The Three Lieutenants Part 4

"Have you ever seen apes without tails?" asked old Scrofton triumphantly.

"Yes," answered Gimlett, "with blue faces and hinder-ends of the same colour, but they moved on all fours, and though we had one aboard, and did our best to teach him to speak, and light a fire, and make himself useful, he could never do anything, and remained as great a beast as ever to the cud of his clays."

"Of course," said Blake, the gunner; "a man's a man, and a beast's a beast; and there are no greater beasts than apes; that's my opinion, whatever Lord What-do-ye-call-him, or any other of your philosophers says to the contrary."

"I tell you it's all down in my book as clear as a pikestaff, and it's my Lord Monboddo says it," exclaimed Mr Scrofton indignantly. "He, I should think, would know more about the matter than any warrant officer in her Majesty's service, or any captain or commander to boot."

The mids.h.i.+pmen's laughter made the gunner pop his head out, when they, feeling ashamed of acting longer the part of eaves-droppers, moved off.

"Old Scrofton is fair game anyhow," said Desmond. "I wonder a man can be such a fool."

"He is a very good boatswain, notwithstanding, my brother Jack says,"

observed Tom.

Mr Scrofton was a character, as are many other warrant officers. They must, indeed, besides being sober and steady and good seamen, be somewhat above the average as to intellect to obtain their appointments, while their eccentricities and peculiarities have generally not till then been noticed. Possessing but a limited amount of education, the boatswain of the _Plantagenet_ endeavoured, on attaining his present rank, to instruct himself; and having no one to advise him, he had purchased some books at haphazard, the contents of which he respected the more that they were totally beyond his comprehension. The work mentioned was among them, and as he thought that he understood it best it was his chief favourite. He was a short, spare man, with a red face tanned by tropical suns, ferrety eyes, sharp as needles, and huge black whiskers which stuck out like studding-sails on either side of his countenance. Once upon a time it was reported a Russian admiral, on visiting the s.h.i.+p to which he belonged, was much astonished when Scrofton was pointed out to him as the boatswain. "What, so small a fellow as that?" he exclaimed; "we always select our boatswains from men six feet high and upwards, who can use their rattans with good effect."

Small as he was the boatswain of the _Plantagenet_ had a voice which could be heard amid the loudest strife of the elements; and being a thorough seaman he was respected by the crew in spite of his philosophical notions, about which they cared nothing. He was extremely loath to get the men punished if he could help it, and never swore at them in the way they called swearing--not that they would have minded it much if he had--though he occasionally seasoned his remarks with expressions gleaned from his books, which had the more force that their meaning was utterly incomprehensible. He entertained a friendly feeling for the two young mids.h.i.+pmen, whom he took great pains to instruct in their nautical duties; and under his tuition they soon gained a fair knowledge of the arts of knotting, splicing, and other practical details of their profession; nor did he entertain a suspicion that they held his philosophical opinions otherwise than in profound respect. Jack and Adair gave them lessons in navigation, so that they had advantages not generally possessed by youngsters in those days who had not been to the Naval College. Tom, having got the start, though only of a few days, kept steadily ahead of his companion. He had had the advantage of better training at school, as far as navigation was concerned. d.i.c.k Needham, also, who had been rated as boatswain's-mate, was another of their instructors; and as he was always in good humour, and took the greatest possible pains to teach them all he knew, they gained as much from him as from any one else.

The frigate and corvette sailed forward on their course across the Atlantic, with every st.i.tch of canvas they could carry set slow and aloft. Two or three times they were totally becalmed, when the officers of the two s.h.i.+ps paid visits to each other. Murray, with Archy Gordon, had come on board the _Plantagenet_.

"Well, Gordon, how do you get on aboard the corvette?" was the natural question put by Tom.

"Vary weel, but we've much the same sort of thing to do every day; was.h.i.+ng and holy-stoning decks in the morning, and exercising at the guns and mail arms in the forenoon, and studying navigation and seamans.h.i.+p, and sic like," answered Archy.

"Faith, that's what we've to do here," said Gerald. "I came to sea to enjoy some fun; but we've not had much of it yet, though, to be sure, we lead a jolly life, take it all in all."

"The fun will come in time," observed Tom. "We never can tell what will turn up--perhaps before long--who knows?"

Murray was with Jack and Terence in the gun-room.

"Well, and how does old Babbicome get on?" asked Jack.

"He is amusing enough, but not altogether satisfactory as a commander,"

answered Murray. "He and Haultaut are continually disputing, and he never comes on deck without finding fault, at which Haultaut very naturally sets up his back, and generally finishes by going below. The commander seldom attempts to carry on duty, and that only in fine weather, without making some egregious blunder, and he always excuses himself by observing, 'I don't admire the new-fangled ways you young men have of doing things. We managed matters very differently on board the old _Orion_, I can tell you,' or, as he walks up and down the deck examining everything not in existence when he was last at sea, he exclaims, 'We'll change all this presently--it doesn't come up to my notions; never saw thingumbobs fitted in this way before.' We have eaten most of his sheep, as it was necessary to kill them for want of provender; but if the rest live till we reach Madeira, he will, I conclude, lay in a fresh supply. His pigs are, however, his great delight. He gloats over them, and spends an hour every day in currying them as he would a horse. They do him credit, for they are as sleek and fat as poodles. Though he avows that he is fond of pork, I suspect that he will never bring himself to order one of them to be slaughtered. To his credit I must say that he does not swear at the men; he is not, however, liked by them. When a lieutenant he got the name of 'Jib-and-Foresail Jack,' and it sticks to him still. When he had the watch at night he would be always bothering them to alter sails, and it was, they say, 'Up jib,' and 'Down jib,' and 'Up foresail' and 'Down foresail' every minute. He carries on much in the same way at present, and seldom comes on deck without shaking his head as he looks aloft, and shouting out 'Another pull at the lee-braces, Mr Haultaut;--we always trimmed sails properly on board the old _Orion_, sir,' or some such complimentary remark to our much-enduring first. The boatswain has a dog--a favourite with the men--which goes by the no uncommon name of Shakings. The commander detests Shakings, who he unjustly declares worries his sheep. One evening poor Shakings fell overboard. The men were in despair, knowing that the commander would not dream of heaving-to to pick him up. I saw what had occurred, and was going to intercede for the dog when I heard a voice from forward sing out, 'One of the captain's pigs overboard--there he goes astern.' The commander ran to the taffrail. Just then there was a splash, and as I looked over the side I saw one of his sleek pigs swimming as fast it could away from the s.h.i.+p. The commander soon caught sight of his favourite. The s.h.i.+p was hove-to, a boat lowered, and the boatswain, who jumped into her and managed to pick up the dog before he reached the other animal, avowed roundly that Shakings had jumped overboard to save the pig."

Jack and Terence laughed heartily at Murray's account of his commander, given as it was with all the gravity imaginable.

"Well, we bear with him as best we can," he added, "and only hope that he may ere long return to the bosom of his family, and to the congenial pursuits which occupy his thoughts."

A light breeze springing up compelled Murray and his companions to return to their s.h.i.+p. That night during the middle watch Tom and Gerald, who were fast asleep in their hammocks, were aroused by the boatswain's shrill pipe and gruff voice bawling, "All hands on deck-- shorten sail!" They turned out with the rest; most of the officers and crew were on deck before they reached it. The frigate, caught in a squall, was heeling over till her lee-scuppers were under water, while dark, foam-crested seas came rolling up, deluging her deck fore and aft.

The fore-topgallant-mast had been carried away, and was striking against the fore-topsail, ready to sweep to destruction the hands who were swarming on the yard; the main and mizen-topgallant-sheets had been let fly, and the sails were flapping wildly in the gale; while the wind whistling through the rigging--ropes slas.h.i.+ng about--the seas das.h.i.+ng-- the bulkheads creaking--the masts and spars groaning, created a perfectly deafening uproar. Then came a clap like thunder--the foretack had parted, and the block striking a seaman had carried him overboard.

To attempt to pick him up was useless--he must have been killed instantaneously. For a moment there was confusion; but the voice of the captain, heard above all other sounds, quickly restored order. While the topmen were clearing away the wreck of the fore-topgallant-mast, the most dangerous task, handing the main and mizen-topgallant-sails, and reefing topsails, the courses were hauled up, and the frigate righting flew forward on her course. The sudden movement threw Tom and Gerald, who had been holding on to the capstan, off their legs, and the next moment, as she again heeled over to the gale sent them rolling into the lee-scuppers, where they lay sprawling in the ma.s.s of water was.h.i.+ng across the deck--Gerald striking out with arms and legs under the belief that he was overboard.

"Help! help! Heave us a rope. Where is it you are, Tom? Don't be after giving up--swim away," he cried out, as he got his head above the water still rus.h.i.+ng round him.

Tom was striking out l.u.s.tily, as Gerald soon discovered by a kick he received from his foot, of which he caught hold, supposing it to be the end of a rope. Tom struggled the more to release himself, having found out that he was safe on deck.

"Let go, I say, or I shall never get on my legs," he exclaimed, kicking away with all his might.

"Arrah now, I'll be drowned entirely," bawled Gerald, as the water again washed over him. His shouts fortunately at this juncture attracted the attention of Jack, who, setting him and Tom on their legs, told them to go below and turn into their hammocks, as they were not of the slightest use on deck.

Drenched to the skin and crest-fallen, after holding on to each other for half a minute and gazing round them at the dark tumultuous billows, they did as they were bid, glad to strip off their wet clothes and endeavour to get between the blankets.

"Sure I'm after feeling mighty quare," said Gerald, as he was trying to scramble into his hammock, but it would not remain quiet as it was accustomed to do.

"So do I," groaned Tom, "I didn't think anything could upset me, but this is awful."

"Faith there's but little fun in it at all at all," cried Gerald, who had succeeded in getting in and covering himself up. "Will we all be drowned, do you think?"

"I hope not; my brother Jack seems to consider that there's nothing in it, and of course he's right--oh!"

The frigate gave a pitch, which made Tom feel as if he was going to be shot feet foremost along the deck.

"Arrah, now, where will we be after going to?" cried Paddy, from his hammock.

"Belay the slack of your jaws, youngsters," growled out old Higson, who had just turned in after his watch, and being perfectly indifferent to all the rolling and pitching, and the wild uproar of the elements, wanted to go to sleep.

"If you make such a row, my colt and your backs will become acquainted with each other before long."

"Why, man alive, it isn't we are making the row, sure it's the wind and the big waves outside the s.h.i.+p," exclaimed Paddy.

The mids.h.i.+pmen's small voices were, however, much more disturbing to the old mate than the sounds of the gale. A threatening growl was the only answer he condescended to make, as he had no intention to take the trouble of turning out of his hammock to execute the vengeance he promised.

Tom also by this time was dropping off to sleep, and Gerald shortly after followed his example. They ought properly to have kept the morning watch, but they were not called till the hammocks were piped up.

They had then to turn out, feeling utterly unable to do anything but sit on their chests and languidly clutch their wet clothes. The two marines acting as their servants at length came aft, looking as pale and miserable as they were, and suggested that it would be wiser to get out some dry things. Dressing, after several pauses, was accomplished, and was.h.i.+ng having been dispensed with, they managed to reel into the berth.

There sat Higson, with coffee-pot in hand, and most of the other oldsters holding on to cups and plates, the biscuit-boat and more substantial viands being secured by puddings on the table.

"I've ordered some fat bacon especially for you fellows," said the former, looking at Tom and Gerald; "it's the best thing for you."

"Oh, don't," they groaned in chorus. "Horrible!"

"Why don't? You'll never become sailors till you've eaten half a pound apiece every morning, for at least a week."

The fat bacon was brought. Tom tried to lift a piece to his mouth at the end of his fork, but his hips curled, he could not have done it to save his life. Gerald essayed to do likewise with the same result.

They were not alone in their misery. The a.s.sistant-surgeon, two clerks, and another mids.h.i.+pman looked equally pale and miserable.

"Come, come, youngsters, munch away," said Hickson; "it's time to finish breakfast."

"I wish to be a sailor," cried Tom, again manfully lifting the piece of pork towards his loathing lips, but though his spirit was high his feelings overcame him, and he bolted out of the berth, followed by Gerald and several others, amid the laughter of the seasoned hands.

Tom's misfortunes did not end here, for the frigate giving a violent roll he b.u.t.ted head foremost right between the legs of Mr Jennings, the tall lieutenant of marines, who not being especially firm on them just then, was upset in a moment. The rest of the party, including McTavish, the a.s.sistant-surgeon, escaping from the berth now came tumbling over them, and there the whole lay stretched on the deck, kicking frantically, as if knocked over by a dose of canister fired into their midst.

The prostrate officer, utterly unable to rise, shouted for some time in vain for a.s.sistance; at length his cries were heard by the corporal of marines and two of his men, who hurrying aft to his rescue, hauled off the superinc.u.mbent mids.h.i.+pmen and McTavish, and set Lieutenant Jennings, foaming with indignation, on his legs.

"Beg pardon, sir, I didn't intend it," cried Tom; "I won't do it again."

But Tom was counting without his host, for at that instant the s.h.i.+p, giving another roll, threw him once more against the luckless lieutenant, who grasping at the corporal, over they all went, McTavish and Gerald, who had been thrown against the other jollies, bringing them again right over Lieutenant Jennings to the deck.