AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW CASE--HEART OF OAK IN SWEDISH FIR--A MAN'S A MAN,
ALL THE WORLD OVER, AND SOMETHING MORE IN MANY PARTS OF IT--PETER GETS
REPRIMANDED FOR BEING DILATORY, BUT PROVES A TITLE TO A DEFENCE-ALLOWED.
When we were about forty miles off the harbour, a frigate hove in sight.
We made the private signal: she hoisted Swedish colours, and kept away
a couple of points to close with us.
We were within two miles of her when she up courses and took in her
topgallant sails. As we closed to within two cable's lengths, she
hove-to. We did the same; and the captain desired me to lower down the
boat, and board her, ask her name, by whom she was commanded, and offer
any assistance if the captain required it. This was the usual custom of
the service, and I went on board in obedience to my orders. When I
arrived on the quarter-deck, I asked in French, whether there were any
one who spoke it. The first lieutenant came forward, and took off his
hat: I stated, that I was requested to ask the name of the vessel and
the commanding officer, to insert it in our log, and to offer any
services that we could command. He replied, that the captain was on
deck, and turned round, but the captain had gone down below. "I will
inform him of your message--I had no idea that he had quitted the deck;"
and the first lieutenant left me. I exchanged a few compliments, and a
little news with the officers on deck, who appeared to be very
gentlemanlike fellows, when the first lieutenant requested my presence
in the cabin. I descended--the door was opened--I was announced by the
first lieutenant, and he quitted the cabin. I looked at the captain,
who was sitting at the table: he was a fine, stout man, with two or
three ribands at his button-hole, and a large pair of mustachios. I
thought that I had seen him before, but I could not recollect when: his
face was certainly familiar to me, but, as I had been informed by the
officers on deck, that the captain was a Count Shucksen, a person I had
never heard of, I thought that I must be mistaken. I therefore
addressed him in French, paying him a long compliment, with all the
necessary _et ceteras_.
The captain turned round to me, took his hand away from his forehead,
which it had shaded, and looking me full in the face, replied, "Mr
Simple, I don't understand but very little French. Spin your yarn in
plain English."
I started--"I thought that I knew your face," replied I; "am I
mistaken?--no, it must be Mr Chucks!"
"You are right, my dear Mr Simple; it is your old friend, Chucks, the
boatswain, whom you now see."
We shook hands heartily, and then he requested me to sit down. "But,"
said I, "they told me on deck that the frigate was commanded by a Count
Shucksen."
"That is my present rank, my dear Peter," said he; "but as you have no
time to lose, I will explain all. I know I can trust to your honour.
You remember that you left me, as you and I supposed, dying in the
privateer, with the captain's jacket and epaulets on my shoulders. When
the boats came out, and you left the vessel, they boarded and found me.
I was still breathing; and judging of my rank by my coat, they put me
into the boat, and pushed on shore. The privateer sank very shortly
after. I was not expected to live, but in a few days a change took
place, and I was better. They asked me my name, and I gave my own,
which they lengthened into Shucksen, somehow or another I recovered by a
miracle, and am now as well as ever I was in my life. They were not a
little proud of having captured a captain of the British service, as
they supposed, for they never questioned me as to my real rank. After
some weeks, I was sent home to Denmark in a running vessel; but it so
happened that we met with a gale, and were wrecked on the Swedish coast,
close to Carlscrona. The Danes were at that time at war, having joined
the Russians; and they were made prisoners, while I was of course
liberated, and treated with great distinction; but as I could not speak
either French or their own language, I could not get on very well.
However, I had a handsome allowance, and permission to go to England as
soon as I pleased. The Swedes were then at war with the Russians, and
were fitting out their fleet; but, Lord bless them! they didn't know
much about it. At last, they all came to me, and if they did not
understand me entirely, I showed them how to do it with my own hands,
and the fleet began to make a show with their rigging. The admiral who
commanded was very much obliged, and I seemed to come as regularly to my
work as if I were paid for it. At last, the admiral came with an
English interpreter, and asked me whether I was anxious to go back to
England, or would I like to join their service? I saw what they wanted,
and I replied that I would prefer an English frigate to a Swedish one,
and that I would not consent unless they offered something more; and
then, with the express stipulation that I should not take arms against
my own country. They then waited for a week, when they offered to make
me a _Count_ and give me the command of the frigate. This suited me, as
you may suppose, Peter; it was the darling wish of my heart--I was to be
made a gentleman. I consented, and was made Count Shucksen, and had a
fine large frigate under my command. I then set to work with a will,
superintended the fitting out of the whole fleet, and showed them what
an Englishman could do. We sailed, and you of course know the brush we
had with the Russians, which I must say did us no discredit. I was
fortunate to distinguish myself, for I exchanged several broadsides with
a Russian two-decked ship, and came off with honour. When we went into
port I got this riband. I was out afterwards, and fell in with a
Russian frigate, and captured her, for which I received this other
riband. Since that I have been in high favour, and now that I speak the
languages, I like the people very much. I am often at court when I am
in harbour; and, Peter, I am _married_."
"I wish you joy, count, with all my heart."
"Yes, and well married, too--to a Swedish countess of very high family
and I expect that I have a little boy or girl by this time. So you
observe, Peter, that I am at last a gentleman, and, what is more, my
children will be noble by two descents. Who would have thought that
this would have been occasioned by my throwing the captain's jacket into
the boat instead of my own? And now, my dear Mr Simple, that I have
made you my confidant, I need not say, do not say a word about it to
anybody."
"My dear count," replied I, "your secret is safe with me, and my
pleasure is very great."
I then, in a few words, stated where O'Brien was; and then we parted, I
went with him on deck, Count Shucksen taking my arm, and introducing me
as an old shipmate to his officers, "I hope we may meet again," said I,
"but I'm afraid there is little chance."
"Who knows?" replied he; "see what chance has done for me. My dear
Peter, God bless you! You are one of the very few whom I always loved.
God bless you, my boy! and never forget that all I have is at your
command if you come my way."
I thanked him, and, saluting the officers, went down the side. As I
expected, when I came on board, the captain demanded, in an angry tone,
why I had stayed so long. I replied that I was shown down into Count
Shucksen's cabin, and he conversed so long, that I could not get away
sooner, as it would not have been polite to have left him before he had
finished his questions. I then gave a very civil message, and the
captain said no more: the very name of a great man always silenced him.