More than a year had passed away since those Christmas holidays when the
wreck happened, and my brother and I were again to become inmates of
Uncle Boz's unique abode. It was midsummer; the trees were green, the
air warm and balmy, the wind blew gently, and the broad blue sea
sparkled brightly, and seemed joyously to welcome our return.
A somewhat poetical notion; the fact being that we were so happy to get
back to the dear old spot, and the dearer old people, that we could not
help feeling that all the objects, inanimate as well as animate, on
which our eyes rested were equally delighted to see us. Yes, I am
certain of it. The yellow sand looked cleaner and yellower; the sun
shone, and the wide ocean glittered more brightly; and the blue sky
looked bluer, with the bold cliffs standing up into it; and the gulls'
wings whiter, as they darted through the glowing atmosphere, than we had
ever seen them before. At all events, there were certain animate
objects who were delighted to see us, or we must have been very bad
decipherers of the human countenance. There stood Uncle Boz, Aunt
Deborah, and Bambo, and another personage who presented a very great
contrast in personal appearance to any one of the three. Not from being
very tall, or very thin, or very grave, or very sour-looking, or very
white, or very ugly. The personage in question had none of these
peculiarities. Who said that Uncle Boz was ugly? He wasn't! nor was
Aunt Deborah, nor was Bambo. They were all beautiful in their way; at
least, I thought so then, and do now. Well, but about this personage.
There was a pair of large blue eyes--the sky wasn't bluer, nor the sea
more sparkling when they laughed; and there was a face round them very
fair, with a delicate colour on the cheeks and lips. I should like to
see the coral which could surpass them, polished ever so much. There
was hair in ringlets, adorning the face; not flaxen exactly, though
light with a tinge from the sun, or from something which gave it a
bright glow. This head belonged to a little girl--very little, and
fairy-like, and beautiful. A different sort of beauty to Bambo's or
Uncle Boz's, or even to Aunt Deborah's. I don't indeed think that Aunt
Deb ever could have been like Katty Brand, even in her childhood's days,
or if she had, she was very considerably altered since then. The blue
eyes opened wider than ever with astonishment, and the lips parted, as,
jumping out of the carriage, we were kissed by Aunt Deb, and had our
hands wrung in the cordial grasp, first of Uncle Boz, and then of jolly
old Bambo. It was evidently a matter of consideration in that little
head of Katty's how she should receive us. We settled the point by each
of us giving her some hearty kisses, which I don't think offended her
much, though she did wipe her cheeks after the operation, and we very
soon became fast friends.
"She is a beauty," whispered Jack to Aunt Deb; on which Aunt Deb nodded
and smiled, as much as to say, "Indeed she is."
We were soon discussing with Uncle Boz the programme for our summer
amusements. We were to have salt-water fishing and fresh-water fishing,
and shooting, and boating, and egg hunting, and shells and other
curiosities were to be looked for on the seashore, and long walks were
to be taken; and then we were to have bathing, and to learn to knot and
splice, and to cut out and rig a ship; indeed, every moment of our time
would be fully occupied.
Somebody wishes to know about the owner of those blue eyes. I first saw
them, on the evening of the wreck, watching Aunt Deb performing certain
culinary operations at the drawing-room fire. There is a sad story
connected with the beautiful little owner of which I have not liked
before to speak. I mentioned a lady in one room, and a gentleman in
another, and a little baby in a basket. They all now lay at rest in the
burying-ground of the church we went to that memorable Christmas
morning.
We little thought at the time that there would be soon so many fresh
occupants. The lady soon sank under the effects of her exposure on the
stormy ocean that bitter winter's day. Her baby followed, and her
husband did not survive many days. Katty alone of the family remained.
She was too young to know the extent of her loss, or feel it long; and
had Aunt Deborah been her mother's dearest friend, instead of a total
stranger, she could not possibly have more tenderly cared for the little
orphan. This event formed a melancholy termination to those Christmas
holidays, and excited the warmest sympathy in our hearts for Katty
Brand. We knew well, however, that she was in good hands while Uncle
Boz and Aunt Deborah had charge of her. We were not disappointed. Hers
was a happy life, and a brighter or sweeter little rosebud never was
seen.
It may easily be supposed that she was a pet among us boys in the
holidays, and each one of us would have gone through fire and water to
serve her. Jack, who was somewhat emphatic in his assertions, declared
that he would swim through hot pitch and burning sulphur, or sit on the
top of an iceberg in the coldest day of an arctic winter, if so doing
would give her a particle of pleasure. He was very safe in making the
offer; for as she was the most sensible, amiable little creature in
existence, it was not likely that she would ever thus test his regard.
I must say that Miss Katty ran a very great chance of being spoiled
between Uncle Boz and Aunt Deborah and Bambo, in spite of the wise saws
about training children to which Uncle Boz continually gave utterance.
"The little lady mustn't have her way, or mustn't do that thing," he was
continually saying; but the little lady notwithstanding had her way, and
did the very thing she wished. However, Aunt Deborah, with her watchful
care, though loving the little creature as much as any one, managed
quietly to correct the faults which would undoubtedly otherwise have
sprung up in her character, and deeply grateful some one is to her for
so doing. However, of that more anon. She was, of course, rather a pet
than a playmate of us youngsters; but even the least sentimental among
us considered her infinitely superior to any dog, even though he could
have danced a hornpipe, or monkey, however full of tricks, or parrot,
however talkative, which could have been provided for that purpose. As
Aunt Deborah was not much addicted to rapid locomotion, nor accustomed
to walk to any distance, Katty was her constant companion. Indeed, as
we were out all day shooting, or fishing, or boating, with Uncle Boz or
Bambo, we saw her, except on Sundays, only in the morning and evening.
When by any chance Aunt Deborah was unable to go out with her, my
brother Jack was always ready to take her place; and certainly no mother
could have watched over the little creature with more gentle care. It
happened that Aunt Deborah had caught a cold, and was compelled to keep
the house; the rest of us were going out trout-fishing with Uncle Boz;
but Jack made excuses for remaining behind, wishing, in fact, to offer
his services to take Katty a walk, or perhaps a row in our boat, if
Bambo could be spared to accompany him; if not, he proposed asking one
of the fishermen from the village, should any be found sauntering about
on the beach. As it happened, Bambo could not go; but Jack did not mind
that, as he knew that Bill Cockle would be ready to accompany him. We
left him working away at a vessel he was rigging, and waiting patiently
till the afternoon, when Aunt Deborah would let Katty go out with him.
We had a capital day's sport. Uncle Boz caught ten brace of trout, I
killed five, and the rest not many less. We took our dinner with us,
and discussed it sitting on a green bank, under the shade of a willow,
with the rapid stream flashing and sparkling by over its pebbly bed at
our feet. It would be a memorable day, we all agreed, as it was a most
pleasant one. What trout-fisher cannot recall some such to his memory,
not to be surpassed by others in subsequent years!
When we got back we found Aunt Deb in a state of agitation at the
non-appearance of Katty and Jack. Bambo had gone out to look for them,
and had not returned. We, of course, ran off immediately to the beach,
expecting to find them there. Neither up nor down on the beach were
they to be seen. We ran to where our boat was moored in the little
harbour; she was not there. We cast our eyes over the sea: there were
several specks in the distance, undoubtedly boats; ours might be one of
them. There were also white sails in the horizon, vessels sailing to or
from Scottish ports. Every fishing-boat had gone out; Uncle Boz's large
boat was hauled up, undergoing repairs. We saw Bambo up at the village,
making inquiries. Bill Cockle had gone away early in one of the boats.
The women had been busily engaged in their houses, and had not watched
the harbour. I did not for one moment believe that Jack would have
taken Katty into the boat, and pulled out of the harbour by himself; yet
how to account for their disappearance? Uncle Boz himself, tired as he
was, very soon came down to us. He seemed quite calm; but loving the
little girl as he did, I knew how anxious he must have felt. Having
first examined the boat, "She'll float," he observed, and he then
directed Bambo to get her gear down from the boat-house in the village.
The news spread that something was wrong, and women and a few old men
collected from all sides to hear about it. The children also came, and
were seen talking among themselves. They had seen something unusual.
We tried to elicit what it was. We, not without difficulty, discovered
at last that they had seen some strange people on the beach; that they
had come down in a cart or waggon, which had afterwards driven rapidly
off; that they had got into a small boat, and pulled away for a lugger,
which stood in to meet them. Uncle Boz inquired where the coastguard
men had been at the time. They had been summoned in different
directions, so that none were near at hand.
"I see it all," he exclaimed; "the scoundrels! That is the way they
take their revenge on me. They cannot have got far with this breeze; we
must be after them."
It may seem surprising that Uncle Boz should have had any enemies--that
he could have offended any one; but the fact that he had is only another
proof that men who act uprightly cannot at all times avoid giving
offence to the bad. This part of the coast was occasionally visited by
smugglers from Dunkirk, as well as from the coast of Holland. Their
vessels were manned by a mixture of Dutch, French, and English, and they
were in league with Englishmen of various grades, who took charge of the
goods they brought over. During the previous winter, a young man,
struck down by sickness, and brought to repentance, sent, just as he was
dying, to Uncle Boz, and revealed to him a plot, in which he was
concerned, to run a large cargo, in doing which there was great risk
that the lives both of coastguard men and smugglers would be sacrificed.
Uncle Boz instantly went off himself to the Inspecting Commander of the
district; and so strong a force was sent down to the spot, and so sharp
a look-out kept up along the coast, that the smugglers found their
design impracticable, and were compelled to abandon it. Had the young
smuggler survived, they would have wreaked their vengeance on him; but
he was safe from them in his grave. Their rage, therefore, was turned
towards Uncle Boz, as they had discovered that he had given the
information, and assisted to make the arrangements which had defeated
their plans. Although not wishing to act the part of a volunteer
coastguard man, Uncle Boz had always set his face against the smugglers,
and spoke of their proceedings as lawless and wicked. "Black is black,
and white is white; and it is because people will persist in calling
black white that the ignorant are left in their ignorance, and unable to
discern right from wrong," he used to observe, when speaking on the
subject. It seemed almost incredible, however, that the smugglers, bad
as they might be, would maliciously injure a young boy and a little
child, even though they might suppose, as they probably did, that they
were the children of the man who had offended them. Still, such things
had been done before. There was no other way of accounting for the
disappearance of Jack and Katty. Jack would never have put off in the
boat by himself. Had he done so she would still be visible, and there
had been no wind to upset her. He would certainly not have remained out
so long willingly; besides, the account given by the children, who had
seen the strangers come down to the beach and push off in a boat, seemed
to settle the question. We had still to wait for a crew. Uncle Boz
sent up to the house for his tools, and an old carpenter in the village
lent a hand, and they, with Bambo, worked away to get the boat ready for
sea. We, meantime, hunted among the rocks along the shore for any
traces of the missing ones, not without a feeling of fear and dread that
we might discover some; then we searched the cliffs, and every cave and
cranny we could think of. Poor Aunt Deborah came down, when at length
her fears had been aroused, to ascertain what had become of her little
darling. I never saw her so grieved and agitated before. I was afraid
that she would blame Jack; but not a word against him did she utter. On
the contrary, she could only say, "Poor, poor fellow! I know that he
would die sooner than let the sweet angel be injured; and if she has
gone, so has he." Before I heard her say that I had not realised what
might have happened, and I burst into tears. While we were waiting, in
the hopes that some of the men for whom Uncle Boz had sent might be
found, one of the specks in the distance, which we knew to be boats, was
seen approaching. Slowly she drew nearer and nearer the shore. We
watched her anxiously. She might bring us some information. At length
she was seen to be a fishing-boat. We hurried down to the beach, as
with a light breeze she came skimming in over the calm sea. The first
person who jumped out of her was Bill Cockle.
"Have you seen Jack? Have you seen Katty Brand?" I eagerly cried out.
Bill pulled off his hat, scratched his head, and with a look of
astonishment, turning round his head as if some one had hit him,
exclaimed, "No! Why, what's happened?"
We told him. On which giving a slap on his thigh, and a hitch to his
waistband, with a forcible expression, which I need not repeat, he
exclaimed, "The villains! That's what we saw, then. We couldn't make
it out. Well, I didn't--"
"What was it you saw? What happened? Say, say!" we all exclaimed in
one breath.
Cockle's explanation was somewhat long, and sorely tried our patience.
He and his mates had hauled in about half of one of their long nets,
when a large lugger, they had not before seen, passed them, very nearly
running them down. She stood close in, and exchanged signals with the
shore. A boat in a little time was seen to come off with several people
in her, and Cockle declared that he had seen a boy handed up the side of
the lugger, and he was nearly certain a baby or little child. The
lugger then hoisted in the boat, and made sail to the southward. As,
however, there had been either a calm, or but a slight breeze ever
since, from the southward, she could not have got far. This seemed to
settle the question. We had now collected enough men to form a crew.
We required arms and authority for boarding the lugger. Edward Grahame
was with us, but though a midshipman, dressed in his uniform, with a
dirk by his side, he could scarcely in his own person answer all our
requirements. He was of course to go, and, to my great satisfaction,
Uncle Boz gave me leave to be of the party, in consideration that it was
my brother who was lost. The rest went back somewhat unwillingly to
attend on Aunt Deborah. In spite of her grief, Aunt Deborah recollected
that we could not live without eating, and had gone home to provide as
large a store of provisions as the house could furnish. The men,
meantime, got some kegs with water, and several loaves of bread and a
cheese. We all ran backwards and forwards bringing the provisions Aunt
Deborah had provided. We were not likely to starve, even though we
might have had a chase of many days before we should overtake the
lugger.
Though we had collected all the weapons to be found, we were not over
well armed. "Never mind, lads," cried Uncle Boz, "we have the boat's
stretchers, stout hearts, and a right cause, and if we can once get
alongside the villains, there's no fear but that we'll win back our
little jewel, and give them some broken heads for the trouble of heart
and body they've caused us."
"Yes, dat we will," echoed Bambo, flourishing a heavy handspike over his
head, with a vehemence which showed that age had not impaired his
vigour. "We will treat dem as we did dem picarooning villains in de
Vest Indies, ven you led de boarders, massa Boz, eh!"
"And you followed close at my side, and saved my life, Bambo," cried
Uncle Boz. "Shove away boys, lift her handsomely, she'll be afloat
directly."
We were running the heavy boat down the beach into the water. Just as
we were about to shove off, who should appear but Lieutenant Kelson, of
the coastguard, with two of his men.
"There's not much chance that he'll ever set the Thames on fire," I
heard Uncle Boz once remark of him, from which I concluded that he was
not a very bright genius. However, he was now cordially welcomed. He
possessed the authority we wanted. His men were well armed, and would
help us in fighting, of which I had a secret hope that we should enjoy a
fair amount. I did not know what fighting was in those days. I had
never seen blood drawn--human beings in the pride of manhood, shot down,
and mangled and torn by shot and shell and langrage fired by brethren's
hands, writhing and shrieking in their death agony. Fighting may be a
necessary evil, but an evil it is, and a dreadful one too. Mr Kelson
hearing what had occurred, agreed to come, and he jumping in with his
men, off we shoved amid the cheers of all who remained on shore, and
their good wishes for our success. The men let fall their oars. Bob
Grahame and I had one between us, and Uncle Boz steered; Kelson sitting
like an admiral in his barge, and doing nothing. The little wind there
had been fell completely, that was just what we wanted. If the calm
continued, we should be nearly certain to come up with the lugger.
Though the days were long, the sun was sinking down over the land, amid
a rich orange glow which suffused the whole western sky. We were
anxious before daylight had gone to catch sight of the lugger, lest we
might pass her during the night. Fast as she was, however, with the
light breeze which had been blowing for a short time, she might have
slipped along through the water for a considerable distance. Cockle
reported that she had edged off from the coast, and so having no other
course to choose, we steered in the same direction, at the same time
keeping a bright look-out in-shore, lest she might have afterwards kept
in again, in the hopes of a chance of running some contraband. Several
of the revenue cutters on the station had gone into port to refit, and
the smugglers were just now indulging themselves, as do mice when the
cat's away. Numerous vessels were seen in the offing, but none of them
like the lugger. We pulled steadily on. It was not likely that the
smuggler would have gone much to the eastward, as she was probably bound
for the coast of Holland or France. We should be certain, therefore, to
come up with her. Twilight lessened, and darkness was gathering round
us, when the moon, a vast globe of golden hue, rose out of the water,
and as she shot upwards, cast a brilliant sparkling pathway of light
athwart its surface. Never was I out in a more glorious night. Had we
not had serious work before us, it was one to engross all our thoughts.
Even the fish seemed to enjoy it, as we could see them leaping up on
either hand. Many of them must have been big fellows, by the loud
splash they made. On, on we pulled. "If we don't soon come up with
her, it will make our fellows very savage," observed Kelson to Uncle
Boz.
"Yes, we eat 'um," cried out Bambo, who was a privileged joker.
The remark was appreciated by the other men.
"Yes Bambo, a jolly good supper we'll make of them, the waggabonds,"
sung out one of the other men.
It was time, however, for real supper, so we knocked off rowing, and
provisions, with grog, were served out, and not sorry I was to rest my
arms. A capital supper was made, and the crew seemed to enjoy it much.
Once more, with renewed strength, we took to our oars. To pull all
night long, with the chance of a fight at the end of it, is not so
pleasant as lying snugly in bed; but, under the circumstances, I
infinitely preferred being where I was--eagerness gave strength to our
arms. We could not go on much longer without falling in with her, it
was thought.
"It depends whether she is full or empty," observed the lieutenant. "If
the latter, she'll be making the best of her way across to the
Continent; but if she's full she'll be hovering about the coast for the
chance of running her cargo. She'll probably just now have her canvas
lowered on deck, so that it will be a hard job to make her out."
There seemed wisdom in this remark, but as she could have run some of
her cargo when she stood in in the afternoon if she had had any on
board, the general opinion was that she was steering a course for
Dunkirk, to which a smuggling lugger frequenting the coast was known to
belong, and it was thought that she must be that same lugger. All we
hoped for was that the calm would continue. We were pulling steadily
on, the men chatting with each other, when Mr Kelson sung out,
"Silence! a sail ahead!" I could not help looking anxiously over my
shoulder to ascertain what she was. I could just discern a dark object
no great height out of the water.
"She's the lugger, I really think," observed Mr Kelson. "I hope she
may have some tubs aboard."
"I pray that she may have the dear children safe," said Uncle Boz.
"Yes, she's a lugger, there's no doubt about that," remarked the
lieutenant.
Everyone was now on the alert, and I saw the men feeling that their
weapons were ready for use. My heart beat considerably quicker than
usual. We neared the stranger.
"Pull out of stroke, lads," said Uncle Boz. "They'll take us for some
merchantman's crew."
There were several men we could see on the deck of the lugger. It was
very difficult to prevent ourselves from dashing up alongside in the way
our feelings would have dictated. It seemed strange, however, that they
did not exhibit any alarm at our approach. Uncle Boz steered as if
going to pass her, then suddenly shearing the boat alongside, we jumped
on board.
"Well, what is all this about?" exclaimed a man standing aft, no one
offering a show of resistance.
"That we are in His Majesty's revenue service, and that you are our
prisoners," cried Lieutenant Kelson.
"That we have contraband on board, or that you have a right to detain
us, must be proved," said the master calmly. "Step below, you will find
my papers correct; there is some mistake, I suspect."
The lieutenant went down into the little cabin and I followed, half
hoping to find Jack and Katty; but not a sign of them was there. Uncle
Boz now came below; when the mate saw him he exclaimed, "Ah, sir, I know
you; I was second mate of the _Rosamond_, wrecked near your house, when
you saved our lives and treated us all so kindly. What has happened?"
Uncle Boz told him.
"Then I'll help you if I can," said the master. "A lugger with sweeps
passed us not an hour ago, quite close. I had an idea I knew the
fellow, and but little honesty is there in him. Do you pull on as
before, and I will follow if there comes a breeze, and lend a hand
should you want me."
There was no time for talking, and as the vessel was evidently honest,
we tumbled into our boat and pulled on as lustily as before.
We soon caught sight of another vessel. "Hurrah! there she is," cried
Uncle Boz. "The fellows won't balk you this time; but we must go
alongside as we did the other."
The lugger had taken in her sweeps, having got well off from the land.
As we drew near we began to pull carelessly as before. The people on
her deck evidently did not know what to make of us. They seemed,
however, satisfied, for several continued to walk up and down the deck,
as they had at first been doing, hands in pockets. We quickly made them
draw them out though. The boat in another instant was alongside, and we
were leaping on deck. Oaths in Dutch, French, and English burst from
the lips of the crew.
"We are betrayed," shouted the captain of the lugger. "But cheer up,
lads. Overboard with the fellows!"
As he began to show fight, a knock on the head silenced him, and the
crew on deck quickly succumbed. The lieutenant and his men jumped
below, and secured several of the men in their berths. Uncle Boz and I
meantime made our way into the cabin. A bright lamp hung from a beam
above. On a locker was seated my brother Jack, Katty resting on one
arm, while with his other hand he was feeding her with gruel from a
basin held by a tall thin old Frenchman, dressed in a faded suit, of
ancient cut, and a white nightcap on his bald head. I should have said
had been feeding, for the process was arrested by the noise on deck.
They all looked up as we entered, and Katty in her eagerness upset the
basin as she sprang forward to throw herself into Uncle Boz's arms. She
instantly ran back and took Jack by the hand, crying out, "Dear Jack
couldn't help it. If he bigger, he wouldn't let naughty smuggler carry
me away."
They had not been ill-treated; the old Frenchman especially had been
very kind to them.
"Ah! yes, I have von littel grandchild lik dat at home," he remarked.
So sudden had been our attack that we found plenty of things on board to
condemn the vessel; while, of course, those concerned would be tried for
the abduction of Jack and Katty. As the old Frenchman was clearly only
a passenger, he was put on board the lugger we had previously boarded.
I was glad that he escaped, on account of his kindness to sweet Katty
and Jack, though I suspect that he was an absconding debtor. I should
think, however, that his creditors might as well have tried to skin a
flint as him. We carried the lugger in off the coastguard station,
where more hands were put on board. Before noon we had placed sweet
Katty in Aunt Deb's loving arms, not much the worse for her excursion.
Jack went to sea, and Katty's cabinet was adorned with numberless
articles strange and beautiful from all parts of the world. Jack, of
course, wherever he could get a run on shore, had to come and inspect
them. By many a gallant deed he won his commander's commission, and
then Katty became his fond, devoted wife.
In that old churchyard high above the German Ocean are three small
monuments placed by some loving friends of those who lie beneath. To no
one more truly can the epitaph be applied than that which is cut on each
tomb--that of the brother, of the sister, and of the faithful
African--_Hic jacet in pace_.