Roger Willoughby Part 5

The summer had commenced, when one morning Mr Kempson sent for Stephen.

"You know, Battis...o...b.., that we have a new vessel, the _Dolphin_, fitting out in the river, and judging from the intelligence you have shown and your apt.i.tude for business that you will be well suited for the office, we propose sending you out as supercargo, and as young Roger Willoughby has given us satisfaction, we think of letting him go as cabin-boy that he may a.s.sist you. Are you willing to undertake the office?"

"With all my heart," answered Stephen; "and I can answer for Willoughby, who will, I know, be delighted, for he has long wished to go to sea."

"We will consider that matter settled, then," said Mr Kempson. "Here is a list of the cargo we intend shipping, and you and Willoughby will go on board to-morrow morning, and note each case and bale as it is lowered into the hold. You will also be supplied with samples of all the goods, so that you will be well acquainted with the articles under your charge. I will give you further directions by and by. In the meantime you can see about young Willoughby's outfit and your own, and tell Mr Tape the tailor to send in the account to us."

Stephen was highly pleased with the complimentary way the senior partner spoke to him, and he was about to leave the room eager to tell Roger the good news, when a strongly-built black-bearded man entered.

"Stay, Battis...o...b..," said the senior partner; "I will take this opportunity of introducing you to Captain Roberts, who commands the _Dolphin_, as you will be shipmates for some months, or longer."

"Happy to make the young gentleman's acquaintance," said the Captain, putting out his hand and giving Stephen a grip which nearly wrung his fingers off; "hope we shall get on well together. I came up here, Mr Kempson, to say that the ship is ready to take in cargo as soon as you are ready to ship it."

"We may say to-morrow, then, and Mr Battis...o...b.., with young Willoughby to a.s.sist him, will go on board and take charge of the cargo."

As the Captain had some further business to transact with Mr Kempson, Stephen took his leave, and hurried out to tell Roger, who was just leaving the counting-house for the day.

"What, are we really to be off soon!" exclaimed the latter. "I can scarcely believe the good news you tell me. I little thought when I got off my high stool, that it was the last time I was to mount it, for I suppose that the _Dolphin_ will sail as soon as the cargo is received on board."

"Little doubt about that," said Stephen. "The sooner we see to getting our outfits the better."

"I have brought a good store of things from home," said Roger.

"You have outgrown a good lot of them, I should think," remarked Stephen; "and we will at once pay a visit to Mr Tape, who will know more or less what you require."

"But how are they to be paid for?" asked Roger.

"Mr Kempson will settle that," said Stephen.

"He is very kind and generous, and I am grateful to him," said Roger.

They at once carried out their intentions.

The following morning by daybreak they went on board the _Dolphin_. As none of the cargo had arrived, they had time to look over the ship, and to take a glance round the cabin which was to be their home for some months to come. It was fitted up with several berths, besides a state cabin intended for the Captain's use. There were arms of various sorts, such as musketoons, pistols, pikes, and hangers, fixed against the after-bulkhead, and there was a table in the centre, surrounded by strong wooden chairs. There was not much in the way of ornament, everything seemed intended for use.

While they were there the Captain, who had come on board, entered the cabin. "Glad to see you so soon, young gentlemen," he observed; "it is the early bird that gets the worm," as they say. "I thought that we should very likely have to wait for you, but now when the cargo comes down we may begin stowing away at once."

In a short time a number of trucks arrived on the wharf, bringing bales and packages, which the crew began hoisting on board with the help of a crane and whips. The process was a somewhat long one compared to the rapid way in which vessels are laden at the present day. Stephen and Roger had plenty of time to note each bale, package, and cask before it was lowered into the hold, it being Roger's business to see where each was stowed, so that they might be got at when required. They worked on diligently, knocking off only for a short time to dine, so that in the afternoon, when Mr Kempson came down, they had made good progress. He commended them accordingly. Roger, as he looked at the pile of goods, wondered how room could be found for them on board, yet after all the cases had been stowed away in the capacious hold, there was plenty of room left for more. In three days, however, the cargo was complete, the hatches were put on and fastened down, and Captain Roberts announced that he was ready for sea. Stephen and Roger had but little time to get their things, to run round and bid their friends farewell; their last visit was to Captain Trickett.

"Farewell, my boys, and a prosperous voyage to you!" he said, as he shook their hands warmly. "You may meet with adventures, some not as pleasant as you would desire, but stick to your duty, never say die, and hope for the best."

That evening the _Dolphin_ began to drop down the river with the tide.

She was a fine vessel, not so large, Roger thought, as the _Benbow_ frigate, but she had three masts, with a long mizzen-yard, on which a triangular sail was set. She was deep-waisted, with a high p.o.o.p, and topgallant forecastle, from beneath each of which two guns were so placed that should boarders gain the deck, they would be quickly shot down. She had, besides, eight guns pointing out at the sides, and was able to defend herself against any ordinary enemies; indeed, in those days when pirates and buccaneers abounded, it was necessary for merchant vessels which had rich freights to guard to be well-armed, especially when they sailed alone, without convoy of a man-of-war. As the wind was from the northward, as soon as they got clear of the Severn all sail was hoisted, and they stood down the British Channel, and Roger walked the deck with no little satisfaction at finding himself at length on board ship. The following day they were out of sight of land. When Roger saw the Captain and his mates bring up their quadrants on deck just before noon to make an observation, he brought up his, and began in a methodical way to make preparations for taking one also.

"What, youngster, have you been at sea before?" asked the Captain.

"No, sir, but I have studied navigation, and I want to put my knowledge into practice."

"Well, now is the time; let us see how you do it."

Roger "shot the sun" in very good style; not only did that, but rapidly worked out the calculation on a small piece of paper, and it exactly agreed with that taken by the Captain, who looked well pleased, but it differed from that of one of the mates, who had made a mistake.

"You will do, my boy," said Captain Roberts. "I will try you with other observations by and by. Where did you get your knowledge?" Roger told him. "What, from old Trickett? No wonder you are correct; there is not a better navigator in Bristol."

Next day Stephen brought out his quadrant and did justice to his instructor, he also receiving a due amount of praise from the Captain.

The mates looked rather jealous at the two youngsters, who had never before been to sea, who took observations as well as they could. Before the _Dolphin_ had got half-way across the Bay of Biscay it fell calm, and she lay laving her sides in the smooth water, as the swell, which is seldom wanting there, pa.s.sed under her keel. For many hours she did not move her position; the big mizzen, which had been flapping with reports like thunder, was furled; the other sails were brailed up. Roger, who was always of a social disposition, took the opportunity of having a talk with some of the crew. Among them was a black, who, although still very young, being scarcely more than a boy, had met with many strange adventures,--among others, he had been made prisoner by the Moors. He could talk Arabic, he said, as well as English, which was not, by the by, very correctly. He was called Jack Jumbo on board, but he preferred being called Felix, a name, he told Roger, some gentlemen had given him because he was always a merry fellow. He hinted that he had been a prince in his own country, but he had been carried away at an early age; he did not know much about it. Roger took a great liking to him, for from his intelligence and good disposition he was a better companion than the rough seamen who formed the crew of the _Dolphin_. The only other person who need be named was Sam Stokes, an old sailor who had fought under Blake and Admiral Penn, had made half a dozen voyages to Virginia and the West India Islands, besides to many others in different parts of the world. He was rough enough to look at, being the colour of mahogany, his countenance wrinkled and furrowed by strong winds and hot suns. He was quiet in his manners, seemed kind-hearted, with plenty of sense under his bald head and its fringe of grizzled hair. He was an excellent seaman, and took a pleasure in instructing Roger, who always went to him when he wanted information. He would tell him not only how to do a thing, but the why and the wherefore each thing was done, so that Roger made rapid progress under his tuition. Of the mates and boatswain little need be said; they were tolerable seamen, but the first two were but poor navigators, and the boatswain could not take an observation or work a day's work, being unable to read or write, though he was the best seaman of the three. The crew were rough-and-ready fellows, were tolerably obedient when they were well treated and liquor was kept out of their way; but if anything was done to displease them, they were ready to grumble and try to right themselves after their own fashion. The two mates and the boatswain, who const.i.tuted the officers of the ship, were somewhat jealous of Stephen and Roger, whom they considered unduly favoured by the owners. Neither of them, however, took any notice of this. Roger's great object had been from the first to master all the details of seamanship. From morning till night he was at work getting the seamen to show him how to knot and splice, to steer and reef; whenever sail was to be made or taken in he was always on the yard, and as active as any one, so that he soon gained the respect of the seamen. It was a great advantage to him and Stephen to have fine weather for so long a period, though they made but slow progress on their voyage, but it enabled them to gain experience far more easily than they would have done had the sea been rough and the ship tumbling about. Owing to light and contrary winds, five weeks had pa.s.sed before the _Dolphin_ got into the lat.i.tude of the Straits, nearly a hundred miles to the westward of them.

"When, Captain Roberts, think you, shall we be into the Mediterranean?"

asked Stephen, who had been examining the chart.

"That must depend on the way the wind blows," answered the Captain. "It has been out of temper with us for a precious long time, and I cannot say when it is likely to get into a better humour."

The Captain was right not to be too sanguine; before an hour had pa.s.sed the wind shifted to the east-north-east. The _Dolphin_, close-hauled under larboard tack, stood towards the African coast.

"What about Algerine corsairs, the Sallee rovers?" asked Roger.

"If we fall in with any of the gentry, as our business is to trade not to fight, we must run if we can; but if they come up with us, we must show what British pluck can do, and beat them off," said the Captain.

"As little honour is to be gained, we may hope not to encounter any of the gentlemen," said Stephen.

The _Dolphin_ had been standing on to the south-east, a course which would take her some way to the southward of the Straits. Captain Roberts said he hoped that a tack or two would enable him to fetch the Straits, and once through them, that they should get a fair wind up the Mediterranean. Evening was approaching when the look-out from aloft shouted, "A sail on the weather-bow."

"What does she look like?" asked the Captain.

"She's a large craft, standing to the south-west, under all sail."

The stranger's course would bring her directly down upon the _Dolphin_.

Captain Roberts was provided with a telescope, an instrument not long introduced at sea, which many merchant vessels did not possess. Taking it with him, for he was not willing to intrust to the hands of any one else, he went aloft, steadying it against the mast; while he stood in the maintop, he took a long gaze at the stranger. Returning on deck, he immediately ordered the ship to be kept away, so as to bring her before the wind. All sail which she could possibly carry was set, some hanging down from the yards, rigged across the bowsprit to the very water, while stud-sails were rigged out on the foremast, and the sheet of the huge mizzen was eased off, and the sail bulged out with the freshening breeze.

"What do you think of the stranger, sir?" asked Stephen of the Captain.

"I deem her to be an Algerine, one of those piratical craft we were but just now speaking of. She's a large ship, more than twice our size, and probably carries heavy guns, and four or five times as many men as we do; we might beat her off, and if she comes up to us, that is what we must try to do, but it will be wiser to keep ahead of her. We shall soon see which is the fastest craft, and what chance we have of running out of her sight. We have the advantage of night coming on, and during the darkness we must alter our course so as to give her the slip." All hands were on deck at their stations, ready to shorten sail should it be necessary. Many an eye was turned towards the stranger to ascertain if she was getting nearer.

"What do you think about it, Sam?" asked Roger of the old sailor.

"Yonder craft is light, and we are heavily laden, though I will allow that the _Dolphin_ slips along at a good rate; but there is no doubt that she is gaining on us, though a stern chase is a long one. We may keep ahead of her for some hours to come, always provided we do not carry anything away."

"But if she does come up with us, what shall we have to do?" asked Roger.

"Beat her off, of course, though we have only eight guns, and may be she carries twenty or more; we must work ours twice as fast as she does hers. I know those Algerine cut-throats of yore; and if they are met bravely, they quickly show the white feather. It is only when the Christians cry out 'Peccavi!' and seem inclined to give in, that they become wonderfully brave, and shout and shriek and wave their scimitars.

I was with the brave Captain Harman, aboard the twenty-six-gun ship _Guernsey_, with a crew of a hundred and ten men all told, when we fell in up the Straits with an Algerine man-of-war, carrying fifty guns and five hundred men, called the _White Horse_. She stood down upon us, under all sail, having the weather-gauge, and as soon as she got within gunshot began blazing away. Several times she attempted to board, but we drove back her cut-throat crew, though the rest of her people were blazing away at us with musketry from her p.o.o.p and forecastle. I believe we should have taken her, but our captain received three musket b.a.l.l.s in his body, and was nearly knocked over by a gunshot; still he would not go below, and remained on deck till he sank from loss of blood. Our first lieutenant then took the command, and we continued engaging for another hour or more, till we had lost nine killed and three times as many wounded, for no one ever thought of giving in--that meant having our throats cut or being carried off into slavery; but at last the Algerine hauled off. Our rigging was too much cut about to allow us to follow, so she got away with the loss of not far short of a third of her crew, I suspect, from the number we saw hove overboard.

Our brave captain died three days afterwards from the effects of his wounds, and the first lieutenant was promoted, as he deserved to be.

Now, it is my belief that if we do not capture yonder craft, should she attack us, we may beat her off just as we did the _White Horse_."

Old Sam told this story in a loud voice, so that his shipmates might hear and be encouraged to resist to the last.

Captain Roberts walked the p.o.o.p, every now and then taking a glance at the stranger through his telescope. Stephen and Roger joined him there.

He looked calm and determined.