The prizes proved to be the Diligente brig, of fourteen guns, and two
hundred and ten men, and Caroline schooner, of eight guns, and one
hundred and twenty men--they had done a great deal of mischief, and
their capture was of importance. The captain of the Naiad's orders were
to return to Curacao, and we all made sail before sunset. Our loss had
been severe: commanding officer, boatswain, carpenter, and twelve men
wounded--one midshipman and two men killed.
The next morning our signal was made to pass within hail, and the
captain of the Naiad inquired how I was. The surgeon's assistant
replied that I and all the wounded were doing well, and there was no
more communication till we arrived at Curacao on the fourth day, by
which time I was rapidly recovering.
Mr Fraser, as soon as he heard of my being hurt, immediately came on
board and insisted upon my being taken on shore to his house, and I
gladly consented. The next day I had a visit from Captain C, the
commanding officer, and the captain of the Naiad. Captain C asked me if
I was well enough to write the account of the action. I replied that I
was, and that I would send it the next day. He and the captain of the
Naiad both paid me many compliments for having fought a superior force
for so long a time, and Captain C said that as soon as I was well enough
he would send me up to Jamaica, as bearer of my own despatches to the
admiral.
I requested, as a particular favour of Mr Fraser, that he would allow
Bob Cross to be sent ashore to his house, and Mr Fraser immediately
consented. My friend Bob was therefore brought up that evening, and was
soon established in very comfortable quarters.
We had been a fortnight at the island, during which my wound was healing
rapidly, and I was able to hop about with a crutch. Cross also was out
of bed, and able to sit up for an hour or two on the verandah, in the
cool of which I spent the best part of the day, with my wounded limb
resting upon a sofa. From the veranda we had a view of the harbour, and
one morning I perceived that there were two additional vessels which had
anchored during the night; they proved to be the Driver and the
brigantine privateer, which she had captured after a chase and running
fight of forty-eight hours. I was glad of this, as I knew what pleasure
it would give to the admiral.
I now again indulged in my dreams of Minnie, who had been forgotten as
soon as I had left the harbour and been engaged in active service.
Stretched upon a sofa, with my wounded leg, I had nothing else to do, or
rather nothing else which was so agreeable to me. I wrote to her again,
and also to my mother; neither did I forget that Lord de Versely had
requested at parting that I should write to him. I did so in a very
respectful manner, detailing what had occurred.
When we had been three weeks at Curacao, all our wounded, as well as
myself, had so far recovered, that there was no reason for the Firefly
not proceeding to Jamaica. The commanding officer lent an
assistant-surgeon to the schooner. I received my despatches, took a
grateful leave of Mr Fraser, and the Firefly was once more skimming
over the water. In three weeks we arrived at Port Royal, and I took up
my despatches.
"Happy to see you, Keene," said the admiral. "Hollo! what makes you
limp in that way? Have you hurt your leg?"
"Yes, sir," replied I; "I'm not quite well yet, but the despatches of
Captain C will explain all."
As no vessel had sailed from Curacao, the admiral had no idea of what
had happened.
"Well, then," said he, "sit down on that sofa, Mr Keene, while I read
the despatches."
I watched the admiral's countenance, and was delighted to witness the
evident signs of satisfaction which he expressed as he read on.
"Excellent!" said he, as he closed them. "Keene, you have done me a
great favour. The remonstrances of the merchants, the badgering I have
received from the Admiralty by every packet, relative to the
depredations on our commerce by these vessels, have been enough to make
a saint swear. Now they are happily disposed of, and I have chiefly to
thank you for it. Captain C informs me that the brig is well adapted
for his Majesty's service, but that the schooner is an old vessel." The
admiral then left the room. In a few minutes he returned with a paper
in his hand, which he laid upon the table, and, taking up a pen, he
signed it and presented it to me, saying--"_Captain_ Keene, I trust you
will give me the pleasure of your company to dinner; and, as you are
still very lame, I think you had better make a signal for your servant
and traps, and take up your quarters at the Penn till you are quite
recovered."
Perceiving that I was too much agitated to reply, he continued, "I must
leave you now;" then extending his hand, he said, "Allow me to be the
first to wish you joy on your promotion, which you have so well
deserved." He then went out of the room. It really was so unexpected--
so little dreamt of, this sudden promotion, that I was confused. I had
hoped that, by a continuance of good conduct, I might in a year or two
obtain it; but that I should receive it after only one cruise in the
schooner was beyond all my imagination. I felt grateful, and as soon as
I was more composed, I returned thanks to Heaven, and vowed eternal
gratitude to the admiral. I felt that I was a step nearer to Lord de
Versely, and I thought of the pleasure it would give my mother and
Minnie. I had been alone about half an hour, when the admiral returned.
"I have just sent for an old messmate of yours, Captain Keene, who was
severely wounded in your action with the Dutch frigate; he has now
passed, and Lord de Versely recommended him to me as a deserving young
officer--a Mr Dott."
"Oh, yes, admiral; he was my first acquaintance when I went to sea. He
has been to sea longer than I have, but he lost a good deal of his
time."
"Well I am going to give him an acting order for your brig. I hope he
is a good, smart officer."
"Yes, admiral, he is a very good officer indeed," replied I, laughing.
"Will you oblige me by not telling him that I am to be his captain, till
after we have met?"
"Ah, some mischief, I suppose; but if we make captains of such boys as
you we must expect that. Are your wounded men all going on well?"
"All, sir,--even Bob Cross, the boatswain, whose head was half knocked
off, is quite well again. He was Lord de Versely's coxswain, sir, and
you were kind enough to give him his warrant."
"I recollect--a good man, is he not?"
"So good, sir, that the only regret I have in leaving the schooner is,
that I cannot take him with me. He is my right-hand man and I owe much
to him, and it will be a sore blow to him as well as to me."
"I see, you want him made boatswain of your brig--that's it."
"I assure you, admiral, I should be most grateful if you would have that
kindness."
"I am always ready to promote a good man; your recommending him, and his
severe wound, are sufficient. He shall be your boatswain, Keene."
"You are very kind, sir," replied I. "I hope I shall do justice to your
patronage."
"I've no fear of that, Keene, and I know that a man, to work well,
should, as far as he can, choose his own tools. Mr Dott is waiting
now, and as soon as he has his acting order, I will send him in to you."
About ten minutes afterwards Mr Tommy Dott made his appearance; he
extended his hand to me, saying, in a haw-haw way, "Keene, my dear
fellow, I'm glad to see you." He certainly did look two or three inches
taller, for he walked almost on tiptoe.
"Glad to see you, Tommy," said I; "well, what's the news?"
"Nothing, I believe, except what you have brought. I hear you had a bit
of a brush, and got winged."
"Even so, Tommy," replied I, pointing to my wounded leg. "The admiral
has kindly asked me to stay here until I'm better."
"I dine with him to-day," replied Tommy; "but as for staying here, I
should think that rather a bore. By the bye, Keene, what sort of a
craft is that Diligente brig which the Naiad and you took?"
"A very fine craft, Tommy: sails as well as the Firefly."
"Oh, you, of course, swear by your own vessel; and there's nothing like
the schooner--that's natural enough; now, I must say, I prefer something
a little larger, and, therefore, I'm not sorry that I have my commission
for the new brig."
"Indeed! Tommy; I wish you joy," replied I.
"Thank ye, Keene," replied Tommy, very dignified. "I wonder," said he,
"what sort of a skipper we shall have. There's the first lieutenant of
the Naiad has a good chance. I saw him: a very sharp sort of gentleman,
and carries his head remarkably high; but that won't do for me. I'll
not allow any captain to play tricks in a ship that I'm aboard of. I
know the rules and regulations of the service as well as any one, and
that the captain shall see, if he attempts to go beyond his tether."
"Now, Tommy," replied I, "you know, that although you talk so big, if
you had been appointed a lieutenant into a ship commanded by Lord de
Versely, you would have been as much afraid of him as a lieutenant as
you used to be as a midshipman."
"Lord de Versely," replied Tommy, who felt the truth of what I said:
"he's a peculiar sort of man."
"Take my word for it, Tommy, you'll find all captains peculiar to one
point; which is, that they expect respectful behaviour, and not
cavilling, from their officers; and our service is so peculiar, that it
is absolutely necessary that the officers should set this example to the
men."
"Yes; that may be very well; but who knows but the captain of the brig
may be some young fellow, who has seen no more service than myself--
perhaps, not been to sea so long?"
"That is no reason that you should not obey his orders; indeed, if not
experienced, you ought to do all you can to support him."
"Well, if he was to ask my advice, indeed--"
"But he may not require your advice, Tommy, he may prefer deciding for
himself. Now, the first lieutenant of the Naiad is a great Tartar, and
I'm certain, if he is your captain, that, on the first word, he would
have you under an arrest. There's an old saying, Tommy, `It's folly to
kick against tenpenny nails;' and that every officer does who kicks
against his superior. I can assure you, Tommy, that if ever I am a
captain, my officers shall obey me implicitly. I will have no cavilling
at my orders. I will always treat them as gentlemen, and support their
authority, as they ought to support mine; but captain of my own ship I
would be, and I suspect that it would go hard with any officer who
ventured to dispute my rights."
"Well, I dare say you will be a martinet, or rather that you are one
now, as you command a schooner. However, as I never intend to sail with
you, that's nothing to me. I'm sure, from what has passed, that you and
I should have a row before we were a week on board; for I'm not to be
played with."
"Well, Tommy, I'm very glad we have had this explanation; for now we
both know what to expect. I am resolved to be captain, you to resist my
authority."
"No, no, I don't say that--I only say that I won't be played with--I
won't be trifled with."
"Tommy, I will neither play nor trifle with you; nor will you ever play
or trifle with me. We have done that as midshipmen; in our new relative
situations it is not to be thought of for a moment. Read this." I
handed him my appointment as commander of the Diligente: Tommy cast his
eyes over it, and at once saw that his promotion did not prevent his
getting into scrapes, as usual.
"You a commander! you captain of the Diligente! Why, I came to sea
before you."
"I know you did, Tommy; but, although you have been in the service
longer, you have not seen quite so much service as I have. At all
events, I'm now your captain. I flatter myself I shall make a very
tolerable one; and what is more, I have an idea that you will make a
very good lieutenant, as soon as the vanity, with which you have been
puffed up since your receiving your promotion, will have settled down a
little, and that you will find it much pleasanter to be on good terms
with your captain than to be eternally in hot water, especially with one
who, you know, is not a person to be played with."
Tommy looked very confused; he said nothing, but kept his eyes on my
commission, which he still held in his hand. I had no idea that Tommy
Dott's being ignorant of my being captain of the brig would have
occasioned such a conversation as this. I only wished to amuse myself
with him, and surprise him at the last. Tommy perceived that he had
made a mess of it, and he stammered out some explanation as he returned
me the commission; and I replied: "The fact is, Dott, you were merely
cutting a caper upon your new promotion; you never meant what you said;
it was all talk. You always have been very obedient to proper authority
since I have known you, and I am sure that you always will; so let's say
no more about it. I wish you joy upon your promotion, and, what's more,
I'm very glad that we are to sail together." Saying this, I held out my
hand, which Tommy took very readily, and we then began to talk on other
subjects.