"More than once that night," resumed Captain Collins, "I woke up with a
start, at thought of our late adventures in the river Nouries--fancying
I was still waiting for the turn of tide to bring down the boats or the
schooner, and had gone to sleep, when that horrible sound through the
cabin skylight seemed full in my ears again. However, the weltering wash
of the water under the ship's timbers below one's head was proof enough
we were well to sea; and, being dog-tired, I turned over each time with
a new gusto--not to speak of the happy sort of feeling that ran all
through me, I scarce knew why; though no doubt one might have dreamt
plenty of delightful dreams without remembering them, more especially
after such a perfect seventh heaven as I had found myself in for a
moment or two, when Violet Hyde's hand first touched mine, and when I
carried her in after she had actually saved my life.
"The broad daylight through our quarter-gallery window roused me at last
altogether; and on starting up I saw Tom Westwood, half-dressed, shaving
himself by an inch or two of broken looking-glass in regular nautical
style--that's to say, watching for the rise of the ship--as she had the
wind evidently on her opposite beam, and there appeared to be pretty
much of a long swell afloat, with a breeze brisk enough to make her heel
to it; while the clear horizon, seen shining through the port to
north-westward, over the dark-blue heave of water, showed it was far on
in the morning. 'Well, Ned,' said Westwood, turning round, 'you seemed
to be enjoying it, in spite of the warm work you must have had last
night on board here. Why, I thought you had been with us in the boats,
after all, till I found, by the good joke the cadets made of it, that
that puppy of a mate had left you still locked up, on account of some
fancy he had got into his head of your being in partnership with the
schooner! For heaven's sake, though, my dear fellow, wash your face and
shave--you look fearfully suspicious just now!'
"'No wonder!' said I: and I gave him an account of the matter, leaving
out most of what regarded the young lady; Westwood telling me, in his
turn, so much about their boat expedition as I didn't know before from
the planter. Everything went to certify what I believed all along, till
this sudden affair in the river. The schooner's people had plainly some
cue in keeping hold of our passengers, but hadn't expected to see us so
soon again, or perhaps at all--as was shown by their hailing the boats
at once in a pretended friendly way, whenever they came in sight up the
creek; while Ford and the rest shouted with delight, off her bulwarks,
at sound of the mate's voice.
"'I tell you what, Collins,' continued Westwood, 'this may be all very
well for _you_, who are continually getting into scrapes and out of
them, and don't seem to care much whether you ship on board an Indiaman
or a corn-brig--you can always find something to do--but to me the
service is _everything_!' 'Well, well,' said I, hastily, 'I'm much
mistaken if we don't find something to do in India, Tom--only wait, and
that uncle of yours will make all right; for all we know, there may be
news from Europe to meet us, and I must say I don't like the notion of
being born too late for turning out an admiral. I'm sure, for my part, I
wish old Nap well out of that stone cage of his!' 'No, no, Ned,' said
Westwood, 'I ought to clear myself at home first; and sorry I am that I
gave in to you by leaving England, when I should have faced the
consequences, whatever they were. Running only made matters worse,
Collins!' 'No doubt,' I said; 'and as it was my fault, why, deuce take
me, Tom, if I don't manage to carry you out scot-free! Depend on it,
Captain Duncombe's friends would have you strung up like a dog, with the
interest he had and sharp as discipline is just now.' Westwood shuddered
at the thought. 'I fear it would go hard with me, Ned,' said he, 'and I
shan't deny that these few weeks have brought me back a taste for life.
But, in spite of all, I'd deliver myself up to the first king's ship we
speak, or go home in some Indiaman from the Cape--but for one thing,
Collins!' 'Ah!' said I, 'what's that?' Westwood gave me a curious
half-look, and said, 'One _person_ I mean, Ned--and I shouldn't like
_her_ to hear of me being----' 'Yes, yes,' said I, stiffly, 'I know.'
'It must have been by guess, then!' answered he. 'Often as we've talked
of her during the voyage, I thought you didn't know we had met
frequently in London before you came home, and--and--the fact is, I
wasn't sure you would like _me_ to----' 'Westwood,' said I, quickly,
'Tom Westwood--what I have to ask is--do you love her?' 'If ever a man
loved a woman, Ned,' was his answer, 'I do _her_; but if _you_----'
'Have you any chance, then?' I broke out. 'Ay, true--true enough, you
have the best of chances--your way is as clear as could be, Westwood, if
you knew it! Only I _must_ know if she is willing--does she----' 'I got
leave to write to her in London,' answered Westwood, 'and I did so
pretty often, you may be sure; but I only had one short little note in
answer to the last, I think it was--which I had in my breast that
morning on Southsea beach, when I expected the bullet would come through
it!'
"Here Westwood stooped down to his trunk, and took out a rose-coloured
note wrapped in a bit of paper; I standing the while fixed to the deck,
not able to speak, till he was handing it to me. 'No, no!' said I,
turning from him angrily, and like to choke; 'that's too much, Mr
Westwood--pray keep your own love-letters for your own reading!'
'There's nothing particular in it, Ned,' answered he, flushing a little,
'only there's a few words in it I'd like you to see--don't look at it
just now, but tell me afterwards what you think. You ought to see it, as
the matter seems to depend on you, Ned; and if _you_ object, you may be
sure, so far as I'm concerned, 'tis all over!'
"Somehow or other, the look of the little folded piece of paper, with
the touch and the scent of it, as Westwood slipped it into my hand, made
it stick to me. I caught one glance of the address on the back, written
as if fairy fingers had done it, and I suppose I slipped it into my coat
as I went out of the berth, meaning to go aloft in the foretop and
sicken over the thought at my leisure, of Violet Hyde's having ever
favoured another man so far, and that man Tom Westwood. The strangeness
of the whole affair, as I took it, never once struck me; all that I
minded was the wretched feeling I had in me, as I wished I could put the
Atlantic betwixt me and them all; in fact, a hundred things before we
sailed, and during the passage, seemed all at once to agree with what
I'd just heard; and I'd have given thousands that moment it had been
someone else than Westwood, just that I might wait the voyage out
coolly, for the satisfaction of meeting him at twelve paces the first
morning ashore.
"On the larboard side of the berth-gangway, opposite our door, I saw the
old planter's standing half open, and Mr Rollock himself with his shirt
and trousers on, taking in his boots. 'Hallo, Collins, my boy,' he sang
out, eagerly, 'come here a moment, I've got something to show
you!--Look,' said he, standing on tiptoe to see better through the
half-port, 'there's something new been put in my picture-frame here
overnight, I think--ha! ha!'
"The first thing that caught my eye, accordingly, was the gleam of a
sail rising from over the swell to windward, far away off our larboard
quarter, seemingly rolling before the south-easter; while the Indiaman
hove her big side steadily out of water, with her head across the
other's course, and gave us a sight of the strange sail swinging to the
fair wind, every time we rose on the surge. 'What is it, eh?' said the
planter, turning to me, 'back or face, Collins? for, bless me, if I can
distinguish tub from bucket, with all this bobbing about--great deal of
capital indigo wasted hereabouts, my dear fellow!' 'Why, you may make
out the two breasts of her royals,' said I--'a brig, I think, sir.' 'Not
that abominable schooner in her first shape again, I hope!' exclaimed
he; 'perhaps bringing back the Yankee.' 'Too square-shouldered for that,
Mr Rollock,' I said; 'in fact, she seems to be signalling us; yes, by
Jove! there's the long pennant at her fore-royal mast-head--she's a brig
of war. They're surely asleep on deck, and we shall have a shot
directly, if they don't look sharp!' 'You'd better say nothing about the
Yankee's absence, Collins,' put in the planter, 'till we're fairly away.
For my part, I really have no notion of waiting for anyone--particularly
a fellow who _must_ have some go-ahead scheme in his noddle, which we
Indians don't want. Quietly speaking, my dear fellow, I shall be glad if
we're rid of him!'
"On my mentioning what sort of 'notions' were found in Mr Snout's berth,
and the drowning of his heathen images, the worthy planter went into
perfect convulsions, till I thought I should have to slap him on the
back to give him breath. 'What the deuce!' said he at last; 'Daniel must
really have something worth his while to expect before he'd fail to look
after such a treasure!' 'Ah,' said I, not attending to him, as I heard a
stir on deck, 'there we go at last, cluing up the topsails, I suppose.'
'Seriously, now,' continued Mr Rollock, 'I can _not_ fathom that vessel
and her designs; but I bless my stars at getting clear off from the
company of that tall Frenchman with his moustache--can't bear a
moustache, Collins--always reminds me of those cursed Mahrattas that
burnt my factory once. Couldn't the man shave like a Christian, I
wonder? I defy you to enjoy mulligatawny soup and not make a beast of
yourself, with ever so much hair over your mouth. By-the-way, Collins,'
added he, eyeing me, 'since I saw you last, you've let your whiskers
grow, and look more like one of your nauticals than Ford
himself!--should scarce have known you! Any of it owing to the fair one
up yonder, eh?' And the jolly old chap, whose own huge white whiskers
gave him the cut of a royal Bengal tiger, pointed with his thumb over
his shoulder towards the round-house above, with a wink of his funny
round eye, that looked at you like a bird's. 'What do you suppose the
Frenchman to be then, sir?' asked I, gloomily. 'Oh, either a madman, a
spy, or something worse! Just guess what he asked me suddenly one
morning--why, if I weren't a distinguished _savant_, and wouldn't like
to study the botany of some island! "No, monsieur, not at all," replied
I, in fearfully bad French. "The geology, then?" persisted he, with a
curious gleam in his fierce black eyes--"does the research of monsieur
lie in that direction?" "Why, no," I answered, carelessly, "I don't
care a _sacré_ about stones, or anything of the kind, indeed; indigo is
_my_ particular line, which may be called botany, in a way--I'm perhaps
prejudiced in favour of it, monsieur!" The Frenchman leant his tufted
chin on his hand,' continued Mr Rollock, 'meditated a bit, then glanced
at me again, as if he didn't care though I were studying seaweed in the
depths of the ocean rolling round us, and stalked downstairs. Then he
took to Mrs Brady again, and lastly to the Yankee, whose conversations
with him, I fancy, had a twang of both commerce and politics.' 'What do
you think of it all, Mr Rollock?' inquired I, rather listlessly. 'It
didn't strike me at the time,' said the planter, 'but now I just ask
you, Collins, if there ain't a certain great personage studying geology
at present in a certain island, not very far away, I suppose, where
there's plenty of it, and deuced little botany, too, I imagine?' To this
question of the old gentleman's I gave nothing but a half-stupid sort of
stare, thinking as I was at the same time of something else I cared more
about.
"By Jupiter! though,' cried I, on a sudden, 'instead of heaving the ship
to, I do believe we've set topmast-stu'nsails, judging from the way she
pitches into the water; there's the brig nearing the wind a point or two
in chase, too; why, the fellow that has charge of the deck must be mad,
sir!' Next minute the fire out of one of her bowchasers flashed out
behind the blue back of a swell, and the sudden _thud_ of it came
rolling down to leeward over the space betwixt us, angrily, so to speak;
as the brig's fore-course mounted with a wave, the sun shining clear on
the seams and reef-points, till you caught sight of the anchor hanging
from one bow, and the men running in her lee stun'sail-booms upon the
yard-arms. The planter and I went on deck at once, where we found a fine
breeze blowing, far out of sight of land, the Indiaman rushing ahead
stately enough; while our young fourth officer appeared to have just
woke up, and the watch were still rubbing their eyes, as if every man
had been 'caulking it,' after last night's work. Even Mr Finch, when he
came hastily up, seemed rather doubtful what to do, till the salt old
third-mate assured him the brig was a British sloop-of-war, as anyone
accustomed to reckoning sticks and canvas at sea could tell by this
time; upon which our topsails were clued up, stu'nsails boom-ended, and
the ship hove into the wind to wait for the brig.
"When the brig's main-yard swung aback within fifty fathoms of our
weather-quarter, hailing us as she brought to, I had plenty to think of,
for my part. There she was, as square-countered and flat-breasted a
ten-gun model as ever ran her nose under salt water, or turned the
turtle in a Bahama squall; though pleasant enough she looked, dipping as
we rose, and prancing up opposite us again with a curtsey, the brine
dripping from her bright copper sheathing, the epaulets and gold bands
glancing above her black bulwarks, topped by the white hammock-cloth;
marines in her waist, the men clustering forward to see us, and
squinting sharp up at our top-hamper. It made one ashamed, to take in
the taut, lightsome set her spars had, tall and white, with a rake in
them, and every rope running clean to its place; not a spot about her,
hull or rig, but all English and ship-shape, to the very gather of her
courses and topgallant-sails in the lines, and the snowy hollow her two
broad topsails made for the wind, as they brought it in betwixt them to
keep her steady on the spot.
"'His Britannic Majesty's sloop _Podargus_!' came back in exchange for
our mate's answer; and though 'twas curious to me to think of meeting
the uniform again in five minutes, I saw plainly this was one of the
nice points that Westwood and I might have to weather. Your
brig-cruisers are the very sharpest fellows alive, so far as regards
boarding a merchant craft; if they find the least smell of a rat,
they'll overhaul your hold to the very dunnage about the keelson; and I
knew that, if they made out Westwood, they'd be sure to have me too; so
you may fancy that, during the short time her boat took to drop and pull
under our quarter, I was making up my mind as to the course. In fact, I
was almost resolved to leave the ship at any rate, feeling as I did
after what I'd heard; but while most of the passengers were running
about and calling below for their shoes and what not, the judge and his
daughter came out of the round-house, and I caught a single glance from
her for a moment, as she turned to look at the brig, that held me at the
instant like an anchor in a strong tideway.
"I kept my breath as the lieutenant's hand laid hold of the man-rope at
the head of the side-ladder, expecting his first question; while he
swung himself actively on deck, looking round for a second, and followed
by another; the wide-awake looking young middy in the boat folding his
arms, and squinting up sideways at the ladies with an air as knowing as
if he'd lived fifty years in the world, instead of perhaps thirteen.
"The younger of the lieutenants took off his cap most politely, eyeing
the fair passengers with as much respect as he gave cool indifference to
the cadets; the other, who was a careful-like working first-luff, said
directly to Mr Finch, 'Well, sir, you seem inclined to lead us a bit of
a chase; but I don't think,' added he, smiling from the Indiaman to the
brig, 'you'd have cost us much trouble after all!' Here Finch hurried
out his explanation, in a half-sulky way, when the naval man cut him
short by saying that 'Captain Wallis desired to know' if we had touched
at St Helena. 'May I ask, sir,' went on the officer, finding we had
preferred the Cape, 'if _you_ command this vessel--or is the master not
on deck--Captain--Captain Wilson, I think you said?' The mate said
something in a lower voice, and the lieutenant bared his head more
respectfully than before, seeing the Company's ensign, which had been
lowered half-apeak while the boat was under our side; after which Finch
drew him to the capstan, telling him, as I guessed, the whole affair of
the schooner, by way of a great exploit, with hints of her being a
pirate or such-like.
"The brig's officer, however, was evidently too busy a man, and
seemingly in too great a hurry to get back, for listening much to such a
rigmarole, as he no doubt thought it; they had been at the Cape, and
were bound for St Helena again where she was one of the cruisers on
guard; so that what with Finch's story, and what with the crowd round
the second lieutenant, all anxious to get the news, I saw it wouldn't
cost Westwood and me great pains to keep clear of notice.
"There were some riots in London, and three men hanged for a horrid
murder, the Duke of Northumberland's death, not to speak of a child born
with two heads, or something--all since we left England. Then there was
Lord Exmouth come home from Algiers; and Fort Hattrass, I think it was,
taken in India, which made every cadet prick up his ears; Admiral
Plampin was arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, too, in the _Conqueror_,
seventy-four, and on his way steering for St Helena, to take Sir
Pulteney Malcolm's place. All of a sudden, I heard the young luff begin
to mention a captain of a frigate's having been shot two months ago, by
his own first lieutenant, on Southsea beach, and the lieutenant being
supposed to have gone off in some outward-bound ship. 'By-the-by,' said
the officer to Mr Rollock, 'you must have left about that time--did you
touch at Portsmouth?' 'Why, yes,' answered the planter, 'we did. What
were the parties' names?' I edged over to Westwood near the head of the
companion, and whispered to him to go below to our berth, in case of
their happening to attend to us more particularly; and the farther apart
we two kept the better, I thought. The officer at once gave Captain
Duncombe's name, but didn't remember the other; on which he turned to
his first lieutenant with, 'I say, Mr Aldridge, d'you recollect the
man's name that shot the captain of the _N'Oreste_, as they called her?'
'What, that bad business?' said the other; 'no, Mr Moore, I really
don't--I hope he's far enough off by this time!' My breath came again at
this, for it had just come into my mind that Finch, who was close by,
had got hold of the name, although he fancied it mine.
"I was sauntering down the stair, thinking how much may hang at times on
a man's good memory, when I heard the first lieutenant say, 'By-the-by,
though, now I recollect, wasn't it Westwood?' 'Yes, yes, Westwood it
was!' said the other. Then came an exclamation from Finch, and shortly
after he and the first lieutenant stepped down together, talking
privately of the matter, I suppose, to the cuddy, where I had gone
myself. The lieutenant looked up at me seriously once or twice, then
went on deck, and a few minutes afterwards the brig's boat was pulling
towards her again, while the passengers flocked below to breakfast. I
saw the thing was settled; the mate could scarcely keep in his triumph,
as he eyed me betwixt surprise and dislike, though rather more
respectfully than before. As for Westwood, he sat down with the rest,
quite ignorant of what had turned up; notwithstanding he threw an uneasy
look or two through the cuddy port at the brig, still curveting to
windward of us, with her main-yard aback; for my part, I made up my
mind, in the meanwhile, to bear the brunt of it.
"'Twas no matter to me _now_ where I went; whereas, with Westwood, it
was but a toss-up betwixt a rope and a prison, if they sent him back to
England. No fear of _my_ being tried in his place, of course; but if
there had been, why, to get away both from him and _her_, I'd have to
run the chance! There was a bitter sort of a pleasure, even, in the
thought of taking oneself out of the way--to some purpose, too, if I
saved a fellow like my old schoolmate from a court-martial sentence, and
a man far worthier to win the heart of such a creature than myself:
while the worst of it was, I was afraid I'd have come to hate Tom
Westwood if we had stayed near each other much longer.
"Accordingly, I no sooner heard the dip of the gig's oars coming
alongside again, than one of the stewards brought me a quiet message
from Mr Finch, that he wanted to see me on deck; upon which I rose off
my chair just as quietly, and walked up the companion. The fact was--as
the fellow could scarce have ventured to look his passengers in the face
again after a low piece of work like this--'twas his cue to keep all
underhand, and probably lay it to the score of my actions aboard, or
something; however, he couldn't throw any dust of the kind in the second
lieutenant's eyes, who gave him a cold glance as he stepped on deck,
and, picking me out at once where I stood, inquired if I were the
person. The first mate nodded, whereupon the brig's officer walked
towards me, with a gentlemanly enough bow, and, 'I regret to have to
state, sir,' said he, 'that Captain Wallis desires to see you,
_particularly_, aboard the brig.' 'Indeed, sir,' answered I, showing
very little surprise, I daresay, gloomy as I felt; 'then the sooner the
better, I suppose.' 'Why, yes,' said the lieutenant, seemingly confused
lest he should meet my eye, 'we're anxious to make use of this breeze,
you--you know, sir.' 'Hadn't Mr Collins--this gentleman--better take his
traps with him, Lieutenant Moore?' said Finch, free and easy wise. 'No,
sir,' said the young officer sternly, 'we can spare time to send for
them, if necessary; of course you will keep the Indiaman in the wind,
sir, till the brig squares her main-yard.' I gave Finch a single look of
sheer contempt, and swung myself down by the man-ropes from the gangway
into the boat; the lieutenant followed me, and next minute we were
pulling for the brig's quarter. The moment I found myself out of the
_Seringapatam_, however, my heart nigh-hand failed me, more especially
at sight of the quarter-gallery window I had seen the light from, on the
smooth of the swell, that first night we got to sea. I even began to
think if there weren't some way of passing myself clear off, without
hauling in Westwood; but it wouldn't do. Before I well knew, we were on
board, and the lieutenant showing me down the after-hatchway to the
captain's cabin.