Will Weatherhelm Part 30

In spite of the poor fellows suffering below, and the number of s.h.i.+pmates we had lost, we felt very happy as with a fair breeze we sailed in through the Needles, our well-won prize following in our wake.

Never did those high-pointed rocks look more white and glittering or the downs more green and beautiful, while the blue sea sparkling in the sunlight seemed to share our joy. The people on the sh.o.r.e, as we pa.s.sed the little town of Yarmouth, waved to us, and threw up their hats, and the flags from many a flagstaff flew out to the breeze.

As soon as we brought up at Spithead, I eagerly looked out for a boat going to the sh.o.r.e, by which to send my letter, hoping to have it delivered at once, instead of letting it go through the post office; but, as it was late in the evening, no sh.o.r.e boats came off, and I had to wait all the night, thinking how little my dear wife supposed I was so near her.

I turned out at daybreak, before the hammocks were piped up, that I might take a look at the spot where I thought she was living. Suddenly a sickness came over me. What if she should have been taken ill when I was so rudely torn from her! Perhaps she had never recovered, and was even now numbered among the dead. I could scarcely refrain from jumping overboard and trying to swim to Southsea beach. It seemed so near, and yet I knew that I could not do it. Then I thought I would go boldly up to the first lieutenant and tell him how treacherously I had been carried off,--s.n.a.t.c.hed, as it were, from the arms of my young wife,--and ask him to give me leave for a few hours, promising faithfully to come back at the time he might name. Then I reflected that the s.h.i.+p was short-handed, that we had the prisoners to guard, and that until she had been brought up safe in Portsmouth harbour, every man would be required for duty.

"It would be useless to ask him," I groaned out. "He'll remember I'm a pressed man, and would not trust me. It is too common for men to break their word and desert, indifferent to what others may suffer in consequence. No," I thought, "I'll try to send my letter first, and then wait with all the patience I can muster until I can get an answer."

Before long the hands were turned up, and we all set about our usual duties, was.h.i.+ng down decks and giving them a double allowance of holystoning, to try and get out more of the blood stains before, visitors should come on board.

Scarcely was this work over than the order was given to get up the anchor and make sail, as, tide and wind being favourable, we were to run into harbour.

My heart bounded at the thought, I sprang with eagerness to my station, the s.h.i.+p gathered way and, followed by our prize, we stood towards the well-known entrance of Portsmouth harbour.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE s.h.i.+P MADE SNUG--VISITORS COME ON BOARD--JERRY VINCENT--NEWS OF MY WIFE, AND HOME--HOW MY UNCLE BECAME INDIGNANT--JERRY WISHES ME TO TAKE FRENCH LEAVE--I REFUSE, I ASK FOR AND OBTAIN PERMISSION TO GO ASh.o.r.e-- MEETING WITH UNCLE KELSON--JERRY PREPARES MY WIFE FOR THE INTERVIEW-- TEMPTED TO DESERT--A HAPPY TIME--JERRY'S RECOLLECTIONS--ON BOARD THE ARETHUSA--YARNS--A GHOST STORY--A SLIPPERY DECK--THE PIRATES' HEADS.

The _Nymph_ under all plain sail, our prize following in our wake, glided on past Southsea Castle--the yellow beach, the green expanse of the common, the lines of houses and cottages beyond the Postdown hills rising in the distance, the batteries of Gosport and Portsmouth ahead, the masts of numberless vessels of all sizes seen beyond them.

I waited at my station in the fore-top for the order to shorten sail I cast many a glance towards the sh.o.r.e, where she whom I loved best on earth was, I fancied, gazing at the two s.h.i.+ps with thousands of other spectators, little supposing that I was on board one of them. As we entered the harbour, we heard with joyous hearts the order given to shorten sail. The boatswain's pipe sounded shrilly; the topmen flew aloft. Never did a s.h.i.+p's crew pull and haul, and run out on the yards, with greater alacrity to furl the canvas.

The water was covered with boats, the people standing up and waving and cheering. It was no easy matter to steer clear of them as we stood up the harbour. When rounding to off the dockyard, the anchor was dropped, the cable running out like lightning, as if eager to do its duty and help to bring us safe home. The prize then ma.s.sing us, brought up close under our stern.

Scarcely was the cable stoppered, and the s.h.i.+p made snug, than hundreds of boats pulled up alongside, those on board anxious to hear all about the victory we had gained.

Among the first was a somewhat battered-looking wherry, with a little wizened old man and a boy pulling. The former, catching sight of me as I stretched my neck through a port, throwing in his oar, uttered a shout of astonishment, and then, with the agility of a monkey, quickly clambered up the side by a rope I hove to him.

"What! Will, Will, is it you yourself?" exclaimed Jerry Vincent, wringing my hand and gazing into my face. "We all thought you were far away in the East Indies, and Mistress Kelson made up her mind that you'd never come back from that hot region where they fry beefsteaks on the capstan-head."

"But my wife--my wife! is she well? Oh, tell me, Mr Vincent," I exclaimed, interrupting him. "She expected me to come back."

"She's well enough, if not so hearty as we'd be wis.h.i.+ng; for, to say the truth, the roses don't bloom in her cheeks as they used to do."

I cannot describe the joy and relief this reply brought to my heart.

The grat.i.tude which I felt made me give old Jerry a hug, which well-nigh pressed the breath out of his body.

"Why, Will, my boy, you are taking me for Mrs Weatherhelm," he exclaimed, bursting into a fit of laughter. "You'll soon see her, and then you can hug her as long as you like, if you can get leave to go on sh.o.r.e; if not, I'll go and bring her here as quick as I can pull back to the point and toddle away over to Southsea."

"Oh, no, no; I wouldn't have her here on any account," I answered as I thought of the disreputable characters who in shoals would soon be crowding the decks, and who were even now waiting in the boats until they were allowed to come on board.

"Tell me, Jerry, about my uncle and Aunt Bretta; how are they both?"

"Hearty, though the old gentleman did take on when you were carried away by the pressgang. If ever I saw him inclined to run a-muck, it was then. We had a hard matter, I can tell you, to prevent him from posting off to London to see the First Lord of the Admiralty, to grapple him by the throat if he did not send an order down at once to have you liberated. I don't know, indeed, what he'd have done; but at last we persuaded him that if he made up his mind to proceed to such extremities, the First Lord would either laugh in his face or order the porters to kick him down stairs. He in time came to that conclusion himself, and so quieted down, observing that you would do your duty and bear yourself like a man."

"I must try and get leave from the first lieutenant. He could not refuse me, when I tell him I was torn away from my wife, and I will promise to be back again at any time he may name."

"You may try it, Will, but I'm not so sure about the matter. If he doesn't, why, I'd advise you to take French leave and slip into my wherry as soon as it's dark. I'll have a bit of canvas to cover you up, and pull you ash.o.r.e in a jiffey. You can land at the yard of a friend of mine, not far from the point, and disguise yourself in sh.o.r.e-going toggery. Every one knows me, and I'll get you through the gates; and if I'm accused of helping you off, I'll stand the consequences. It can only be a few months in gaol, and though I'd rather have my liberty, I can make myself happy wherever I am."

"No, Jerry, I would not let you run that risk for my sake on any account; nor would I run it myself, much as I love my liberty and my wife," I answered. "You stay here and I'll go and ask the first lieutenant at once; if he refuses me now, he'll be sure to give me leave another day."

"Well go Will,--go," said Jerry. "I'm much afraid that your first lieutenant, unless he is very much unlike others I have known, won't care a rap about your wife's feelings or yours. He'll just tell you it's the same tale half the s.h.i.+p's company have to tell, and if your wife wants to see you, she may come aboard like the rest of the women."

Without waiting to hear more of what Jerry might say, I hurried aft, and found the first lieutenant issuing his orders.

"What is it you want, my man?" he asked as I approached him, hat in hand.

"Please, sir, I've got a young wife ash.o.r.e at Southsea, and I was torn away from her by a pressgang. May I have leave to go and see her, and I promise to be back at any time you may name."

"A pressed man!--no, no, my fine fellow, no pressed men can be allowed out of the s.h.i.+p. They may take it into their heads not to return at all," he answered, turning away.

"Pardon me, sir," I said, "but I give you my word of honour that I will come back as soon as you order me."

He glanced round with a look of astonishment, muttering, "Your word of honour! Who are you, my man?"

"I am a Shetlander, sir. I have been brought up to keep my word.

Though I was pressed, I have done my duty. It was I, sir, who hauled down the flag of the _Cleopatra_ when we took her."

While he was speaking, a mids.h.i.+pman brought him a letter. He opened it, and glancing over the few lines it contained, his eye brightened. I stood watching, resolved not to be defeated.

As soon as he had folded the letter and put it into his pocket, I again stepped up.

"May I go, sir?" I said.

"Well," he answered, smiling, "you hauled down the Frenchman's flag. I am to have my reward, and you shall have yours. You may go ash.o.r.e, but you must be back in three days. All the crew will be required for putting the s.h.i.+p to rights, to take the mainmast out of her and replace it by a new one," and he ordered one of the clerks to put down my name as having leave.

I found afterwards that the letter I saw him read contained an intimation that he was forthwith to be made a commander.

In a few days the news was received that the great Earl of Chatham had presented our captain and his brother to King George, who had been pleased to knight our captain, and to make Commander Pellew a post-captain.

No one else, that I know of, obtained any honours or rewards, though each man and boy received his share of prize-money, and with that we had no cause to complain.

However, to go back to the moment when the first lieutenant gave me leave. "Thank you, sir! thank you!" I exclaimed, with difficulty stopping myself from tossing up my hat for joy.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, I rushed below, and, taking the things I wanted out of my bag, I tumbled into Jerry's wherry.

The old man pulled as fast as he and his boy could lay their backs to the oars.

"Stop, stop, my lad! wait for me!" he exclaimed as I jumped ash.o.r.e and was preparing to run to Southsea. "You'll frighten your wife and send her into 'high strikes' if you pounce down upon her as you seem inclined to do. Wait till I go ahead and tell her to be looking out for you.

You won't lose much time, and prevent a great deal of mischief, though I can't move along quite at the rate of ten knots an hour, as you seem inclined to do."

I at once saw the wisdom of Jerry's advice, and waited, though somewhat impatiently, until he and his boy had secured the boat.

"Come along, Will, my lad," he said at length, stepping ash.o.r.e; "I'll show you what my old legs can do," and off he set.

We soon crossed the High Street, and made our way through the gate leading out of the town on to Southsea Common.