On Board the Esmeralda Part 11

"No," I said, smiling, "but you're a very kind-hearted man. I'm sure, to take such an interest in a friendless boy like me."

"Friendless boy, be jiggered!" he replied--"You're not friendless from now, you can be sarten! Why, I was your father's own c.o.xswain in the _Swallow_, off the coast, and it was in my arms he died when he received that murdering n.i.g.g.e.r's shot in his chest, right 'twixt wind and water.

Yes! there's a wonderful way in the workings o' Providence--to think that you should come across me now when you needs a friend, one whom your father often befriended in old times, more like a brother than an officer! I thank the great Captain above,"--and the old fellow looked up reverently here to the blue heaven over us as he uttered these last words--"that I'm allowed this marciful chance o' paying back, in a poor sort o' way, all my old commander's kindness to me in the years agone!

Yes, young gentleman, my name's Sam Pengelly, and I was your father's c.o.xswain. If he had ha' lived he'd have talked to you, sure enough, about me."

"I'm very glad to hear this," said I; and so I was, for my hopeful surmise had proved true.

"Well, laddie--you'll excuse my speaking to you familiar like, won't you?"

"Call me what you please," I answered, "I'm only too proud to hear your kind voice, and see your friendly face. I have had all nonsense about dignity and position knocked out of me long since!"

"Well, perhaps, that's all for the best--though mind, Master Leigh, being your father's son, you mustn't ever forget you've been born a true gen'leman, and don't you ever do an action that you'll have cause to be ashamed on! That's the only proper sort o' dignity a gen'leman's son need ever be partic'ler about, to make people recognise him for what he is; and, with this feeling and eddication, you'll take your proper place in the world, never fear! Now, what do you think about doing, my lad?

for the day is getting on, and it's time to see after something."

"I'm sure I don't know," I replied. "I should like to go to sea, as I've told you. Not in a coasting vessel, like the coal brig, but really to pea, so as to be able to sail over the ocean to China or Australia; and, bye-and-bye, after awhile, as soon as I am old enough and have sufficient experience, I hope to command a ship of my own."

He had shown such sympathy towards me, that I couldn't help telling him all the wild dreams about my future which had been filling my mind for the last two years, although I had not confided them even to Tom, for I thought he would make fun of my nautical ambition.

Instead of laughing at me, however, my new friend looked highly delighted.

"I'm blessed if you aren't a reg'ler chip of the old block," he said admiringly, gazing into my face with a broad smile on his weather-beaten countenance, that made it for the moment in my eyes positively handsome.

"There spoke my old lieutenant, the same as I can fancy I hear him now, the morning we rowed up the Niger to a.s.sault the n.i.g.g.e.r stockade where he met his death. 'Pengelly,' sez he, in the same identical way as you first said them words o' yourn, 'I mean to take that prah,' and, take it he did, though the poor fellow lost his life leading us on to the a.s.sault! I can see, very plain, you've got it all in you, the same as he; and, having been a seafaring man all my life, first in the sarvice, and then on my own hook in a small way in the coasting line, in course I honours your sentiments in wishing to be a sailor--though it's a hard life at the best. Howsomedevers, 'what's bred in the bone,' as the proverb says, 'must come out in the flesh,' and if you will go to sea, why, you must, and I'll try to help you on to what you wish, as far as Sam Pengelly can; I can't say more nor that, can I?"

"No, certainly not, and I'm much obliged to you," I answered; for he made a pause at this point, as if waiting for my reply.

"Well, then, that's all settled and entered in the log-book fair and square; but, as all this can't be managed in a minute, and there'll be a lot of arrangements to make, s'pose as how you come home along o' me first? I'm an orphan, too, the same as yourself, with n.o.body left to care for or to mind me, save my old sister Jane, who keeps house for me; and she and I'll make you as welcome as the flowers in May!"

I demurred for a moment at accepting this kind proposal, for I was naturally of a very independent nature; and, besides, the lessons I had received in my uncle's household made me shrink from incurring the obligation of any one's hospitality, especially that of one with whom I had only such brief acquaintanceship, albeit he was "an orphan"--a rather oldish one, I thought--"like myself."

But my new friend would not be denied.

"Come on, now," he repeated, getting up from the seat, and holding out a big, strong hand to me, with such a beaming, good-natured expression on his face and so much genuine cordiality in his voice, that it was impossible for me to persist in refusing his invitation; the more particularly as, seeing me hesitate, he added the remark--"leastways, that is, unless you're too high a gen'leman to consort with an humble sailor as was your own father's c.o.xswain!"

This settled the point, making me jump up in a jiffey; when, without further delay, he and I went off from the Hoe, hand in hand, in the direction of Stoke, where he told me he lived.

It was now nearly the middle of December, six weeks having pa.s.sed by since the memorable Sunday on which I and Tom had made a Guy Fawkes of Dr h.e.l.lyer, and run away from school--the intervening time having slipped by quickly enough while on board the coal brig at Newcastle, and during our voyage down the coast again--but the weather, I recollect, was wonderfully mild for the time of year; and, as we walked past the terraces fronting the Hoe, the sun shone down on us, and over the blue sea beyond in Plymouth Sound below, as if it had been a summer day.

Indeed, no matter what the weather might have been, I think it would have seemed fine and bright to me; for, I don't believe I had ever felt so happy in my life as I did when trudging along by Sam Pengelly's side that morning.

"You're a pretty strong-built chap for your age," said Sam, as we went along. "I suppose you're close on sixteen, eh?"

"Dear me, no," I laughed, light-heartedly. "Why, I'm only just fourteen! I told you I was four when my poor father was killed; and that, as you yourself said, happened ten years ago, so you can calculate yourself."

"Bless me, so you must be by all accounts; but, sure, you look fully two years older! Humph, you're a little bit too young yet to get apprenticed to the sea regularly as I thought of; but there's plenty o'

time for us to study the bearings of it arter we fetch home. Come along, step out. I feel kind o' peckish with all this palavering, and thinks as how I could manage a bit of dinner pretty comfably, and it'll be just about ready by the time we reach Stoke, as Jane's mighty punctual to having it on the table by eight bells; step out, my hearty!"

Presently, turning off from the main road into a sort of bye-lane, my conductor finally stopped before the entrance porch of a neat little cottage, standing in a large garden of its own, that stretched away for some distance on either side. There was an orchard also in the rear, the fruit-trees of which, such was the mildness of the season, appeared ready to break into bud.

"Here's my anchorage, laddie," said he, with a wave of his hand-- indicating the extent of his property.

"What a jolly little place!" I exclaimed.

"Yes," he replied, with pardonable pride, "I set my heart on the little cabin years ago--afore I left the navy--and I used to save up my pay and prize money, so as to buy it in time. I meant it for mother, but she died before I could manage it; and then I bought it for myself, thinking that Jane and I would live here until we should be summoned for the watch on deck above, and that arter our time Teddy, my nephew, Jane's only boy, would have it. But, not long arter we settled down comfably, poor Teddy caught a fever, which carried him off; and Jane and I have gone on alone, ever since, with only our two selves."

"You must miss your nephew Teddy," I said, sympathisingly, seeing a grave look on his face.

"Yes, laddie, I did miss him very much, but now, my c.o.c.kbird," and here his face brightened up with another beaming smile, as he laid a meaning emphasis on his words, "but now I fancy, somehow or other, I'll not miss Teddy as much as I used to; d'ye know why?"

"No," I said, hesitatingly, and somewhat untruthfully, for I pretty well guessed what he meant.

"Then I'll tell you," he continued, with much feeling and heartiness of expression, "I've christened this here anchorage o' mine, 'Old Calabar,'

in mem'ry o' the West Coast, where I sarved under your father in the _Swallow_, as I told you just now; and, Master Leigh, as his son, I hope you'll always consider the little shanty as your home, free to come and go or stay, just as you choose, and ever open to you with a welcome the same as now?"

What could I say to this?

Why, nothing.

I declare that I couldn't have uttered a word then to have saved my life.

But he did not want any thanks.

Pretending not to notice my emotion, he went on speaking, so as to allow me time to recover myself.

"Rec'lect this, laddie," said he, "that my sister Jane and I have neither chick nor child belonging to either of us, and that your presence will be like sunshine in the house. Come along in now, my boy.

I'll give Jane a hail to let her know we're here in harbour, so that she can pipe down to dinner. Hi--hullo--on deck there!" and, raising his voice, in this concluding shout--just as if he were standing on the p.o.o.p of a vessel in a heavy gale of wind and hailing a look-out man on the fore-crosstrees--he opened the door of the cottage, motioning me courteously to enter it first.

CHAPTER TEN.

A WELCOME GUEST.

The little hall, or pa.s.sage way, opening out of the porch, in which I now found myself, was like the vestibule to a museum.

It was crammed full, from floor to ceiling, with all sorts of curios, brought from foreign parts, evidently by the worthy owner of the dwelling, when returning home after his many cruisings in strange waters--conch sh.e.l.ls from the Congo and cowries from Zanzibar; a swordfish's broken spear from the Pacific, and a Fijian war-club; cases of stuffed humming-birds from Rio, and calabashes from the Caribbean Sea; a beautiful model, in the finest ivory work, of a Chinese junk on one side, _vis-a-vis_ with a full-rigged English man-of-war on the other; and, above all, in the place of honour, the hideous body of a shark, displaying its systematic rows of triangularly arranged saw-like teeth, now harmless, but once ready to mangle the unwary!

All these objects, of course, immediately attracted my attention, but I had not much time for glancing round the collection; for, almost as soon as we got inside the little hall, a bright-faced middle-aged woman, with jet-black hair and eyes, the very image of my new friend, only much more comely in feature, stepped forward from a room opening out of the other end of the pa.s.sage.

"Dear me, Sam, is that you?" she cried out in a voice closely resembling his in its cheery accents, although more musical by reason of its feminine ring; "I'm just dishing up, and dinner'll be ready as soon as the pasty's done."

Her brother did not apparently pay any attention to this highly important announcement for the moment.

"Come here, Jane," he said, "I've brought home a visitor."

With this she advanced, courtesying, her face changing as soon as she came nearer and saw who the stranger was.

"My, Sam!" she exclaimed, "who is he? Why, he's the very image of poor Ted!" and she raised the corner of her ap.r.o.n to her eyes as she spoke, as if to stop the ready-starting tears.

"Whoever do you think he is?" said Sam Pengelly, triumphantly; "look at him carefully, now. No, Jane, my woman, I don't believe you'd ever guess!"