"THE SWEETS OF FRIENDSHIP."
"How did you manage it, my boy?" panted out the instructor, out of
breath by his rapid climb up the rigging to my aid, as I held on
desperately to the shrouds, against which I pressed the body of my
unconscious shipmate with my own, to prevent him from falling. "Lord!
My lad, I thought you were both gone! Thank God, you saved him!"
But I could not tell him then, or after, how I contrived to catch `Ugly'
when he let go his hold; and to this very day, though it is pretty
nearly six years or more agone, and many things have happened since even
stranger, too, I put down the spontaneous act that prompted me to
stretch out my hand in the nick of time and grip him by his waistbelt
before it was too late, to the interposition of Providence--an
intervention, indeed, not only on his behalf, but on my own, as
subsequent events proved, though I will speak of this when the proper
time comes.
The instructor, even in his hurry aloft to our assistance, had managed
to snatch up on the way a coil of half-inch; and with this he now
proceeded, breathing heavily the while from his exertions, to secure
`Ugly' temporarily to the ratlines until a whip could be rigged for
sending down the still insensible fellow to the deck below.
This was a great relief to me, for it was as much as I could do to
support his body, although, as I've said, I pressed him against the
rigging, the chap weighing over ten stone at least, I should think, as
he was a thickset yokel and inclined to be corpulent.
It all happened in a moment, though I seem to take so long telling about
it; for, almost before the instructor could take a double turn with his
half-inch round `Ugly's' body and the rigging, half-a-dozen seamen, who
had been hailed by the officer of the watch, the grey-haired gunner, had
footed it up the ratlines and were in the top fixing a whip and
purchase, to which one of the hammocks had been attached.
In this impromptu cradle `Ugly' was let down very carefully and taken to
the sick-bay, where, as I was afterwards told, Mr Trimmens the sick-
berth steward being my informant, it required the application of the
galvanic battery to bring him to, the fright he had undergone, and
consequent shock to his system, having been so great!
"You saved his life, though, my lad, let me tell you," said the
instructor to me, when we had followed the rescued boy down, and were
again on the safe footing of the deck. "Why, Tom Bowling, that chap
ought to be your friend for life after this."
I could not help shrugging my shoulders, with a grin `on the left side
of my mouth,' as sailors say; for, of course, I could not very well
explain matters anent our recent fight.
The instructor looked at me inquiringly; and, seeing he expected some
sort of a reply from me, I said, "He'll have to change very much, sir.
He and I haven't been very friendly up to now, sir."
"Ah!" rejoined the instructor, "that don't count, my boy. The dearest
friend I have in the world at the present time was once my bitterest
enemy. He and I fell out about some trifle or other on joining the same
ship and never spoke a single word to each other throughout the whole
commission, though we were up the Straits at the time, and saw some
queer rigs there, I can tell you. We've often laughed over it together
since, and thought what fools we were."
"I don't think, sir," said I, "that Moses Reeks and I will ever be
friends, so far as I can see."
"Well, time will tell," observed my good-natured adviser, who was a man
like father, I saw, one always anxious to make the best of everything.
"None of us ever know what will happen in this life, especially with
sailor folk; and though you may think it difficult to `make a silk purse
out of a sow's ear,' for I can see, my lad, with half an eye that that
unfortunate yokel is of a different stamp to you, still I've known
stranger things occur. I wouldn't mind betting, if I ever did such a
thing, that one day you and he will be the fastest chums."
"Perhaps, sir," I answered, in a very doubting manner; and I couldn't
help adding, as I turned to go below to my dinner, if there should be
any left for me, the other fellows having pretty well done by this time,
"Some day, as father says, pigs may fly, sir!"
The instructor laughed.
"Your father, Tom Bowling," said he, giving me a friendly pat on the
shoulder as I went down the after-hatchway, "must be a knowing hand; and
I think, my lad, you take after him."
It being `pea doo and bolliky' day, my fast friend Mick, who, from his
highly developed instincts in the grub line, had been elected cook of
our mess on the lower deck, had saved me a good basin of soup and hunch
of bread, with which I managed to assuage the cravings of my appetite,
this having been accentuated not only by my long wait but by my exercise
aloft.
"Begorrah, Tom," said he, as he watched me tucking into the stuff with
great complacency, while the rest of the fellows were cleaning up the
mess-table and generally making things snug, "it's as good as aitin'
onesilf fur to say how ye git outside that pay-soup. An ould play-
acting chap I onst sayd a-swallerin' knoives an' sich loike onnatural
stuff, worn't a patch on ye, me hearty!"
I had, however, to make short work of my meal, for the `assembly' just
then sounded; and, after our usual parade again on deck, according to
the routine, a part of our division went ashore to a large field between
Blockhouse Fort and Haslar on the Gosport side of the water, belonging
to the _Saint Vincent_, and which is used for drilling the boys in
marching and small-arm instruction.
Some of the remainder of us were put to signalling on the upper deck,
carrying on highly interesting dialogues with small flags that were
waved to and fro between the bows and stern of the ship; but the major
part of the division--I, much to my delight, being one of the number--
practised all the afternoon at boat-pulling. In this my experience with
father's wherry during the last three or four years stood me in good
stead; though I had some little difficulty at first in mastering the
usual man-o'-war stroke with the long ash oars in the heavy launch which
we pulled, the boat being double-banked.
The next day was the most exciting I had passed since I had been on
board the ship, now over a week.
To begin with, it was `pay-day,' the whole ship's company marching up to
the paymaster in turn at the temporary office he had rigged up _al
fresco_, as Mick's `Oitalian' friends would say, on the upper deck, and
receiving each his weekly pay; the boys being allowed, those of the
first-class a shilling, and those of the second sixpence, for pocket-
money, the balance being saved up to their account or else forwarded to
their parents.
Much amusement was caused amongst us as we received the respective coins
to which we were entitled, each holding out his cap for them; for a
sailor, you know, puts everything in his cap. Pocketing our coin as we
went below, Mick created the greatest fun of all as he spit on his and
spun it in the air. "Hooray!" he cried out, against the regulations,
though, fortunately for himself, not too loud, as he skated down the
hatchway. "Begorrah, it's the foorst money Oi iver arnt in me loif!
Faith, Tom mabouchal, we'll spind it togither an' hev a rig'ler
jollification ashore!"
The bugle sounded `cooks to their messes' as Mick was saying this; and
so off he hurried to the galley on the fore part of the middle deck when
we had got down the hatchway, I following after him.
On passing the entry-port, however, my old friend the master-at-arms
hailed me.
"Hi, Tom Bowling!" he called out, beckoning me into the office; "I hope
you haven't been getting into any row?"
"Not that I know of, sir," said I, flabbergasted by his question. "Why,
sir?"
"Because the captain left word he wants to speak to you," he replied.
"You must go up again on the main-deck to his quarters aft."
Thoroughly frightened at this, I proceeded as he had directed me; and,
on reaching the door of the captain's cabin, the marine sentry standing
outside passed on my name and I was ushered in.
Cap in hand and in a state of much trepidation, I went along the gangway
with him; and `bringing up' opposite an open door, I rapped at this with
my heart in my mouth.
"Hallo!" cried a voice within. "Who's there?"
"T-t-t," I stammered-- "T-T'm Bowling, sir."
"Oh!" exclaimed the same voice, in a softer and more kindly tone than at
first, when, I confess, it sounded rather gruff and peremptory. "Come
in, Tom Bowling."
With this, I went into what seemed to my eye, expecting, as I did,
something very different on board ship, one of the grandest apartments I
had ever seen; with sofas and pictures, and big looking-glasses, besides
a piano at the end, just like a drawing-room. Why, the Queen herself
couldn't have had a finer place to live in!
The captain, who, of course, was the owner of the voice that had
previously spoken, I saw was a nice, pleasant-faced, good-looking
officer, looking every inch a sailor, and a smart one too!
He was sitting in a comfortable easy-chair that was fitted with gimbals,
like the compass card in a binnacle, or some other appliance which
permitted the occupant to shift round as he pleased without moving the
seat; as my commanding officer did now, in order to face me.
"Don't be afraid, my lad," he said kindly, seeing, no doubt, how nervous
I looked. "I've only sent for you to let you know that I have been told
of your exceedingly courageous conduct just now in saving your shipmate
from a terrible death. I'm glad to see that you are bearing out by your
behaviour the strong recommendation Captain Mordaunt, who is an old
friend of mine, sent me when you came to join the service."
I declare you could have knocked me down with a feather on his saying
this, the revulsion of feeling being so great; for I had expected
something totally different, so I hardly knew what to say.
"Th-a-ank you, sir," I at last managed to get out. "I--I--I am very
much obliged to you, sir."
"No obligation at all, my lad," he said, smiling. "I am only giving you
your due, for I think you have really behaved in a very plucky manner,
and deserve all that I have said, and more. I must tell you, though, I
have heard something else also about you, Tom Bowling, which, perhaps, I
might have been inclined to speak about, for I don't like any fighting
or ill-feeling between the boys under my command here; but, after what
has occurred, I shall not take any notice of what I might have heard to
your detriment. Besides, I believe you were not particularly in fault,
all things considered."
Fancy! He must have been told of the fight between `Ugly' and me.
My face, no doubt, expressed the thoughts that passed through my mind;
and, as I could see from a mirror opposite me, I appeared, as father
used to say, "like a cat looking nine ways for Sunday!"
The captain, though, evidently wished to set me at my ease.
"Never mind, my boy," he said reassuringly. "We'll let bygones be
bygones; and, as you have so nobly condoned the offence of fighting with
your shipmate by subsequently saving his life, I feel more inclined to
reward than punish you. Have you been allowed ashore yet to see your
parents since you joined?"
"No, sir," I replied. "I didn't have my uniform rig last Sunday, sir."
"Well, then, my boy, you may go and see them this afternoon if you like,
when you've finished your dinner. I will give you leave till Eight
Bells."
So saying, he scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to me.
This was a pass, permitting me to be absent from the ship until the time
specified on it.
Noticing, as I thanked him for his kindness, that I did not appear
perfectly satisfied, he glanced at me scrutinisingly. His eye was like
a gimlet, and seemed to penetrate my inmost thoughts; for, I declare, he
guessed the feeling that was uppermost in my mind.
"Would you like, my lad," he said, smiling again, "to take a chum with
you ashore?"
"Why, sir," I exclaimed, "that was the very thing I was thinking of!"
"Ha!" said he, "I fancied that was what was on your mind. Who is your
chum?"
"Mick Donovan, sir," I replied; "he's an Irish lad who joined the ship
the same time as me."
"All right; Mick Donovan shall go with you," said he. "Hand me back
your pass."
This I did; whereupon he bracketed Mick's name with mine and returned me
the paper.
"You may go now," he said kindly, seeing the rush of joy that must have
been reflected on my face, filling, as it did, my heart, though I
hesitated to leave without his permission, albeit anxious to communicate
the good news to Mick. "Stop, Tom, here's half-a-crown for you and your
chum to enjoy yourselves with."
He put the money into my hand as he spoke, extracting it from his pocket
for the purpose; and, I recollect, it was a nice new bright half-crown
piece, which, though it was `melted' very soon, will never pass out of
my remembrance as quickly as it did from my possession!
Of course I thanked him before leaving; and, in going below, I halted at
the police office, to tell the master-at-arms the result of my interview
with our chief, whereat he appeared much satisfied, though he cautioned
me to continue to be a good boy and not outstay my leave.
Making my way from thence below, it didn't take me long to fetch up
alongside Mick, who almost exploded with delight on my informing him we
were to go ashore together. He pitched the piece of `gammy duff' he was
carving on his plate, which, by the way, was as hard as a brickbat, with
the raisins or `gammies' which it contained barely at signal distance
apart, right up above his head to the deck beam, where it caught on to
one of the hooks and remained a fixture.
"Bedad, Tom, ye're an anjul if ivver ther wor one," he cried, capering
about as if he were mad. "We'll hev a splindid toime of it entoirely.
Faith, Oi'll go and git me hair cut, to look like a jintlemin, afore I
says yer sisther an' yer fayther and moother!"
"I think I'll do the same, Mick," said I. "They haven't seen me in my
bluejacket rig yet, and I want to look as smart as I can too!"
Accordingly, the two of us had recourse to the ship's barber, who
cropped us both so close that it would have puzzled anybody to have
caught hold of what hair was left on the heads of either, aye even
between his thumb and forefinger.
As a boat was leaving the ship early in the afternoon, we went in her;
when, being landed at Point, we soon found our way to Bonfire Corner, I,
of course, acting as the navigator.
Dear me, no one ever saw such a homecoming in their life before as that
of mine that day!
Jenny, who was dusting a mat at the door, rushed frantically into my
arms, mat and all, my little sister hugging me as if we had really been
parted for years, instead of only for the short spell of time that had
elapsed since our separation; and my mother, who was not so
demonstrative, was quite as glad, I know, to see me; while as for
father, who was having a spell-off in the backyard with his pipe, he
beamed all over at the sight of me in my uniform.
"Lor', Tom!" he ejaculated, on my taking him unawares, with his head
leaning back and the long churchwarden he was smoking dropping out of
his mouth, for he had just started, with his eyes closed, for a `lay off
the land,' as he styled taking a snooze. "Ye're the very h'image of
what I wer' when I wer' your age--though not quite so good-looking I'm
a-thinking!"
He said this in joke, for he and I were in the habit when in the wherry
together of carrying on in that way and chaffing each other; but mother,
who had followed me up, with Jenny behind her and Mick Donovan keeping
close company in her wake, took poor father up with a round turn!
"What do you know what you were like at his age?" she cried. "Judging
by your present figurehead, you couldn't have been much to boast of!"
"Couldn't I?" rejoined father. "I tell you what, Sarah, there wer' a
lot more gals 'sides you as wos a-runnin' arter me when I was a
youngster and first jined the sarvice!" Hearing my mother's name
mentioned, old `Ally Sloper' at once struck up a screech, hopping
through from the shop to join us.
"Say-rah, Say-rah!" he screamed, ruffling up the lemon crest on the top
of his head, and spreading out the feathers round his neck that made him
look as if he wore high collars. "I'll wring your neck!"
I thought Mick Donovan would have died of laughing on hearing the
cockatoo speak so funnily, his mirth being so contagious that we all
followed suit; and, what with the screeching and screaming of the other
birds, which seemed to take `Ally Sloper's' cry for a signal and chimed
in, you never heard such a row in your life.
"Bedad, Oi'm kilt entoirely!" exclaimed Mick, when he had well-nigh
laughed himself black in the face. "Oi nivver heerd such a baste in me
loife fur talkin', to bay sure!"
That made us all begin the concert over again; and I really think we
kept on laughing and then stopping, only to break out again, until
mother spread the table for tea, just to "shut our mouths," as she said.
Both she and father were really pleased to see Mick, whom they had
welcomed as my chum in the first instance, but presently began to like
for his own sake after his being but a very short time in their
presence--he was such a jolly chap all round!
My sister, however, seemed a bit shy with him, as indeed Mick appeared
to be with her, the two hardly exchanging a word; though I noticed that
when Jack, the thrush, commenced calling out in his soft way, "Jenny!
Jenny!" Mick flushed up like a boiled lobster.
"Faith," he exclaimed, "that's a foine burd, an' a purty burd too; an',
begorrah, he spakes the purtiest name I ivver heerd tell on in me
loife."
He looked at Jenny as he said this; when, she too coloured up.
I couldn't tell you all that occurred that happy day, for the moments
flew by like winking; and bye-and-bye we had to set sail again for our
ship, laden with all sorts of good things to help out our diet on board,
especially an enormous pot of jam, which mother said would last us for
tea till we were able to come ashore again for another supply.
Father came with us down to Hardway, offering to put us on board in his
wherry; and, though it was a longer voyage thence back to the ship than
from Point, the tide being fortunately in our favour, we reached the
_Saint Vincent_ in good time, going up the accommodation ladder on the
port side, which, as you know, is devoted to the use of the lower deck
portion of the crew, just as Eight Bells struck.
"Ha, my lads," cried the `Jaunty,' who stood by the entry-port, "you've
just saved your bacon!"
The other fellows were just coming down from skylarking; and, going
below with the lot, we found time before turning in--Mick having
declared that he was "hungry enuf to ate an illiphant"--to sample the
stock of grub mother had so thoughtfully provided us with.
The sight of the big jam-pot, however, presently attracted a crowd of
sympathisers around us, whose affability and kindly attentions, nay,
even respectful demeanour, was something wonderful.
Mick and I never knew till then what dear friends we had aboard; any boy
with whom we might have exchanged a chance word appearing as delighted
to see us again as if we had risen from the dead.
Amongst these, Larrikins was prominent.
"Lor', Tom Bowling," he whispered to me, as he sidled up near, "yer
knows I tuk a fancy to yer when I see'd yer first."
"So you did, my joker," said I, of course seeing through his `little
game,' as well as that of `Ginger,' the other first-class boy who had
been told off to attend to us novices, and had, it may be remembered,
acted as `Ugly's' second. "You cut me down when I was in my hammock the
first night I was aboard. That was a strong proof of your friendship
towards me, eh, Larrikins?"
"Ah, Tom, that were only a little joke, don-cher-no," he replied, with a
grin and a wink of the most expressive character, "Lor', yer don't bear
no mallerce, I knows!"
What could I say?
He was not half a bad fellow either; and so, having experienced many a
little kindness from him as a new hand, in spite of his strong
propensity for practical-joking at my expense, which I do not believe he
could have possibly resisted under any circumstances, I passed the word
to Mick to make him free of the jam-pot.
So, too, with the rest of those that hung round us, sailors and sailor-
boys generally being generous alike by nature and inclination; and the
end of it was, that the supply which mother thought would have lasted
Mick and me till we saw her again, vanished the same night!