Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 205: what you’re looking at

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192 JOSEPH WILMOT; thought it was expressive of the most imminent danger, against which they were preparing as best they could. But as I clung to the foot of the mast—and in a strange state of mingled wonder, awe, ter- ror, and bewilderment, gazed upon all that was passing—I gradually became aware that those sailors looked quite cool and unconcerned; and that they were merely performing their duties with a characteristic alacrity, and not with the air of men who fancied that every moment might be their last. A loud sonorous voice shouted forth some orders; and the cheerful “ Aye, aye, sir!” with which the responses were given, as if in chorus, by the half-dozen seamen who at once be- gan springing up the rigging to perform the par- ticular duty just commanded, inspired my soul | with confidence. I looked at the point whence those orders had been issued—and beheld a stout, red-faced, good-humoured-looking man, standing on an elevated place called “ the poop,’ and carry- ing a speaking-trumpet in his hand. Close by, was the wheel—at which two men were working ; and every moment the individual with the speaking- trumpet looked towards them to issue some com- mand. I judged that he must be the captain ; and now I began to look about for the best means of making my way towards him It was at the foot of the main-mast that I was clinging to one of the iron pins around which the end of a rope was fastened. The ship was pitch- ing and heaving in such a way that I could not possibly have kept my legs without some support. Every minute, too, a torrept of spray flew geen the deck: sometimes a waye dashed completely upon it, striking the ship so as to send the shock vibrating from end to end. The beams creaked— the masts seemed to groan as they bent to the gale —the cordage rattled—the roar of the waves mingled with the varied sounds of the wind: all was calculated to amaze, excite, and bewilder one who gazed upon this scene and heard that din for the first time! I began to comprehend, after having remained some minutes in my position at the main-mast, that there were certain intervals when the ship was steadier than at others. I watched for one of these; and availing myself of it, rushed from the mast to the bulwark. At the same instant a wave dashed over the deck, and drenched me to the skin. For this however I cared not, as the effect was not a sensation of cold: indeed my whole frame was tingling with a feverish excitement. Clinging to the bulwarks, I passed along until I reached the poop; and in a few moments fixed my grasp upon a rope near where the captain stood. “You musn’t stay here, youngster!” he said. “You had better go below. We shall have rougher weather yet :’—and then he roared out something about taking in another reef of the fore-topsail. “ Aye, aye, sir!” were the cheery sounds sent oscillating through the gale from the lips of the sailors: and in the twinkling of an eye half-a- dozen of them were sitting astride on one of the yards. “Do pray let me remain here, sir, for a little while!” I said to the captain. “I can’t bear being below—and I wish to speak to you.” OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. “ Well, well, my lad,” he responded, somewhat gruffly; “stay if you like. But take eare to hold fast—or you'll get a mischief:’—and then he issued fresh orders, so that for the next two or three minutes his attention was completely di- verted from me. Clinging to the rope which was fastened to a belaying-pin at the foot of the mizen-mast, I sur- veyed the captain with earnest and anxious atten- tion, in order to gather from his countenance the amount of hope in which I dared indulge that he would yield to my representations and put me ashore. From a distance he had struck me, as I have already said, to be a good-humoured man: but I now saw that the redness and roundness of his face were only indicative of@obust and vigorous health, and that there was something stern and severely decisive in his looks. Then, too, the hor- rible thought occurred to me that most probably the ship would proceed strgjght on its voyage, and not touch at any English port which lay in its course. Calling my geographical knowledge to my aid, 1 remembered that when Ramsgate should once be passed, Deal and Dover were the only places that lay near, and that it was by no means likely a delay would ensue at either of those points. I looked towards the land: the ship was making a curve in its course so as to clear the high cliffs whereon stood some building which appeared to be a lighthouse—so that I felt assured this must be the North Foreland of which the emigrant-passengers had spoken in the steerage cabin. “Captain,” I said, availing myself of another moment when he had ceased to issue orders and had his eyes again turned upon me, “ you must let me go ashore! I have been brought on board against my will—it was a foul treachery—I was drugged and stupified!” and my voice rose into accents of frenzied appeal, amidst the sweeping fury of the gale and the roaring of the sea. ** Hold your tongue, lad!” exclaimed the Cap- tain; “I have no time to listen to your nonsense now. Your uncle put me up to what you are: but don’t give yourself airs on board my ship. You are in mycare; and please God we reach Port Jackson—that’s in New South Wales, you know—you'll be handed over to your relations there.” * Relations there?” I ejaculated wildly. “I have none! It is all a part of the atrocious con- spiracy “ Hold fast !” thundered the Captain: and at the instant a wave broke over the poop with such violence that I was thrown down at the foot of the mizen-mast ;—but though suffocated, and for 2 few moments seized with a sensation of drowning, I clung fast—yes, desperately fast—to the belaying- pins. “ Now, youngster,” said the Captain, in a stern voice, “you go below directly—or yow'll get washed off as sure as you’re born. We shail have worse weather presently.” “ Aye, aye—that we shall!’ observed one of the men at the wheel, both of whom, as well as the captain and myself, had the appearance of half- drowned rats—only that the mariners displayed a total indifference to their drenched condition ; whereas I now felt sadly uncomfortable, though not particularly cold. > | a AE A OT I ElO@O <S (Cc) im