Crown and Anchor Part 13

Such a flattering eulogium made me blush like a peony, and I was very glad when the captain presently proposed the toast of "The Queen," which we drank, all standing.

This being satisfactorily done, taking that hint from the doctor that I had "better turn in early and have a good night's rest after all the exertions I had gone through," as a sort of reminder that they had seen enough of me for the occasion, I paid my adieux to the captain and company and went on deck, where I remained while the watch was being called at Eight Bells.

I need hardly add that, in this interval, I ruminated over the strange succession of events that had taken place within so short a period; events which, possibly, might make, as they just as probably might have marred, my entire future career in the service--ay, and, perhaps, have ended it altogether, but for G.o.d's good providence!

CHAPTER TEN.

"DEBTOR AND CREDITOR."

For a couple of days longer, we were as busy as bees, taking in our boats and spare spars and other gear, besides filling up our stock of provisions and water and completing with stores of all sorts; until Sat.u.r.day arrived, the last day of our stay at Spithead, when all our preparations were finished and all hands, likewise, paid their advance of two months' pay, prior to our sailing for China.

No one was allowed on sh.o.r.e that afternoon, for fear of desertion; but, to make amends for this stoppage of all leave, the men were granted permission generally to receive their friends on board, so as to get rid of all the loose cash they were debarred from spending in more legitimate fashion on land.

The consequence of this licence was, that the ship was crowded from stem to stern with strangers of every description, shape and s.e.x, from dinner-time to dusk; Jew and Gentile, kinsman and creditor, each and all alike in turn, having a final tug at poor Jack's purse-strings, striving to ease him of his superfluous wealth before departure.

As may readily be imagined, some queer customers came aboard; and some curious scenes took place, both of the sentimental and comic order.

One of these latter I especially noticed; for it occurred under my very eyes, within earshot of where I was standing by the gangway.

"Downy," as the men called him, the whilom digger of graves, who had so puzzled Commander Nesbitt on the first day of his joining, by giving his profession so peculiar a designation, had come on board without any sort of an outfit for the voyage.

So, at last not being able to go ash.o.r.e to buy a stock of clothes on receiving his advance pay, the purser at that time not supplying the men, as is the custom nowadays, with what they required, the morose gentleman was obliged to have recourse to Poll Nash, one of the b.u.mboat women, who had brought off a lot of "slop" clothing for those requiring a rig-out, and was selling the same on her own terms to all comers as quickly as she could dispose of her stock.

To her, therefore, Master "Downy" now applied, having nothing beyond the rather shabby suit of black in which he stood up, which was certainly somewhat unsuitable, to say the least, for a sailor's wear, particularly a man-o'-war's man, as the once gravedigger had been transformed into.

He had well-nigh fully invested, in this way, the entire amount he had just received from the purser, Mr Nipper, on account of his advance pay as an "ordinary seaman," that being his rating; when, I noticed, a dark-faced, long-nosed gentleman come up to him and speak.

The two then got into a violent altercation that speedily attracted everyone's attention, a small crowd gathering round the disputants just abaft the mainmast.

"I tell you I haven't a ha'penny left," I heard "Downy" say, after a lot of words pa.s.sing between them the gist of which I could not catch. "No, not a ha'penny left, I swear. I've paid it all to this good lady here for clothes!"

"You haven't paid me for the monkey jacket yet," interposed Mrs Poll Nash, the b.u.mboat woman, who was holding up the garment in question, waiting for the coin to be pa.s.sed over before parting with it, the good lady having in her career learnt the wisdom of caution. "That'll make three pun' seventeen-and-six in all. Now, look sharp, my joker, or I'll chuck the duds back into the wherry. I ain't a-going to wait all day for my money, I tell you!"

"I'll let you have it in a minute," whined "Downy," who was apparently afraid to show what he had in his pocket, the dark gentleman's eye being upon him. "Can't you give a fellow time? I ain't a-going to run away."

"Ye vood, ye liar, presshus shoon if ye 'ad arf a shance, I bet, s'help me!" shouted out the other man, who, from his speech, was evidently a Hebrew and a creditor. "Ye're von tarn sheet, dat's vot ye vas, a bloomin' corpse swindler, vot sheets de living, s'help me, and rops ze dead! I shpit upon ye, I does!"

"Come, come, you fellows there, I can't allow such language on board this ship," sang out from the p.o.o.p Lieutenant Jellaby, the officer of the watch, when matters had come to this pa.s.s. "Ship's corporal, bring those men here!"

In obedience to this command, the two disputants were both brought aft, Poll Nash following also, being an interested party, to get back her clothes or the money from "Downy."

The latter was at once recognised by Lieutenant Jellaby, a jolly fellow, in whose watch I was. He went by his Christian name of "Joe" amongst us all, being very good-natured and always full of fun and chaff.

"Hullo!" he exclaimed. "You're the gravedigger, ain't you?"

"Yes, sir," replied "Downy" sedately, as his original profession probably inculcated. "That were my humble calling, sir."

"Why did you give it up, eh?"

"Trade got slack, sir."

"How was that?"

"Porchmouth's too healthy a place, sir," answered the man, as grave as a judge. "People won't die there fast enough, sir, for my trade; so I had to turn it up, 'cause I couldn't make a decent living out of 'em."

"By burying them, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir," answered the man, seriously. "That is, when I were lucky enough to get a job."

"Well, that's a rum start, a fellow complaining of not being able to make a living out of the dead!" said Joe Jellaby to me, smiling; and then, turning again to the man he continued, "now, tell me what all this row is about?"

Here the Jew, who introduced himself as the keeper of a lodging-house in Portsea, put in his word.

"Dis shcoundrel vas owe me five blooming pounds," he cried out excitedly. "I vash keep him ven he vash shtarving; and now, ven he got money, he von't shettle. He's a shvindler and a tief, s'help me; and I shvear I'll have the law on him!"

"Why don't you pay this man if you owe him anything?" said the lieutenant, sharply, to "Downy."

"You've received your advance money from the paymaster, have you not?"

"Yes, sir; but I'd better tell you the whole story, sir," said the ex-gravedigger. "I acknowledge owing Mister Isaacs some money, though he's piled it on pretty thick, I must say; for I were four weeks out of work and had to board at his place."

"Yes, s'help me, and ate and drank of the best, too. Oh, Father Moses, how he did eat!" interrupted his creditor. "Look you, sir, it's only a mean shcoundrel that voud call a pound a week too much for good vittles.

I'll put it thick on him, I will!"

"Stop that, or I'll have you turned out of the ship at once," said Mr Jellaby, as the Jew made a dart at "Downy," who dodged behind the marine sentry on the quarter-deck; while he repeated his injunction to the defaulter. "Pay the man his money and let him go."

"I can't, sir. I've expended all my money in buying clothes of this good lady here," explained Downy, pointing to the fat, old b.u.mboat woman. "I hadn't a st.i.tch to my back and had to get a rig-out for the voyage, sir."

"Yes, sir, he's 'ad three shirts, as is twelve-and-six, and cheap at the price, too, sir," corroborated Mistress Poll Nash, with a low curtsey to the lieutenant. "Yes, sir, and two pair of trousers for thirty shillin', besides a hoilskin and a serge jumper; and this monkey jacket here, sir, which makes three pun' seventeen-and-six, sir."

"Well, well, I suppose the calculation is all right," said Joe, laughing at her volubility and the queer way in which she bobbed a curtsey between each item of her catalogue. Then, addressing poor "Downy" he cried out curtly, "Turn out your pockets!"

The ex-gravedigger sadly produced four sovereigns.

"Is that all the money you've got?"

"Yes, sir," replied "Downy," in a still more sepulchral tone. "Every ha'penny."

"Then, pay this woman here, for you must have a rig-out for the voyage,"

said the lieutenant. "I'm afraid, Mr Isaacs, you'll have to wait till your debtor returns from China for the settlement of your claim. Your friend, the gravedigger here, will then probably have lots of loot; and, be better able to discharge his debt."

"Ach, holy Moses!" cried the Jew, refusing with spluttering indignation the half-a-crown change "Downy" received from Polly Nash, and which he handed to his other creditor with great gravity as an instalment of his claim. "He vill nevaire gome back to bay me."

"Oh yes he will," said Joe Jellaby, chaffingly, "and probably, he'll bury you, too, for joy at seeing your pleasant face again--all for love, my man."

Mr Isaacs, however, got furious at this and used such abusive language both to "Downy" and the lieutenant that the latter gave orders at last for him to be shown over the side.