The Missing Ship Part 2

"There is another berth I can take, so don't talk about that," answered Owen.

"As you wish," said the stranger, who having, to his own satisfaction it may be, expressed his thanks, took a seaman-like glance round the ship.

As he did so, his eye fell on Norah and the captain. An expression of surprise crossed his countenance, succeeded by a look of admiration, as he beheld Norah, who appeared even more beautiful and attractive than usual, her colour heightened by the fresh breeze and her heart joyous with the thoughts of her father's recovery. She withdrew her gaze, which had naturally been turned towards the stranger who had thus unexpectedly appeared. He at once, guessing who the captain and his daughter were, stepped on to the p.o.o.p and advanced towards them.

Doffing his sea-cap with the manners of a man accustomed to the world, he bowed to the young lady, and then addressed the captain. "I have come without any formal invitation on board your ship, sir, but faith, I hadn't my choice--your mate hauled me on board without asking whether I wished it or no; and, to confess the truth, I am very much obliged to him, for had he stopped to inquire I should not have had the opportunity of answering, as in another moment I should have been carried to lie where many a brave fellow sleeps, at the bottom of the sea. I am therefore indebted to him for saving my life--what he did, he did well and gallantly, at no slight risk of losing his own."

"I am thankful that he succeeded," answered Captain Tracy; "and, for my part, all I can say is that you are very welcome on board--and glad I am to see you so much recovered this morning."

"A night's rest has worked wonders--yesterday evening I felt very much unlike myself, but I am now strong and well as usual." The stranger took two or three turns on deck to verify his a.s.sertion; again stopping, in an off-hand style he inquired how long the ship had been out, what weather had been met with, and where she was bound for--though, curiously enough, he did not offer to give any account of himself, apparently intending to let the captain put any questions to him on the subject he might think fit. Norah, not being dest.i.tute of the curiosity natural to her s.e.x, was longing to learn who the stranger was--yet she did not like to ask him herself. She waited, hoping that her father would do so. She could at length restrain herself no longer.

"Had you been long in the water, sir?" she inquired.

"Five or six hours, I believe, more or less," he answered, smiling.

"By-the-by, I must apologise for not having before given an account of myself. To the best of my belief, I am the only survivor of the gallant fellows who manned the _Dragon_ privateer, of which I had the honour to be first officer. She carried sixteen guns and a crew of 110 hands, all told."

"A privateer!" exclaimed Captain Tracy. "What flag did you sail under?

Has England again gone to war? We had heard nothing of it before we left Port Royal."

"Oh, that is not surprising--it is scarcely six weeks since England declared war against France," replied the stranger. "We knew what was in the wind, and sailed from Bristol, to which port the _Dragon_ belonged, immediately the news reached us, in search of French homeward-bound ships, hoping to get hold of them before they had heard of the breaking out of war. We had, as you may judge, a quick run to the southward, having on our way made three captures, and by having to send prize crews away in them our strength was considerably diminished.

Still our captain, Simon Avery--you may have heard of him, sir--was not the man to give up while there was a chance of falling in with other vessels. Short-handed as we were, we had to keep watch and watch; and yesterday morning, while the watch below were asleep, and most of the hands on deck much in the same state, the ship was struck by a squall, and before sheet or brace could be let go, over she went and began to fill. I had just time, with three others, to get hold of a half-hatch, to cut some spars adrift, and to shove off to a distance, when down she went, carrying with her every soul on board. I don't wish to harrow the young lady's feelings by describing the scene. A few floated up and shouted out for help, but we couldn't give it, for our own raft was already loaded. Before many minutes were over, even the stoutest swimmers had sunk beneath the surface. I had got hold of an axe and a coil of rope, and we managed to lash the spars to a grating. While so employed, one of the men slipped off; as he couldn't swim, he was drowned, and thus we had more room. The sea rapidly got up, and now another of my companions was washed away, and then the last. I secured myself to the raft, resolved to struggle for life while I had strength; but had not, fortunately, your ship stood towards me, and your brave mate gallantly hauled me on board, I should to a certainty have been lost."

"I am very thankful, sir, that my mate was the means of saving you,"

said Captain Tracy; "you cannot praise him too highly. He has sailed with me since he first came to sea, and though he took to the life somewhat later than most people do, he has become a better seaman than many of his elders."

"I don't doubt it, sir; I should judge from his looks that he is all you describe him to be," answered the stranger.

"You say," resumed Captain Tracy, "that the English and French are at loggerheads again--can you tell me whether any king's ships have been sent out for the protection of our commerce, or, what is of more consequence to us, whether many French privateers are already afloat?"

"As to that, it was reported that a fleet was fitting out at Portsmouth with all despatch to be placed under the command of Sir Edward Hawke; and it was said that Admiral Byng was to be sent to the Mediterranean with a squadron. Another fleet was already at sea, under the command of Admiral Holburne; and the news has arrived that he came up with and attacked the French fleet, commanded by Admiral Macnamara, off the American coast, and captured two 64-gun ships, with a considerable number of troops on board. It is evident, therefore, that the English are no longer asleep, as they have been for some time past, and are intending to carry on the war with vigour. With regard to the Frenchmen, they are pretty wide awake, though they may not have expected to be attacked so suddenly; and as far as I was able to learn, they have not been slow in sending both men-of-war and privateers to sea--and I would advise you to stand clear of any strange sail we may fall in with: it is wiser to avoid a friend than to run the risk of being caught by a foe."

"This is bad news indeed you give me, sir," said Captain Tracy, "though I have to thank you for it, as it is better to be forewarned; and you may depend on it, I will follow your advice. Had I thought it likely that war would break out, I should not have brought my young daughter to sea; but she was anxious to come as she had no one to look after her, and I intended this to be my last voyage, for I have knocked about enough on the ocean to long to settle down quietly on sh.o.r.e. We know that we must run all risks, but I cannot bear the thought of what might happen should we be captured by a picarooning privateer, for most of them are but little better than pirates." He said this in a low voice, aside, to the stranger, intending that Norah should not hear him.

"I sincerely hope that we shall not fall in with a Frenchman of any quality, either a man-of-war or one of the picarooning rascals you speak of," answered the stranger, in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

"Well, Mr--I beg your pardon, you haven't mentioned your name--I have again to thank you for the information and advice you have given me, and I hope you'll find yourself at home on board this chip. We're pretty well provisioned, and we'll not starve you, at all events," said Captain Tracy.

"Thank you, captain, I have no fear about the matter," answered the stranger; "and as to my name, I quite forgot to give it. Indeed, you are not likely to have heard of me before, for I have been knocking about in distant seas for most of my life--it is Lancelot Carnegan. I hail from Ireland, as you may suppose; and perhaps you may have already discovered a touch of the brogue--but it has been well-nigh washed out of me; still, though we children of Erin roam the world over, we never entirely get rid of our mother tongue."

"Bad luck to us if we do," answered the captain, laughing. "I might have guessed that you came from the old country--and now you'll have an opportunity, if you wish to remain when we reach harbour, of renewing your acquaintance with it and any friends you may have."

"There are few, if any, who know me," answered Mr Carnegan. "I played truant at an early age, and have seldom since then set foot on my native sh.o.r.e."

Norah had made no attempt to join in the conversation. The new-comer, now turning towards her, addressed her in a deferential tone, and with a look which clearly showed the admiration he felt. He inquired how she liked the West Indies, and what parts of the islands she had seen, and whether she enjoyed being at sea. They were but commonplace questions, but his manner encouraged her to speak freely, and she described with much graphic power the scenery and places she had visited.

"I delight in the sea," she added. "I enjoy it in all weathers; and even when a storm has been raging I have felt no fear, for I knew that the good ship is sound, and that those in command were well able to manage her. I should have been ready to accompany my father in as many more voyages as he might wish to make, and it is not I who have persuaded him to quit the sea. I fear, indeed, that he will soon get tired of the quiet life he will lead on sh.o.r.e."

A complimentary remark was rising to Mr Carnegan's lips, but he restrained himself, not quite certain how it might be taken, and merely said, "Captain Tracy will have no cause, I am sure, to regret his choice. Though I love the sea, I confess that I often long to take up my abode in some romantic spot in the old country, with the companionship of one whose happiness I could watch over. In truth, I could gladly spend the remainder of my days far away from war and strife, and out of sight even of the stormy ocean--for, should I catch a glimpse of that, I might at times be tempted to wish myself again bounding over the buoyant wave."

The speaker perhaps expected to see Norah cast down her eyes as he addressed her; but she looked up with a steady glance, and laughingly answered, "If you think that, you have very little confidence in your own resolution."

Mr Carnegan was about to reply, when the captain observed, "Let me advise you, sir, to keep to the sea, unless you have some better calling in view. An idle life on sh.o.r.e won't suit you, a young man of spirit; and those who try it have to repent of their folly. But you will excuse me when I say that I think you would find as honourable employment in the merchant service as on board a privateer--not but that I am ready to allow that many gallant fellows engage in that sort of work; though, when you look at it in its true light, privateering is but licenced robbery at the best."

"I cannot say that I so view it," observed Mr Carnegan; "while benefiting ourselves and lining our own pockets, we are serving the country. We capture our foes in fair and open fight, while we run the risk of being taken ourselves. However, to prove to you that I don't despise the merchant service, as you appear to be rather short-handed, I shall be happy to do duty on board as one of your mates, if you will trust me. I don't ask for wages, but it will be a satisfaction to me to feel that I am working my pa.s.sage home."

"I don't doubt your knowledge of seamanship and navigation, and gladly accept your offer," answered the captain.

Mr Carnegan was accordingly duly installed in the office of second mate of the _Ouzel Galley_.

CHAPTER TWO.

FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE STRANGER--MR. CARNEGAN SHOWS HIS ADMIRATION OF NORAH--APPROACHING IRELAND--A CONFESSION--A SAIL IN SIGHT--CHASED--THE ENEMY GAINS ON THE OUZEL GALLEY--NORAH AND GERALD SENT INTO THE HOLD--THE FIGHT BEGINS--THE OUZEL GALLEY HOLDS OUT BRAVELY, BUT IS RAPIDLY OVERTAKEN--BOTH MATES WOUNDED--THE FRENCHMEN BOARD THE OUZEL GALLEY--GERALD DEFENDS NORAH--THE FRENCH CAPTAIN'S COURTESY--THE OUZEL GALLEY IN THE HANDS OF THE FRENCHMEN--THE COQUILLE GOES OFF IN CHASE--A SLEEP-LOVING LIEUTENANT--AN IDEA OCCURS TO GERALD.

The wind continued fair and the weather fine, and the _Ouzel Galley_ made good progress on her voyage. Norah was not free from anxiety with regard to her father, who had sufficiently recovered his strength to come on deck and carry on duty, but she longed to get him safe on sh.o.r.e, where alone she believed he would be restored to his usual health. The new mate showed himself to be a good seaman, and was evidently accustomed to command, as far as the captain could judge by the way in which he trimmed sails and issued his orders to the crew. They obeyed him as seamen always do an officer whom they look upon as a good sailor--not that they were particularly disposed to like him, for he never spoke to any of them except to tell them what to do, and his tone was always that of a person who intended to have his orders carried out.

Had he come on board in the ordinary way, they would have taken this as a matter of course; but Pompey had expressed his opinion that there was some mystery about him--he might be a true man, but it was possible that he might be of the character of the well-known Flying Dutchman, and had appeared only for the sake of betraying them. The rest of the crew were well disposed to take up this opinion; indeed, few believed that a mortal man could have survived on the raft in the heavy sea there was running at the time; and Mr Carnegan was more narrowly watched than he suspected.

"I tell you what, mates," observed Pompey one evening, when he and two or three of his especial chums were seated together in the forecastle, "you may be sartain sure no good will come of having this stranger aboard. Why de captain make him mate is more than I can tell. De oder night, as he walked the deck shouting out to de hand on de fore-topsail yard-arm, I see a flame of fire come of his mouth, and den I says to myself, 'I know who you are.' I tell you only what true, as I am living man."

"Shure, he was only knocking the ashes out of his pipe," remarked Dan Connor; "it's one he brought on board with him, and I've seen him smoke it many a time."

"He may have a pipe, but dat was no pipe he was smoking den," answered the black.

"I ain't quite sure but as how Pompey isn't right," remarked Tom Stokes, an English seaman. "I've heard say that the Flying Dutchman he was speaking of plays all sorts of tricks to get aboard; sometimes he comes alongside in a boat with a bundle of letters, and woe betide the crew who take them on board! Their ship's doomed, and will be sure to blow up, or be burnt, or go to the bottom, or run on a sunken reef. To my mind, half the ships that are cast away are lost by some such trick as that. Maybe he thinks he's been found out, and is now trying a new dodge; if I had my will, we'd lay him by the heels some dark night and heave him overboard--it's the only chance there is of saving the ship."

Meantime the subject of these remarks would have been very indifferent to them had he heard what was said. He was doing his best to ingratiate himself with the captain and his fair daughter. Whenever Norah was on deck he was sure to be there also, and was always ready to a.s.sist her when the sea was running somewhat high and the ship was tumbling about more than usual. She appeared to receive these attentions as a matter of course, and always thanked him courteously. She could not, however, fail to remark that, where-ever he was standing, his eye was directed towards her; and especially, if her father and Owen were below, that he invariably drew near to enter into conversation. It is possible that she may have suspected the admiration she had excited, but she certainly never, by word, or look, or manner, did anything to encourage him. He also was on his guard not to say anything which might annoy or alarm her, while his manner was always deferential. He continued on friendly terms with Owen, and always spoke good-naturedly to Gerald, taking evident pleasure in describing the countries he had visited and the strange scenes he had witnessed, to which the boy always eagerly listened. Although the ship was short-handed, as it was of the greatest importance to get home as soon as possible, all sail which could be prudently set was carried night and day. At that period it was the custom on board merchant vessels to shorten sail at night, go that should the ship be caught by a squall she might the better be prepared for it; but as the two mates now took watch and watch during the hours of darkness, they allowed all the sails to remain standing which had been carried during the day. A bright look-out was kept from the mast-head from sunrise to sunset, and occasionally when a strange sail was seen, as soon as it was ascertained in what direction she was steering, the course was changed to avoid her. As each day brought the _Ouzel Galley_ nearer to the sh.o.r.es of Ireland, the captain's spirits rose, as did his hopes of getting in safe. The second mate seemed quite as anxious on the subject as any one else on board; but Pompey was not yet satisfied.

"We're not in yet," he whispered to Dan Connor. "Why he not send de ship to de bottom before dis I not know; but you see--he play some scurvy trick before he done wid us."

Fortunately for the second mate, the rest of the crew were not so deeply imbued with Pompey's opinions as to induce them to act according to his advice; but they still regarded Mr Carnegan with suspicion, though they obeyed his commands with as much alacrity as at first. Several other strange sail were seen in the distance, and as before carefully avoided.

The ship had got to about the lat.i.tude of Lisbon.

"How soon may we expect to get into port?" asked Norah of her father.

"If the wind holds fair, another week will carry us safe up to the quay of Waterford," answered the captain; "but we may meet with a head wind, and it may be a fortnight or three weeks before we make the land--but we'll hope for the best, and it will not be for lack of doing all that seamen can do if we don't succeed."

The sea was smooth, the wind being from the southward, while a light mist prevented the sun's rays being over oppressive. Norah as usual went on deck after breakfast with her work and a book. Owen was below; it was the second mate's watch, and soon after she had taken her seat he approached her.

"In a few days, Miss Tracy, we shall be doomed to part," he said, "It may be that, compelled by a cruel fate to wander over the world, I may never again meet you; but, believe me, the time I have spent on board this ship I shall ever look upon as the happiest of my life."

"You are very good to say so," answered Norah, "though I should have supposed, from the account you have given of yourself, that you would have met with many other opportunities of enjoying life far more than you could have done on board the _Ouzel Galley_."

"It is not the place, Miss Tracy, but the person with whom one is a.s.sociated, on which one's happiness depends. I speak from the depths of my heart--if I could hope to enjoy existence with you, I would not exchange my lot for that of the proudest monarch on earth," said Mr Carnegan.

Before Norah could reply, the look-out from the mast-head shouted, "A sail on the larboard bow!" At that instant, as he spoke, the captain came on deck, followed by Owen.

"What course is she steering?" asked the former.

"About south-east, sir, close-hauled," was the answer.