Our hero is sick with the service, but recovers with proper medicine.
An argument, ending, as most do, in a blow up. Mesty lectures upon
craniology.
The day after the funeral, H.M. ship Aurora sailed for Malta, and on
her arrival the acting captain sent our two midshipmen on board the
Harpy without any remark, except "victualled the day discharged," as
they had been borne on the ship's books as supernumeraries.
Mr James, who was acting in the Aurora, was anxious to join the
Admiral at Toulon, and intended to sail the next day. He met Captain
Wilson at the Governor's table, and stated that Jack and Gascoigne had
been put in irons by order of Captain Tartar; his suspicions, and the
report, that the duel had in consequence taken place; but Gascoigne
and Jack had both agreed that they would not communicate the events of
their cruise to anybody on board of the Aurora; and therefore nothing
else was known, except that they must have made powerful friends
somehow or another; and there appeared in the conduct of Captain
Tartar, as well as in the whole transaction, somewhat of a mystery.
"I should like to know what happened to my friend Jack, who fought the
duel," said the Governor, who had laughed at it till he held his
sides; "Wilson, do bring him here to-morrow morning, and let us have
his story."
"I am afraid of encouraging him, Sir Thomas, he is much too wild
already. I told you of his first cruise. He has nothing but
adventures, and they all end too favourably."
"Well, but you can send for him here and blow him up just as well as
in your own cabin, and then we will have the truth out of him."
"That you certainly will," replied Captain Wilson, "for he tells it
plainly enough."
"Well, to oblige me, send for him. I don't see he was much to blame in
absconding, as it appears he thought he would be hung. I want to see
the lad."
"Well, Governor, if you wish it," replied Captain Wilson, who wrote a
note to Mr Sawbridge, requesting he would send Mr Easy to him at the
Governor's house at ten o'clock in the morning.
Jack made his appearance in his uniform--he did not much care for what
was said to him, as he was resolved to leave the service. He had been
put in irons, and the iron had entered into his soul.
Mr Sawbridge had gone on shore about an hour before Jack had been sent
on board, and he had remained on shore all the night. He did not
therefore see Jack but for a few minutes, and thinking it his duty to
say nothing to him at first, or to express his displeasure, he merely
observed to him that the captain would speak to him as soon as he came
on board. As Gascoigne and our hero did not know how far it might be
safe, even at Malta, to acknowledge to what occurred on board the
speronare, which might get wind, they did not even tell their
messmates, resolving only to confide it to the captain.
When Jack was ushered into the presence of the captain, he found him
sitting with the Governor, and the breakfast on the table ready for
them. Jack walked in with courage, but respectfully. He was fond of
Captain Wilson, and wished to show him respect. Captain Wilson
addressed him, pointed out that he had committed a great error in
fighting a duel--a greater error in demeaning himself by fighting the
purser's steward, and still greater in running away from his ship.
Jack looked respectfully to Captain Wilson, acknowledged that he had
done wrong, and promised to be more careful another time, if Captain
Wilson would look over it.
"Captain Wilson, allow me to plead for the young gentleman," said the
Governor; "I am convinced that it has only been an error in judgment."
"Well, Mr Easy, as you express your contrition, and the Governor
interferes in your behalf, I shall take no more notice of this. But
recollect, Mr Easy, that you have occasioned me a great deal of
anxiety by your mad pranks, and I trust another time you will remember
that I am too anxious for your welfare not to be uncomfortable when
you run such risks. You may now go on board to your duty, and tell
Mr. Gascoigne to do the same; and pray let us hear of no more duels or
running away."
Jack, whose heart softened at this kind treatment, did not venture to
speak; he made his bow and was about to quit the room, when the
Governor said--
"Mr Easy, you have not breakfasted?"
"I have, sir," replied Jack, "before I came on shore."
"But a midshipman can always eat two breakfasts, particularly when his
own comes first; so sit down and breakfast with us--it's all over
now."
"Even if it was not," replied Captain Wilson, laughing,
"I doubt whether it would spoil Mr Easy's breakfast. Come, Mr Easy,
sit down."
Jack bowed, and took his chair, and proved that his lecture had not
taken away his appetite. When breakfast was over, Captain Wilson
observed--
"Mr Easy, you have generally a few adventures to speak of when you
return, will you tell the Governor and me what has taken place since
you left us?"
"Certainly, sir," replied Jack; "but I venture to request that it may
be under the promise of secrecy, for it's rather important to me and
Gascoigne."
"Yes, if secrecy is really necessary, my boy; but I'm the best judge
of that," replied the Governor.
Jack then entered into a detail of his adventures, which we have
already described, much to the astonishment of the Governor and his
captain, and concluded his narration by stating that he wanted to
leave the service; he hoped that Captain Wilson would discharge him
and send him home.
"Pooh, nonsense!" said the Governor, "you shan't leave the
Mediterranean while I am here. No, no--you must have more adventures,
and come back and tell them to me. And recollect, my lad, that
whenever you come to Malta, there is a bed at the Governor's house,
and a seat at his table, always ready for you."
"You are very kind, Sir Thomas," replied Jack, "but--" "No buts at
all, sir--you shan't leave the service! Besides, recollect that I can
ask for leave of absence for you to go and see Donna Agnes. Ay, and
send you there, too."
Captain Wilson also remonstrated with our hero, and he gave up the
point. It was harsh treatment which made him form the resolution it
was kindness which overcame it.
"With your permission, Captain Wilson, Mr Easy shall dine with us
to-day, and bring Gascoigne with him. You shall first scold him, and
I'll console him with a good dinner. And, boy, don't be afraid to
tell your story everywhere. Sit down and tell it at Nix Mangare
stairs, if you please. I'm Governor here!"
Jack made his obeisance, and departed. "The lad must be treated
kindly, Captain Wilson," said the Governor; "he would be a loss to the
service. Good heavens, what adventures, and how honestly he tells
everything! I shall ask him to stay with me for the time you are
here, if you will allow me: I want to make friends with him--he must
not leave the service."
Captain Wilson, who felt that kindness and attention would be more
effectual with our hero than any other measures, gave his consent to
the Governor's proposition. So Jack ate at the Governor's table, and
took lessons in Spanish and Italian until the Harpy had been refitted,
after heaving down. Before she was ready a vessel arrived from the
fleet, directing Captain Wilson to repair to Mahon and send a
transport, lying there, to procure live bullocks for the fleet. Jack
did not join his ship very willingly, but he had promised the Governor
to remain in the service, and he went on board the evening before she
sailed. He had been living so well that he had, at first, a horror of
midshipman's fare, but a good appetite seasons everything, and Jack
soon complained that there was not enough. He was delighted to see
Jolliffe and Mesty after so long an absence; he laughed at the
boatswain's cheeks, inquired after the purser's steward's shot-holes,
shook hands with Gascoigne and his other messmates, gave Vigors a
thrashing, and then sat down to supper.
"Ah, Massa Easy, why you take a cruise without me?" said Mesty; "dat
very shabby. By de power, but I wish I was there. You ab too much
danger, Massa Easy, without Mesty, anyhow."
The next day the Harpy sailed, and Jack went to his duty. Mr Asper
borrowed ten pounds, and our hero kept as much watch as he pleased,
which, as watching did not please him, was very little. Mr Sawbridge
had long conversations with our hero, pointing out to him the
necessity of discipline and obedience in the service, and that there
was no such thing as equality, and that the rights of man secured to
everyone the property which he held in possession.
"According to your ideas, Mr Easy, a man has no more right to his wife
than anything else, and any other man may claim her."
Jack thought of Agnes, and he made matrimony an exception, as he
continued to argue the point; but although he argued, still his
philosophy was almost upset at the idea of any one disputing with him
the rights of man, with respect to Agnes.
The Harpy made the African coast, the wind continued contrary, and
they were baffled for many days; at last they espied a brig under the
land, about sixteen miles off; her rig and appearance made Captain
Wilson suspect that she was a privateer of some description or
another, but it was calm, and they could not approach her.
Nevertheless Captain Wilson thought it his duty to examine her; so at
ten o'clock at night the boats were hoisted out: as this was merely
intended for a reconnoitre, for there was no saying what she might be,
Mr Sawbridge did not go. Mr Asper was in the sick list, so Mr
Smallsole the master had the command of the expedition.
Jack asked Mr Sawbridge to let him have charge of one of the boats.
Mr Jolliffe and Mr Vigors went in the pinnace with the master. The
gunner had the charge of one cutter, and our hero had the command of
the other. Jack, although not much more than seventeen, was very
strong and tall for his age; indeed he was a man grown, and shaved
twice a-week. His only object in going was to have a yarn for the
Governor when he returned to Malta. Mesty went with him, and, as the
boat shoved off, Gascoigne slipped in, telling Jack that he was come
to take care of him, for which considerate kindness Jack expressed his
warmest thanks. The orders to the master were very explicit; he was
to reconnoitre the vessel, and if she proved heavily armed not to
attack, for she was embayed, and could not escape the Harpy as soon as
there was wind. If not armed he was to board her, but he was to do
nothing till the morning: the reason for sending the boats away so
soon was, that the men might not suffer from the heat of the sun
during the daytime, which was excessive, and had already put many men
on the sick list. The boats were to pull to the bottom of the bay, not
to go so near as to be discovered, and then drop their grapnels till
daylight. The orders were given to Mr Smallsole in presence of the
other officers who were appointed to the boats, that there might be no
mistake, and the boats then shoved off.
After a three hours' pull, they arrived to where the brig lay
becalmed, and, as they saw no lights moving on board, they supposed
they were not seen. They dropped their grapnels in about seven
fathoms water and waited for daylight. When Jack heard Captain
Wilson's orders that they were to lie at anchor till daylight, he had
sent down Mesty for fishing-lines, as fresh fish is always agreeable
in a midshipman's berth: he and Gascoigne amused themselves this way,
and as they pulled up the fish they entered into an argument, and Mr
Smallsole ordered them to be silent. The point which they discussed
was relative to boat service; Gascoigne insisted that the boats should
all board at once--while our hero took it into his head that it was
better they should come up one after another; a novel idea, but Jack's
ideas on most points were singular.
"If you throw your whole force upon the decks at once, you overpower
them," observed Gascoigne; "if you do not you are beaten in detail."
"Very true," replied Jack, "supposing that you have an overpowering
force, or they are not prepared; but recollect, that if they are, the
case is altered; for instance, as to fire-arms--they fire theirs at
the first boat, and they have not time to re-load, when the second
comes up with its fire reserved; every fresh boat arriving adds to the
courage of those who have boarded, and to the alarm of those who
defend; the men come on fresh and fresh. Depend upon it, Gascoigne,
there is nothing like a 'corps de reserve'."
"Will you keep silence in your boat, Mr Easy, or will you not?" cried
the master; "you're a disgrace to the service, sir."
"Thank ye, sir," replied Jack, in a low tone. "I've another bite
Ned." Jack and his comrade continued to fish in silence till the day
broke. The mist rolled off the stagnant water, and discovered the
brig, who, as soon as she perceived the boats, threw out the French
tricolour, and fired a gun of defiance.
Mr Smallsole was undecided; the gun fired was not a heavy one, and so
Mr Jolliffe remarked; the men, as usual, anxious for the attack,
asserted the same, and Mr Smallsole, afraid of retreating from the
enemy and being afterwards despised by the ship's company, ordered the
boats to weigh their grapnels.
"Stop a moment, my lads," said Jack to his men, "I've got a bite." The
men laughed at Jack's taking it so easy, but he was their pet; and
they did stop for him to pull up his fish, intending to pull up to the
other boats and recover their loss of a few seconds.
"I've hooked him now," said Jack; "you may up with the grapnel while I
up with the fish." But this delay gave the other boats a start of a
dozen strokes of their oars, which was a distance not easy to be
regained.
"They will be aboard before us, sir," said the coxswain.
"Never mind that", replied Jack; "someone must be last."
"But not the boat I am in," replied Gascoigne; "if I could help it."
"I tell you," replied Jack, "we shall be the 'corps de reserve,' and
have the honour of turning the scale in our favour."
"Give way, my lads," cried Gascoigne, perceiving the other boats still
kept their distance ahead of them, which was about a cable's length.
"Gascoigne, I command the boat," said Jack, "and I do not wish my men
to board without any breath in their bodies--that's a very unwise
plan. A steady pull, my lads, and not too much exertion."
"By heavens, they'll take the vessel before we get alongside."
"Even if they should, I am right, am I not, Mesty?"
"Yes, Massa Easy, you very right--suppose they take vessel without
you, they no want you--suppose they want you, you come." And the
negro, who had thrown his jacket off, bared his arm, as if he intended
mischief.
The first cutter, commanded by the gunner, now gained upon the launch,
and was three boat's-lengths ahead of her when she came alongside. The
brig poured in her broadside--it was well directed, and down went the
boat.
"Cutter's sunk," exclaimed Gascoigne; "by heavens! give way, my men."
"Now, don't you observe, that had we all three been pulling up
together, the broadside would have sunk us all?" said Jack, very
composedly.
"There's board in the launch--give way, my men, give way," said
Gascoigne, stamping with impatience.
The reception was evidently warm; by the time that the launch had
poured in her men, the second cutter was close under the brig's
quarter--two more strokes and she was alongside; when of a sudden, a
tremendous explosion took place on the deck of the vessel, and bodies
and fragments were hurled up in the air. So tremendous was the
explosion, that the men of the second cutter, as if transfixed,
simultaneously stopped pulling, their eyes directed to the volumes of
smoke which poured through the ports, and hid the whole of the masts
and rigging of the vessel.
"Now's your time, my lads, give way, and alongside," cried our hero.
The men, reminded by his voice, obeyed--but the impetus already given
to the boat was sufficient. Before they could drop their oars in the
water they grazed against the vessel's sides, and, following Jack,
were in a few seconds on the quarter-deck of the vessel. A dreadful
sight presented itself--the whole deck was black, and corpses lay
strewed; their clothes on them still burning, and among the bodies lay
fragments of what once were men.
The capstern was unshipped and turned over on its side--the binnacles
were in remnants, and many of the ropes ignited. There was not one
person left on deck to oppose them.
As they afterwards learned from some of the men who had saved their
lives by remaining below, the French captain had seen the boats before
they anchored, and had made every preparation; he had filled a large
ammunition chest with cartridges for the guns, that they might not
have to hand them up. The conflict between the men of the pinnace and
the crew of the vessel was carried on near the capstern, and a pistol
fired had accidentally communicated with the powder, which blew up in
the very centre of the dense and desperate struggle.
The first object was to draw water and extinguish the flames, which
were spreading over the vessel; as soon as that was accomplished, our
hero went aft to the taffrail, and looked for the cutter which had
been sunk. "Gascoigne, jump into the boat with four men--I see the
cutter floats a quarter of a mile astern: there may be someone alive
yet. I think now I see a head or two."
Gascoigne hastened away, and soon returned with three of the cutter's
men; the rest had sunk, probably killed or wounded by the discharge of
the broadside.
"Thank God, there's three saved!" said Jack, "for we have lost too
many. We must now see if any of these poor fellows are yet alive, and
clear the decks of the remnants of those who have been blown to
pieces. I say, Ned, where should we have been if we had boarded with
the pinnace?"
"You always fall upon your feet, Easy," replied Gascoigne; "but that
does not prove that you are right."
"I see there's no convincing you, Ned, you are so confoundedly fond of
argument. However, I've no time to argue now--we must look to these
poor fellows; some are still alive."
Body after body was thrown through the ports, the habiliments, in most
cases, enabling them to distinguish whether it was that of a departed
friend or foe.
Jack turned round, and observed Mesty with his foot on a head which
had been blown from the trunk.
"What are you about, Mesty?"
"Massa Easy, I look at dis, and I tink it Massa Vigors' head, and den
I tink dis skull of his enemy nice present make to little Massa
Gossett; and den I tink again, and I say, no, he dead and nebber
thrash any more--so let him go overboard."
Jack turned away, forgiving Vigors in his heart; he thought of the
petty animosities of a midshipman's berth, as he looked at the
blackened portion of a body half an hour before possessing intellect.
"Massa Easy," said Mesty, "I tink you say right, anyhow, when you say
forgive: den, Massa Vigors," continued Mesty, taking up the head by
the singed hair, and tossing it out of the port; "you really very bad
man--but Ashantee forgive you."
"Here's somebody alive," said Gascoigne to Jack, examining a body, the
face of which was black as a cinder and not to be recognised, "and he
is one of our men, too, by his dress."
Our hero went up to examine, and to assist Gascoigne in disengaging
the body from a heap of ropes and half-burnt tarpaulings with which it
was entangled. Mesty followed, and looking at the lower extremities
said, "Massa Easy, dat Massa Jolliffe; I know him trousers; marine
tailor say he patch um for ever, and so old dat de thread no hold;
yesterday he had dis patch put in, and marine tailor say he be d--n if
he patch anymore, please nobody."
Mesty was right; it was poor Jolliffe, whose face was burnt as black
as a coal by the explosion. He had also lost three fingers of the
left hand, but as soon as he was brought out on the deck he appeared
to recover, and pointed to his mouth for water, which was instantly
procured.
"Mesty," said Jack, "I leave you in charge of Mr Jolliffe; take every
care of him till I can come back."
The investigation was then continued, and four English sailors found
who might be expected to recover, as well as about the same number of
Frenchmen; the remainder of the bodies were then thrown overboard. The
hat only of the master was picked up between the guns, and there were
but eleven Frenchmen found below.
The vessel was the Franklin, a French privateer of ten guns and
sixty-five men, of which, eight men were away in prizes. The loss on
the part of the vessel was forty-six killed and wounded. On that of
the Harpy, it was five drowned in the cutter, and eighteen blown up
belonging to the pinnace, out of which total of twenty-three, they had
only Mr Jolliffe and five seamen alive.
"The Harpy is standing in with a breeze from the offing," said
Gascoigne to Easy.
"So much the better, for I am sick of this, Ned; there is something so
horrible in it, and I wish I was on board again. I have just been to
Jolliffe; he can speak a little; I think he will recover. I hope so,
poor fellow; he will then obtain his promotion, for he is the
commanding officer of all us who are left."
"And if he does," replied Gascoigne, "he can swear that it was by
having been blown up which spoilt his beauty--but here comes the
Harpy. I have been looking for an English ensign to hoist over the
French, but cannot find one; so I hoist a wheft over it,--that will
do."
The Harpy was soon hove-to close to the brig, and Jack went on board
in the cutter to report what had taken place. Captain Wilson was much
vexed and grieved at the loss of so many men: fresh hands were put in
the cutter to man the pinnace, and he and Sawbridge both went on board
to witness the horrible effects of the explosion as described by our
hero.
Jolliffe and the wounded men were taken on board, and all of them
recovered. We have before stated how disfigured the countenance of
poor Mr Jolliffe had been by the small-pox--so severely was it burned
that the whole of the countenance came off in three weeks like a mask,
and every one declared that, seamed as it still was, Mr Jolliffe was
better looking than he was before. It may be as well here to state,
that Mr Jolliffe not only obtained his promotion, but a pension for
his wounds, and retired from the service. He was still very plain,
but as it was known that he had been blown up, the loss of his eye as
well as the scars on his face were all put down to the same accident,
and he excited interest as a gallant and maimed officer. He married,
and lived contented and happy to a good old age.
The Harpy proceeded with her prize to Mahon. Jack, as usual, obtained
a great deal of credit; whether he deserved it, or whether, as
Gascoigne observed, he always fell upon his feet, the reader may
decide from our narrative; perhaps there was a little of both. The
seamen of the Harpy, if summoned in a hurry, used very often to reply,
"Stop a minute, I've got a bite": as for Jack, he often said to
himself, "I have a famous good yarn for the Governor."