CAPTAIN LITTLESTONE IS FOUND, AND THE REV. MR. WOLSTON IS SEEN FOR THE
FIRST TIME.
Jack, on arriving at the hotel, ascertained the number of the room in
which Captain Littlestone was located. In his hurry to see his old
friend, the young man did not stop to knock at the door, but entered
without ceremony, with Fritz and Willis at his heels. They found
themselves in the presence of two gentlemen, one of whom sat with his
face buried in his hands, the other was reading what appeared to be a
small bible.
The latter was a young man seemingly of about twenty-four or
twenty-five years of age. He had a mild but noble bearing, and his
aspect denoted habitual meditation. His eyes were remarkably piercing
and expressive; in short, he was one of those men at whom we are led
involuntarily to cast a glance of respect, without very well knowing
why; perhaps it might be owing to the gravity of his demeanour,
perhaps to the peculiar decorum of his deportment, or perhaps to the
scrupulous propriety of his dress. He raised his eyes from the book he
held in his hand, and gazed tranquilly at the three figures who had so
abruptly interrupted his reveries.
"May I inquire," said he, "to what we owe this intrusion on our
privacy, gentlemen?"
"We have to apologise for our rudeness," said Fritz; "but are you not
the Rev. Mr. Wolston?"
"My name is Charles Wolston, and I am a minister of the gospel, and
missionary of the church."
"Then, sir," continued Fritz, "I am the bearer of a message from your
father."
"From my father!" exclaimed the missionary, starting up; "you come
then from the Pacific Ocean?"
[Illustration]
Here the second gentleman raised his head, and looked as if he had
just awakened from a dream. He gazed at the speakers with a puzzled
air.
"Do you know me, captain?" said Willis.
Littlestone, for it was he, continued to gaze in mute astonishment, as
if the events of the past had been defiling through his memory; and he
probably thought that the figures before him were mere phantom
creations of his brain.
"Willis! can it be possible?" he exclaimed, taking at the same time
the Pilot's proffered hand.
"Yes, captain, as you see."
"And the two young Beckers, as I live!" cried Littlestone.
"Yes," said Jack, "and delighted to find you at last."
Littlestone then shook them all heartily by the hand.
"It is but a poor welcome that I, a prisoner in the enemy's country,
can give you to Europe; still I am truly overjoyed to see you. But
where have you all come from?"
"From New Switzerland," replied Jack.
"But how?"
"By sea."
"That, of course; and I presume another ship anchored in Safety Bay?"
"No, captain. Seeing you did not return to us, we embarked in the
pinnace and came in search of you."
"Your pinnace was but indifferently calculated to weather a gale,
keeping out of view the other dangers incidental to such a voyage."
"True, captain; but my brother and I, with Willis for a pilot and
Providence for a guardian, ventured to brave these perils; and here we
are, as you see."
"And your mother consented to such a dangerous proceeding, did she?"
"It was for her, and yet against her will, that we embarked on the
voyage."
"I do not understand."
"For her, because, when we left, she was dying."
"Dying, say you?"
"Yes, and our object in coming to Europe was chiefly to obtain
surgical aid."
"And have you found a surgeon?"
"Not yet, but we are in hopes of finding one."
"If money is wanted, besides the value of the cargo I landed for you
at the Cape, you may command my purse."
"A thousand thanks, captain, but the merchandise we have here is
likely to be sufficient for our purpose. Unfortunately, gold is not
the only thing that is requisite."
"What, then?"
"In the first place, a disinterested love of humanity is needful;
there are few men of science and skill who would not risk more than
they would gain by accepting any offer we can make. It is not easy to
find the heart of a son in the body of a physician."
"What, then, will you do, my poor friend?"
"That is my secret, captain."
During this conversation, the missionary had put a thousand questions
to Willis and Fritz relative to his father, mother, and sisters, and a
smile now and then lit up his features as Fritz related some of the
family mishaps.
"You must have undergone some hardships in your voyage from the
antipodes to Havre de Grace," said Littlestone to Jack,
"notwithstanding the skill of my friend the Pilot."
"Yes, captain, a few," replied Jack. "I myself made a narrow escape
from being killed and eaten by a couple of savages."
"And how did you escape?"
"Providence interfered at the critical moment."
"Well, so I should imagine."
"Our friend the Pilot was more fortunate; he was abducted by the
natives of Hawaii; but, instead of converting him into mincemeat, they
transformed him into a divinity, bore him along in triumph to a
temple, where he was perfumed with incense, and had sacrifices offered
up to him."
"Willis must have felt himself highly honored," said the captain,
smiling.
"These fine things did not, however, last long, for next day they were
wound up with a cloud of arrows."
"And another interposition of Providence?"
"Yes, none of the arrows were winged with death."
"After that," remarked Willis, "we fell in with a Yankee cruiser, were
taken on board, and carried into the latitude of the Bahamas, where we
fell in with Old Flyblow, who, after a tough set-to, sent the Yankee a
prize to Bermuda, and took us on board as passengers."
"And," added Jack, "whilst we were under protection of the American
flag, Willis fell in with a certain Bill Stubbs, who was shot in the
fight and died of his wounds. This trifling accident did not, however,
prevent Willis falling in with him alive in Havre."
"You still seem to delight in paradoxes, Master Jack," said the
captain.
"The English cruiser," continued Jack, "was afterwards captured by a
French corvette, on which it appears you were on board _incognito_."
"What! I on board?"
"Yes; ask Willis."
"If you were not, captain, how could you come to my cabin every night
and ask me questions?" inquired the latter.
At this point, a shade of anxiety crossed Littlestone's features; he
turned and looked at the missionary--the missionary looked at
Fritz--Fritz stared at his brother--Jack gazed at Willis--and Willis,
with a puzzled air, regarded everybody in turn.
"At last," continued Jack, "after experiencing a variety of both good
and bad fortune, sometimes vanquished and sometimes the victors, first
wounded, then cured, we arrived here in Havre, where, for a time, we
were plunged into the deepest poverty; we were blacksmiths and
carpenters by turns, and thought ourselves fortunate when we had a
chair to mend or a horse to shoe."
"The workings of Providence," said the missionary, "are very
mysterious, and, perhaps, you will allow me to illustrate this fact by
drawing a comparison. A ship is at the mercy of the waves; it sways,
like a drunken man, sometimes one way and sometimes another. All on
board are in commotion, some are hurrying down the hatchways, and
others are hurrying up. The sailors are twisting the sails about in
every possible direction. Some of the men are closing up the
port-holes, others are working at the pumps. The officers are issuing
a multiplicity of orders at once, the boatswain is constantly sounding
his whistle. There is no appearance of order, confusion seems to reign
triumphant, and there is every reason to believe that the commands are
issued at random."
"I have often wondered," said Jack, "how so many directions issued on
ship board in a gale at one and the same moment could possibly be
obeyed."
"Let us descend, however, to the captain's cabin," continued the
missionary. "He is alone, collected, thoughtful, and tranquil, his eye
fixed upon a chart. Now he observes the position of the sun, and marks
the meridian; then he examines the compass, and notes the polary
deviation. On all sides are sextants, quadrants, and chronometers. He
quietly issues an order, which is echoed and repeated above, and thus
augments the babel on deck."
"A single order," remarked Willis, "often gives rise to changes in
twenty different directions."
"On deck," continued the missionary, "the crew appear completely
disorganized. In the captain's cabin, you find that all this apparent
confusion is the result of calculation, and is essential to the safety
of the ship."
"Still," said Jack, "it is difficult to see how this result is
effected by disorder."
"True; and, therefore, we must rely upon the skill of the captain; we
behold nothing but uproar, but we know that all is governed by the
most perfect discipline. So it is with the world; society is a ship,
men and their passions are the mast, sails, rigging, the anchors,
quadrants, and sextants of Providence. We understand nothing of the
combined action of these instruments; we tremble at every shock, and
fear that every whirlwind is destined to sweep us away. But let us
penetrate into the chamber of the Great Ruler. He issues his commands
tranquilly; we see that He is watching over our safety; and whatever
happens, our hearts beat with confidence, and our minds are at rest."
"Therefore," added Littlestone, "we are resigned to our fate as
prisoners of war; but still we hope."
"And not without good reason," said Willis; "for it will go hard with
me if I do not realize your hopes, and that very shortly too."
"I do not see very well how our hopes of liberty can be realized till
peace is proclaimed."
"Peace!" exclaimed Willis. "Yes, in another twenty years or so,
perhaps; to wail for such an unlikely event will never do; my young
friend, Master Jack Becker, is in a hurry, and we must all leave this
place within a month at latest."
"You mean us, then, to make our escape, Willis; but that is
impossible."
"I have an idea that it is not impossible, captain; the cargo Masters
Fritz and Jack have here will realize a large sum; the pearls,
saffron, and cochineal, are bringing their weight in gold. I shall be
able to charter or buy a ship with the proceeds, and some dark night
we shall all embark; and if a surgeon is not willing to come of his
own accord, I shall press the best one in the place: it won't be the
first time I have done such a thing, with much less excuse."
"One will be willing," said Jack; "so you need not introduce One-eyed
Dick's schooner here, Willis."
"So far so good, then; it only remains for us to smuggle the captain,
the missionary, and the crew of the _Nelson_ on board."
"But we are prisoners," said Littlestone.
"I know that well enough; if you were not prisoners, of course there
would be no difficulty."
"Recollect, Willis, we are not only prisoners, but we are on parole."
"True," said Willis, scratching his ear, "I did not think of that."
"The situation," remarked Jack, "is something like that of Louis XIV.
at the famous passage of the Rhine, of whom Boileau said: 'His
grandeur tied him to the banks.' Had you been only a common sailor,
captain, a parole would not have stood in the way of your escape."
"But," said Willis, "the parole can be given up, can it not?"
"Not without a reasonable excuse," replied the captain.
"Well," continued Willis, "you can go with the minister to the
Maritime Prefect, and say: 'Sir, you know that everyone's country is
dear to one's heart, and you will not be astonished to hear that
myself and friend have an ardent desire to return to ours. This desire
on our part is so great, that some day we may be tempted to fly, and,
consequently, forfeit our honor; for, after all, there are only a few
miles of sea between us and our homes. We ought not to trust to our
strength when we know we are weak. Do us, therefore, the favor to
withdraw our parole; we prefer to take up our abode in a prison, so
that, if we can escape, we may do so with our honor intact."
"And suppose this favor granted, we shall be securely shut up in a
dungeon. I scarcely think that would alter our position for the
better, or render our escape practicable."
"You will, at all events, be free to try, will you not?"
"That is a self-evident proposition, Willis, and, so far as that goes,
I have no objection to adopt the alternative of prison fare. What say
you, minister?"
"As for myself," replied the missionary, "a little additional hardship
may do me good, for the Scriptures say: Suffering purifieth the soul."
"We shall, therefore, resign our paroles, Willis; but bear in mind
that it is much easier to get into prison than to get out."
"Leave the getting out to me, captain; where there's a will there's
always a way."
"Do you think," whispered the captain to Fritz, "that Willis is all
right in his upper story?"
Fritz shook his head, which, in the ordinary acceptation of the sign,
means, I really do not know.