"The billows lift their white heads above me!"
A few days more, and our hero's ship, the Glorious, was on the
high seas. It was night. Edmund had had the early watch--had been
relieved--had retired to his hammock--had fallen into a sound sleep,
and was dreaming of Lodore. Suddenly, his pleasing vision became
troubled. A thunder-storm arose; the loud peal rolled, and resounded
from mountain to mountain: the little girls shrieked. He started
awake! and found the scene indeed different; but the noises which
had occasioned his dream, real. The drum was beating to quarters;
signal-guns were firing; and all hands hastening on deck. He jumped out
of his hammock. The officers were all getting up; the men were casting
the great guns loose, knocking away the bulk-heads, and tumbling them,
as well as all the furniture of the cabins--trunks, tables, chairs, &c.
&c.--pell-mell together, down into the hold, with a tremendous clatter.
In short, the ship was clearing for action. She was also tacking
to close with the enemy, and her deck, in consequence, was greatly
crowded: blue lights burning, rockets going off, sails flapping, yards
swinging, ropes rattling, and the tramping of feet excessive; while
the voice of the officer giving orders was heard, from time to time,
resounding through all. The vessel they were approaching, carried two
stern-lights, indicating that a vice-admiral was on board. While all
eyes were fixed upon her, she drew near slowly, and on coming up,
opened at once all the ports of her three decks, displaying a blaze
of lights which, amid the surrounding darkness, had much grandeur of
effect, not only dazzling by its sudden brightness, but exhibiting, as
it were, in proud defiance, the strength of the broadside, which was
thus ready to salute a foe. The vessels now hailed each other, and lo!
proved to be both English! The supposed enemy was the Erina, Admiral
Lord Fitz Ullin, returning from Gibraltar. All hopes of fighting thus
at an end, both men and officers were, to use their own expression,
"confoundedly disappointed."
They soon, however, had fighting enough; so much, that to give any
account of the various actions they were in, would, we fear, be
tedious; and, to those unacquainted with naval affairs, uninteresting;
we shall not, therefore, attempt it, but passing over about four years
of our hero's life, proceed at once to his return to Old England,
a fine, promising lad, of nineteen--a great favourite with all the
officers, and in high estimation with the captain, having already given
many proofs of spirit, and being always remarkable for regularity and
good conduct.