The frigate was not yet ready for sea, and I had therefore time to pick
up some scraps of nautical knowledge, to learn the ways of the ship, and
to get a tolerable notion of my duties. I quickly mastered the rules
and regulations of the service, a copy of which Jack Nettleship gave me.
"Stick by them, my lad, and you can't go wrong; if you do, it's their
fault, not yours," he observed.
"But suppose I don't understand them?" I asked.
"Then you can plead in justification that they are not sufficiently
clear for an ordinary comprehension," he answered. "I do when I make a
mistake, and old Rough-and-Ready is always willing to receive my
excuses, as he can't spell them out very easily himself, though they are
his constant study day and night. Indeed, I doubt if he reads anything
else, except Norie's _Navigation_ and the _Nautical Almanack_?"
Nettleship showed me a copy of the former work, and kindly undertook to
instruct me in the science of navigation. All day long, however, he was
employed in the duties of the ship, and in the evening I was generally
sleepy when it was our watch below, so that I didn't make much progress.
Though I got on very well, I was guilty, I must own, of not a few
blunders. I was continually going aft when I intended to be going
forward, and _vice versa_.
The day after I came aboard I was skylarking with Tom Pim, Chaffey, and
other midshipmites (as the oldsters called us), when I told them that I
would hide, and that they might find me if they could. I ran up the
after-ladder, when seeing a door open, I was going to bolt through it.
Just then a marine, who was standing there, placed his musket to bar my
way. Not wishing to be stopped, I dodged under it, turning round and
saying--
"Arrah, boy! don't be after telling where I'm gone to."
The sentry, for such he was, not understanding me, seized hold of my
collar.
"You mustn't be going in there, whoever you are," he said in a gruff
tone.
"I'm a midshipman of this ship, and have a right to go wherever I like,
I'm after thinking," I said, trying to shake myself clear of his grasp.
"Hush, now; be pleasant, will ye, and do as I order you!"
"I shouldn't be finding it very pleasant if I was to break through the
rules and regulations of the service," he answered. "Now go forward,
young gentleman, and don't be attempting to playing any of your tricks
on me."
"I'm your officer, and I order you not to interfere with me, or say
where I'm gone," I exclaimed.
"I obey no orders except from my own lieutenant or the captain and the
lieutenants of the ship," answered the sturdy marine. "You can't go
into the captain's cabin while I'm standing here as sentry;" and he
proceeded to use more force than was agreeable to my dignity.
"Shure you're an impudent fellow to behave so to an officer," I
exclaimed; at which the sentry laughed, and said--
"Off with you, Master Jackanapes, and consider yourself fortunate that
worse hasn't come of your larking."