Marmaduke Merry Part 9

"Before the day was over, another Spanish line-of-battle ship hove in sight, and when the two closed each other, they hove-to, and waited for the Firegobbler, which wasn't long in getting into action. Then, I believe you, she did give them a hammering, in such right good earnest, that, before the sun set, they cried _peccavi_, and struck their flags.

As I told you, the other day, she brought them both in triumph into Plymouth. Now, by all the rules of the service, she ought to have been promoted, you'll allow; but, by some means or other, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty found out that she was a woman,--perhaps some jealous fellow peached on her,--and, think of their ingrat.i.tude, not only wouldn't they give her a commander's rank, but they superseded her, and would by no manner of means allow her to remain in the ship.

To my mind, those big-wigs up in London have no consciences. What encouragement is there for a spirited young woman to go and fight her country's battles? None! that's a fact! Miss Nailor had to go on sh.o.r.e. But she couldn't bear a quiet life; so, slipping on seamen's clothes again, she shipped aboard another frigate, but, of course, she had to go before the mast. That made little difference to her; she loved the sea for itself, and didn't care where she was. For some time she got on very well; but she didn't always remember that she was no longer a first-lieutenant--which was natural, poor thing! Well, one day, when off the coast of America, she quarrelled with the man who was first-lieutenant, and meeting him on sh.o.r.e, she put a pistol into his hand, and told him he must fight her. He was a spirited fellow, and said that he never refused that sort of invitation, and as it was in the chief street of a large city, they had plenty of seconds. Well, they fought, and she had the misfortune to shoot him through the heart. Most men would have died immediately, but he lived long enough to forgive her for what she'd done, and to say what a fine fellow he thought her. Of course, as it's against the articles of war to shoot a first-lieutenant, she couldn't go aboard the frigate again; and when a file of marines came to seize her, the people of the place carried her off, and wouldn't give her up, and so the jollies had to return without her. Two parties were formed in the place. One said she ought to be given up, and the other, that she oughtn't, and shouldn't, and that they wouldn't. It was one of the secret causes of the American revolution.

"Among those who sided with her was a Captain Johnson, a very fine man, master of a very fine ship, and as he happened to want a mate, he asked my mother if she would take the berth, not dreaming all the time that she was a woman. They had a good deal of talk about the matter, and as she had taken a fancy to him, she told him all her history. I have said that my father was a fine man. He was the tallest and smartest man I ever saw, and had the loudest voice, too, I believe you, or he wouldn't have won the heart of my mother. She wasn't a woman to knock under to an ordinary, everyday sort of man. He was so tall, that the barber had to stand on the table to shave him, and as he walked along the streets, he could hand sugar-plums to the children in the upper windows; and his voice was so loud, that he once made a stone-deaf woman jump off her chair, right up to the ceiling, with fright, when he raised it above the ordinary pitch to speak to her; and he was so strong, that he made nothing of lifting an ale cask to his lips, and drinking out of the bung-hole. He was the man to command a ship's company! When he found any two of them quarrelling, he would lift one up in each hand, with outstretched arms, and he would then knock their two heads together, and go on b.u.mping harder and harder till they promised to be friends.

"No two people could have been better matched than my parents, and they had a sincere respect for each other. They were above anything like a namby-pamby, soft sighing, do-sweetest, kiss-me style of love. My father made his offer from the deck of his ship, as she was standing out of harbour, and my mother answered him from the sh.o.r.e through a speaking-trumpet. The truth was, that when the owners heard that she was a woman, they didn't approve of her going as mate; they thought that it would invalidate the insurance.

"The wind fell outside, so he dropped anchor and pulled on sh.o.r.e, and was married, and, of course, off she went to sea with him. A very useful wife, too, she made, for though she didn't wear the breeches, she could take command of the ship better than any one else on board. Thus it was that I came to be born at sea. There was a terrific gale blowing, and the ship was running under bare poles during the time that important event in the world's history occurred.

"'The wind it whistled, the porpoise roll'd, The dolphins rear'd their backs of gold; And never was heard such an outcry wild As welcomed to life the ocean-child.'

"I believe you, my hearties, that was a gale! I don't believe the sea ever ran so high before, or has ever run so high since. We were fully half an hour going up the side of one sea, and nearly a quarter sliding down into the trough on the other--so I have been told: I cannot say that I remember the circ.u.mstance, though I do recollect things which happened a long time ago.

"I was a precocious child, let me tell you. I had as fine a set of teeth as ever cracked biscuit by the time I was six months old, and lived upon lobscouse and porter. I was weaned by that time, and I wasn't two years old when I could go aloft like a monkey. It wouldn't have done for me to have been like any every-day sort of baby."

I was almost inclined to believe Mr Johnson's a.s.sertions, for, as I looked at the huge red-nosed man before me, I could scarcely persuade myself that he had ever been a baby in long clothes.

"Speaking of monkeys," continued Mr Johnson, winking his eye, "I once had a desperate fight with one, when I wasn't much more than three years old. I was sitting on the main-truck, with my legs dangling down, as was my custom when I wanted a good allowance of fresh air. We had a monkey aboard--a mischievous chap,--and when he saw me, he swarmed up the mast, and, putting up his paw, s.n.a.t.c.hed a biscuit out of my jacket-pocket. I gave him a slap on the head, and in return he bit my leg, and tried to pull me down. To be even with him, I jumped on his shoulders, and down we slipped together, till we reached the topmast cross-trees. There I got a rope, and, lashing him to the heel of the topgallant-mast, sang out to the hands in the top that they might see what I had done. You may be sure that they were very much astonished.

"I was a great favourite among the crew, and ran no slight chance of being spoilt. I could dance a hornpipe with any man on board; and as for singing a rollicking sea-song, there were few who could match me. I soon learned to hand reef, steer, and heave the lead, as well as any man on board. My mother was proud of me, and so was my father; and they had reason to be, and that's the truth.

"At last it struck them that they ought to give me some education, to fit me to become an officer and a gentleman. I, however, was not fond of books, but I learned to read chiefly from the signboards over the shop fronts along the quays at the different ports to which we traded.

Not that I required much instruction, for I picked up knowledge faster than most people could serve it out to me.

"I was one morning sent on sh.o.r.e to school, but the master thinking fit to cane me, I tucked him up under my arm, and walked off with him on board the ship, where I stowed him under hatches, and kept him there till he promised to treat me in future with more respect. After this little occurrence we were very good friends; but when the ship went to sea, he begged that I might on no account be left behind. That was but natural, for I hadn't got into sh.o.r.e ways exactly."

The cry, from the deck, of "All hands make sail!" interrupted Mr Johnson's veracious narrative.

"A chase in sight," he exclaimed; "and a prize she'll prove, though we have to fight for her!"

CHAPTER FIVE.

Every officer, man, and boy, not otherwise especially engaged, had their eyes directed ahead, watching the chase, as her sails gradually rose above the horizon. What she was had not yet been ascertained. She might be a man-of-war, or perhaps, only a merchantman. If the first, we hoped she would fight; if the latter, that she might carry a rich freight. After a time, I saw Mr Johnson rubbing his eyes, and, suddenly bringing his hand down on his thigh with a loud smack, he exclaimed--"She's only a Yankee merchantman, after all." The stranger was evidently making no attempt at escape; indeed, before long, she lost the wind altogether, though we carried it on till we got within about a mile of her. We then found that the boatswain was right; indeed, it is easy to know an American merchantman by her light-coloured hull, breadth of beam, low masts, square yards, and white canvas.

As we lay rolling away, a boat was lowered from the stranger, from whose peak the stars and stripes hung down, so that none but a practical eye could have made out the flag.

The boat came alongside, and a gentleman, in a broad-brimmed straw hat and jean jacket, stepped on board, with a cigar in his mouth, and walking aft with the greatest coolness, put out his hand to Captain Collyer, who, looking true dignity itself, was standing on the quarter-deck, with his officers round him. Not a little electrified was he by the address now made him.

"How goes it with you, skipper?" quoth the stranger, almost wringing his hand off. "You've a neat little craft under your feet, I guess, but we've got some who'd wallop her in pretty smart time. You'd like to know who I am? I'm Captain Nathan Noakes; I command that ship there, the Hickory Stick, and I should like to see her equal. She's the craft to go, let me tell you. When the breeze comes, I'll soon show you the pair of heels she's got. We'll run away from you like greased lightning, I guess."

"She looks a fine vessel, sir," said Captain Collyer, too polite to turn away, as some men I have known might have done.

"She is, sir," said the American master with emphasis.

"I calculate she'd sail twice round the world while you was going once; but don't rile, now, at what I say--you can't help it, you know. Come, take a cigar--they're real Havanna."

"Thank you, sir, I do not smoke," said our captain with naturally increasing stiffness, "nor is it customary, I must observe, for any one to do so on the quarter-deck of his Britannic Majesty's ships."

"Ah! that's the difference between slavery and freedom," answered the stranger, with most amusing effrontery, lighting another cigar as he spoke. "You serve the tyrant King George. I serve myself, and no one else, and I like my master best of the two; but I pity you--you can't help it."

Some of the officers were very indignant at the impudence of the Yankee captain; others were highly amused, and I believe Captain Collyer was, for he turned away at last to hide his laughter. Nothing, however, seemed to abash the skipper.

"Well, you Britishers will be inclined to deal, I guess," he observed; and, without waiting for an answer, ordered the people in his boat to send up some cases of claret and boxes of oranges which he had brought.

A whip was sent down, and they were soon had on deck, and I must say we were not sorry to make a deal with him--that is to say, the captain and gun-room officers took the claret, and the midshipmen the oranges.

"Well, I guess you've got them dirt cheap," observed the Yankee skipper, as he pocketed the money. "But mind now, I don't warrant them all sound."

Had he made the remark before we bought them, we might have thanked him for his honesty. On opening the cases we found that more than one half were rotten, and that the rest would not keep many days. That, of course, was the reason he had sold them.

He finished his cigar while he went on talking much in the same strain as he had done at first, and then coolly proposed inspecting the ship.

As there was no objection to his so doing, he was allowed to go round the decks, when he might have counted thirty-six guns, and as fine a looking crew as ever stepped the deck of a man-of-war. At length Captain Nathan Noakes returned on board the Hickory Stick. Afterwards, when I repeated to the boatswain the remarks of Captain Noakes, his observation was--

"I cannot stand those Yankees--they do exaggerate so terribly. One cannot depend on a word they say."

I made no reply, for it struck me that Mr Johnson himself did at times, as he would have said, rather overstate facts. I made the remark to Perigal.

"Well, boy, the boatswain is like most of us," he answered; "we don't see our own faults. I suspect no man would be more ready than he would to grow angry should his veracity be called in question."

"But those stories of his own adventures are very amusing," said I.

"Very," said Perigal. "And as long as he confines himself to them no great harm is done; but if a man once gets into the habit of departing from the truth for the sake of amusing his hearers, he may not stop there, and will, very likely, tell a falsehood of a different character whenever it may suit his convenience to do so."

The sun when setting indicated fine weather. During the night there was a light breeze, scarcely sufficient to send our heavy frigate through the water. When day dawned, however, our Yankee friend, we discovered, had managed to slip away, and was hull down to the south-west.

In the same direction another ship was seen, with which it was considered probable that the Yankee had communicated. The stranger looked suspicious--a heavy ship--and certainly a man-of-war. All hands in consequence set to work to whistle for a breeze, and to our infinite satisfaction it came very soon, confirming most on board in their belief as to the efficacy of the operation. Sail was then made, and we steered for the stranger. She was soon p.r.o.nounced to be a powerful frigate, a worthy match for the Doris, and so with light hearts we cleared for action, not doubting that we should take her, whatever her size or the number of her guns. Our only fear was that she might run away. To prevent this, our captain, who was up to all sorts of tricks to deceive an enemy, had arranged a mode of disguising the ship. By means of some black painted canvas let down over the main-deck ports, she was made to look like a corvette, or flush-decked vessel. Captain Collyer, we heard, had before taken in and taken several vessels in this way, and we hoped now to be as fortunate.

At an earlier hour than usual we piped to breakfast, that we might not fight on empty stomachs, and I may safely say that the prospect of a fierce contest damped no one's appet.i.te. For my own part I never made a better meal in my life. I hurried, however, very soon again on deck, spy-gla.s.s in hand. Looking through it, there was no longer any doubt as to the character of the stranger. There she lay, standing under easy sail, and evidently waiting our approach. Just as I got on deck she fired a gun to windward, and the French ensign flew out from her peak.

As we drew nearer we could count twenty-two ports on a side. She thus carried many more guns than we did, and had probably a much larger crew.

These odds were highly satisfactory. We had no fear about the issue of the combat; our only dread was that she might escape us. Our captain determined to do his best to prevent this. He was not a man given to make long speeches, but as soon as everything was ready for battle, he called the men on deck.

"My lads," he said, "there's a ship somewhat bigger than we are, and maybe there are more men on board; but they're only Frenchmen. You can take her if you try, and I know you will. I intend to engage her to leeward, that she may not escape us. You'll do your duty like British seamen, and that's all I want of you."

This pithy speech was received with three hearty cheers, a good prognostic of victory.

The determination of the captain to engage a more powerful antagonist to leeward was very brave, for it was the least advantageous position for fighting. The reason of the Frenchman's boldness in waiting for us was clearly that he supposed the Doris to be much smaller than she really was. But then how was it that the Yankee skipper should not have told him the truth. They had certainly communicated. We had only just before seen his royals dipping beneath the horizon. However, we hadn't time to think of that or anything else, before a shot from the enemy came whistling through our sails. Several followed in rapid succession.

We were keeping away so as to cross her stern, and rake her with a broadside, and then to haul up again on her beam. To avoid this she also kept away, and began to pepper us rather more than was pleasant.

Her captain had clearly determined that we should not get to leeward.

"She must have it as she wishes," cried Captain Collyer. "Give it her, my lads."

At that moment the canvas which had concealed our main-deck guns was triced up, and in right good earnest we poured our whole broadside into our opponent. The unexpected salute must have staggered her, and now she too hauled up, and, discovering that she had not got a baby to play with, applied herself in earnest to the combat, and we ran on blazing away at each other nearly yard-arm to yard-arm.

"This is what I like," exclaimed Mr Johnson, rubbing his hands. "This is a good honest stand-up fight; we know what the enemy's about, and he knows what we are about, and I shall be very much surprised if he does not find out before long that we are giving him a tremendous good licking."

I would not quite agree with the boatswain, for the enemy's shot was crashing about us with terrific effect. The French frigate also sailed much faster than we did, and soon shot ahead of us; and still further to prevent us from attaining our object, she wore round and came on to the other tack, giving us a fresh broadside as she did so. The manoeuvre succeeded so well, that it was repeated again and again. This enraged our crew, several of whom were struck down; the wounded were at once carried below, the dead were drawn out of the way; they were not yet numerous enough to throw overboard. I looked to see how my particular friends were getting on. George Grey had a division of guns under him, and was behaving like the young hero he was. Toby Bluff was busily employed in bringing up powder, and looking as totally unconcerned about everything else as if this was the most important work to be done.

Having brought up his tub, he sat himself down on it, determined that not a spark should get in if he could help it. In like manner the captain was doing his duty to the best of his power, and so was every officer and man in the ship. Mr Lukyn, the first-lieutenant, had chosen me to act as his aide-de-camp, to carry orders that he might have to send to any part of the ship; in that way I was kept constantly moving about, and it appeared to me that I escaped many shots which might otherwise have hit me. Once a shot knocked some hammocks out of the hammock nettings, and grazed the mainmast just as I had pa.s.sed it, and another took off the head of the boatswain's mate, just as he was raising his hand to signify that he understood an order I had given him.