendone myself for the matter of an insurance. Ye know, sir, they lets itpass at Lloyd's now the war's over, seein' it brings customers to theunderwriters, if so be ownly it don't come over often for the profits.Hows'ever it needs a good seaman to choose his lee-shore well, nodoubt.' 'Oh!' answered I, laughing, 'but the chances are, all handswould want to be Robinson Crusoe at once! No, no--only let's get aboard,and take things as they come.' 'What's the ship's name, sir?' inquiredJacobs, sinking his voice, and looking cautiously over his shouldertoward the door. 'The _Seringapatam_--do you know her?' I said. 'Ay, ay,sir, well enough,' said he, readily--'a lump of a ship she is, down offBlackwall in the stream, with two more--country-built, and tumbles homerather much from below the plank-sheer for a sightly craft, besidesbeing flat in the eyes of her, and round in the counter, just where sheshouldn't, sir. Them Par_chee_ Bombay shipwrights _does_ clap on a lotof onchristien flummeries and gilt mouldings, let alonequarter-galleries fit for the king's castle!' 'In short, she'stea-waggon all over,' said I, 'and just as slow and as leewardly, toboot, as teak can make her?' 'Her lines is not that bad, though, yourhonour,' continued Jacobs, 'if you just knocked off her poop--and she'dbear a deal o' beating for a sea-boat. They've got a smart young mate,too; for I seed him t'other day a-sending up the yards, and now she's assquare as a frigate, all ready to drop down river.' The short and longof it was, that I arranged with my old shipmate, who was fully bent onthe cruise, whether Mrs Jacobs should approve or not, that, somehow orother, we should both ship our hammocks on board of the_Seringapatam_--he before the mast, and I wherever I could get. On goingto the agent's, however--which I did as soon as I could change myuniform for plain clothes--I found, to my great disappointment, from aplan of the accommodations, that not only were the whole of thepoop-cabins taken, but those on the main-deck also. Most of thepassengers, I ascertained, were ladies, with their children and nurses,going back to India, and raw young cadets, with a few commercial andcivilian nondescripts; there were no troops or officers, and roomenough, except for one gentleman having engaged the entire poop, at animmense expense, for his own use. This I, of course, supposed was thenabob, but the clerk was too close to inform me. 'You must try anothership, sir,' said he, coolly, as he shut the book. 'Sorry for it, but wehave another booked to sail in a fortnight. A1, sir; far finervessel--couple of hundred tons larger--and sails faster.' 'You behanged!' muttered I, walking out; and a short time after I was on board.The stewards told me as much again; but on my slipping a guinea into thefingers of one, he suddenly recollected there was a gentleman instate-room No. 14, starboard side of the main skylight, who, beingalone, might perhaps be inclined to take a chum, if I dealt with himprivately. 'Yankee, sir, he is,' said the steward, by way of a usefulhint. However, I didn't need the warning, at sight of the individual'slong nose, thin lips, and sallow jaw-bones, without a whisker on hisface, and his shirt-collar turned down, as he sat overhauling his trapsbeside the carronade, which was tethered in the state-room, with itsmuzzle through the port. He looked a good deal like a jockey beside hishorse; or, as a wit of a schoolboy cadet said
afterwards, the Bostongentleman, calling himself Daniel C. Snout, Esquire--like Daniel prayingin the lion's den, and afraid it might turn round and roar. I must saythe idea didn't quite delight me, nor the sight of a fearful quantity ofbaggage which was stowed up against the bulkhead; but after introducingmyself and objecting to the first few offers, I at last concluded abargain with the American for a hundred guineas, provisions exclusive,which, he remarked, was 'considerable low, I prognosticate, mister!''However,' said he, 'I expect you're a conversationable individual alittle: I allowed for that, you know, mister. One can't do much of atrade at sea--that's a fact; and I calculate we'll swap information bythe way. I'm water-pruff, I tell you, as all our nation is. You'll not_settle_ at Bumbay, I reckon, mister?' But though I meant to pay my newmessmate in my own coin at leisure afterwards, and be as frank and openas day with him--the only way to meet a Yankee--I made off at present asfast as possible to bring my things aboard, resolving to sleep atBlackwall, and then to stow myself out of sight for sick, until therewas somebody to take off the edge of his confounded talk.
"Next afternoon, accordingly, I found myself once more afloat, theIndiaman dropping down with the first breeze. The day after, she wasrunning through the Downs with it pretty strong from north-east, a fairwind--the pilot-boat snoring off close-hauled to windward, with a whitespray over her nose; and the three _dungaree_ topsails of the_Seringapatam_ lifting and swelling, as yellow as gold, over her whitecourses in the blue Channel haze. The breeze freshened till she rolledbefore it, and everything being topsyturvy on deck, the lumber in theway, the men as busy as bees setting her ship-shape--it would have beenas much as a passenger's toes were worth to show them from below; sothat I was able to keep by myself, just troubling my seamanship so muchas to stand clear of the work. Enjoy it I did, too; the first sniff ofthe weather was almost enough to make me forget what I was there for. Iwas every now and then on the point of fisting a rope, and singing outto the men; till at length I thought it more comfortable, even for me,to run up the mizzen shrouds when everybody was forward, where I stowedmyself out of sight in the cross-trees.
"About dusk, while I was waiting to slip down, a stronger puff thanordinary made them clue up the mizzen-royal from deck, which I took uponmyself to furl offhand--quick enough to puzzle a couple of boys thatcame aloft for the purpose, especially as, in the meantime, I had gotdown upon the topsail-yard-arm out of their notice. When they got ondeck again, I heard the little fellows telling some of the men, in aterrified sort of way, how the mizzen-royal had either stowed itself, orelse it was Dick Wilson's ghost, that fell off the same yard lastvoyage--more by token, he used always to make fast the gaskets just thatfashion. At night, however, the wind having got lighter, with halfmoonlight, there was a muster of some passengers on deck, all sick andmiserable, as they tried to keep their feet, and have the benefit ofair--the Yankee being as bad as the worst. I thought it wouldn't do forme to be altogether free, and accordingly stuck fast by Mr Snout, withmy head over the quarter-deck bulwarks, looking into his face, andtalking away to him, asking all sorts of questions about what was goodfor sea-sickness, then giving a groan to prevent myself laughing, whenthe spray splashed up upon his 'water-pruff' face, he responding to itas Sancho Panza did to Don Quixote, when the one examined the other'smouth after a potion. All he could falter out was, how he wondered Icould speak at all when sick. 'Oh! oh dear!' said I with another howl.'Yes--'tis merely because I can't _think_! And I daresay you arethinking so much you can't _talk_--the sea is so full of meditation, asLord Byron----oh--oh--this water will be the death of me!' 'I feel asif--the whole--tarnation Atlantic was--inside of my bowels!' gasped hethrough his nostrils. 'Oh!' I could not help putting in, as the ship andMr Snout both gave a heave up, 'and coming out of you!'
"During all this time I had felt so sure of my ground as scarcely totrouble myself about the Bengal judge and his treasure of a daughter;only in the midst of the high spirits brought up by the breeze, I huggedmyself now and then at the thought of their turning out by degrees asthings got settled. Nobody would suspect the raw chap I looked, withsmooth hair and a high collar, of any particular cue: I must say therewas a little vanity at the bottom of it, but I kept thinking more andmore how snug and quietly I'd enjoy all that went on, sailing on onetack with the passengers and the old nabob himself, and slipping offupon the other when I could come near the charming young Lota. Thenotion looks more like what some scamp of a reefer, cruising ashore,would have hit upon, than suits my taste nowadays; but the cockpit hadput a spice of the imp in me, which I never got clear of till this veryvoyage, as you'll see, if we get through the log of it.
"The first time I went down into the cuddy was that evening to tea,where all was at sixes and sevens like the decks; the lamps ill-trimmed,stewards out of the way, and a few lads trying to bear up against theirstomachs by the help of brandy and biscuits. The main figure was ajolly-looking East Indian, an indigo-planter, as he turned out, with abald forehead, a hook nose, and his gills covered with white whiskersthat gave him all the cut of a cockatoo. He had his brown servantrunning about on every hand, and being an old stager, did his best tocheer up the rest; but nothing I saw showed the least sign of the partyI looked after. I was sure I ought to have made out something of them bythis time, considering the stir such a grandee as Sir Charles Hyde wouldcause aboard; in fact, there didn't seem to be many passengers in her,and I began to curse the lying scoundrel of a _kitmagar_ for working'Tom Cox's traverse' on me, and myself for being a greater ass than I'dfancied. Indeed, I heard the planter mention by chance that Sir CharlesHyde, the district judge, had come home last voyage from India in thisvery _Seringapatam_, which, no doubt, I thought, put the Mahommedanrascal up to his trick.
"I was making up my mind to an Indian trip, and the pure pleasure ofDaniel Catoson Snout, Esquire's, company for two blessed months, whenall of a sudden I felt the ship bring her wind a-quarter, with a furiousplunge of the Channel water along her bends, that made every landman'sbowels yearn as if he felt it gurgle through him. One young fellow, moredrunk than sick, gave a wild bolt right over the cuddy table, strikingout with both arms and legs as if afloat, so as to sweep half of theglasses down on the floor. The planter, who was three cloths in the windhimself, looked down upon him with a comical air of pity as soon as hehad got cushioned upon the wreck. 'My dear fellow,' said he, 'what doyou feel--eh?' 'Feel, you--old blackguard!' stammered the griffin, 'Ifeel _everything_! Goes through--through my vitals as if--I was acon--founded _whale_! C--can't stand it!' 'You've drunk yourselfaground, my boy!' sung out the indigo-man; 'stuck fast on the coral--eh?Never mind, we'll float you off, only don't flounder that way with yourtail!--by George, you scamp, you've ruined my toe--oh dear!' I left theplanter hopping round on one pin, and holding the gouty one in his hand,betwixt laughing and crying; on deck I found the floating Nab Lightbearing broad on our lee-bow, with Cumberland Fort glimmering towindward, and the half-moon setting over the Isle of Wight, while westood up for Portsmouth Harbour. The old captain, and most of theofficers, were on the poop for the first time, though as stiff anduncomfortable from the sort of land-sickness and lumber-qualms thatsailors feel till things are _in_ their places, as the landsmen diduntil things were _out_ of them. The skipper walked the weather side byhimself and said nothing; the smart chief officer sent two men, oneafter another, from the wheel for 'cows' that didn't know where theirtails were; and as for the middies, they seemed to know when to keep outof the way. In a little, the spars of the men-of-war at Spithead were tobe seen as we rose on a sea; before the end of the first watch, we wererunning outside the Spit Buoy, which was nodding and plashing with thetide in the last slant of moonshine, till at last we rounded to, anddown went the anchor in five fathoms, off the Motherbank. What theIndiaman wanted at Portsmouth I didn't know; but, meantime, I had givenup all hopes of the nabob being in her, and the only question with mewas, whether I should take the opportunity of giving all hands the sliphere, even though I left my Yankee friend disconsolate, and a clearga
iner by dollars beyond count.
"Early next morning there were plenty of wherries looking out for fares;so, as the Indiaman was not to sail before the night-ebb, when thebreeze would probably spring up fair again, I hailed one of them to goashore at the point, for a quiet stroll over Southsea Common, where Imeant to overhaul the whole bearings of the case, and think if itweren't better to go home, and wait the Admiralty's pleasure for a ship.I hadn't even seen anything of Jacobs, and the whole hotel-keeping waysof the Indiaman began to disgust me, or else I should have at oncedecided to take the chance of seeing Lota Hyde somehow or other inIndia; but, again, one could scarcely endure the notion of droning on ina frigate without so much as a Brest lugger to let drive at. It wasabout six o'clock; the morning-gun from the guard-ship off the dock-yardcame booming down through the harbour, the blue offing shone likesilver, and the green tideway sparkled on every surge, up to where theywere flashing and poppling on the copper of the frigates at Spithead. Inoticed them crossing yards and squaring; the farthest out hove upanchor, loosed fore-topsail, cast her head to starboard, and fired a gunas she stood slowly out to sea under all sail, with a light airfreshening abeam. The noble look of her almost reconciled me of itselfto the service, were it for the mere sake of having a share in drivingsuch a craft between wind and water. Just then, however, an incidentturned up in spite of me, which I certainly didn't expect, and which hadmore, even than I reckoned at the time, to do with my other adventure;seeing that it made me, both then and afterwards, do the direct oppositeof what I meant to do, and both times put a new spoke in my wheel, as wesay at sea here.
"I had observed a seventy-four, the _Stratton_, lying opposite the SpitBuoy, on board of which, as the waterman told me, a court-martial hadbeen held the day before, where they broke a first lieutenant forinsulting his captain. Both belonged to one of the frigates: the captainI had seen, and heard of as the worst tyrant in the navy; his ship wascalled a 'perfect hell afloat'; that same week one of the boys had triedto drown himself alongside, and a corporal of marines, after comingashore and drinking a glass with his sweetheart, had coolly walked downto the point, jumped in between two boats and the jetty, and kepthimself under water till he was dead. The lieutenant had been dismissedthe service, and as I recognised the name, I wondered whether it couldactually be my schoolfellow, Tom Westwood, as gallant a fellow and asmerry as ever broke biscuit. Two sail-boats, one from around the_Stratton's_ quarter, and the other from over by Gosport, steering onthe same tack for Southsea, turned my attention as I sauntered down tothe beach. The bow of the nearest wherry grounded on the stones as Ibegan to walk quicker towards the town-gates, chiefly because I waspretty ready for an early breakfast at the old Blue Posts, and alsobecause I had a slight notion of what these gentlemen wanted on SouthseaBeach at odd hours. Out they jumped, however--one man in naval undress,another a captain in full fig, the third a surgeon--coming right athwartmy course to bring me to. The first I almost at once remembered for thenotorious captain of the _Orestes_, or _N'Oreste_, as the midshipmencalled her, from her French build and her character altogether. 'Hallo,you sir!' said the other captain, decidedly, 'you must stand still.''Indeed,' said I; 'and why so, if you please?' 'Since you _are_ here, wedon't intend allowing you to pass for some few minutes.' 'And what if Ishould do as I choose, sir?' I asked. 'If you stir two steps, sir, Ishall shoot you,' replied the captain, who was one of the bullyingschool. 'Oh, very well,' I said, rather confounded by his impertinence,'then I shall stay'; and I accordingly stood stock-still, with my armsfolded, until the other boat landed a party of two. They were in plainclothes; nor did I give them any particular heed till the seconds hadstationed their men, when the captain of the _Orestes_ had his back tome, and his antagonist stood directly facing. As his pale resolvedfeatures came out before me with the morning sun on them, his lipstogether, and his nostrils large, I recognised my old friend Westwood.The captain had broke him the day before, and now had accepted hischallenge, being a known dead shot, while the lieutenant had never fireda bullet in cold blood; there was, no doubt, a settled purpose in thetyrant to crush the first man that had dared to thwart his will.Westwood's second came forward and mentioned to the other that hisfriend was still willing to withdraw the words spoken in first heat, andwould accordingly fire in the air. 'Coward!' shouted the captain of the_Orestes_ immediately, 'I shall shoot you through the heart!' 'Sir,'said I to his second, 'I _will not_ look on; and if that gentleman isshot, I will be witness against you both as murderers.' I dropped downbehind a stone out of the line of fire, and to keep my eyes off thedevilish piece of work, though my blood boiled to knock the fellow downthat I was speaking to. Another minute, and the suspense was too greatfor me to help looking up. Just at that moment I saw how _set_Westwood's face was; he was watching his enemy with an eye that showedto me what the other's must be--seeking for his life. The seconds gavethe word to each other in the middle, and dropped two whitehandkerchiefs at once with their hands together; I caught the flash ofWestwood's pistol, when, to my astonishment, I saw the captain of the_Orestes_ next moment jerk up his arm betwixt me and the sky, fire inthe air, and slowly fall back--he was dead!--shot through the heart. Oneglance at his face gave you a notion of the devilish meaning he had had;but what was my surprise when his second walked up to Westwood, and saidto him, 'Sir, you are the murderer of Captain Duncombe--my friend firedin the air as you proposed.' 'You are mistaken, sir,' answered Westwood,coldly; 'Captain Duncombe sought my life, and I have used the privilegeof self-defence.' 'The surgeon is of my opinion,' said the other; 'and Iam sorry to say that we cannot allow you to depart.' 'I shall givemyself up to the authorities at once,' said Westwood. 'We have only yourword for that, which I must be permitted, in such a case, to doubt,'replied the captain, whose evident wish it was to detain Westwood byforce or threats while he sent off his surgeon. The worst of it was, asI now found, that since the court-martial and the challenge, anAdmiralty order had arrived, in consideration of several gallant actsduring the war, as well as private representation, restoring him to theservice; so that he had, in fact, called out and shot his superiorofficer. As for the charge now brought forward, it was too absurd forany to believe it, unless from rage or prejudice; the case was badenough, at any rate, without it.
"In the meantime I had exchanged a word or two with Westwood's friend;after which, lifting a second pistol which lay on the sand, I went up tothe captain. 'Sir,' said I, 'you used the freedom, a little ago, offorcing me into your concerns, and I have seen the end of it. I have nowgot to tell you, having watched your conduct, that either you mustsubmit to be made fast here for a bit, else, by the God that made me,I'll shoot you through the head.' The captain looked at me, his surgeonsidled up to him; and being a man near my own size, he suddenly tried towrench the pistol out of my hands. However, I had him the next momentunder my knee, while Westwood's second secured the little surgeon, andtook a few round sea-turns about his wrists and ankles with aneckerchief. My companion then gave me a hand to do the same with hissuperior officer--the medico all the time singing out like a bull, andthe captain threatening--while the dead body lay stark and stiff behindus, the eyes wide, the head down, and the breast up, the hand clenchinga pistol, just as he had fallen. Westwood stood quite unconscious ofeverything we did, only he seemed to be watching the knees drawn up asthey stiffened, and the sand-flies gathering about the mouth. 'Shall weclap a stopper between their teeth?' said the second to me--he had beenat sea, but who he was I never knew--'the surgeon will be heard on thewalls, he bellows so!' 'Never mind,' said I, 'we'll just drop thembeyond tide-mark--the lee of the stones yonder.' In fact, from the noisethe tide was making, I question if the shots could have been heard evenby the watermen, who had prudently sheered out of sight round a point. Icouldn't help looking, when we had done this, from the captain's body tohis own frigate, as she was sluing round head on to us, at singleanchor, to the turn of tide, with her buoy dancing on the brisk bluesweep of water, and her figure-head shining in the sunlight. As soon aswe had cover
ed over the corpse with tangle, Westwood started as if wehad taken something away from him, or freed him of a spell. 'Westwood!'said I, laying my hand on his shoulder, 'you _must_ come along withme.' He said nothing, but followed us quietly round to the wherries,where I told the watermen that the other party had gone a different wayto keep clear, and we wanted them to pull for Gosport. At Gosport we hadWestwood rigged out in black clothes, his hair cropped, and whiskersshaved off--as I thought it the fittest thing for his case, and what hecould best carry out, to go aboard of the Indiaman with me as if he werea missionary. Poor fellow! he didn't well know _what_ he was. So, havingwaited till dusk, to let the watermen lose our track, and his friendhaving posted off for Dover, he and I both got safe over to the_Seringapatam_, where I had him stowed in the first convenientstate-room I could find. I had actually forgot, through the excitement,all about having missed my first chase; from one hour to another I keptwatching the tide-marks ashore, and the dog-vane on the ship's quarter,all impatience to hear the word given for 'all hands up anchor,' andhoping our worthy friends on Southsea Beach were still lying withinhearing of the Channel flood. At last the order did come; round went thecapstan merrily enough, till she had hove short and up with fore-topsailset; the anchor was catted, and off went the lumbering old craft throughthe Solent about midnight, before a fine rattling breeze, in companywith six or seven others, all running for the Needles. They were loosingthe Indiaman's royals when I heard a gun from the guard-ship in harbour;and a little after up went a rocket, signalling to some frigate or otherat Spithead; away they kept at it, with lights from the telegraph to hermast-head, for several minutes. 'All's up!' thought I, 'and bothWestwood and myself are in for it!'
"Next morning at daybreak, accordingly, no sooner did the dawn serve toshow us Portland Light going out on the weather quarter, with a wholefleet of Channel craft and Mediterranean brigs about us, we surgingthrough it as fast as the Indiaman could go--than _there_ was a fineforty-four standing off and on right in our course, in fact the veryidentical _Orestes_ herself! She picked us out in a moment--bore up,stood across our weather-bow, and hailed. 'What ship's that?' said thefirst luff in her mizzen rigging.
"'The _Seringapatam_, Honourable Company's ship, Captain Williamson!'sung out our first officer, with his cap off. 'Heave to, till I send aboat aboard of you,' hailed the naval man, and there we bobbed to eachother with mainyards backed. In a few minutes a master's mate with gig'screw was under our lee-quarter, and the mate came on deck. 'Sir,' saidhe, 'the Port Admiral will thank you to deliver these despatches for SirCharles Hyde, who I believe is aboard.' 'Certainly, sir,' said the firstofficer, 'they shall be given to him in an hour's time.'
"'Good morning, and a fine voyage,' said the master's mate politely; andI took the occasion of asking if Captain Duncombe were on board the_Orestes_. 'No, sir,' answered the midshipman, 'he happens to be ashoreat present.' I have seldom felt so relieved as when I saw the frigatehaul round her main-yard, and go sweeping off to leeward, while weresumed our course. By noon we had sunk the land about Start Point, witha breeze which it was no use wasting at that season to take'departures'; and as the afternoon set in hazy, we were soon out ofsight of old England for good. For my part, I was bound eastward at lastwith a witness, and, like a young bear again, 'all my troubles beforeme.'
"There is two bells though," interrupted the narrator, starting. "Let ussee what sort of night it is before the ladies retire."
The Green Hand: Adventures of a Naval Lieutenant Page 6
