JACK GOES ON ANOTHER CRUISE--LOVE AND DIPLOMACY--JACK PROVES HIMSELF TOO
CLEVER FOR THREE, AND UPSETS ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS OF THE HIGH
CONTRACTING POWERS.
A few days after the arrival of the _Harpy_ at Port Mahon, a Cutter came
in with despatches from the admiral. Captain Wilson found that he was
posted into the _Aurora_ frigate, in which a vacancy had been made by
the result of our hero's transgressions.
Mr Sawbridge was raised to the rank of commander, and appointed to the
command of the _Harpy_. The admiral informed Captain Wilson that he
must detain the _Aurora_ until the arrival of another frigate, hourly
expected, and then she would be sent down to Mahon for him to take the
command of her. Further, he intimated that a supply of live bullocks
would be very agreeable, and begged that he would send to Tetuan
immediately.
Captain Wilson had lost so many officers that he knew not whom to send:
indeed, now he was no longer in command of the _Harpy_, and there was
but one lieutenant, and no master or master's mate. Gascoigne and Jack
were the only two serviceable midshipmen, and he was afraid to trust
them on any expedition in which expedition was required.
"What shall we do, Sawbridge? shall we send Easy or Gascoigne, or both,
or neither?--for if the bullocks are not forthcoming, the admiral will
not let them off as we do."
"We must send somebody, Wilson," replied Captain Sawbridge, "and it is
the custom to send two officers, as one receives the bullocks on board,
while the other attends to the embarkation."
"Well, then send both, Sawbridge, but lecture them well first."
"I don't think they can get into any mischief there," replied Sawbridge;
"and it's such a hole that they will be glad to get away from it."
Easy and Gascoigne were summoned, listened very respectfully to all
Captain Sawbridge said, promised to conduct themselves with the utmost
propriety, received a letter to the vice-consul, and were sent with
their hammocks and chests in the cabin on board the _Eliza Ann_, brig,
of two hundred and sixteen tons, chartered by government--the master and
crew of which were all busy forward heaving up their anchors.
The master of the transport came aft to receive them: he was a short
red-haired young man, with hands as broad as the flappers of a turtle;
he was broad-faced, broad-shouldered, well-freckled, pug-nosed; but if
not very handsome he was remarkably good-humoured. As soon as the
chests and hammocks were on the deck, he told them that when he could
get the anchor up and make sail, he would give them some bottled porter.
Jack proposed that he should get the porter up, and they would drink it
while he got the anchor up, as it would save time.
"It may save time mayhap, but it won't save porter," replied the master;
"however, you shall have it."
He called the boy, ordered him to bring up the porter, and then went
forward. Jack made the boy bring up two chairs, put the porter on the
companion hatch, and he and Gascoigne sat down. The anchor was weighed,
and the transport ran out under her fore-topsail, as they were
light-handed, and had to secure the anchor. The transport passed within
ten yards of the _Harpy_, and Captain Sawbridge, when he perceived the
two midshipmen taking it so very easy, sitting in their chairs with
their legs crossed, arms folded, and their porter before them, had a
very great mind to order the transport to heave-to, but he could spare
no other officer, so he walked away, saying to himself, "There'll be
another yarn for the Governor, or I'm mistaken."
As soon as sail was made on the transport, the master, whose name was
Hogg, came up to our hero, and asked him how he found the porter. Jack
declared that he never could venture an opinion upon the first
bottle--"So, Captain Hogg, we'll trouble you for a second"--after which
they troubled him for a third--begged for a fourth--must drink his
health in a fifth, and finally, pointed out the propriety of making up
the half-dozen. By this time they found themselves rather light-headed,
so, desiring Captain Hogg to keep a sharp lookout, and not to call them
on any account whatever, they retired to their hammocks.
The next morning they awoke late; the breeze was fresh and fair: they
requested Captain Hogg not to consider the expense, as they would pay
for all they ate and drank, and all he did, into the bargain, and
promised him a fit-out when they got to Tetuan.
What with this promise and calling him captain, our hero and Gascoigne
won the master's heart, and being a very good-tempered fellow, they did
what they pleased. Jack also tossed a doubloon to the men for them to
drink on their arrival, and all the men of the transport were in a
transport, at Jack's coming to "reign over them." It must be
acknowledged that Jack's reign was, for the most part of it, "happy and
glorious." At last they arrived at Tetuan, and our Pylades and Orestes
went on shore to call upon the vice-consul, accompanied by Captain Hogg.
They produced their credentials and demanded bullocks. The vice-consul
was a very young man, short and thin, and light-haired; his father had
held the situation before him, and he had been appointed his successor
because nobody else had thought the situation worth applying for.
Nevertheless Mr Hicks was impressed with the immense responsibility of
his office. It was, however, a place of some little emolument at this
moment, and Mr Hicks had plenty on his hands besides his sister, who,
being the only English lady there, set the fashion of the place, and
usurped all the attention of the gentlemen mariners who occasionally
came for bullocks. But Miss Hicks knew her own importance, and had
successively refused three midshipmen, one master's mate, and an acting
purser. African bullocks were plentiful at Tetuan, but English ladies
were scarce; moreover, she had a pretty little fortune of her own, to
wit, three hundred dollars in a canvas bag, left her by her father, and
entirely at her own disposal. Miss Hicks was very like her brother,
except that she was more dumpling in her figure, with flaxen hair; her
features were rather pretty, and her skin very fair. As soon as the
preliminaries had been entered into, and arrangements made in a small
room with bare walls, which Mr Hicks denominated his office, they were
asked to walk into the parlour to be introduced to the vice-consul's
sister. Miss Hicks tossed her head at the two midshipmen, but smiled
most graciously at Captain Hogg. She knew the relative ranks of
midshipman and captain. After a short time she requested the honour of
Captain Hogg's company to dinner, and begged that he would bring his
midshipmen with him, at which Jack and Gascoigne looked at each other
and burst out in a laugh, and Miss Hicks was very near rescinding the
latter part of her invitation. As soon as they were out of the house,
they told the captain to go on board and get all ready whilst they
walked round the town. Having peeped into every part of it, and stared
at Arabs, Moors, and Jews, till they were tired, they proceeded to the
landing-place, where they met the captain, who informed them that he had
done nothing, because the men were all drunk with Jack's doubloon. Jack
replied that a doubloon would not last for ever, and that the sooner
they drank it out the better. They then returned to the vice-consul's,
whom they requested to procure for them fifty dozen of fowls, twenty
sheep, and a great many other articles, which might be obtained at the
place; for, as Jack said, they would live well going up to Toulon, and
if there were any of the stock left, they would give them to the
admiral, for Jack had taken the precaution to put his _father's
philosophy_ once more to the proof, before he quitted Mahon. As Jack
gave such a liberal order, and the vice-consul cheated him out of at
least one-third of what he paid, Mr Hicks thought he could do no less
than offer beds to our midshipmen as well as to Captain Hogg; so, as
soon as dinner was over, they ordered Captain Hogg to go on board and
bring their things on shore, which he did. As the time usual for
transports remaining at Tetuan before they could be completed with
bullocks was three weeks, our midshipmen decided upon staying at least
so long if they could find anything to do, or if they could not, doing
nothing was infinitely preferable to doing duty. So they took up their
quarters at the vice-consul's, sending for porter and other things which
were not to be had but from the transport; and Jack, to prove that he
was not a swindler, as Captain Tartar had called him, gave Captain Hogg
a hundred dollars on account, for Captain Hogg had a large stock of
porter and English luxuries, which he had brought out as a venture, and
of which he had still a considerable portion left. As, therefore, our
midshipmen not only were cheated by the vice-consul, but they also
supplied his table, Mr Hicks was very hospitable, and everything was at
their service except Miss Julia, who turned up her nose at a midshipman,
even upon full pay; but she made great advances to the captain, who, on
his part, was desperately in love: so the mate and the men made all
ready for the bullocks, Jack and Gascoigne made themselves comfortable,
and Captain Hogg made love, and thus passed the first week.
The chamber of Easy and Gascoigne was at the top of the house, and
finding it excessively warm, Gascoigne had forced his way up to the flat
roof above (for the houses are all built in that way in most Mahomedan
countries, to enable the occupants to enjoy the cool of the evening, and
sometimes to sleep there). Those roofs, where houses are built next to
each other, are divided by a wall of several feet, to insure that
privacy which the Mahomedan customs demand.
Gascoigne had not been long up there before he heard the voice of a
female, singing a plaintive air in a low tone, on the other side of the
wall. Gascoigne sang well himself, and having a very fine ear, he was
pleased with the correctness of the notes, although he had never heard
the air before. He leaned against the wall, smoked his cigar, and
listened. It was repeated again and again at intervals; Gascoigne soon
caught the notes, which sounded so clear and pure in the silence of the
night.
At last they ceased, and having waited another half-hour in vain, our
midshipman returned to his bed, humming the air which had so pleased his
ear. It haunted him during his sleep, and rang in his ears when he
awoke, as it is well known any new air that pleases us will do. Before
breakfast was ready, Gascoigne had put English words to it, and sang
them over and over again. He inquired of the vice-consul who lived in
the next house, and was answered, that it was an old Moor, who was
reported to be wealthy, and to have a daughter, whom many of the people
had asked in marriage, but whether for her wealth or for her beauty he
could not tell; he had, however, heard that she was very handsome.
Gascoigne made no further inquiries, but went out with Jack and Captain
Hogg, and on board to see the water got in for the bullocks.
"Where did you pick up that air, Gascoigne? it is very pretty, but I
never heard you sing it before."
Gascoigne told him, and also what he had heard from Mr Hicks.
"I'm determined, Jack, to see that girl if I can. Hicks can talk Arabic
fast enough; just ask him the Arabic for these words--`Don't be afraid--
I love you--I cannot speak your tongue,'--and put them down on paper as
they are pronounced."
Jack rallied Gascoigne upon his fancy, which could end in nothing.
"Perhaps not," replied Gascoigne; "and I should have cared nothing about
it, if she had not sung so well. I really believe the way to my heart
is through my ear;--however, I shall try to-night, and soon find if she
has the feeling which I think she has. Now let us go back: I'm tired of
looking at women in garments up to their eyes, and men in dirt up to
their foreheads."
As they entered the house they heard an altercation between Mr and Miss
Hicks.
"I shall never give my consent, Julia; one of those midshipmen you turn
your nose up at is worth a dozen Hoggs."
"Now, if we only knew the price of a hog in this country," observed
Easy, "we should be able to calculate our exact value, Ned."
"A hog, being an unclean animal, is not--"
"Hush," said Jack.
"Mr Hicks," replied Miss Julia, "I am mistress of myself and my
fortune, and I shall do as I please."
"Depend upon it, you shall not, Julia. I consider it my duty to prevent
you from making an improper match; and, as his Majesty's representative
here, I cannot allow you to marry this young man."
"Mercy on us!" said Gascoigne, "his Majesty's representative!"
"I shall not ask your consent," replied the lady.
"Yes, but you shall not marry without my consent. I have, as you know,
Julia, from my situation here, as one of his Majesty's _corps
diplomatick_, great power, and I shall forbid the banns; in fact, it is
only I who can marry you."
"Then I'll marry elsewhere."
"And what will you do on board of the transport until you are able to be
married?"
"I shall do as I think proper," replied the lady; "and I'll thank you
for none of your indelicate insinuations." So saying, the lady bounced
out of the room into her own, and our midshipmen then made a noise in
the passage, to intimate that they had come in. They found Mr Hicks
looking very red and vice-consular indeed, but he recovered himself; and
Captain Hogg making _his_ appearance, they went to dinner; but Miss
Julia would not make _her_ appearance, and Mr Hicks was barely civil to
the captain, but he was soon afterwards called out, and our midshipmen
went into the office to enable the two lovers to meet. They were heard
then talking together, and after a time they said less, and their
language was more tender.
"Let us see what's going on, Jack," said Gascoigne; and they walked
softly, so as to perceive the two lovers, who were too busy to be on the
lookout.
Captain Hogg was requesting a lock of his mistress's hair. The plump
Julia could deny him nothing; she let fall her flaxen tresses, and
taking out the scissors cut off a thick bunch from her hair behind,
which she presented to the captain: it was at least a foot and a half
long and an inch in circumference. The Captain took it in his immense
hand, and thrust it into his coat pocket behind, but one thrust down to
the bottom would not get it in, so he thrust again and again, until it
was all coiled away like a cable in a tier.
"That's a liberal girl," whispered Jack; "she gives by _wholesale_ what
it will take some time to _retail_. But here comes Mr Hicks, let's
give them warning; I like Hogg and as she fancies pork, she shall have
it, if I can contrive to help them."
That night Gascoigne went again on the roof, and after waiting some
time, heard the same air repeated: he waited until it was concluded, and
then, in a very low tone, sang it himself to the words he had arranged
for it. For some time all was silent, and then the singing recommenced,
but it was not to the same air. Gascoigne waited until the new air had
been repeated several times, and then giving full scope to his fine
tenor voice, sang the first air again. It echoed through the silence of
the night air, and then he waited, but in vain; the soft voice of the
female was heard no more, and Gascoigne retired to rest.
This continued for three or four nights, Gascoigne singing the same airs
the ensuing night that he had heard the preceding, until at last it
appeared that the female had no longer any fear, but changed the airs so
as to be amused with the repetition of them next evening. On the fifth
night she sang the first air, and our midshipman responding, she then
sang another, until she had sung them all, waiting each time for the
response. The wall was not more than eight feet high, and Gascoigne now
determined, with the assistance of Jack, to have a sight of his unknown
songstress. He asked Captain Hogg to bring on shore some inch line, and
he contrived to make a ladder with three or four poles which were
upstairs, used for drying linen. He fixed them against the wall without
noise, all ready for the evening. It was a beautiful clear moonlight
night, when he went up, accompanied by Jack. The air was again sung,
and repeated by. Gascoigne, who then softly mounted the ladder, held by
Jack, and raised his head above the wall; he perceived a young Moorish
girl, splendidly dressed, half lying on an ottoman, with her eyes fixed
upon the moon, whose rays enabled him to observe that she was indeed
beautiful. She appeared lost in contemplation; and Gascoigne would have
given the world to have divined her thoughts. Satisfied with what he
had seen, he descended, and singing one of the airs, he then repeated
the words, "Do not be afraid--I love you--I cannot speak your language."
He then sang another of the airs, and after he had finished he again
repeated the words in Arabic; but there was no reply. He sang the third
air, and again repeated the words, when, to his delight, he heard an
answer in Lingua Franca.
"Can you speak in this tongue?"
"Yes," replied Gascoigne, "I can, Allah be praised. Be not afraid--I
love you."
"I know you not; who are you? you are not of my people."
"No, but I will be anything that you wish. I am a Frank, and an English
officer."
At this reply of Gascoigne there was a pause.
"Am I then despised?" said Gascoigne.
"No, not despised, but you are not of my people or of my land; speak no
more, or you will be heard."
"I obey," replied Gascoigne, "since you wish it, but I shall pine till
to-morrow's moon. I go to dream of you. Allah protect you!"
"How amazingly poetical you were in your language, Ned," said Easy, when
they went into their room.
"To be sure, Jack, I've read the _Arabian Nights_. You never saw such
eyes in your life: what a houri she is!"
"Is she as handsome as Agnes, Ned?"
"Twice as handsome by moonlight."
"That's all moonshine, and so will be your courting, for it will come to
nothing."
"Not if I can help it."
"Why, Gascoigne, what would you do with a wife?"
"Just exactly what you would do, Jack."
"I mean, my dear Ned, can you afford to marry?"
"Not while the old governor lives, but I know he has some money in the
funds. He told me one day that I could not expect more than three
thousand pounds. You know I have sisters."
"And before you come into that you'll have three thousand children."
"That's a large family, Jack," replied Gascoigne, bursting out into
laughter, in which our hero joined.
"Well, you know I only wanted to argue the point with you."
"I know that, Jack; but I think we're counting our chickens before they
are hatched, which is foolish."
"In every other case except when we venture upon matrimony."
"Why, Jack, you're becoming quite sensible."
"My wisdom is for my friends, my folly for myself. Good-night."
But Jack did not go to sleep. "I must not allow Gascoigne to do such a
foolish thing," thought he--"marry a dark girl on midshipman's pay, if
he succeeds--get his throat cut if he does not." As Jack said, his
wisdom was for his friends, and he was so generous that he reserved none
for his own occasions.
Miss Julia Hicks, as we before observed, set the fashions at Tetuan, and
her style of dress was not unbecoming. The Moorish women wore large
veils, or they may be called what you will, for their head-dresses
descend to their heels at times, and cover the whole body, leaving an
eye to peep with, and hiding everything else. Now Miss Julia found this
much more convenient than the bonnet, as she might walk out in the heat
of the sun without burning her fair skin, and stare at everybody and
everything without being stared at in return. She therefore never went
out without one of these overalls, composed of several yards of fine
muslin. Her dress in the house was usually of coloured sarcenet, for a
small vessel came into the port one day during her father's lifetime,
unloaded a great quantity of bales of goods with English marks; and as
the vessel had gone out in ballast, there was a surmise on his part by
what means they came into the captain's possession. He therefore cited
the captain up to the Governor, but the affair was amicably arranged by
the vice-consul receiving about one quarter of the cargo in bales of
silks and muslins. Miss Hicks had therefore all her dresses of blue,
green, and yellow sarcenet, which, with the white muslin overall, made
her as conspicuous as the only Frankish lady in the town had a right to
be, and there was not a dog which barked in Tetuan which did not know
the sister of the vice-consul, although few had seen her face.
Now it occurred to Jack, as Gascoigne was determined to carry on his
amour, that in case of surprise it would be as well if he dressed
himself as Miss Hicks. He proposed it to Gascoigne the next morning,
who approved of the idea, and in the course of the day, when Miss Hicks
was busy with Captain Hogg, he contrived to abstract one of her dresses
and muslin overalls--which he could do in safety, as there were plenty
of them, for Miss Hicks was not troubled with mantua-maker's bills.
When Gascoigne went up on the roof the ensuing night, he put on the
apparel of Miss Hicks, and looked very like her as far as figure went,
although a little taller. He waited for the Moorish girl to sing, but
she did not--so he crept up the ladder and looked over the wall--when he
observed that she was reclining, as before, in deep thought. His head
covered with the muslin caught her eye, and she gave a faint scream.
"Fear not, lady," said Gascoigne, "it is not the first time that I have
beheld that sweet face. I sigh for a companion. What would I not give
to be sitting by your side? I am not of your creed, 'tis true--but does
it therefore follow that we should not love each other?"
The Moorish girl was about to reply, when Gascoigne received an answer
from a quarter whence he little expected it. It was from the Moor
himself, who, hearing his daughter scream, had come swiftly up to the
roof.
"Does the Frankish lily wish to mingle her perfumes with the dark
violet?" said he, for he had often seen the sister of the vice-consul,
and he imagined it was she who had come on the roof and ascended the
wall to speak with his daughter.
Gascoigne had presence of mind to avail himself of this fortunate
mistake.
"I am alone, worthy Moor," replied he, pulling the muslin more over his
face, "and I pine for a companion. I have been charmed by the
nightingale on the roof of your dwelling; but I thought not to meet the
face of a man, when I took courage to climb this ladder."
"If the Frankish lily will have courage to descend, she can sit by the
side of the dark violet."
Gascoigne thought it advisable to make no reply.
"Fear not," said the old Moor; "what is an old man but a woman?" and the
Moor brought a ladder, which he placed against the wall.
After a pause, Gascoigne said, "It is my fate;" and he then descended,
and was led by the Moor to the mattress upon which his daughter
reclined. The Moor then took his seat near them, and they entered into
conversation. Gascoigne knew quite enough of the vice-consul and his
sister to play his part--and he thought proper to tell the Moor that her
brother wished to give her as wife to the captain of the ship, whom she
abhorred, and would take her to a cold and foggy climate; that she had
been born here, and wished to live and die here, and would prefer
passing her life in his women's apartments, to leaving this country. At
which Abdel Faza, for such was his name, felt very amorous; he put his
hand to his forehead, salaamed, and told Gascoigne that his zenana, and
all that were in it, were hers, as well as his house and himself. After
an hour's conversation, in which Azar, his daughter, did not join, the
old Moor asked Gascoigne to descend into the women's apartment; and
observing his daughter's silence, said to her:
"Azar, you are angry that this Frankish houri should come to the
apartments of which you have hitherto been sole mistress. Fear not, you
will soon be another's, for Osman Ali has asked thee for his wife, and I
have listened to his request."
Now Osman Ali was as old as her father, and Azar hated him. She offered
her hand tremblingly, and led Gascoigne into the zenana. The Moor
attended them to the threshold, bowed, and left them.
That Gascoigne had time to press his suit, and that he did not lose such
a golden opportunity, may easily be imagined, and her father's
communication relative to Osman Ali very much assisted our midshipman's
cause.
He left the zenana, like most midshipmen, in love, that is, a little
above quicksilver boiling heat. Jack, who had remained in a state of
some suspense all this time, was not sorry to hear voices in an amicable
tone, and in a few minutes afterwards he perceived that Gascoigne was
ascending the ladder. It occurred to our hero that it was perhaps
advisable that he should not be seen, as the Moor, in his gallantry,
might come up the ladder with the supposed lady. He was right, for
Abdel Faza not only followed her up the ladder on his side, but assisted
her to descend on the other, and with great ceremony took his leave.
Gascoigne hastened to Jack, who had been peeping, and gave him a detail
of what had passed, describing Azar as the most beautiful, fascinating,
and fond creature that ever was created. After half an hour's relation
he stopped short, because he discovered that Jack was fast asleep.
The visits of Gascoigne were repeated every night; old Abdel Faza became
every time more gallant, and our midshipman was under the necessity of
assuming a virtue if he had it not. He pretended to be very modest.
In the meantime Captain Hogg continued his attentions to the real Miss
Hicks; the mate proceeded to get the bullocks on board, and as more than
three weeks had already passed away, it was time to think of departing
for Toulon; but Captain Hogg was too much in love, and as for Gascoigne,
he intended, like all midshipmen in love, to give up the service. Jack
reasoned with the Captain, who appeared to listen to reason, because
Miss Hicks had agreed to follow his fortunes, and crown his transports
in the transport _Mary Ann_. He therefore proposed that they should get
away as fast as they could, and as soon as they had weighed the anchor,
he would come on shore, take off Miss Hicks, and make all sail for
Toulon.
Jack might have suffered this; the difficulty was with Gascoigne, who
would not hear of going away without his lovely Azar. At last Jack
planned a scheme, which he thought would succeed, and which would be a
good joke to tell the Governor. He therefore appeared to consent to
Gascoigne's carrying off his little Moor, and they canvassed how it was
to be managed. Jack then told Gascoigne that he had hit upon a plan
which would succeed. "I find," said he, "from Captain Hogg, that he has
an intention of carrying off Miss Hicks, and when I sounded him as to
his having a lady with him, he objected to it immediately, saying, that
he must have all the cabin to himself and his intended. Now, in the
first place, I have no notion of giving up the cabin to Miss Hicks or
Mrs Hogg. It will be very uncomfortable to be shut out because he
wishes to make love; I therefore am determined that he shall not take
off Miss Hicks. He has proposed to me that he shall go on board, and
get the brig under way, leaving me with a boat on shore to sign the
vouchers, and that Miss Hicks shall slip into the boat when I go off at
dusk. Now I will not bring off Miss Hicks; if he wants to marry her,
let him do it when I am not on board. I have paid for everything, and I
consider the cabin as mine."
"Look you, Ned, if you wish to carry off your little Moor, there is but
one way, and that is a very simple one; leave her a dress of Miss
Hicks's when you go there to-morrow night, and tell her to slip down at
dusk, and come out of the house: all the danger will be in her own
house, for as soon as she is out she will be supposed to be the
vice-consul's sister, and will not be observed or questioned. I will
look out for and bring her on board instead of Miss Hicks. Hogg will
have the brig under way, and will be too happy to make all sail, and she
shall lock the cabin inside, so that the mistake shall not be discovered
till the next morning, and we shall have a good laugh at Captain Hogg."
Gascoigne pronounced that Jack's scheme was capital, and agreed to it,
thanking him and declaring that he was the best friend that he ever had.
"So I will be," thought Jack, "but you will not acknowledge it at
first." Jack then went to Captain Hogg, and appeared to enter warmly
into his views, but told him that Hicks suspected what was going on, and
had told him so, at the same time declaring that he would not lose sight
of his sister until after Hogg was on board.
"Now," says Jack, "you know you cannot do the thing by main force; so
the best plan will be for you to go on board and get under way, leaving
me to bring off Miss Hicks, when her brother will imagine all danger to
be over."
"Many thanks, Mr Easy," replied Captain Hogg; "it will be capital, and
I'll arrange it all with my Julia. How very kind of you!"
"But, Hogg, will you promise me secrecy?"
"Yes," replied the captain.
"That Gascoigne is a very silly fellow, and wants to run away with a
girl he has made acquaintance with here; and what do you think he has
proposed? that after the ship was under way, I should carry her off in
the boat; and he has borrowed one of the dresses of Miss Hicks, that it
may appear to be her. I have agreed to it, but as I am determined that
he shall not commit such a folly, I shall bring off Miss Hicks instead;
and observe, Hogg, he is that sort of wild fellow, that if he was to
find that I had cheated him, he would immediately go on shore and be
left behind; therefore we must hand Miss Hicks down in the cabin, and
she will lock the door all night, so that he may not observe the trick
till the next morning, and then we shall have a fine laugh at him."
Captain Hogg replied it would be an excellent joke, as Gascoigne did
before him.
Now it must be observed, that the water and the bullocks, and the sheep
and fowls, were all on board; and Mr Hicks, having received his money
from Jack, had very much altered his manner; he was barely civil, for as
he had got all he could out of our hero, he was anxious to get rid of
him as well as of Captain Hogg. Our hero was very indignant at this,
but as it would not suit his present views, pretended not to notice it--
on the contrary, he professed the warmest friendship for the
vice-consul, and took an opportunity of saying that he could not return
his kindness in a better way than by informing him of the plot which had
been arranged. He then told him of the intended escape of his sister,
and that he was the person intended to bring her off.
"Infamous, by heavens!" cried the vice-consul; "I shall write to the
Foreign Office on the subject."
"I think," said Jack, "it will be much better to do what I shall
propose, which will end in a hearty laugh, and to the confusion of
Captain Hogg. Do you dress yourself in your sister's clothes, and I
will bring you off instead of her. Let him imagine that he has your
sister secure; I will hand you down to the cabin, and do you lock
yourself in. He cannot sail without my orders, and I will not sign the
vouchers. The next morning we will open the cabin door and have a good
laugh at him. Desire your boat to be off at daylight to take you on
shore, and I will then make him proceed to Toulon forthwith. It will be
a capital joke."
So thought the vice-consul, as well as Gascoigne and Captain Hogg. He
shook hands with Jack, and was as civil to him as before.
That night Gascoigne left one of Miss Hicks's many dresses with Azar,
who agreed to follow his fortunes, and who packed up all the jewels and
money she could lay her hands upon. Poor little Child, she trembled
with fear and delight. Miss Hicks smuggled, as she thought, a box of
clothes on board, and in the box was her fortune of three hundred
dollars. Mr Hicks laughed in his sleeve, so did Jack; and every one
went to bed, with expectations that their wishes would be realised.
After an early dinner, Captain Hogg and Gascoigne went on board, both
squeezing Jack's hand as if they were never to see him again, and looks
of intelligence passed between all the parties.
As soon as they were out of the door the vice-consul chuckled, and Miss
Hicks, who thought he chuckled at the idea of having rid himself of
Captain Hogg, chuckled still more as she looked at our hero, who was her
confidant, and our hero, for reasons known to the reader, chuckled more
than either of them.
A little before dark, the boat was sent on shore from the brig, which
was now under way, and Mr Hicks, as had been agreed, said that he
should go into the office and prepare the vouchers--that is, put on his
sister's clothes. Miss Hicks immediately rose, and wishing our hero a
pleasant voyage, as had been agreed, said that she should retire for the
night, as she had a bad headache--she wished her brother good-night, and
went into her room to wait another hour, when our hero, having shoved
off the boat to deceive the vice-consul, was to return, meet her in the
garden, and take her off to the brig. Our hero then went into the
office and assisted the vice-consul, who took off all his own clothes
and tied them up in a handkerchief, intending to resume them after he
had gone into the cabin.
As soon as he was ready, Jack carried his bundle and led the supposed
Miss Hicks down to the boat. They shoved off in a great hurry, and Jack
took an opportunity of dropping Mr Hicks's bundle overboard. As soon
as they arrived alongside, Mr Hicks ascended, and was handed by Jack
down into the Cabin: he squeezed Jack's hand as he entered, saying in a
whisper, "To-morrow morning what a laugh we shall have!" and then he
locked the door. In the meantime the boat was hooked on and hoisted up,
and Jack took the precaution to have the dead-lights lowered that Mr
Hicks might not be able to ascertain what was going on. Gascoigne came
up to our hero and squeezed his hand.
"I'm so much obliged to you, Jack. I say, tomorrow morning what a laugh
we shall have!"
As soon as the boat was up, and the mainyard filled, Captain Hogg also
came up to our hero, shaking him by the hand and thanking him; and he,
too, concluded by saying, "I say, Mr Easy, to-morrow morning what a
laugh we shall have!"
"Let those laugh who win," thought Jack.
The wind was fair, the watch was set, the course was steered, and all
went down to their hammocks, and went to sleep, waiting for to-morrow
morning. Mr Hicks, also, having nothing better to do, went to sleep,
and by the morning dawn, the transport _Mary Ann_ was more than a
hundred miles from the African shore.