Scarcely were we on board the ship than the gale came down with greater
fury than before, so that the seamen being required to hand the sails
left us to ourselves. Two or three persons, however, gathered round us,
one of whom--the surgeon, I concluded--advised that we should be taken
below, and stripped of our wet clothes, for our teeth were chattering
with the cold.
Very thankful to be so treated, we had no time to ask questions before
we found ourselves in the officers' cabin; Dick and I being placed in
one bed, and Lancelot in another, while Martin was allowed to go forward
among the men, to obtain such assistance from them as they were inclined
to 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 fell
asleep.
Once I awoke when the rolling and pitching, the battering of the sea
against the sides, and the noises overhead, told me that the gale was
still blowing. I was soon asleep again, and when I opened my eyes it
was 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, and
where we were bound.
The pistols, hangers, and other weapons hanging up against the bulkhead
showed us she was a ship of war, and Lancelot discovered several prints
ornamenting his cabin, which made us suspect that she did not belong to
the Puritans.
"If they inquire who we are, as they are sure to do, what shall we say
about ourselves?" asked Dick.
"Tell the truth and shame the devil! Whoever they are, we should be
grateful to them for having saved our lives, and maybe, if we speak them
fair, they'll set us on shore at the first port they touch at," answered
Lancelot.
"If they're Cavaliers, there's no port they can put into on the south
coast without the certainty of being fired at," I observed, "though
perhaps they may be induced to set us ashore in one of their boats, and
we can find our way back over land. I much wish to relieve the anxiety
that Audrey and Cicely and your father must be feeling about us, for
they will--should we not return--give us up for lost."
"We shan't grow wiser by staying here," said Lancelot, as he led the way
on deck.
"Halloa, young masters. Who are you?" exclaimed a gentleman in plumed
hat, scarlet doublet, and sword hanging by a rich scarf at his side.
An officer approached and spoke to the gentleman, whom we guessed must
be the captain.
I had time to look around; the sea had somewhat gone down, but it was
still blowing fresh. Over the starboard quarter I observed a long
point, which I at first thought was the Start, but afterwards learned
was the Lizard. The frigate, for such I saw was the vessel we were on
board of, was heeling over to the breeze, and the Union Jack waving from
her peak showed me that she belonged to the Royalist party; indeed, when
I remarked the varied costumes of the officers, the careless manners of
the crew, and heard their strange oaths, I had no doubt about the
matter.
Seeing that we were expected to reply to the question put to us,
Lancelot advanced and informed the captain that we were young gentlemen
belonging to Lyme, and were taking a pleasure trip when caught by the
gale.
"Young Roundheads, I wot," answered the captain, with an oath. "You
might 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 to
what use we can put you. You have a companion, I understand. Is he a
sailor?"
"Yes!" I answered, somewhat incautiously. "He spent his early life at
sea, and visited many strange parts with my late father, Captain
Bracewell."
"So much the better for him. He shall serve on board, and I will order
his name to be entered on the books."
From the way we were first received, we fancied that we should have been
treated like young gentlemen, but on his ordering us with an oath to go
forward and do what we were told, such we found was not the captain's
intention. We obeyed, for we had no choice. On our way we encountered
a big fellow with a knotted rope in his hand, who, from the chain with a
whistle hanging to it round his neck, we knew was the boatswain.
"Come along, my young masters. I'll soon find tasks for you. You!" he
exclaimed, seizing Dick, "go and help the cook in the galley, you two
will pick oakum," he added, turning to Lancelot and me; "and when the
hands are sent aloft to reef sails, as you seem active fellows, you'll
go to the foretop-gallant yard."
"But I have never been aloft," said Lancelot, "and shan't know what to
do when I get there."
"Then the sooner you go the faster you'll learn, or you'll have a taste
of 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 remonstrate
was useless, so to avoid a repetition of the unpleasant infliction, we
sprang into the rigging and began to mount, taking care to hold tight as
we 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 into
the sea, for which I had no wish; but looking down for a moment, and
seeing two men about to come up the rigging, I told Lancelot that I
would 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 at
length, and crawled out on the yard, holding on tightly by the ropes
which seemed most secure. Finding that it was not so terrible as I had
supposed, 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 down
now, lads;" and I made my way into the top.
Lancelot had gone out at the other end of the yard, and when we met on
deck he could not help shaking hands, as if we had arrived successfully
from some desperate enterprise. The seamen laughed as they saw us, and
even 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, might
have been worse, though we got many a kick and rope's ending, not only
from 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, he
was but ill able to contend with so many opposed to him.
"Better grin and bear it, Master Ben," he said; "they'll soon give up
ill-treating you if you take it with good temper, and I should do more
harm 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 matters
don't grow too bad."
We followed Martin's advice, and found it answer. The seamen of the
frigate were a lawless and disorderly set, every sentence they uttered
being accompanied by strange oaths, while below, when not asleep, they
spent 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 and
thirty-two guns, one of Prince Rupert's squadron, from which she had
been separated while in chase of a trader the captain had hoped to
capture, but which had escaped.
A bright look-out was now kept for the squadron, and for traders of all
nations.
Our cruising ground was the mouth of the English Channel, where we lay
in wait to pounce down upon any unwary vessel coming up with a rich
cargo.
We were all three below, poor Dick by this time looking as black as a
negro; he had unfortunately let it be known whose son he was, and
consequently, 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 boatswain, looking at Lancelot and
me.
We ran up the rigging to the fore-topgallant-yard, and with the aid of
two other men let fall the sail which had been furled.
On looking ahead, we saw a large ship in the distance, for which the
frigate was steering. The stranger held on her course, not apparently
fearing us, though we had the Union Jack flying at the peak, while that
of Holland fluttered at hers.
On getting within range of our guns, we opened fire from a dozen pieces
or more, but without doing her much damage. Again we fired, sending our
shot crashing on board her, when the guns being run in and reloaded, we
stood on, receiving her broadside, the shots going through our sails and
cutting some of our running rigging, then luffing-up across her bows, we
raked her fore and aft, and went about, showing that we intended to give
her the other broadside. Not relishing this, she hauled down her
colours and triced up her sails.
A well-armed boat's crew was sent on board to take possession, when her
ship's company were speedily removed, and those of her people who
remained in her were ordered to steer her to Kinsale harbour, a short
distance to the southward of Cork, in Ireland.
The next vessel we chased proved to be English, and as she was bound for
the Thames, she was captured and sent away like the first, with part of
the Dutch crew, who, being promised good pay, had no objection to
navigate 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, she
struck without firing a shot. She was also sent away, under command of
one of the officers, for the same harbour as the former prize.
"Why, these fellows are pirates," observed Lancelot to me, though he
took care to speak in a low voice, so that only Martin and I who was
standing near could hear him.
"Little doubt about that," answered Martin; "all's fish that comes to
their net! I wish that we were well free of them, but how to get away
is the difficulty. I suspect that if a Parliamentary ship was to catch
the frigate, they'd hang us all up at the yard-arms."
"Heaven forbid!" said Lancelot.