"'Twas his the vast and trackless deep to rove,
Alternate change of climates has he known,
And felt the fierce extremes of either zone,
Where polar skies congeal th' eternal snow,
Or equinoctial suns for ever glow;
Smote by the freezing or the scorching blast,
A ship-boy on the high and giddy mast."
FALCONER.
The father of the present Lord Aveleyn had three sons, and, in
conformity with the usages commented upon in the preceding chapter, the
two youngest were condemned to the army and navy; the second, who had
priority of choice, being dismissed to gather laurels in a red coat,
while the third was recommended to do the same, if he could, in a suit
of blue. Fairly embarked in their several professions, a sum of fifty
pounds per annum was placed in the hands of their respective agents, and
no more was thought about a pair of "detrimentals."
Lord Aveleyn's father, who had married late in life, was summoned away
when the eldest brother of the present Lord Aveleyn, the heir, was yet a
minor, about two years after he had embarked in the ship to which Edward
Forster belonged. Now it was the will of Providence that, about six
months after the old nobleman's decease, the young lord and his second
brother, who had obtained a short furlough, should most unadvisedly
embark in a small sailing boat on the lake close to the mansion, and
that, owing to some mismanagement of the sail, the boat upset, and they
were both drowned.
As soon as the melancholy intelligence was made known to the trustees, a
letter was despatched to Captain L---, who commanded the ship in which
young Aveleyn was serving his time, acquainting him with the
catastrophe, and requesting the immediate discharge of the young
midshipman. The captain repaired on board; when he arrived on the
quarter-deck, he desired the first-lieutenant to send down for young
Aveleyn.
"He is at the mast-head, sir," replied the first-lieutenant, "for
neglect of duty."
"Really, Mr W---," replied the captain, who had witnessed the boy's
_ascent_ at least a hundred times before with perfect indifference, and
had often sent him up himself, "you appear to be very sharp upon that
poor lad; you make no allowance for youth--boys will be boys."
"He's the most troublesome young monkey in the ship sir," replied the
first-lieutenant, surprised at this unusual interference.
"He has always appeared to me to be a well-disposed, intelligent lad,
Mr W---; and I wish you to understand that I do not approve of this
system of eternal mast-heading. However, he will not trouble you any
more, as his discharge is to be immediately made out. He is now,"
continued the captain, pausing to give more effect to his communication,
"Lord Aveleyn."
"Whew! now the murder's out," mentally exclaimed the first-lieutenant.
"Call him down immediately, Mr W---, if you please--and recollect that
I disapprove of the system."
"Certainly, sir; but really, Captain L---, I don't know what I shall do
if you restrict my power of punishing the young gentlemen; they are so
extremely unruly. There's Mr Malcolm," continued the first-lieutenant,
pointing to a youngster who was walking on the other side of the deck,
with his hands in his pockets, "it was but yesterday that he chopped off
at least four inches from the tail of your dog `Ponto,' at the
beef-block, and pretends it was an accident."
"What! my setter's tail?"
"Yes, sir, he did, I can assure you."
"Mr Malcolm," cried the captain, in great wrath, "how came you to cut
off my dog's tail?"
Before I went to sea I had always considered a London cock-sparrow to be
the truest emblem of consummate impudence; but I have since discovered
that he is quite modest compared to a midshipman.
"Me, sir?" replied the youngster, demurely. "I didn't cut off his tail,
sir; he _cut it off himself_!"
"What, sir!" roared the captain.
"If you please, sir, I was chopping a piece of beef, and the dog, who
was standing by, turned short round, and put his tail under the
chopper."
"Put his tail under the chopper, you little scamp!" replied Captain
L---, in a fury. "Now just put your head above the maintop-gallant
cross-trees, and stay there until you are called down. Mr W---, you'll
keep him up till sunset."
"Ay, ay, sir," replied the first-lieutenant, with a satisfactory smile
at the description of punishment inflicted.
When I was a midshipman, it was extremely difficult to avoid the
mast-head. Out of six years served in that capacity, I once made a
calculation that two of them were passed away perched upon the
cross-trees, looking down, with calm philosophy, upon the microcosm
below. Yet, although I _never_ deserved it, I derived much future
advantage from my repeated punishments. The mast-head, for want of
something _worse_ to do, became my study; and during the time spent
there, I in a manner finished my education. Volumes after volumes were
perused to while away the tedious hours; and I conscientiously believe
it is to this mode of punishment adopted by my rigid superiors that the
world is indebted for all the pretty books which I am writing.
I was generally exalted either for _thinking_ or _not thinking_; and as
I am not aware of any medium between the active and passive state of our
minds (except dreaming, which is still more unpardonable), the reader
may suppose that there is no exaggeration in my previous calculation of
one-third of my midshipman existence having been passed away upon "the
high and giddy mast."
"Mr M---," would the first-lieutenant cry out, "why did you stay so
long on shore with the jolly-boat?"
"I went to the post-office for the officers' letters, sir."
"And pray, sir, who ordered you?"
"No one, sir; but I _thought_--"
"You _thought_, sir! How dare _you think_?--go up to the mast-head,
sir."
So much for _thinking_.
"Mr M---," would he say at another time, when I came on board, "did you
call at the admiral's office?"
"No, sir; I had no orders. I didn't _think_--"
"Then why _didn't you think_, sir? Up to the mast-head, and stay there
till I call you down."
So much for _not thinking_. Like the fable of the wolf and the lamb, it
was all the same; bleat as I pleased, my defence was useless, and I
could not avert my barbarous doom.
To proceed: Captain L--- went over the side; the last pipe had been
given, and the boatswain had returned his call into his jacket-pocket,
and walked forward, when the first-lieutenant, in pursuance of his
orders, looked up aloft, intending to have hailed the new lord, and have
requested the pleasure of his company on deck; but the youngster,
feeling a slight degree of appetite, after enjoying the fresh air for
seven hours without any breakfast, had just ventured down the topmast
rigging, that he might obtain possession of a bottle of tea and some
biscuit, which one of his messmates had carried up for him, and stowed
away in the bunt of the maintopsail. Young Aveleyn, who thought that
the departure of the captain would occupy the attention of the
first-lieutenant, had just descended to, and was placing his foot on,
the topsail yard, when Mr W--- looked up, and witnessed this act of
disobedience. As this was a fresh offence committed, he thought himself
warranted in not complying with the captain's mandate, and the boy was
ordered up again, to remain till sunset. "I would have called him
down," muttered Mr W---, whose temper had been soured from long
disappointment; "but since he's a lord, he shall have a good spell of it
before he quits the service; and then we shall not have his
recommendation to others in his own rank to come into it, and interfere
with our promotion."
Now, it happened that Mr W---, who had an eye like a hawk, when he cast
his eyes aloft, observed that the bunt of the maintopsail was not
exactly so well stowed as it ought to be on board of a man-of-war; which
is not to be wondered at, when it is recollected that the midshipmen had
been very busy enlarging it to make a pantry. He therefore turned the
hands up, "mend sails," and took his station amidship on the booms, to
see that this, the most delinquent sail, was properly furled.
"Trice up--lay out--All ready forward?"--"All ready, sir."--"All ready
abaft?"--"All ready, sir."--"Let fall."--Down came the sails from the
yards, and down also came the bottle of tea and biscuit upon the face of
the first-lieutenant, who was looking up; the former knocking out three
of his front teeth, besides splitting open both his lips and chin.
Young Aveleyn, who witnessed the catastrophe, was delighted; the other
midshipmen on deck crowded round their superior, to offer their
condolements, winking and making faces at each other in by-play, until
the first-lieutenant descended to his cabin, when they no longer
restrained their mirth.
About an hour afterwards, Mr W--- reappeared, with his face bound up,
and summoned all the young gentlemen on deck, insisting upon being
informed who it was who had stowed away the bottle in the bunt of the
sail; but midshipmen have most treacherous memories, and not one of them
knew anything about it. As a last resource, young Aveleyn was called
down from the mast-head.
"Now, sir," said Mr W---, "either inform me directly who it was who
stowed away the bottle aloft, or I pledge you my word you shall be
discharged from his Majesty's service tomorrow morning. Don't pretend
to say that you don't know--for you must."
"I do know," replied the youngster, boldly; "but I never will tell."
"Then either you or I shall leave the service. Man the first cutter;"
and when the boat was manned, the first-lieutenant sent some papers on
shore, which he had been desired to do by the captain.
When the boat returned, the clerk was sent for, and desired by Mr
W--- to make out Mr Aveleyn's discharge, as the officers and midshipmen
thought (for Mr W--- had kept his secret), for his disobedient conduct.
The poor boy, who thought all his prospects blighted, was sent on
shore, the tears running down his cheeks, as much from the applause and
kind farewells of his shipmates, as from the idea of the degradation
which he underwent. Now, the real culprit was young Malcolm, who, to
oblige the captain, had taken his station at the foretop-gallant
mast-head, because the dog "Ponto" thought proper to cut off his own
tail. The first-lieutenant, in his own woe, forgot that of others; and
it was not until nine o'clock at night, that Malcolm, who thought that
he had stayed up quite long enough, ventured below, when he was informed
of what had taken place.
The youngster immediately penned a letter to the captain acknowledging
that he was the offender, and requesting that Mr Aveleyn might not be
discharged from the service; he also ventured to add a postscript,
begging that the same lenity might be extended towards himself; which
letter was sent on shore by the captain's gig, when it left the ship the
next morning, and was received by Captain L--- at the very same time
that young Aveleyn, who had not been sent on shore till late in the
evening, called upon the captain to request a reprieve from his hard
sentence.
The boy sent up his name and was immediately admitted.
"I presume you know why you are discharged from the service?" said
Captain L---, smiling benignantly.
"Yes, sir," replied the boy, holding his head down submissively,
"because of that accident--I'm very sorry, sir."
"Of course you must, and ought to be. Such heavy blows are not common,
and hard to bear. I presume you go immediately to Buckhurst?"
"I suppose I must, sir; but I hope, Captain L---, that you'll look over
it."
"I shall have very great pleasure in so doing," replied Captain L---; "I
hear that it is--"
"Thanky, sir, thanky," replied the youngster, interrupting the captain.
"Then I may go on board again and tell the first-lieutenant?"
"Tell the first-lieutenant what?" cried Captain L---, perceiving some
mistake. "Why, has not Mr W--- told you?"
"Yes, sir, he told me it was your orders that I should be dismissed his
Majesty's service."
"Discharged--not dismissed. And I presume he told you why: because your
two elder brothers are dead, and you are now Lord Aveleyn."
"No, sir!" cried the youngster with astonishment; "because his three
front teeth are knocked out with a bottle of _scaldchops_ and I would
not peach who stowed it away in the bunt of the sail."
"This is excessively strange!" replied Captain L---. "Do me the favour
to sit down, my lord; the letters from the ship will probably explain
the affair."
There was, however, no explanation, except from young Malcolm. The
captain read his letter, and put it into the hands of Lord Aveleyn, who
entered into a detail of the whole.
Captain L--- produced the letter from the trustees, and, desiring his
lordship to command him as to any funds he might require, requested the
pleasure of his company to dinner. The boy, whose head wheeled with the
sudden change in his prospects, was glad to retire, having first
obtained permission to return on board with young Malcolm's pardon,
which had been most graciously acceded to. To the astonishment of
everybody on board, young Aveleyn came alongside in the captain's own
gig, when the scene in the midshipmen's berth and the discomfiture of
the first-lieutenant may be imagined.
"You don't belong to the service, Frank," said the old master's mate;
"and, as peer of the realm, coming on board to visit the ship, you are
entitled to a salute. Send up and say you expect one, and then
W--- must have the guard up, and pay you proper respect. I'll be hanged
if I don't take the message, if you consent to it."
But Lord Aveleyn had come on board to pay a debt of gratitude, not to
inflict mortification. He soon quitted the ship, promising never to
forget Malcolm; and, unlike the promises of most great men, it was
fulfilled, and Malcolm rose to be a captain from his own merit, backed
by the exertions of his youthful patron.
For the next week the three mast-heads were so loaded with midshipmen,
that the boatswain proposed a preventer backstay, that the top-masts
might not go over the side; but shortly after, Captain L---, who was not
pleased at the falsehood which Mr W--- had circulated, and who had many
other reasons for parting with him, succeeded in having him appointed to
another ship; after which the midshipmen walked up and down the
quarter-deck with their hands in their pockets, as before.