COURT-MARTIALED.
It would be difficult indeed to say which of the animals was most
glad to welcome our heroes on their return.
Hurricane Bob, after a rough canine salute, must go dashing round and
round the deck, to the danger of the limbs if not the lives of the
honest sailors, flashing his white teeth and his red flag of a tongue
in a vain effort to allay his feelings.
Oscar was different, he had so much to say to his master, who was
once again soothing and petting him, that he got great-hearted, and
whined and scolded and cried by turns. Just like a dog, you know.
But Admiral Jacko confined his attentions almost solely to his
master, and his joy was one of fondness, if not effusion. He crept
into the Ugly Duckling's arms, and it was said that he really shed
tears. But I do not quite believe that, for I am of opinion that man
is, after all, the only animal who weeps, or rather woman is. Yes, I
have often heard of crocodiles' tears, and what is better still, I
have more than once examined the face of one of these saurian
monsters who dwell in the marshy interior of Africa, and I have never
seen the vestige of a tear about the ugly beast's cheeks.
Perhaps you may say I didn't go near enough.
No, catch me doing anything of the sort, because the crocodile would
have played the game of "catch me quick". But I have stood at a
respectful distance, and made my inspection through the telescope.
Well, I have never seen a monkey weep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Having done her duty in Chinese waters, and heard that the Foo-kies
had been well thrashed, as indeed they deserved to be, the good ship
_Osprey_ sailed once more for Bombay.
Thence she was sent down to Zanzibar with dispatches, and from that
place to the Cape of Good Hope again.
On boarding the flag-ship in company with poor one-armed Creggan, his
junior lieutenant, Captain Leeward was not sorry to find that at
long, long last the "Ordered home" had arrived.
It was time; the commission had been a long one, and the sanitary
condition of the ship was not everything that could be desired. This
was principally owing to the millions of gigantic cockroaches that
swarmed everywhere.
There were very many other creepie-creepies on board the _Osprey_ as
well as cockroaches. Of these latter there were two species, one the
little sort, about three-quarters of an inch in length, the other,
the true _Blatta orientalis_, two inches and a half from stem to
stern, with feelers three inches long, of immense breadth of beam,
spiked legs, and an outspread of wing when they flew of about three
inches.
Well, there were many kinds of spiders, scorpions, earwigs, an
occasional tarantula, whose bite may produce delirium and death, and
whole colonies of little ants. But now and then a gigantic centiped
would appear, and these are dreaded even more than are snakes.
So on the whole, the _Osprey_ at the tail end of the commission
offered a fine field for the study of natural history.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Homeward-bound! What joy it spreads over every heart on board a
ship, from that of the boy who helps the cook, feeds the pets, and
gets kicked about by all hands, to the captain himself, who, if he
does not say much, cannot hide the pleasure that beams in his face
and eyes.
There is a commander in the Royal Navy (retired), still alive while I
write, who was present at the funeral of Britain's greatest hero,
Admiral Nelson. This officer might well be called the father of the
navy, for he is now in his hundredth year.
Well, had he come on board on Saturday night while the _Osprey_ was
making her long homeward-bound passage from the Cape to England, he
would certainly have considered himself back once more in the dear
days of old.
There certainly was not the same amount of tossing of cans, but the
main-brace was spliced by the captain's orders, and away forward down
below, around the galley and at the fo'c's'le head, many a song was
heard, many a yarn spun, and many a heart beat high and warm with the
thoughts of home and Merrie England.
It really appeared that the _Osprey_ herself knew she was homeward
bound.
She was the sauciest of the saucy, "for an old un", as Jack phrased
it.
"The old jade!" someone would remark, as she curtseyed to a wave,
flinging the spray far over the bows; "the old jade! I believe she
is doing it on purpose. Whoa, lass, whoa!"
And some of the songs sung on that Saturday night were perhaps homely
enough, but every one of them breathed of the brine and the billows.
Two verses, for example--they were trolled by Chips the carpenter,
the hoarse old bo's'n putting in a good bass, and some of Mother
Carey's chickens piping a tenor as they dashed from blue wave to blue
wave after itinerant white-bait--I give below:
JACK AND HIS NANCY.
"Scarce the foul hurricane was cleared,
Scarce winds and waves had ceased to rattle,
Ere a bold enemy appeared,
And, dauntless, we prepared for battle.
And now while some lov'd friend or wife
Like lightning rush'd on ev'ry fancy,
To Providence I trusted life,
Put up a prayer--and thought of Nancy.
"At last--'twas in the month of May,
The crew, it being lovely weather,
At three A.M. discovered day
And England's chalky cliffs together;
At seven up Channel how we bore!
While hopes and fears rush'd on my fancy;
At twelve I gaily jumped on shore,
And to my throbbing heart press'd Nancy."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Well, that is all very well in song, but nowadays at all events Jack
doesn't get leave to jump on shore at twelve if his ship comes in at
seven. Nor for a day or two, or even three. There is a clean bill
of health to be got first, and any amount of little matters and
morsels of red tape to be seen to.
But Nancy may come on board, and Jack isn't a bit shy at such times.
Oh no, I never met a true sailor who was.
* * * * * * * * * * *
I have now to relate a very strange experience that befell Creggan
and his friend the Ugly Duckling.
The ship had not long lain at anchor off the Hoe, when, after a deal
of signalling from the admiral's office, Captain Leeward, with a
strange smile on his face, came up to the place where the two young
officers stood looking over the bulwarks at the crowd of shore-boats,
and passing many a quaint and humorous remark.
Seeing the captain, they turned and saluted at once.
"I regret to inform you, gentlemen," said Captain Leeward, "that you
are both prisoners. Don't be afraid; it will be a mere formality, I
am sure. Meanwhile, I must do my duty. You are on parole, if you
give me your word you will make no attempt to leave the ship."
"Oh, certainly, sir. But--may--may I ask you what we shall be tried
for?"
The captain laughed now.
"Why," he answered, "only for assisting the Japs against an enemy
with whom we are at peace. Keep up your hearts, boys. I sha'n't put
a sentry over you, but just give up your sword, Lieutenant Creggan
Ogg M'Vayne, and you, young sir, your dirk, to the officer of the
watch."
I have no desire at this end of my story to describe the
formalities--solemn enough in all conscience--of the court of inquiry.
That sword of Creggan's and the Ugly Duckling's dirk lay side by side
on the green-baize-covered table, surrounded by officers in fullest
uniform, and the two prisoners stood between marines with fixed
bayonets, near one end of the table.
Neither of the young officers denied anything, and when asked what he
had to say in his defence, Creggan replied:
"Nothing at all, except that I wear an empty sleeve in commemoration
of the grandest naval battle of modern times. But I must add that I
would do the same again, for it isn't in British human nature to
stand by with finger in mouth while battle is raging round."
There was much grave conversation after the prisoners had been
withdrawn, and finally they were ordered in.
"I dare say," whispered the Duckling to Creggan a minute before this,
"it will be a shooting case. Heigh-ho! what will become of poor
Jacko, and I'm sure my sister will break her heart!"
But to their joy, when they returned looking pale and anxious, the
sword and dirk were handed back, and they were told that they left
the court without a stain on their character.
There were positively tears in the eyes of both young fellows as the
officers shook hands with them.
The admiral of the port invited both to dinner that evening. He was
as anxious as anybody could be to hear a personal narrative of the
great sea-fight.
I may mention here as well as elsewhere, that before Creggan went
back to his mother's house at Torquay he received the Victoria Cross
from the hands of Her Majesty herself, and for such an honour as this
I believe the bold young fellow would have been content to go through
far more than he had done.