The Powder Monkey Part 6

"Oh, I did not mean that," said the lady, flushing.

"And what is more, I feel sure that our captain would not allow our little powder monkey--"

"Powder monkey!" cried the lady, aghast.

"Only a sailor's playful term, madam," said the lieutenant. "I say our captain would not give up our brave little fellow to go back to a life of ill-treatment."

"He would come back to no ill-treatment," cried the lady, with the tears br.i.m.m.i.n.g in her eyes. "I love my dead brother's son. He would be with me, as his father expressly desired in his will. My other brother would have nothing whatever to do with him. Pray, pray let me see the little fellow, and I can prove to you that he would be happy."

"Oh, he is no prisoner, madam," said the lieutenant. "Will you come with me? You will find him doing duty in what we term the sick bay--the infirmary--where are several of our wounded men."

The lady uttered a faint sob, and looking more and more troubled, suffered herself to be led to where poor Jack Jeens, looking very white and thin, lay back close to an open port-hole, listening to something Phil was reading from a book.

Unseen at first, the visitor stopped short, gazing wonderingly at her little nephew neatly rigged up in nautical style, bending over the book he held, and evidently enjoying his task.

"Phil!" whispered the lady; but the boy did not look up, only went on reading.

But Jack Jeens heard, and he started where he lay, guessed the object of the visit, and stretched out a hand to seize the boy.

"I'm not tired, Jack," cried Phil. "I can go on reading for--O, Auntie!" he shouted joyously, and dropping the book as he sprang up, he bounded into the lady's arms, to begin kissing her pa.s.sionately again and again.

"Phil--my darling!" she sobbed. "Have I found you again?"

"Yes, Auntie dear," cried the little fellow, "but--" He struggled from her embrace and darted behind Jack Jeens, gazing wildly around.

"Is Uncle there?" he whispered, hoa.r.s.ely.

"No, my boy; he has gone, and you will not see him again."

"Ah," cried Phil; "and have you come to fetch me home?"

"My darling, yes," cried the visitor, and as the boy sprang to her arms again she held him tightly to her breast and turned proudly upon the lieutenant. "Now, sir," she cried, "do you think he will be ill-used?"

"I am satisfied, madam," said the officer, smiling. "So, then, we are to lose our little powder monkey? You are going away, then, sir?"

"Yes," cried the boy, eagerly; "along with Auntie. No," he cried, excitedly--"no! I can't go and leave poor Jack. Auntie, dear, oh, he has been so good to me, you don't know. No, I can't come away now.

Besides, they wouldn't let me come. I'm a sailor, serving the King.

But I'll come sometimes and see you."

"O, Phil, my darling!" sobbed his aunt.

"You don't know what he has done for me. No, Jack, I won't go away now you're so weak and ill."

"Weak--ill--with wounds?" cried Phil's aunt eagerly, as she turned to the lieutenant.

"Yes, madam; one of our brave seamen, badly wounded at Trafalgar."

"But ought he not to be ash.o.r.e where he could be properly nursed?" cried Phil's aunt.

"I nurse him," said Phil, proudly, "and feed him too. He can't use his arms, Auntie."

"Then why not bring him home, Phil, dear, where he could be well nursed back to health, and then--"

That was the way it was settled, for an hour later Jack Jeens was being carefully slung down into the gig and then rowed ash.o.r.e, while as Phil, after his aunt had taken her place, slid down one of the falls to join them, pretty well the whole crew was on deck to cheer the powder monkey till he was out of sight.

Years pa.s.sed before Phil stepped on board a King's ship again, and then it was in the uniform of a middy--the middy of one of the smartest frigates in the Navy.

"Yes, Master Phil, sir, the very smartest frigate in the sarvice, and I'm glad to welcome you aboard, and so's all the crew. I'm bo'sun, sir, and I've told all the lads how you and me served the King under Admiral Lord Nelson at _Traffle-gar_."