I AM RECOMMENDED TO LEARN TO SWIM, AND I TAKE A FRIENDLY ADVICE--HEAVY
SUSPICION ON BOARD OF THE LIGHTER, AND A MYSTERY, OUT OF WHICH MRS.
RADCLIFFE WOULD HAVE MADE A ROMANCE.
"Jacob, this is Marables, who has charge of the Polly barge," said Mr
Drummond, who had sent for me into his office, a few days after my
arrival at his house. "Marables," continued my protector, addressing
the man, "I have told you that this lad is bound 'prentice to the Polly;
I expect you will look after him, and treat him kindly. No blows or ill
treatment. If he does not conduct himself well (but well I'm sure he
will), let me know when you come back from your trip."
During this speech I was scrutinising the outward man of my future
controller. He was stout and well-built, inclining to corpulence, his
features remarkably good, although his eyes were not large. His mouth
was very small, and there was a good-natured smile on his lips as he
answered, "I never treated a cat ill, master."
"I believe not," replied Mr Drummond; "but I am anxious that Jacob
should do well in the world, and therefore let you know that he will
always have my protection, so long as he conducts himself properly."
"We shall be very good friends, sir, I'll answer for it, if I may judge
from the cut of his jib," replied Marables, extending to me an immense
hand, as broad as it was long.
After this introduction, Mr Drummond gave him some directions, and left
us together.
"Come and see the craft, boy," said Marables and I followed him to the
barge, which was one of those fitted with a mast which lowered down and
hauled up again, as required. She plied up and down the river as far as
the Nore, sometimes extending her voyage still farther: but that was
only in the summer months. She had a large cabin abaft, and a cuddy
forward. The cabin was locked, and I could not examine it.
"This will be your berth," said Marables, pointing to the cuddy-hatch
forward; "you will have it all to yourself. The other man and I sleep
abaft."
"Have you another man, then?"
"Yes, I have, Jacob," replied he; and then muttering to himself, "I wish
I had not--I wish the barge was only between us, Jacob, or that you had
not been sent on board," continued he, gravely. "It would have been
better--much better." And he walked aft, whistling in a low tone,
looking down sadly on the deck.
"Is your cabin large?" inquired I, as he came forward.
"Yes, large enough; but I cannot show it to you now--he has the key."
"What, the other man under you?"
"Yes," replied Marables, hastily. "I've been thinking, Jacob, that you
may as well remain on shore till we start. You can be of no use here."
To this I had no objection; but I often went on board during the
fortnight that the barge remained, and soon became very partial to
Marables. There was a kindness about him that won me, and I was
distressed to perceive that he was often very melancholy. What
surprised me most was to find that during the first week the cabin was
constantly locked, and that Marables had not the key; it appeared so
strange that he, as master of the barge, should be locked out of his own
cabin by his inferior.
One day I went early on board, and found not only the cabin doors open,
but the other man belonging to her walking up and down the deck with
Marables. He was a well-looking, tall, active young man, apparently not
thirty, with a general boldness of countenance strongly contrasted with
a furtive glance of the eye. He had a sort of blue smock-frock
over-all, and the trousers which appeared below were of a finer texture
than those usually worn by people of his condition.
"This is the lad who is bound to the barge," said Marables. "Jacob,
this is Fleming."
"So, younker," said Fleming, after casting an inquiring eye upon me,
"you are to sail with us, are you? It's my opinion that your room would
be better than your company. However, if you keep your eyes open, I'd
advise you to keep your mouth shut. When I don't like people's company,
I sometimes give them a hoist into the stream--so keep a sharp look out,
my joker."
Not very well pleased with this address, I answered, "I thought Marables
had charge of the craft, and that I was to look to him for orders."
"Did you, indeed!" replied Fleming, with a sneer. "I say, my lad, can
you swim?"
"No, I can't," replied I--"I wish I could."
"Well, then, take my advice--learn to swim as fast as you can for I have
a strong notion that one day or other I shall take you by the scruff of
the neck, and send you to look after your father."
"Fleming! Fleming! pray be quiet!" said Marables, who had several times
pulled him by the sleeve. "He's only joking, Jacob," continued Marables
to me, as, indignant at the mention of my father's death, I was walking
away to the shore, over the other lighters.
"Well," replied I, turning round, "if I am to be tossed overboard, it's
just as well to let Mr Drummond know, that if I'm missing he may guess
what's become of me."
"Pooh! nonsense!" said Fleming, immediately altering his manner, and
coming to me where I stood in the barge next to them. "Give us your
hand, my boy; I was only trying what stuff you were made of. Come,
shake hands; I wasn't in earnest."
I took the proffered hand, and went on shore. "Nevertheless," thought
I, "I'll learn to swim; for I rather think he was in earnest." And I
took my first lesson that day; and by dint of practice soon acquired
that very necessary art. Had it not been for the threat of Fleming, I
probably should not have thought of it; but it occurred to me that I
might tumble, even if I were not thrown overboard, and that a knowledge
of swimming would do no harm.
The day before the barge was to proceed down the river to Sheerness,
with a cargo of bricks, I called upon my worthy old master, Dominie
Dobiensis.
"_Salve puer_!" cried the old man, who was sitting in his study.
"Verily, Jacob, thou art come in good time. I am at leisure, and will
give thee a lesson. Sit down, my child."
The Dominie opened the Aeneid of Virgil, and commenced forthwith. I was
fortunate enough to please him with my off-hand translation; and as he
closed the book, I told him that I had called to bid him farewell, as we
started at daylight the next morning.
"Jacob," said he, "thou hast profited well by the lessons which I have
bestowed upon thee: now take heed of that advice which I am now about to
offer to thee. There are many who will tell thee that thy knowledge is
of no use, for what avail can the Latin tongue be to a boy on board of a
lighter. Others may think that I have done wrong thus to instruct thee,
as thy knowledge may render thee vain--_nil exactius eruditiusque est_--
or discontented with thy situation in life. Such is too often the case,
I grant; but it is because education is not as general as it ought to
be. Were all educated, the superiority acquired or presumed upon by
education would be lost, and the nation would not only be wiser but
happier. It would judge more rightly, would not condemn the measures of
its rulers, which at present it cannot understand, and would not be led
away by the clamour and misrepresentation of the disaffected. But I
must not digress, as time is short. Jacob, I feel that thou wilt not be
spoilt by the knowledge instilled into thee; but mark me, parade it not,
for it will be vanity, and make thee enemies. Cultivate thyself as much
as thou canst, but in due season--thy duties to thy employer must be
first attended to--but treasure up what thou hast, and lay up more when
thou canst. Consider it as hidden wealth, which may hereafter be
advantageously employed. Thou art now but an apprentice in a barge; but
what mayest thou not be, Jacob, if thou art diligent--if thou fear God,
and be honest? I will now call to my mind some examples to stimulate
thee in thy career."
Here the Dominie brought forward about forty or fifty instances from
history, in which people from nothing had risen to the highest rank and
consideration; but although I listened to them very attentively, the
reader will probably not regret the omission of the Dominie's catalogue.
Having concluded, the Dominie gave me a Latin Testament, the Whole Duty
of Man, and his blessing. The matron added to them a large slice of
seed-cake and by the time that I had returned to Mr Drummond's, both
the Dominie's precepts and the matron's considerate addition had been
well digested.
It was six o'clock the next morning that we cast off our fastenings and
pulled into the stream. The day was lovely, the sun had risen above the
trees, which feathered their boughs down on the sloping lawns in front
of the many beautiful retreats of the nobility and gentry which border
the river; and the lamp of day poured a flood of light upon the smooth
and rapidly ebbing river. The heavy dew which had fallen during the
night studded the sides of the barge, and glittered like necklaces of
diamonds; the mist and the fog had ascended, except here and there,
where it partially concealed the landscape; boats laden with the produce
of the market-gardens in the vicinity were hastening down with the tide
to supply the metropolis; the watermen were in their wherries, cleaning
and mopping them out, ready for their fares; the smoke of the chimneys
ascended in a straight line to heaven; and the distant chirping of the
birds in the trees added to the hilarity and lightness of heart with
which I now commenced my career as an apprentice.
I was forward, looking down the river, when Marables called me to take
the helm, while they went to breakfast. He commenced giving me
instructions; but I cut them short by proving to him that I knew the
river as well as he did. Pleased at the information, he joined Fleming,
who was preparing the breakfast in the cabin, and I was left on the deck
by myself. There, as we glided by every object which for years I had
not seen, but which was immediately recognised and welcomed as an old
friend, with what rapidity did former scenes connected with them flash
into my memory! There was the inn at the water-side, where my father
used to replenish the stone bottle; it was just where the barge now was
that I had hooked and pulled up the largest chub I had ever caught. Now
I arrived at the spot where we had ran foul of another craft; and my
father, with his pipe in his mouth and his "Take it coolly," which so
exasperated the other parties, stood as alive before me. Here--yes, it
was here--exactly here--where we anchored on that fatal night when I was
left an orphan--it was here that my father disappeared; and as I looked
down at the water, I almost thought I could perceive it again close over
him, as it eddied by: and it was here that the black smoke--The whole
scene came fresh to my memory, my eyes filled with tears, and, for a
little while, I could not see to steer. But I soon recovered myself;
the freshness of the air, the bright sky overhead, the busy scene before
me, and the necessity of attending to my duty, chased away my painful
remembrances; and when I had passed the spot I was again cheerful and
content.
In half-an-hour I had shot Putney Bridge, and was sweeping clear of the
shallows on the reach below, when Marables and Fleming came up. "How!"
exclaimed Marables; "have we passed the bridge? Why did you not call
us?"
"I have shot it without help many and many a time," replied I, "when I
was but ten years old. Why should I call you from your breakfast? But
the tides are high now, and the stream rapid; you had better get a sweep
out on the bow, or we may tail on the bank."
"Well!" replied Fleming, with astonishment; "I had no idea that he would
have been any help to us; but so much the better." He then spoke in a
low tone to Marables.