Mr. Midshipman Easy Part 23

"Very true," replied Jack; "and as for a pa.s.sage home in a man-of-war, that will be more difficult still."

"Den I tink, sar, suppose you buy one fine vessel-plenty of guns-take out letter of marque - plenty of men, and bring Missy Agnes home like a lady. You captain of your own s.h.i.+p."

"That deserves consideration, Mesty," replied Jack, who thought of it during that night: and the next day resolved to follow Mesty's advice. The Portsmouth paper lay on the breakfast-table. Jack took it up, and his eye was caught by an advertis.e.m.e.nt for the sale of the Joan d'arc, prize to H.M. s.h.i.+p Thetis, brigantine of 278 tons, copper- bottomed, armed, en flutes with all her stores, spars, sails, running and standing rigging, then lying in the harbour of Portsmouth, to take place on the following Wednesday.

Jack rang the bell, and ordered post-horses. "Where are you going, my dear boy?" inquired Dr Middleton. "To Portsmouth, Doctor." "And pray what for, if not an impertinent question?"

Jack then gave Dr Middleton an insight into his plan, and requested that he would allow him to do so, as there was plenty of ready money.

"But the expense will be enormous."

"It will be heavy, sir, I grant; but I have calculated it pretty nearly, and I shall not spend at the rate of more than my income. Besides, as letter of marque, I shall have the right of capture; in fact, I mean to take out a privateer's regular licence."

"But not to remain there and cruise?"

"No, upon my honour; I am too anxious to get home again. You must not refuse me, my dear guardian."

"As a lady is in the case, I will not, my dear boy; but be careful what you are about."

"Never fear, sir, I will be back in four months, at the farthest; but I must now set off and ascertain if the vessel answers the description given in the advertis.e.m.e.nt."

Jack threw himself into the chariot. Mesty mounted into the rumble, and in two hours they were at Portsmouth; went to the agent, viewed the vessel, which proved to be a very fine fast-sailing craft, well found, with six bra.s.s carronades on each side. The cabins were handsome, fitted up with bird's-eye maple, and gilt mouldings.

This will do, thought Jack: a couple of long bra.s.s nines, forty men and six boys, and she will be just the thing we require. So Mesty and Jack went on sh.o.r.e again, and returned to Forest Hill to dinner, when he desired Mr Hanson to set off for Portsmouth, and bid at the sale for the vessel, as he wished to purchase her. This was Monday, and on Wednesday Mr Hanson purchased her, as she stood, for 1,750 pounds, which was considered about half her value.

Dr Middleton had, in the meantime, been thinking very seriously of Jack's project. He could see no objection to it, provided that he was' steady and prudent, but in both these qualities Jack had not exactly been tried. He therefore determined to look out for some steady naval lieutenant, and make it a sine qua non that our hero should be accompanied by him, and that he should go out as sailing-master. Now that the vessel was purchased, he informed Jack of his wish; indeed, as Dr Middleton observed, his duty as guardian demanded this precaution, and our hero, who felt very grateful to Dr Middleton, immediately acquiesced.

"And, by-the-bye, Doctor, see that he is a good navigator; for although I can fudge a day's work pretty well, latterly I have been out of practice."

Everyone was now busy: Jack and Mesty at Portsmouth, fitting out the vessel, and offering three guineas ahead to the crimps for every good able seaman - Mr Hanson obtaining the English register, and the letters of licence, and Dr Middleton in search of a good naval dry-nurse. Jack found time to write to Don Philip and Agnes, apprising them of the death of his father, and his intentions.

In about six weeks all was ready, and the brigantine, which had taken out her British register and licence under the name of the Rebiera, went out of harbour, and anch.o.r.ed at Spithead. Dr Middleton had procured, as he thought, a very fit person to sail with Jack, and our hero and Mesty embarked, wis.h.i.+ng the Doctor and Solicitor good-bye, and leaving them nothing to do but to pay the bills.

The person selected by Dr Middleton, by the advice of an old friend of his, a purser in the navy, who lived at Southsea, was a Lieutenant Oxbelly, who, with the s.h.i.+p's company, which had been collected, received our hero as their captain and owner upon his arrival on board. There certainly was no small contrast between our hero's active slight figure and handsome person, set off with a blue coat, something like the present yacht-club uniform, and that of his second in command, who waddled to the side to receive him. He was a very short man, with an uncommon protuberance of stomach, with shoulders and arms too short for his body, and hands much too large, more like the paws of a Polar bear than anything else. He wore trousers, shoes, and buckles. On his head was a foraging cap, which, when he took it off, showed that he was quite bald. His age might be about fifty-five or sixty; his complexion florid, no whiskers, and little beard, nose straight, lips thin, teeth black with chewing, and always a little brown dribble from the left corner of his mouth (there was a leak there, he said). Altogether his countenance was prepossessing, for it was honest and manly, but his waist was preposterous.

"Steady enough," thought Jack, as he returned Mr Oxbelly's salute.

"How do you do, sir?" said Jack; "I trust we shall be good s.h.i.+pmates," for Jack had not seen him before.

"Mr Easy," replied the lieutenant, "I never quarrel with anyone, except (I won't tell a story) with my wife."

"I am sorry that you have ever domestic dissensions, Mr Oxbelly."

"And I only quarrel with her at night, sir. She will take up more than her share of the bed, and won't allow me to sleep single; but never mind that, sir; now will you please to muster the men?"

"If you please, Mr Oxbelly."

The men were mustered, and Jack made them a long speech upon subordination, discipline, activity, duty, and so forth.

"A very good speech, Mr Easy," said Mr Oxbelly, as the men went forward; "I wish my wife had heard it. But, sir, if you please, we'll now get under way as fast as we can, for there is a Channel cruiser working up at St Helen's, and we may give him the go-by by running through the Needles."

"But what need we care for the Channel cruiser?"

"You forget, sir, that as soon as she drops her anchor she will come on board and take a fancy to at least ten of our men."

"But they are protected."

"Yes, sir, but that's no protection, now-a-days. I have sailed in a privateer at least three years, and I know that they have no respect for letters of marque or for privateers."

"I believe you are right, Mr Oxbelly; so, if you please, we will up with the anchor at once."

The crew of the Rebiera had been well chosen; they were prime men-of-war's men, most of whom had deserted from the various s.h.i.+ps on the station, and, of course, were most anxious to be off. In a few minutes the Rebiera was under way with all sail set below and aloft. She was in excellent trim and flew through the water; the wind was fair, and by night they had pa.s.sed Portland Lights, and the next morning were steering a course for the Bay of Biscay without having encountered what they feared more than an enemy,-a British cruiser to overhaul them.

"I think we shall do now, sir," observed Mr Oxbelly to our hero; "we have made a famous run. It's twelve o'clock, and if you please I'll work the lat.i.tude, and let you know what it is. We must shape our course so as not to run in with the Brest squadron. A little more westing, sir. I'll be up in one minute. My wife-but I'll tell you about that when I come up."

"Lat.i.tude 4I' I2', sir. I was about to say that my wife, when she was on board of the privateer that I commanded-"

"Board of the privateer, Mr Oxbelly?"

"Yes, sir, would go; told her it was impossible, but she wouldn't listen to reason-came on board, flopped herself into the standing bed-place, and said that there she was for the cruise--little Billy with her-"

What! your child, too?

"Yes, two years old-fine boy-always laughed when the guns were fired, while his mother stood on the ladder and held him on the top of the b.o.o.by-hatch."

"I wonder that Mrs...o...b..lly let you come here now?"

"So you would, sir, but I'll explain that-she thinks I'm in London about my half-pay. She knows all by this time, and frets, I don't doubt; but that will make her thin, and then there will be more room in the bed. Mrs...o...b..lly is a very stout woman."

"Why, you are not a little man!"

"No, not little-tending to be l.u.s.ty, as the saying is-that is, in good condition. It's very strange that Mrs...o...b..lly has an idea that she is not large. I cannot persuade her to it. That's the reason we always spar in bed. She says it is I, and I know that it is she who takes the largest share of it."

"Perhaps you may both be right."

"No, no; it is she who creates all the disturbance. If I get nearer to the wall she jams me up till I am as thin as a thread paper. If I put her inside and stay outside, she cuts me out as you do a cask, by the chime, till I tumble out of bed."

"Why don't you make your bed larger, Mr Oxbelly?"

"Sir, I have proposed it, but my wife will have it that the bed is large enough if I would not toss in my sleep. I can't convince her. However, she'll have it all to herself now. I slept well last night, for the first time since I left the Boadicea."

"The Boadicea?"

"Yes, sir, I was second lieutenant of the Boadicea for three years."

"She's a fine frigate, I'm told."

"On the contrary, such a pinched-up little craft below I never saw. Why, Mr Easy, I could hardly get into the door of my cabin-and yet, as you must see, I'm not a large man."

"Good heavens! is it possible," thought Jack, "that this man does not really know that he is monstrous?"

Yet such was the case. Mr Oxbelly had no idea that he was otherwise than in good condition, although he had probably not seen his knees for years. It was his obesity that was the great objection to him, for in every other point there was nothing against him. He had, upon one pretence and another, been s.h.i.+fted, by the manoeuvres of the captains, out of different s.h.i.+ps, until he went up to the Admiralty to know if there was any charge against him. The first lord at once perceived the charge to be preferred, and made a mark against his name as not fit for anything but harbour duty. Out of employment, he had taken the command of a privateer cutter, when his wife, who was excessively fond, would, as he said, follow him with little Billy. He was sober, steady, knew his duty well; but he weighed twenty-six stone, and his weight had swamped him in the service.

His wish, long indulged, had become, as Shakespeare says, the father of his thoughts and he had really at last brought himself to think that he was not by any means what could be considered a fat man. His wife, as he said, was also a very stout woman, and this exuberance of flesh on both sides, was the only, but continual, ground of dispute.

CHAPTER x.x.xVIII.

In which our hero, as usual, gets into the very middle of it.

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY the Rebiera entered the straits, and the rock of Gibraltar was in sight as the sun went down; after which the wind fell light, and about midnight it became calm, and they drifted up. At sunrise they were roused by the report of heavy guns, and perceived an English frigate about eight miles further up the straits, and more in the mid-channel, engaging nine or ten Spanish gun-boats, which had come out from Algesiras to attack her. It still continued a dead calm, and the boats of the frigate were all ahead towing her, so as to bring her broadside to bear upon the Spanish flotilla. The reverberating of the heavy cannon on both sides over the placid surface of the water-the white smoke ascending as the sun rose in brilliancy in a clear blue sky-the distant echoes repeated from the high hills-had a very beautiful effect for those who are partial to the picturesque. But Jack thought it advisable to prepare for action instead of watching for tints-and, in a short time, all was ready.

"They'll not come to us, Mr Easy, as long as they have the frigate to hammer at; but still we had better be prepared, for we cannot well pa.s.s them without having a few shot. When I came up the straits in the privateer we were attacked by two and fought them for three hours; their shot dashed the water over our decks till they were wet fore and aft, but somehow or another they never hit us-we were as. low as they were. I'll be bound but they'll hull the frigate though. Mrs...o...b..lly and Billy were on deck the whole time-and Billy was quite delighted, and cried when they took him down to breakfast."

"Why, Mrs...o...b..lly must be very courageous."

"Cares neither for shot nor sh.e.l.l, sir-laughs when they whiz over her head, and tells Billy to hark. But, sir, it's not surprising; her father is a major, and her two brothers are lieutenants in the bombardiers."

"That, indeed," replied Jack-"but, see, there is a breeze springing up from the westward."

"Very true, Mr Easy, and a steady one it will be, for it comes up dark and slow; so much the better for the frigate, for she'll get little honour and plenty of mauling at this work."

"I hope we shall take it up with us," observed Jack; "how far do you reckon the gun-boats from the sh.o.r.e?"

"I should think about five miles, or rather less."

"Trim sails, Mr Oxbelly-perhaps we may cut one or two of these off - steer in-sh.o.r.e of them."

"Exactly. Up there, my lads, set top-gallant studding sails, top-mast studdings to hand-rig out the booms-keep as you go now, my lad-we shall be well in-sh.o.r.e of them, and out of the range of the batteries."

The breeze came down fresh, and all sail was set upon the Rebiera. She took the wind down with her, and it pa.s.sed her but little-half a mile ahead of them all was still and smooth as a gla.s.s mirror, and they neared and gained in-sh.o.r.e at the same time. The gun-boats were still engaging the frigate, and did not appear to pay any attention to the Rebiera coming down. At last the breeze reached them and the frigate, light at first and then gradually increasing, while the Rebiera foamed through the water, and had now every chance of cutting off some of the gun-boats. The frigate trimmed her sails and steered towards the flotilla, which now thought proper to haul off and put their heads in-sh.o.r.e, followed by the frigate firing her bowchasers. But the Rebiera was now within half gun-shot in-sh.o.r.e, and steering so as to intercept them. As she rapidly closed, the flotilla scarcely knew how to act; to attack her would be to lose time, and allow the frigate to come up and occasion their own capture; so they satisfied themselves with firing at her as she continued to run down between them and the land. As they neared, Jack opened his fire with his eighteen-pound carronades and long nines. The gun-boats returned his fire, and they were within a quarter of a mile, when Jack shortened sail to his topsails, and a warm engagement took place, which ended in one of the gun-boats being, in a few minutes, dismasted. The frigate, under all canvas, came rapidly up, and her shot now fell thick. The flotilla then ceased firing, pa.s.sing about two cables length ahead of the Rebiera, and making all possible sail for the land. Jack now fired at the flotilla as they pa.s.sed, with his larboard broadside, while with his starboard he poured in grape and canister upon the unfortunate gun-boat which was dismasted, and, which soon hauled down her colours. In a few minutes more the remainder were too far distant for the carronades, and, as they did not fire, Jack turned his attention to take possession of his prize, sending a boat with ten men on board, and heaving-to close to her to take her in tow. Ten minutes more and the frigate was also hove-to a cable's length from the Rebiera, and our hero lowered down his other quarter-boat to go on board.

"Have we any men hurt, Mr Oxbelly?" inquired Jack.

"Only two; Spearling has lost his thumb with a piece of langrage, and James has a bad wound in the thigh."

"Very well; I will ask for the surgeon to come on board. Jack pulled to the frigate, and went up the side, touched his hat in due form, and was introduced by the mids.h.i.+pmen to the other side, where the captain stood.

"Mr Easy!" exclaimed the captain. "Captain Sawbridge!" replied our hero, with surprise.

"Good heavens! what brought you here?" said the captain; "and what vessel is that?"

"The Rebiera, letter of marque, commanded and owned by Mr Easy," replied Jack, laughing.

Captain Sawbridge gave him his hand. "Come down with me into the cabin, Mr Easy; I am very glad to see you. Give you great credit for your conduct, and am still more anxious to know what has induced you to come out again. I knew that you had left the service."

Jack, in a very few words, told his object in fitting out the Rebiera; "but," continued Jack, "allow me to congratulate you upon your promotion, which I was not aware of. May I ask where you left the Harpy, and what is the name of your frigate?"

"The Latona. I have only been appointed to her one month, after an action in which the Harpy took a large corvette, and am ordered home with despatches to England. We sailed yesterday evening from Gibraltar, were becalmed the whole night, and attacked this morning by the gun-boats."

"How is Captain Wilson, sir?" "I believe he is very well, but I have not seen him." "How did you know, then, that I had left the service, Captain Sawbridge?" "From Mr Gascoigne, who is now on board." "Gascoigne!" exclaimed our hero.

"Yes, he was sent up to join the Aurora by the governor, but she had left the fleet, and having served his time, and a pa.s.sing day being ordered, he pa.s.sed, and thought he might as well go home with me and see if he could make any interest for his promotion."

"Pray, Captain Sawbridge, is the gun-boat our prize or yours?" "It ought to be wholly yours; but the fact is, by the regulations, we share."

"With all my heart, sir. Will you send an a.s.sistant-surgeon on board to look after two of my men who are hurt?"

"Yes, directly; now send your boat away, Easy, with directions to your officer in command. We must go back to Gibraltar, for we have received some injury, and, I am sorry to say, lost some men. You are going then, I presume, to stay on board and dine with me: we shall be at anchor before night."

"I will with pleasure, sir. But now I will send my boat away and shake hands with Gascoigne."

Gascoigne was under the half-deck waiting to receive his friend, for he had seen him come up the side from his station on the forecastle. A hurried conversation took place, after our hero had dismissed his boat with the a.s.sistant-surgeon in it to dress the two wounded men. Jack then went on deck, talked with the officers, looked with pleasure at the Rebiera with the gun-boat in tow, keeping company with the frigate, although only under the same canvas-promised Gascoigne to spend the next day with him either on sh.o.r.e or on board the Rebiera, and then returned to the cabin, where he had a long conference with Captain Sawbridge.

"When you first entered the service, Easy," said Captain Sawbridge, "I thought that the sooner the service was rid of you the better: now that you have left it, I feel that it has lost one who, in all probability, would have proved a credit to it."

"Many thanks, sir," replied Jack; "but how can I be a mids.h.i.+pman with eight thousand pounds a-year?"

"I agree with you that it is impossible:-but dinner is serving: go into the after-cabin and the steward will give you all you require."

Our hero, whose face and hands were not a little grimed with the gunpowder, washed himself, combed out his curly black hair, and found all the party in the fore-cabin. Gascoigne, who had not been asked in the forenoon, was, by the consideration of Captain Sawbridge, added to the number. Before dinner was long off the table, the first lieutenant reported that it was necessary to turn the hands up, as they were close to the anchorage. The party, therefore, broke up sooner than otherwise would have been the case; and as soon as the Latona's sails were furled, Captain Sawbridge went on sh.o.r.e to acquaint the governor with the results of the action. He asked Jack to accompany him, but our hero, wis.h.i.+ng to be with Gascoigne, excused himself until the next day.

"And now, Easy," said Gascoigne, as soon as the captain had gone over the side, "I will ask permission to go on board with you--or will you ask?"

"I will ask," replied Jack; "a gentleman of fortune has more weight with a first lieutenant than a mids.h.i.+pman."

So Jack went up to the first lieutenant, and with one of his polite bows, hoped, 'if duty would permit, he would honour him by coming on board that evening with some of his officers, to see the Rebiera and to drink a bottle or two of champagne."

The first lieutenant, as the Rebiera was anch.o.r.ed not two cables lengths from him, replied, "that as soon as he had s.h.i.+fted the prisoners and secured the gun-boat, he would be very glad": so did three or four more of the officers, and then Jack begged as a favour, that his old friend, Mr Gascoigne, might be permitted to go with him now, as he had important packages to entrust to his care to England. The first lieutenant was very willing, and Gascoigne and our hero jumped into the boat, and were once more in all the confidence of tried and deserved friends.h.i.+p.

"Jack, I've been thinking of it, and I've made up my mind," said Gascoigne. "I shall gain little or nothing by going home for my promotion: I may as well stay here, and as I have served my time and pa.s.sed, my pay is now of little consequence. Will you take me with you?"

"It was exactly what I was thinking of, Ned. Do you think that Captain Sawbridge will consent?"

"I do: he knows how I am circ.u.mstanced, and that my going home was merely because I was tired of looking after the Aurora."

"We'll go together and ask him to-morrow," replied Jack.

"At all events. you'll have a more gentlemanly companion than Mr Oxbelly. "

"But not so steady, Ned."