"What the devil do you want?"
"A boat, sir, to--"
"A boat! the devil you do!"
"To pick up our wherry, sir," interrupted Tom.
"Pick it up yourself," said the first lieutenant, passing us, and
hailing the men aloft. "Maintop, there, hook on your stays. Be smart.
Lower away the yards. Marines and after-guard, clear launch.
Boatswain's mate."
"Here, sir."
"Pipe marines and after-guard to clear launch."
"Aye, aye, sir."
"But we shall lose our boat, Jacob," said Tom to me. "They stove it in,
and they ought to pick it up." Tom then went up to the master's mate,
which he had brought on board, and explained our difficulty.
"Upon my soul, I dar'n't say a word. I'm in a scrape for breaking my
leave. Why the devil didn't you take care of your wherry, and haul
a-head when you saw the launch coming?"
"How could we, when the chest was hoisting out?"
"Very true. Well, I am very sorry for you, but I must look after my
chest." So saying, he disappeared down the gangway ladder.
"I'll try it again, anyhow," said Tom, going up to the first lieutenant.
"Hard case to lose our boat and our bread, sir," said Tom touching his
hat.
The first lieutenant, now that the marines and after-guard were at a
regular stamp and go, had, unfortunately more leisure to attend to us.
He looked at us earnestly, and walked aft to see if the wherry was yet
in sight. At that moment up came the master's mate, who had not yet
reported himself to the first lieutenant.
"Tom," said I, "there is a wherry close to, let us get into it, and go
after our boat ourselves."
"Wait one moment to see if they will help us--and get our money, at all
events," replied Tom; and we both walked aft.
"Come on board, sir," said the master's mate, touching his hat with
humility.
"You've broke your leave, sir," replied the first lieutenant, "and now
I've to send a boat to pick up the wherry through your carelessness."
"If you please, they are two very fine young men," observed the mate.
"Make capital foretopmen. Boat's not worth sending for, sir."
This hint, given by the mate to the first lieutenant, to regain his
favour, was not lost. "Who are you, my lads?" said the first lieutenant
to us.
"Watermen, sir."
"Watermen, heh? was that your own boat?"
"No, sir," replied I; "it belongs to the man that I serve with."
"Oh, not your own boat? Are you an apprentice, then?"
"Yes, sir, both apprentices."
"Show me your indentures."
"We don't carry them about with us."
"Then how am I to know that you are apprentices?"
"We can prove it, sir, if you wish it."
"I do wish it; at all events, the captain will wish it."
"Will you please to send for the boat, sir? she's almost out of sight."
"No, my lads, I can't find king's boats for such service."
"Then we had better go ourselves, Tom," said I, and we went forward to
call the waterman, who was lying on his oars close to the frigate.
"Stop--stop--not so fast. Where are you going, my lads?"
"To pick up our boat, sir."
"Without my leave, heh?"
"We don't belong to the frigate, sir."
"No; but I think it very likely that you will, for you have no
protections."
"We can send for them, and have them down by to-morrow morning."
"Well, you may do so if you please, my lads; but you can not expect me
to believe everything that is told me. Now, for instance, how long have
you to serve, my lad?" said he, addressing Tom.
"My time is up to-morrow, sir."
"Up to-morrow. Why, then, I shall detain you until tomorrow, and then I
shall press you."
"If you detain me now, sir, I am pressed to-day."
"Oh, no! you are only detained until you prove your apprenticeship,
that's all."
"Nay, sir, I certainly am pressed during my apprenticeship."
"Not at all, and I'll prove it to you. You don't belong to the ship
until you are victualled on her books. Now I sha'n't _victual_ you
to-day, and therefore you won't be _pressed_."
"I shall be pressed with hunger at all events," replied Tom, who never
could lose a joke.
"No you sha'n't; for I'll send you both a good dinner out of the
gun-room. So you won't be pressed at all," replied the lieutenant,
laughing at Tom's reply.
"You will allow me to go, sir, at all events," replied I; for I knew
that the only chance of getting Tom and myself clear was my hastening to
Mr Drummond for assistance.
"Pooh! nonsense; you must both row in the same boat as you have done.
The fact is, my lads, I've taken a great fancy to you both, and I can't
make up my mind to part with you."
"It's hard to lose our bread this way," replied I.
"We will find you bread, and hard enough you will find it," replied the
lieutenant, laughing; "it's like a flint."
"So we ask for bread, and you give us a stone," said Tom; "that's
'gainst Scripture."
"Very true, my lad; but the fact is, all the scriptures in the world
won't man the frigate. Men we must have, and get them how we can, and
where we can, and when we can. Necessity has no law; at least it
obliges us to break through all laws. After all, there's no great
hardship in serving the king for a year or two, and filling your pockets
with prize-money. Suppose you volunteer?"
"Will you allow us to go on shore for half-an-hour to think about it?"
replied I.
"No. I'm afraid of the crimps dissuading you. But I'll give you till
to-morrow morning, and then I shall be sure of one at all events."
"Thanky for me," replied Tom.
"You're very welcome," replied the first lieutenant, as, laughing at us,
he went down the companion-ladder to his dinner.
"Well, Jacob, we are in for it," said Tom, as soon as we were alone.
"Depend upon it there's no mistake this time."
"I am afraid not," replied I, "unless we can get a letter to your
father, or Mr Drummond, who, I am sure, would help us. But that dirty
fellow, who gave the lieutenant the hint, said the frigate sailed
to-morrow morning; there he is, let us speak to him."
"When does the frigate sail!" said Tom to the master's mate, who was
walking the deck.
"My good fellow, it's not the custom on board of a man-of-war for men to
ask officers to answer such impertinent questions. It's quite
sufficient for you to know that when the frigate sails you will have the
pleasure of sailing in her."
"Well, sir," replied I, nettled at his answer, "at all events you will
have the goodness to pay us our fare. We have lost our wherry, and our
liberty, perhaps, through you; we may as well have our two guineas."
"Two guineas! It's two guineas you want, heh."
"Yes, sir, that was the fare we agreed upon."
"Why you must observe, my men," said the master's mate, hooking a thumb
into each armhole of his waistcoat, "there must be a little explanation
as to that affair. I promised you two guineas as watermen; but now that
you belong to a man-of-war, you are no longer watermen. I always pay my
debts honourably when I can find the lawful creditors; but where are the
watermen?"
"Here we are sir."
"No, my lads, you are men-of-war's men now, and that quite alters the
case."
"But we are not so yet, sir; even if it did alter the case, we are not
pressed yet."
"Well, then, you'll be to-morrow, perhaps; at all events we shall see.
If you are allowed to go on shore again, I owe you two guineas as
watermen; and if you are detained as men-of-war's men, why then you will
only have done your duty in pulling down one of your officers. You see,
my lads, I say nothing but what's fair."
"Well, sir, but when you hired us we were watermen," replied Tom.
"Very true, so you were; but recollect the two guineas were not due
until you had completed your task, which was not until you came on
board. When you came on board you were pressed, and became men-of-war's
men. You should have asked for your fare before the first lieutenant
got hold of you. Don't you perceive the justice of my remarks?"
"Can't say I do, sir; but I perceive there's very little chance of our
being paid," said Tom.
"You are a lad of discrimination," replied the master's mate. "And now
I advise you to drop the subject, or you may induce me to pay you
`man-of-war fashion.'"
"How's that, sir?"
"Over the face and eyes, as the cat paid the monkey," replied the
master's mate, walking leisurely away.
"No go, Tom," said I, smiling at the absurdity of the arguments.
"I'm afraid it's _no go_ in every way, Jacob. However, I don't care
much about it. I have had a little hankering after seeing the world,
and perhaps now's as well as an other time; but I'm sorry for you,
Jacob."
"It's all my own fault," replied I; and I fell into one of those
reveries so often indulged in of late, as to the folly of my conduct in
asserting my independence, which had now ended in my losing my liberty.
But we were cold from the ducking we had received, and moreover, very
hungry. The first lieutenant did not forget his promise: he sent us a
good dinner, and a glass of grog each, which we discussed under the
half-deck, between two of the guns. We had some money in our pockets,
and we purchased some sheets of paper from the bum-boat people, who were
on the main-deck supplying the seamen, and I wrote to Mr Drummond and
Mr Turnbull, as well as to Mary and old Tom, requesting the two latter
to forward our clothes to Deal, in case of our being detained. Tom also
wrote to comfort his mother, and the greatest comfort which he could
give was, as he said, to promise to keep sober. Having entrusted these
letters to the bumboat woman, who promised faithfully to put them into
the post-office, we had then nothing else to do but to look out for some
place to sleep. Our clothes had dried on us, and we were walking under
the half-deck: but not a soul spoke to, or even took the least notice of
us. In a newly-manned ship just ready to sail there is a universal
feeling of selfishness prevailing among the ship's company. Some, if
not most, had, like us, been pressed, and their thoughts were occupied
with their situation and the change in their prospects. Others were
busy making their little arrangements with their wives or relations;
while the mass of the seamen, not yet organised by discipline or known
to each other, were in a state of disunion and individuality, which
naturally induced every man to look after himself without caring for his
neighbour. We therefore could not expect, nor did we receive, any
sympathy; we were in a scene of bustle and noise, yet alone. A spare
topsail, which had been stowed for the present between two of the guns,
was the best accommodation which offered itself. We took possession of
it, and, tired with exertion of mind and body, were soon fast asleep.