Just as people had conjectured; there was a mutiny on board the old
ship, and amongst the Starboard Watch which old Dogvane had allowed to
get a little out of hand.
Even the conspirators of the cook's caboose were torn asunder, and the
hand of the cook wished to grapple round the throat of the carpenter.
The cook abused poor Chips right merrily, and called him every name
under the sun, and would allow him no virtue, and very little
intelligence. Pepper, with Billy Cheeks the burly butcher, stuck to
their captain with an affection that was pleasant to see, and there
could not be a doubt that if all went well with the captain, these two
would be amply rewarded for their fidelity. But the cabal of the cook's
caboose was completely broken up.
The carpenter now behaved in a manner that did him very great credit,
and surprised not a few. He turned his back upon the cook and the
butcher, and this so displeased them that they never after had a good
word to say for him.
It is most fortunate that this mutiny, unlike most other mutinies, was
unattended with any bloodshed or loss of life, and of course, this being
the case, it lost very much of its interest. Neither was the old Ship of
State scuttled and then run on shore, robbed, plundered, and abandoned.
Nor did the crew fall upon each other in the division of the plunder,
cutting each other's throats and otherwise conducting themselves as is
usual on such occasions, though it must be said that the Ojabberaways
excited fear in many a breast.
How long the idea of freeing this people had been a quiet occupant of
old Dogvane's breast, smouldering there as such things generally do, it
is impossible to say. He was sphinxlike and could not be read. Nor was
it at all easy to tell which way he would go, or what he would do; for
he at all times made what is said to be the true and proper use of
language, namely to disguise his thoughts. He also found it a most
useful means of either screening an advance into an unknown, and
unfriendly country, and also to cover his retreat when beaten. The
upshot of the mutiny in the Starboard Watch was, that one fine morning
our old Buccaneer woke up to find that Dogvane, his trusted captain, in
whom he had placed so much confidence, had gone over bag and baggage to
the Ojabberaways, and that he had taken with him Pepper the cook, and
Billy Cheeks the burly butcher.
The captain had apparently come to a hurried conclusion, and had risen
in the dead of night, and having hastily stowed away his sea chest, and
called to his side his beloved son, the small band deserted their old
comrades, and turned their backs upon them for ever.
When all these things became noised abroad, very great was the
consternation, and it set many tongues wagging, and all kinds of things
were said. The carpenter was very much applauded even by those who at
one time had plentifully abused him; but in this world of ours nothing
lasts long; the sinner of to-day is the saint of to-morrow, and the only
thing needful is to wait. Chips, the carpenter, was now thought fit
company for the noblest in the land; no doubt, all this was most
gratifying, and if it had not been for the constant prods, that the cook
kept on giving him with his flesh fork, the prongs of which were dipped
in gall; and the occasional sarcasms hurled at him by Billy Cheeks, no
doubt Chips would have been a happy man.
As is always the case on such occasions, vague rumours got about, some
of which turned out in the end to be true. It was said, upon what was
supposed to be very good authority, that Dogvane was to be crowned king
of the Ojabberaways, and all, both friends and enemies, wished him joy.
There are those who go about seeking kingdoms; carpet-bag kings in fact,
but Dogvane was not one of these kind of pedlars, though if a kingdom
was thrust upon him, of course he could not help himself.
It is very much to be regretted that ill-nature did not spare Captain
Dogvane; but it did not, and very many most improbable stories now got
wind. It was said, amongst other things, that every night before going
to bed, when anything had gone wrong with him in the day, that he tore
up his night shirt. The story is scarcely worthy of credence, but even
if it were true, history affords many examples of a like nature. We are
told on the most reliable authority that the Patriarchs of old whenever
they were put about invariably rent their garments, and even King David
himself, it would appear, was very much given to this practice. A king
of course can do no wrong; but amongst people of lower degree the habit
should be discountenanced, both on the score of expense, and of decency.
It was also said that Pepper was to be rewarded for his fidelity to his
master by being made court jester to Dogvane, king of the Ojabberaways,
and that in addition, he was to be chancellor of the exchequer,
custodian of the Ojabberaways' morals, and a teacher to them of manners.
These offices were brought under one head for the sake of economy, and
as Pepper was an enemy to all official extravagance, this combination
pleased him. All thought he would have quite enough to do; but then
Pepper was an able man, and what to others would have been fraught with
very great difficulty, was to him a matter of ease. It is a happy thing
to be especially endowed by Providence. Billy Cheeks, the burly butcher,
was also promoted from his humble position on board the old Ship of
State, so it was said, to be minister of justice to the king of the
Ojabberaways, for he had some legal knowledge and gravity enough for a
judge, and as things were to be conducted on strictly economical
principles, he was also to preside over the Ojabberaways' High Court of
Assassination. He was to be also the keeper of the king's conscience. It
was thought that he also would have enough to do.
Again did the Port Watch step on board with that jaunty and
devil-me-care air, so peculiar to sailors. Random Jack was given a
higher post even than that which he had held before; for he was made
keeper of the Till and holder of the Buccaneer's Great Purse, offices
only held by men of the most approved ability, and integrity. Many
believed that he was destined on some future day to command one of the
watches, but there seemed to be some difference of opinion as to which.
Many indeed there were who pinned their faith to Random Jack, and many
there also were who asked themselves how it was that he had thus made
his way. Some affirmed that it was by his undoubted ability, but quite
as many declared that it was by his unbounded impudence, frequently
called self-confidence. Possibly it was by a happy combination of the
above two qualities that he had been so successful. Certain it is that
no man can expect to rise to a great height unless he has a good share
of the last of the above virtues, for it is the only one that the world
truly appreciates.
Of all things there is nothing like success. The middy now, instead of
being ridiculed, sneered at, and flouted, was taken up, and those who
before would have passed him by without bestowing upon him even so much
as a supercilious nod now claimed an acquaintance with him, and declared
that they had seen all along the superior stuff he was made of.
Those people who know everything, and they are so many that it is little
short of a wonder that the world still keeps so uninlightened, said they
should never be surprised to find that Random Jack had entered into an
alliance with the carpenter, and obtained through him and others the
command of the Starboard Watch; but the carpenter was an ambitious man.
Upon the old cox'sn being asked his opinion about Random Jack, he gave
it, as was his custom, and according to his own fashion. "The lad is
good enough, d'ye see. He has parts, and he's got his head pointing in
the right direction; if only he has his ballast all aboard. But, my
mates, he seems a bit light at times, and does not stand up well to his
canvas, but that will come in due course; that will come when he has
trimmed his ship a bit. Then he has a knack of steering a bit wide at
times; now coming up in the eye of the wind, until he is nearly taken
aback; then veering away until he nearly wears round on the other tack,
why, his wake, my lads, is about as straight as a cork-screw. Give him
more ballast, and a steadier hand at the helm, and the lad will steer a
good course through life. Them's my sentiments, mates."
But one fine day when Random Jack was sailing pleasantly along with all
plain sail set to a fair wind of public opinion, he suddenly, without
rhyme or reason, put his helm down, and everything went by the board,
and Random Jack was left a sport to the waves of Fortune, without either
sails or rudder, and it was doubtful whether he would ever again make
the fair land of Promise.
But before all this a sad thing happened on board the old Ship of State.
The first lieutenant of the Port Watch, honest Ben Backstay, had, so
many people thought, been treated in a somewhat scurvy manner, not only
by the captain of the watch, but by some of his mess-mates. On one
occasion he was tripped up, it was said, by Random Jack and another, and
poor old Ben was hurt considerably, though like the brave sailor that he
was, he never uttered a word of complaint; but as a slight reward he was
kicked upstairs into the Buccaneer's Upper Chamber, thereby falling
under the displeasure of the immortal Pepper.
If honest Ben had any feelings he never showed them, and of course, not
doing so they were not respected. One morning the whole ship's crew were
stricken with sorrow, for Ben, while at his post, heard Him whom all
must obey, call his name; so leaving his body below, his soul soared up
aloft. The flag of the old Ship of State was half masted, and minute
guns were fired. The bells from the church towers tolled out the
mournful news, and the Church Hulk sent up to Heaven a requiem on behalf
of poor Ben. He was a staunch friend of this old Ship, and she could ill
afford, in such perilous times, to lose even one supporter. The
Buccaneer mourned the loss of his trusty servant, and he kept a small
spot in his heart wherein to plant a few flowers of memory to honest Ben
Backstay, and as they towed him to his last moorings, the old Buccaneer
said: "Let us all hope that poor Ben Backstay, like poor Tom Bowling,
may find pleasant weather, until He who all commands, shall give to
call life's crew together the word, to pipe all hands." There was much
sorrowing in the land, and many a heart was sad.
Ah! the human heart is but a grave-yard, where lie buried many hopes
that never survive even their first childhood; many ambitions cut off in
all the freshness of youth, and many friends. As we live, we bear there
from time to time, the cherished remains of someone, or of something we
love. In our lonely hours we sit by these silent graves, and shed many
warm tears of sorrow over them; wishing oftentimes, that we could bring
back the dead. Thus we sit, and sit, and mourn, and mourn, day after
day, and night after night. At length our sun sets, and our eyes grow
dim in the waning light, until at last they close forever. With us we
take our little grave-yard, with all its flowers, and bear it away into
the great darkness of eternity.