As the Starboard went ashore the Port Watch came on board, all with
their new brooms. There was the Captain, Bob Mainstay, by name, and his
first Lieutenant, Ben Backstay, a good sailor and true. There was also a
full compliment of other officers and men. Amongst the rest there was
the cheery little midshipman, Random Jack, who was now on the eve of his
promotion. It was wonderful how this little fellow had pushed himself to
the front.
Wonders, it is known, never cease; but it was a strange sight to see the
Port Watch rowed on board by Ojabberaway boatmen. When the
weather-beaten old captain of the other watch saw this he smiled in a
manner that was peculiar to him and said: "That won't last!" Then, as if
speaking to himself, he added, "I wonder now, what was their price.
Humph! there is nothing that Bob Mainstay can either promise, or give,
that I cannot go beyond. Unless indeed, he and his crew chuck overboard
all their principles. Ah! there's the rub. Principles and politics don't
always pull together, and politics often, being the stronger of the two,
pulls principles round with a bang."
Now there was an animated discussion all along the hard and amongst the
Press, as to whether or not the Port Watch had been rowed on board by
the Ojabberaways. Many were prepared to swear that it was so; that there
could be no mistake about the matter. Others declared it was one of
those optical delusions which are for ever happening to surprise and
mystify people. Those who see the supernatural in almost everything,
declared that this was merely a deception brought about by the devil.
The Buccaneer's people were ready to believe almost anything just
according to the party they belonged to, or the principles they
professed. Indeed their credulity was so great in most things that the
cunning rogue frequently reaped a rich harvest out of them. Astrologers
were all dead, but the people, some of them, still dabbled in magic and
believed in spiritualism.
Before the Port Watch left the shore they promised to do no end of
things and their parting with the poor Beggar Woman, Patriotism, was
most affecting. They said that so long as they had charge of the old
Ship she should want for nothing. In fact everybody was to be made happy
and like the ending of all good books, and works of fiction, virtue on
all sides was to be rewarded. But the atmosphere of that old Ship
clouded the best of memories. Besides, every one knows that promises are
quite as cumbersome baggage as a conscience, and all those who wish to
get on in the world must unload themselves of the one, as readily as
they do of the other.
Many of the crew of the Ship of State kept their consciences on board of
the old Hulk alongside, where they were cleaned and repaired and sent
for when wanted.
The daily press having had their usual battle, settled down to dictate
to the watch in charge what they had to do and what they had not to do.
Indirectly it pretty well ruled the roost; told the captain what man he
was to put here, and what man there; but Captain Mainstay filled up his
different posts according to his own way of thinking, always bearing in
view, of course, the Buccaneer's cherished custom. All this took some
little time, for you cannot get things to fit on such principles all of
a sudden. Accidents will happen, and chance will occasionally put a
square man into a square hole and then he has with much difficulty to be
pulled out and a round hole found for him.
New brooms invariably sweep clean and the Port Watch set themselves to
work to clean up the mess left behind by old Dogvane and his lot. No one
kicked up more dust than did the, at one time, little middy, who for his
good behaviour was made steward of the household of the Buccaneer's
Indian Princess. It was his duty to watch over her; to guard her against
her enemies and especially to keep an eye upon the wicked Bandit of the
East.
They all agreed for once, and declared that old Dogvane had left things
in a terrible state of muddle, and they were unanimous in the belief
that they had only stepped on board just in the nick of time to save the
old Buccaneer from complete ruin; but this belief was also common to the
other watch when they took charge. The cook's galley they said was in a
shocking state and full of nothing but cheese parings; while he had
scribbled all over the place, "the Upper Chamber must be destroyed." All
people have their peculiarities, their whims and their fancies, and the
clever little cook was not without his.
When the cook reached the shore, he went about with his barrel organ and
sang songs about the iniquities of the other watch; of their indecent
haste to get on board the old Ship and grab the emoluments attached to
the several offices. The cook being placed in easy circumstances, by the
profits he received from his barrel organ, could afford to be virtuously
indignant.
Scarcely had the Port Watch settled down to their work than things went
wrong with them. They did not in shaping their course make due allowance
for the current of Public opinion, which at times set very strong, and
the old Ship of State got into difficulties. Over the ship's side they
went as quickly as they had climbed on board and the helm was again
placed in the hands of that experienced old salt, William Dogvane, who
was, however, requested by the Buccaneer to keep his weather eye open,
for that if he caught him again napping it would be the worse for him.
"Master," said the captain, "it is no use your putting me on board this
old ship unless you give me powers sufficient to keep the wild and
mutinous Ojabberaways in order. They are simply playing the very devil."
This to the Buccaneer was a hopeful sign, for Dogvane had always been
accused of sympathizing with this people and indeed of playing into
their hands. With Dogvane came the conspirators of the cook's caboose.
They still held together, though the carpenter was drifting away from
his old comrades, into a purer and brighter atmosphere. The cook was
like that pattern sailor, Billy Taylor, full of mirth and full of glee.
One fine morning the whole of the Buccaneer's island was awakened by a
great hubbub on board of the old Ship. The Church Hulk was slumbering in
a peaceful repose after her recent rude shaking. She had again settled
down to her usual state.
Notwithstanding what old Dogvane had said to the contrary he soon began
intriguing with the Ojabberaways and he made a rapid shift, coming to
the conclusion that nothing would make the Ojabberaways eternally happy,
but to give them everything they wanted. He said the old Ship thus
lightened would ride easily ever afterwards. The cook, however, true to
his hobby, said that it would be a great pity to waste the Ojabberaways
when there was the whole of the Buccaneer's Upper Chamber weighing the
old Ship down by the stern, and generally retarding her progress, and
interfering considerably with her steering.
Things looked very bad, and Random Jack who was ashore was most
eloquent, and declared for his part he should never be surprised to see
a flare up on board the old Ship, when, no doubt, honest sailors would
come by their dues. The noise upon the Ship of State roused up the crew
of the ship alongside, for if there was to be a mutiny, or any thing of
that kind going on, they felt sure they would be boarded, robbed, and
cast adrift.