Salt Water Part 14

"You did, though, you so-and-so," cried Trundle, doubling his fist, and dealing Ichabod a hit on the eye which almost stove it in.

The blow was given back, and returned with interest, with expressions not fit for ears polite, till the noses of both heroes were streaming with blood, and their voices were hallooing away at the highest pitch.

d.i.c.ky was rubbing his hands in high glee at the successful result of his experiment, when the captain, aroused by the hubbub, rang his bell to know what was the matter. This sound, like that of Oberon's magic horn, instantly paralysed the combatants; and the sentry having put his head into the cabin, and made some report which apparently satisfied the skipper, the two warriors, like a couple of lions growling defiance at each other, retired to their berths, to staunch their bleeding wounds, and wash away the stains of the fight from their faces.

Here the first thing which met the eye of the boatswain, as he stooped to pick up the fragments of his gla.s.s, was the missile which had inflicted the injury. Now, as the officers generally choose the long ribs of beef for roasting, for which they pay one pound in six for the good of the ship's company, and the boatswain had actually seen the carpenter's servant carrying a piece of rib-beef for his master's dinner, he felt perfectly satisfied who had thrown the bone. Seizing it, therefore, in his hand, with the fragments of his gla.s.s, and his nose still bleeding, he rushed on deck, and halted, quivering with rage, on the quarter-deck, in presence of the first-lieutenant.

"By Jupiter, what a wigging I shall get," whispered d.i.c.ky, in a terrible funk. "I say, D'Arcy, my boy, don't 'peach, though."

I c.o.c.ked my eye, and, pointing to the masthead,--"Six hours a day for the next week, eh!--pleasant, d.i.c.ky," I answered.

Master d.i.c.ky dared not show his face, lest his consciousness of guilt might betray itself; for, though unable to resist doing a piece of mischief when the temptation came in his way, he had not got the brazen front of a hardened sinner. I also, anxious as I was to learn the result of the trial, was afraid of showing too great an interest in it, lest suspicion should fall on me, and therefore walked the quarter-deck at a respectful distance, picking up what information I could on the way.

"What is this you have to complain of, Mr Trundle?" asked the first-lieutenant, as he stood at the capstern-head, with the enraged boatswain before him.

"Why, sir, as I was a-cleaning myself just now in my cabin, a-thinking no harm of n.o.body, Mr Ichabod Chissel, the carpenter of this here ship, sir, and my brother officer, thinks fit to heave this here rib-bone right across the steerage against my nose and my gla.s.s, and breaks both on 'em. If that ain't enough to aggrawate and perwoke and--and-- and--(he stopped for a word) flabbergast any one, I don't know what is, sir, you'll allow."

"Very much so, I grant," observed Mr Du Pre, taking the bone between his fingers and holding it behind his back. "Send Mr Chissel here."

The carpenter soon made his appearance.

"Pray, Mr Chissel, what part of the meat had you for your dinner, to-day?" asked Mr Du Pre.

"The tail, sir," said the carpenter.

"What became of the bone after dinner?" asked the first-lieutenant.

"The boy cleared it away with the rest of the things, sir," was the answer.

"Let the boy be sent for," said Mr Du Pre.

Bobby Smudge soon came rolling along, hitching up his trousers as he approached the capstern.

There was a wicked look in the young rascal's eye, which made me suspect he knew all about the matter. He was the most complete little Pickle in the ship, and was continually getting punished, and most deservedly too, by his master. The very day before, the carpenter had reported him, and he had got eleven finnams on the hand for having, in conveying Mr Chissel's grog from the tub to his cabin, being detected in the very act of taking a hatchway nip--the said hatchway nip, let it be understood, being a sip s.n.a.t.c.hed furtively by the bearer of a gla.s.s of grog on the ladder descending from the main to the lower deck. A finnam, I must also explain, is a blow inflicted on the hand, with a cane generally, by the master-at-arms or the ship's corporal. To the said finnams poor Bobby Smudge's black paws were well accustomed.

"Boy, what was done with the bone after your master's dinner?" asked Mr Du Pre, in a severe tone.

"I'm sure I don't know, sir," replied Bobby Smudge, in a long drawl, worthy of a London professional street-beggar.

"Should you know it again if you saw it?" asked the first-lieutenant.

"Oh yes, sir; I'm sure I should," replied Master Smudge, brightening up and looking the picture of innocent simplicity.

"Well, my boy, what do you say to this?" said Mr Du Pre, producing the bone from behind his back.

All eyes turned towards Bobby Smudge: the carpenter's fate hung on his decision. The young monkey felt his importance, and determined to exert it. Chissel knew it was the very sort of bone he had sc.r.a.ped not an hour before. Bobby took it, and, turning it round, examined it narrowly.

"Oh yes, sir; I'll swear to it, that I will," he exclaimed, holding up his blistered hand behind his back so that the carpenter might observe it. "As I was a-trying to get my dinner off it, I notched it with my knife, I knowed I did, 'cause there was so little meat on it."

"Oh, you wretched young liar," muttered the carpenter, for he dared not speak aloud; "won't I pay you off, that's all?"

The boy heard him, and gave a grin of defiance.

"Mr Chissel, go to your cabin, and consider yourself under arrest,"

said the first-lieutenant; "I must report this affair to the captain.

The discipline of the ship cannot be thus trifled with; and officers especially, who ought to know better, must not be allowed to set the men so bad an example with impunity."

Saying this, Mr Du Pre resumed his walk on the quarter-deck, and I hurried down to report what had occurred, to my chum d.i.c.ky. At first he was highly delighted at having escaped detection.

"Stop a bit, d.i.c.ky," said I; "I don't think you are quite out of the fire yet. It will never do to let the carpenter be disrated or dismissed the ship for conduct of which he is innocent. The truth must come out; and, to my mind, honesty is the best policy."

"Well, but don't you see, D'Arcy, I shall get mast-headed and have my leave stopped, and I don't know what else--all for shying a bone across the steerage," argued d.i.c.ky. "What business had the boatswain and carpenter to hit each other, I should like to know. If that stupid Trundle had taken the joke in good part, there wouldn't have been all this row."

I laughed outright at Master Richard's style of reasoning.

"That argument won't stand good with the skipper," said I. "Now, come, let me do the only thing which can set matters to rights; because it is the right thing. I'm a bit of a favourite with Mr Du Pre, I suspect; and I'll go up to him at once, and tell him the truth. If anything can get you off, that will; and if the affair reaches the ears of the captain, there will be a very serious row, I'm certain."

At last d.i.c.ky consented to my plan, and without waiting to let him change his mind, I went on deck, where I found the first-lieutenant.

"I've got something to say about that beef-bone, sir," I began.

"What's that, Mr D'Arcy," he exclaimed, turning sharp round. "When am I to hear the last of that beef-bone?"

"Why, sir, it wasn't the carpenter threw it, but one of the midshipmen; he couldn't help it, though. No one could, I'm sure," I rapped out.

"Why, Master D'Arcy, I verily believe you're the culprit," he exclaimed, looking at me steadfastly.

I detected, however, a smile in his eye, which showed that his anger was not very serious; so I at once told him exactly how the matter had occurred, and that d.i.c.ky had begged me to come and confess the truth and intercede for him. Master Sharpe was therefore sent for; and having been severely reprimanded, was told that as soon as we got into harbour his leave would be stopped, and was then ordered to the masthead for a couple of hours, to sit there instead of on the stool of repentance.

The carpenter was released from arrest, on condition that he should keep the peace. The boatswain's nose mended in the course of a few days; and though reminded of the outrage every time he attempted to shave before his broken bit of looking-gla.s.s, he and Chissel soon patched up their quarrel and resumed their former intimacy. The person who fared worst was Bobby Smudge, who, never a favourite with his master, now obtained a double allowance of finnams, and a sly rope's-ending whenever opportunities offered. Bobby began to discover that revenge, though sweet, may recoil on the head of the avenger, and become very bitter.

More ultimately came out of the beef-bone affair.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

REACH THE MEDITERRANEAN--MALTA--A RIDE ON Sh.o.r.e--A BALL--A HEROINE--OUR PARTNERS--MR. NIP AND HIS PARTNER--AN ODD EGG HATCHED--ADAM STALLMAN'S ADVICE--THE RIGHT THING THE BEST THING.

Nothing of importance occurred that I remember during our pa.s.sage across the Bay of Biscay. We had the usual heavy swells (though I have found it as level as a fish-pond), a stiffish breeze for a day or so, which gave us a cheery shove on our way, and light and variable winds and calms, which latter let us roll till our yard-arms almost touched the water, and effectually turned the landsmen inside out. Ten days after leaving Plymouth, we were in the lat.i.tude of Lisbon. It was early morning, and the land we were approaching was shrouded to common eyes by a soft silvery haze, which allowed only a circle of blue sea to be perceived round the ship, and a patch of about the same size of clear sky overhead. On the larboard bow was perceived a darker ma.s.s of mist, which after some time resolved itself into the well-known form of the Rock of Lisbon. The wind being light and variable, we drew very gradually insh.o.r.e, till the mist suddenly lifting, as if at the command of a magician, disclosed to us the splendid and fantastic scenery of those rocky heights, as they rose proudly from the glittering ocean, which was dotted with numerous sails of fishing-boats and coasters, and here and there the canvas of some loftier merchantmen, making for the mouth of the Tagus. On the lower land, to the north of the Rock, was seen the royal palace of Mafra--a curious huge pile, imposing from its height and the large extent of ground it covers. I do not, however, intend to bother my readers with accounts of places and scenery, which they may find much better described in numberless books of voyages and travels. The wind freshening and coming fair, we continued our course, and, pa.s.sing the Capes of Ortegal and Finisterre on the second day after leaving the Rock, were off Cape Saint Vincent, immortalised in naval memories by Sir John Jervis' great action, and since then, by the way, by a very pretty bit of fighting under Charlie Napier, when he took possession of Don Miguel's fleet with one half its size. Cape Trafalgar next came in sight, and was eagerly viewed by all hands, for, often as one may gaze on its dark blue cliffs, the deep interest they inspire can never fail; one is reminded that in their neighbourhood the glorious navy of England, under the greatest of its chiefs, secured the freedom of the world, and struck the blow which stopped the victor of continental Europe in his wild career of conquest. Peace to the names of England's gallant defenders, who died for their country off Trafalgar's Cape! and sacred be the memory of the immortal Nelson, our meteor-flag of victory!--But, little Neil D'Arcy, where are you steering for? Has the sight of Trafalgar made you fancy you can do a bit of fine writing? Just get back, boy, to your usual style, and leave such attempts to the pens of novelists and travellers.

It was near nightfall when we made the Rock of Gibraltar; and as we pa.s.sed through the Straits when I was snug below in my hammock, my journal contains no description of that wonderful fortress. When the morning dawned, the high mountains of Spain were just visible in the horizon; and the next land we sighted was the coast of Barbary, somewhere to the westward of Tunis. Six days after that we were in sight of Sicily, when, after hauling off the coast, a gale sprung up, and such thick and cloudy weather came on, that we could take no observations. The ship was therefore hove-to; and while sail was being taken off her I got an ugly fall, which laid me up in my hammock for several days. During my illness, d.i.c.ky Sharpe was constantly with me, whenever he was off duty, and we became greater friends than ever.

"Do you know, D'Arcy, I am really very much obliged to you for having got me so well out of that sc.r.a.pe with the boatswain and the beef-bone!"

he said to me in a tone of confidence one day, after we had reached Valetta harbour. "I have not ventured to ask Mr Du Pre leave to go on sh.o.r.e. Do you think he would give it me?"

"I rather think not, d.i.c.ky," said I. "Don't say a word about it for some time to come, and then you can begin to look dull and melancholy, and to pine for the sh.o.r.e; and perhaps his heart will soften with compa.s.sion, and he will give you leave."

"Capital advice! Won't I look melancholy, that's all, when the time comes?" he exclaimed. "How soon ought I to begin?"

"Not till I'm well and can go on sh.o.r.e to look after you," I answered.