"Oh, never mind those; they are honourable, like a flag well riddled,"
he observed. "I want you, besides, to tell me all that happened to you
during your captivity."
Dinner was soon afterwards announced, and during it I gave the admiral
an account of the chief events which had happened while I was at Ou
Trou. He was very indignant when he heard of the way we had been
treated, and especially of the mode in which Captains Williams and Stott
had been buried. I made him laugh at some of our contrivances, and
particularly at my having turned hen keeper. I described also to him
our residence in the stable with the old horse. I declared that I had
tried to teach the horse my language, and, not succeeding, had
endeavoured to learn his, and that I was in a fair way of succeeding
when he was removed from our habitation. This really was the case; I
had made great friends with the old animal, and I was beginning to know
exactly the meaning of all the noises he made. The admiral was highly
amused with all I told him. He put me, in return, in high spirits by
informing me that, on hearing I was captured, he had directed that I
should be rated as a mate of the Bristol, and kept on her books, and
that, in consequence, I was entitled to a share of prize-money, which,
as she had been very successful, would be of some amount. Several
officers, post-captains and others, were present, as were three or four
civilians, planters and merchants. The latter invited me to their
houses, and one of them, Mr Martin, insisted that I should drive back
with him, and make his house my home till I got a ship.
"That he has got already," said the admiral, presenting me with a paper,
which I found was my commission as lieutenant, and that I was appointed
to the Porcupine sloop-of-war of fourteen guns, commanded by Captain
John Packenham. I could not find words to express my thanks to the
admiral, but he said, "Pooh, pooh; we want active, intelligent, gallant
young men not afraid of a gale of wind, or of an enemy ashore or
afloat," he answered. "You have fairly won your promotion, and I
congratulate you on obtaining it."
With these kind words I parted from the admiral, and took my seat in my
new friend's carriage.
"We have time to see old Stukely this evening, and ascertain the amount
you have got to your credit. It won't make you sleep the worse," said
he, as we drove along.
"Forty or fifty pounds, probably," I remarked. "It would make me feel
as rich as a king."
"We will see, we will see," he replied.
To the agent's we went. He was a friend of Mr Martin's, so without
more ado he turned to his books.
"Hurry? Hurry of the Bristol?" he muttered. "A trifle, I know."