But her tearful face was upturned to his.
"Yes, dear, if father can be got over."
"That is nothing," said bold Mac. "I'll manage father. Then----"
Well, then Bounder put in an appearance with his red tongue out over his
white teeth and laughing all down both sides.
"Hilloa! you fellows"--it was Kep's voice--"I've been looking for you
everywhere."
The journey back to the Cottage was a lightsome and happy one. The
dinner was a splendid one. All McTavish's despondency had fled, and he
kept his host laughing almost continuously all the while with the
strange stories he told.
After dinner the Squire and he went out to smoke in the garden, while
the full moon rose silently up and sparkled on the beautiful sea.
You must have known long before this that this great athlete surgeon was
not the man to hang fire about anything. His motto was, if you've got
to fight, why, the sooner you charge the better.
He stopped so quickly in his walk that the Squire had forged ahead a few
paces before he too could stop ship and get about.
Thus the two men faced each other.
"Squire Drummond, I love your daughter, and have reason to believe she
is fond of me. Squire Drummond, may I call you father?"
The Squire looked the bold young rascal up and down, then burst out
laughing. And here is what he said as he held out his hand--
"Damn _me_, Duncan McTavish, if I think I can do better."
So there was an end of the whole matter. Dr. McTavish was a bold young
fellow, and you know
He either fears his fate too much
Or his deserts are small
Who dares not put it to the test,
To win or lose it all.
But I say you know, according to Mac, there never was a moon so bright
as that under which our heroes returned to the _Breezy_, nor a perfume
half so sweet as that which arose from the cliffs clad with yellow
gorse.
* * * * *
Now time is up, and reader and author have to part till another
Christmas, if God in His goodness should see fit to spare us.
The _Breezy_ arrived safely at Plymouth and had a very happy home
coming. Captain Breezy was made Rear Admiral almost at once, and the
King gave him a C.B.
Each officer and man was paid his share of the treasure as soon as its
value was ascertained in the Bank of England. And here it was stored
for a time.
But before I drop the curtain for the last time, I may tell you that
every one of the _Breezy's_ crew attended the marriage of McTavish and
his bonnie bride, and they departed on their honeymoon in a special
train for London.
It was not until Kep's return from town that he told his father about
the treasure.
Three months after that, Drummond was back home and his daughter with
Mac had come to live with father and comfort him.
Kep received a capital appointment as interpreter and secretary at
Whitehall, where he remained till the terrible war was over.
Adolph went back to Austria, but promised to visit Martello many times
and oft.
I need hardly say a word about Stormalong. Fact is he married his
Katie, who had been as true to her sailor boy as the needle to the pole.
The _Blue Ensign_ was transformed completely, and made into a really
fashionable hotel, and everybody was proud of the jolly sailor landlord,
who often condescended even to appear at the bar counter itself, and his
laugh at such time, shook the very rigging, as Stormalong himself would
have described it.
But in this hotel there was a snuggery, called the Man-o'-War Sailors'
own room. Only sailors and sailor's friends were ever admitted, but to
drop in there of an evening and listen to the yarns that the seamen
spun--each with his pipe and his pint--would have made life seem
pleasanter to the veriest hypochondriac.
But--but--why I don't think there is another "but" about it.
Lower away with the curtain. Good-bye, my brave British boys. And just
one little cheer for the British Royal Navy.