The Three Admirals Part 41

The two ships, still keeping in company, had a long spell of fine weather, but at length one evening it came on to blow hard. The wind increased during the night, and on the following day a terrific storm of thunder and lightning burst over the ship. The _Orion_, which had hitherto kept company, was lost sight off. The thunder rolled and rattled, and flash succeeded flash, each more vivid than the first.

Several times it appeared as if the ship herself would be struck, as the forked lightning, bursting from the ma.s.s of dark clouds above, went zig-zagging over the summits of the waves. It was Tom's watch. Billy, who, in the day time, could do duty as well as ever, was on deck, as indeed were most of the officers, who had come up to witness the terrific strife of the elements. Billy was standing by himself, when a flash, darting through the air, pa.s.sed so close to him that it appeared as if he had been struck. It was seen to flash across the deck and to lose itself in the foaming ocean. Billy uttered a cry and put his hands to his eyes. Tom asked him if anything had happened.

He answered, "No, only the lightning looked very bright. I thought I was struck."

The gale continued. No one thought of leaving the deck. Night came on, yet Billy remained moving about as he had not done for several weeks past.

"Why, Billy, you seem, to be able to see your way as well as ever," said Tom, who observed him.

"So I do; although, between the flashes, the night is dark enough, I can make out objects as well as I ever could."

Though the gale continued, the thunderstorm blew over before midnight, and Billy, with the rest of the watch below, turned in. The next evening he found to his infinite satisfaction that his moon blindness no longer existed, and the doctor and all who pretended to any scientific knowledge, were of opinion that it had been cured by the electric fluid, which had glanced across his face.

"Another half-inch, however, and we might have had a different tale to tell of you," observed the doctor.

"How so?" inquired Billy.

"Why, that you would have been turned into a piece of charcoal, instead of being restored to sight. There is something to think of, my boy, for the rest of your days."

A look-out was kept for the _Orion_. Although the gale had ceased, and the horizon was clear, she was nowhere to be seen.

"I hope they've not been after killing a pig aboard," remarked Pat.

"They may not get off so cheap as we have."

"What do you mean?" asked Tim Nolan.

"Why, for what we can tell, one of them zig-zag flashes may have struck her, and sent her down to Davy's locker, or fired her magazine and blown her up sky high."

"I hope that's not Captain Adair's fate," observed Jerry Bird. "I've sailed with him many a day, and a better officer and a nicer gentleman does not command one of her Majesty's ships. When I have been on sh.o.r.e with him, he has been kind and friendly like, and looked after the interests of his men, seeing that they have plenty of grub when it was to be got. Never made us work when there was no necessity for it, and I should be sorry indeed if any harm happened to him."

When, however, day after day went by, and the _Orion_ was not seen, even Jack began to feel somewhat anxious. She was not likely to have gone ahead of the _Empress_, which was the faster ship of the two, nor could she have dropped so far astern as to be altogether out of sight in so short a time. Still, as Jack observed to Tom, "They had often, during their early days, been inclined to give each other up for lost, and always met again," and he still hoped that such would be the case. At last, however, when the sh.o.r.es of Old England appeared in sight, he began to dread having to tell his sister Lucy his anxiety about her husband. Proceeding up Channel, Spithead was reached, and the _Empress_ immediately received orders to go into harbour to be paid off.

Jack wisely, when writing to his wife, who, with Lucy, was staying at Lady Rogers', did not speak of his anxiety about Adair, but merely said that he had parted from him at sea and hoped the _Orion_, which had proved herself rather a slower ship than the _Empress_, would soon make her appearance at Spithead. Murray and Stella, with their children, were, he learned, at Bercaldine, for which he was sorry, as he thought he might have had the satisfaction of meeting them in the south. Some days must elapse before he could pay off his ship; he fully expected that Julia and Lucy would forthwith come down with their elder girls to Southsea, though he felt very much inclined to advise them to wait. Tom was glad to find that Archie Gordon had been promoted for more than a year, and was now serving in the Channel squadron, so that he was very likely to fall in with him before long. As Jack had expected, scarcely two days had pa.s.sed since the _Empress_ had dropped anchor, before Julia and Lucy arrived at Southsea, each with a little girl, the very image of their mothers. Jack had the happiness of hearing that a little Jack had been born a few months after he had left England, and was grown into a fine chubby fellow, and that if the small Lucy was the image of her mamma, still more so was young Jack that of his papa. Poor Lucy began to look very sorrowful, when day after day went by, and the _Orion_ did not appear.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

A VISIT TO THE GRAVE OF AN OLD FRIEND--THE THREE OLD SHIPMATES MEET-- DESMOND IN IRELAND--LAYS CLAIM TO A t.i.tLE AND ESTATE--THE POST CAPTAINS TAKE TO YACHTING--CRUISES ON BOARD THE STELLA--A NAVAL REVIEW--DOWN CHANNEL--A GALE--A RUN UP THE IRISH SEA--DUBLIN REACHED--GERALD DESMOND HAS BECOME VISCOUNT SAINT MAUR--PLEASANT EXCURSIONS ROUND DUBLIN-- COUNSELLOR MCMAHON AND HIS FAIR DAUGHTERS--THE STELLA AGAIN SAILS, WITH LORD SAINT MAUR ON BOARD--BECALMED IN THE CHOPS OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL-- THE YACHT RUN DOWN BY A BIG SHIP--SAINT MAUR DISAPPEARS--ANXIETY AS TO HIS FATE--DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE YACHT--FALMOUTH REACHED--d.i.c.k STOKES GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE COLLISION--RETURN TO RYDE--THE STELLA SAILS NORTHWARD--JACK APPOINTED TO THE BELLONA, ADAIR TO THE EMPRESS.

Two gentlemen, who might at a glance have been known as naval officers, were walking arm-in-arm towards a church in the midst of a burial ground, standing on the summit of a hill surrounded by woods in the Isle of Wight, overlooking the Solent. The trees were green with the bright leaves of early summer, the birds flew here and there, carrying food to their young, and chirping merrily. In several places openings had been cut, affording a view of the blue water down the Channel in the direction of Calshot Castle and towards Spithead and the entrance of Portsmouth harbour.

One of the gentlemen was strongly built, of middle height, with an open, well-bronzed countenance, a few grey hairs showing themselves amid his bushy whiskers, proving that he was getting on in life. The other was tall and of slender proportions, but had equally the air and bearing of a son of the ocean.

Pa.s.sing though a wicket gate, they went along a well-kept gravel path, and stopped before two monuments, side by side, one of granite, the other of white marble. On the first, surmounted by a naval crown, was engraved--"To the memory of Admiral Triton;" and on the other was inscribed the name of Deborah Triton, daughter of the late Captain Triton, RN, and sister of Admiral Triton, who lies interred by her side.

At a little distance followed two ladies, with a party of girls and boys, who had been laughing, chatting, and joking, as they ran in and out among each other, skipping and jumping, and darting here and there.

Their voices were, however, hushed as they approached the wicket gate and discovered that they had arrived at the churchyard.

"I'm glad that my directions have been carried out," said Captain Adair, the taller of the two gentlemen. "It is but a poor mark, after all, of the grat.i.tude and affection I owe to my kind old friends, by whom I have been so largely benefited. What do you think of them, Jack?"

"They are very much to my taste, and are exactly such as I should have wished to put up," answered Captain Rogers. "We shall hear what Julia and Lucy say."

Their two wives, who now arrived, were equally pleased. The elder girls, who had brought wreaths of flowers, placed them on the graves as a token of their visit--an idea of their mothers, though it is probable that neither Jack nor Terence would have thought of doing such a thing.

They were still looking at the monuments when carriage wheels were heard, and a gentleman and lady soon afterwards appeared from the other side of the churchyard, and approached them, accompanied by a fine-looking lad in a midshipman's uniform.

"Why, Murray! My dear fellow! I little expected to see you here!"

exclaimed Jack, hurrying forward to greet them, Adair following.

Captain Murray introduced his son, who had just left the _Britannia_, and expected every day to be appointed to a ship.

"But where have you come from, and where are you staying?" asked Jack.

"From Bercaldine, on board the _Stella_, but not the _Stella_ you know.

Our family having considerably increased, we had outgrown the old craft, so I purchased a fine schooner in Greenock, aboard which we arrived only yesterday evening. Finding you were staying at Ryde, we went to your house and there heard that you had gone in this direction. Guessing your object, we drove on here in the hopes of meeting you."

This of course gave Jack and Terence and their wives the greatest satisfaction. Thus the three old shipmates were again united, and together they stood round the grave of the friend they had known from their youth upwards. Of course they had a great deal to talk about, and Murray, sending away his carriage, walked back with his friends to Ryde.

Young Alick, as may be supposed, made himself agreeable to Miss Julia Rogers and Miss Lucy Adair--for both girls were christened after their mothers. He was a fine handsome boy, full of life and spirits, without a particle of bashfulness. Murray inquired after Tom and Desmond. Tom was at sea on board the _Roarer_, a lately launched composite frigate, which was expected to perform wonders both under sail and steam, but she had already had to put back twice into Plymouth with broken-down machinery and other injuries. It was hoped, however, now that she had undergone a thorough repair, that she would at all events be able to keep above water, although she might not succeed in running after a smaller enemy, or in running away from a big one.

"And where is your nephew Desmond?" asked Murray.

"In Dublin, closeted every day, he writes me word, with a lawyer, poring over papers, writing and receiving letters, and seeing witnesses. Our friend McMahon a.s.sures me that he is certain ultimately to succeed his father's relative, Viscount Saint Maur, a fifth, sixth, or seventh cousin, I believe, who has died lately. Several other persons, however, having laid claim to the t.i.tle and estates, McMahon was somehow or other induced to look into the case, and became convinced that Gerald was the rightful heir. I thought that it was better while he was at sea not to unsettle his mind by holding out any great prospect of success."

"I heartily hope that he will succeed," said Jack. "He is a fine young fellow; although he has not particularly distinguished himself in the service, I'm sure he will, should he have an opportunity. I hope he'll stick to it even although he should become Viscount Saint Maur."

"I'm not very confident about his doing that, even should the Lords of the Admiralty offer to promote him," said Terence, laughing. "He may possibly imitate the example of our old school-fellow, Johnny Grant, who had been a mate eight or ten years, when, on his coming into a t.i.tle, my lords wrote, offering at once to promote him and appoint him to a ship.

He politely replied, that though hitherto overlooked, he was bound to thank them, but declined their n.o.ble offer. I suspect that Gerald also will prefer remaining at home looking after his property, and probably taking to himself a wife."

"Not one of our Australian friends?" asked Jack. "I didn't think he was so far gone as that."

"Oh no; he is as heart-sound as ever, but an Irishman with a t.i.tle and good property is not likely to be allowed to remain in single blessedness. If he gains his cause at the trial, which is to come off shortly, I hope that he will come over and pay us a visit while the old house is undergoing repairs; we shall then probably go and stay with him during the winter. I wish that you and Murray would come and see us at Ballymacree--including, of course, Mrs Murray and Mrs Rogers and all your belongings. We have had the place put to rights, and I've bought back some of the dirty acres surrounding it which my poor father let slip through his fingers, so that it has regained some of its pristine greatness or glory, although we do not intend to carry on as was the custom in days of yore, when half-a-dozen hogsheads of claret were on tap at once, and anybody who asked for it got the key."

The young ladies were, perhaps, not quite so much interested with the account Adair gave of his nephew as were their parents, or in the prospect of seeing the future viscount. Murray feared that he should be unable to visit Ballymacree.

"We are due at Bercaldine in the autumn," he observed. "We are unwilling to disappoint the people there, who always look forward to our return, and we have been so many years absent that we do not like to remain away oftener than is necessary."

"You'll be getting your flag soon," observed Adair. "Then if you have an appointment offered you, surely you would not wish to decline it. It will be some time before Jack and I become admirals, although I shall scarcely feel myself neglected if I do not get a ship. In the mean time, I have paid several visits to the Admiralty lately to ascertain by ocular demonstration what are my prospects, and, judging by appearances, they are not so bad as may be supposed. By my calculations, you will have your flag in a couple of years at the outside."

"How is that?" asked Mrs Murray.

"Why, I will tell you. Your husband, as well as Rogers, well knows the waiting-room to which officers are ushered, who desire to pay their respects to the First Lord of the Admiralty, to obtain anything they can out of him. When I see a number of old post-captains collected, I generally drop a remark that I have not come to ask for employment, but to inquire how soon I am likely to obtain my flag. Some one is sure to think I'm cracked, and to beg that I will say how I can possibly learn that? My reply is that I watch the way in which my seniors go upstairs.

If they run nimbly up when summoned, I am pretty sure that they are likely to remain on the books as long as I am, and become admirals. But if they drag their legs up after them, and ascend at a slow pace, I feel certain that they will be placed on the retired list, or perhaps go out of the world altogether. On hearing this my respected seniors have generally cast angry looks at me; and when they are summoned I follow them out. The first few steps they go up nimbly enough, but by the fourth or fifth they drag their legs slower. Before they are out of sight I see them creeping on, and often blowing like grampuses with the unusual exertion they have made. I generally pull out my watch too, and time them, making a note also of their mode of progress. In nine cases out of ten I have found that I have been right. Since the idea first occurred to me fifty at least have gone off the list."

Mrs Murray looked somewhat grave. "I had rather Alick remained a captain than see a number of officers put aside or die to make room for him," she answered.

"Why, my dear Mrs Murray, it's all we have to look to," answered Terence. "We must grow old, it's certain; and we wish to become admirals before we are laid up with the gout, or become too decrepit to go to sea. I hear the Admiralty are taking the matter into consideration, and intend to increase the retired list, so that we juvenile captains may have a better chance of our flags."

Jack and Terence accompanied Murray and Stella down to the pier, where their boat was waiting to take them off to the yacht, which lay among several other fine craft a short distance from it. Both promised to go on board with their wives and children the next morning.