Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

° Ni | | d squally. | squall cane suddenly—the halyards were lowered, and _penter’s store-room, and the smoke that now ascended | ) : were not two pointson her weather bow. The sky, | below. _ they were under double-reefed topsails were accompanied with heavy rain. _ dashed through the waves, foaming in her course, and | | | | | 4 ae & 1 had no idea we were so near,” observed the cap- the vessels, which still vas, making short _*go about?” \ wear round, sir?” continued the master. ——————— —- —- OT Midshipman Kasy. _ the object of his affection; why, I don’t know, except; “I have not seen them this quarter of an hour, sir,” | by an or- | replied the signal-man, protecting his glass from the that his reverie is not so likely to be disturbed der from a superior officer. The Aurora sailed on the second day, and, with a fine ' breeze, stood across, making as much northing as east-| ‘‘South-south-east, sir.” _ ing; the consequence was, that one fine morning they | The sky now assumed a different ap saw the Spa coast before they saw the Toulon fleet. white clouds had been exchanged for others dark and Mr. Pottyfar took his hands out of his pockets, be- murky, the wind roared at intervals, and the rain came cause he could not examine the coast through a tele- down in torrents. ~4 eee Wilson went down into the scope without so doing; but this, it is said, was the first cabin to examine the barometer. time that he had done so on the quarter-deck from the day that the ship had sailed from Port Mahon, Captain Wilson was also occupied with his telescope, so were many of the officers and pss PP and the men at | the mast-heads used their eyes, but there was eee | The wet and heavy sails now flapped from the shift- but a few small fishing-boats to be seen. So they all ing of the wind. went down to breakfast, as the ship was hove-to close ‘Up with the helm, quarter-master.” in with the land. | **Up it is—she’s off to south-by-west.”’ “What will Easy bet,’ said one of the midshipmen,| The wind lulled, the rain came down in a deluge—for | “that we don't see a prize to-day?” a minute it was quite calm, and the frigate was on an | “*T will not bet that we do not see a vessel—but I'll | even keel. | bet you what you please that we do not take one be- ‘‘Manthe braces. We shall be taken aback directly, | fore twelve o’clock at night.”’ depend upon it.” | “No, no, that won’t do—just let the tea-pot travel | he braces were hardly stretched along before this over this way, for it’s my forenoon watch.”’ was the case. The wind flew round to the south-west “Tt’s a fine morning,” observed one of the mates, of witha loud roar, and it was fortunate that they were | the name of Martin; “but I’ve a notion it won’t bea prepared—the yards were braced round, and the mas- fine evening.”’ | ter asked the captain what course they were to steer. ‘* Why not?” inquired another. “We must oe it up,’ observed Captain Wilson, “T’ve now been eight years in the Mediterranean, and holding on b e belaying pin. “Shape our course for | know something about the weather. There’s a watery Cape Sicie, Mr. Jones.” sky, and the wind is very steady. If we are not under | nd the Aurora flew before the gale, under her fore- double-reefed os to-night, say I’m no conjurer.’”’ | sail and topsails close reefed. The weather was now so | ' “That you will be, all the same, if we are under bare thick that nothing could be observed twenty yards from | les.’ said another. _ the vessel; the thunder pealed, and the lightning darted | “You're devilish free with your tongue, my young- in every direction over the dark expanse. The watch | ster. Easy, pull his ears for me.” | Was ca led as soon as the sails were trimmed, and all | . “ Pull them easy, Jack, then,” said the boy, om een S who could went below, wet, uncomfortable and disap- | ** All hands e sail!’ now resounded at the hatch- | pointed. ways. | “What an old Jonah you are, Martin,’ said Gas- | “There they are, depend upon it,” cried Gascoigne, coigne. | cate up his hat and bol ng out of the berth, fol- | ay es, Iam,’ replied he; “ but we have the worst to | lowed all the others except Martin, who had just come yet, in my opinion. I recollect, not two hundred | been relieved, and thought that his presence in the miles from where we are now, we had just such a gale waist might be dispensed with for the short time, at in the Favorite, and we as nearly went down, when—”’ least, which it took him to swallow a cup of tea. _ At this momenta tremendous noise was heard above, It was very true; a galliot and four latteen vesselshad a shock was felt throughout the whole ship, which | just made their Pn pe me round the eastermost point, trembled fore and aft as if it was about to fall into and, as soon as they observed the frigate, had haul ieces; loud shrieks were followed by plaintive cries, their wind. In a minute the Aurora was under a press e lower deck was filled with smoke, and the frigate of canvas, and the telescopes were all directed to the | was down on her beam ends. Without exchanging a vessels. _word, the whole of the occupants of the berth flew out, * All deeply laden, sir,” observed Mr. Hawkins, the and were up the hatchway, not knowing what to think, rain under his jacket. ‘** How’s her head now, quarter-master?”’ deck. ‘‘Is the wind steady?” ‘No, sir, she’s up and off three points.” chaplain; “ how the topsail of the galliot is scored.” | but convinced that some dreadful accident had taken Tine have afresh breeze just now,” observed Cap- place. | tain Wilson, to the first-lieutenant. | On their gaining the deck it was at once explained; | “Yes, sir, and it’s coming down fast.” the foremast of the frigate had been struck by light- ‘“‘ Hands by the royal halyards, there.” ning, had been riven into several pieces, and had fallen The Aurora careened with the canvas to the rapidly over the larboard bow, carryi with it the main top- | increasing breeze. ged stump of the foremast | mast and jib-boom. The ; ‘‘Top-gallant sheet and halyards.”’ was in flames, and burnt + ou may, quarter-master; luff, I tell you. A rain fell in torrents. The ship, as soon as th will do,”’ said the master. —_-—— ea ee eee rance—the | “The barometer has risen,” said he, on his return on | done, ber fire had been smothered: still the danger had been so great that the fore magazine had been floated. During me — ee | all this, which lasted perhaps a quarter of an hour, the frigate had rolled gunwale under, and many were the accidents which occurred. At last all danger from fire had ceased, and the men were ordered to return to their quarters, when three officers and forty-seven men were found absent—seven of them were dead, most of them we e already under the care of the surgeon, but some were still lying in the scuppers. No one had been more active or more brave during this time of danger than Mr. Hawkins, the chaplain. He was everywhere; and when Captain Wilson went ‘This will end in a south-wester.”’ | down to put out the fire he was there, encouraging the men and exerting himself most gallantly. He and Mesty came aft when all was over, one just as black as the other. The chaplain sat down and wrung his hands —‘* God forgive me!’’ said he, ‘‘God forgive me!” “Why so, sir?” said Easy, who s near. “I am sure you need not be ashamed of what you have “No, no, not ashamed of what I've done; but, Mr, Easy—lI have sworn so, sworn such oaths at the men in haste—I, the chaplain! God forgive me!—I meant nothing.”” It was very true that Mr. Hawkins had sworn a great deal during his exertions, but was at that time the quarter-deck officer and not the chaplain: the example to the men and his gallantry had n most serviceable. ‘Indeed, sir,’ said Easy, who saw the chaplain was in great tribulation, and hoped to pacify him, “I was certainly not there all the time, but I only heard you say, ‘God bless you, my men! be smart,’ and soon; — that is not swearing.” “ Was it that I said, Mr. Easy, are you sure? I really had an idea that I had d—d them all in heaps, as some of them deserved—no, no, not deserved. Did I really bless them—nothing but bless them?’ “Yes, sir,’’ said Mesty, who perceived what Jack wanted; “it was nothing, I assure you, but ‘God bless you, Captain Wilson !—Bless your heart, my good men! —Bless the king!’ and so on. You do nothing but shower down blessing and wet blanket.”’ ‘*T told you so,” said Jack, “Well, Mr. Easy, you've made me very happy,” re- plied the chaplain; “I was afraid it was otherwise.” So indeed it was, for the chaplain had sworn like a boat- swain; but as Jack and Mesty had turned all his curses into blessings, the poor man gave himself absolution, and shaking hands with Jack, hoped he would come down into the gun-room and take a glass of grog; nor did he forget Mesty, who received a good allowance at the gun-room door, to which Jack gladly consented, as the rum in the middy’s berth had all been exhausted after the rainy morning; but Jack was interrupted in his third glass, by somebody telling him the captain wanted to speak with Mr. Hawkins and with him. Jack went up and found the captain on the quarter- deck with the officers. “Mr. Easy,"’ said Captain Wilson, ‘‘I have sent for rightly, notwithstanding the | you, Mr. Hawkins, and Mr. Gascoigne, to thank you on e foremast | the quarter-deck for your exertions and presence of small ont of that weather main-top-gallant brace—that and main topmast had gone overboard, broached-to | mind on this tryi oceasion.”’’ Mr. Hawkins made a furiously, throwing the men over the wheel and dash- | bow, Gascoigne said nothing, but he thought of having “‘Top-men aloft there; stand by to clew upthe royals ing them senseless against the carronades; the fore | extra leave when they arrived at Malta, Jack felt in- —and, Captain Wilson, shall we take them in? I'm castle, the forepart of the main deck, and even the | afraid of that pole—it bends now like a coach-whip,” | lower deck, were spread with men, either killed or seri- said Mr. Pottyfar, looking up aloft, with his hands in | ously wounded, or insensible from the electric shock. | both pockets. The frigate was on her beam ends, and the sea broke “Tn royals—lower away.” furiously over her; all was dark as pitch, except the | ‘““They are going ebouh, sir,’’ said the second-lieuten- light from the ae stump of the foremast, oppesr: ant, Mr. Haswell. ing like a torch, held up by the wild demons of the | ‘“ Look out,”’ observed the chaplain, “it’s coming.” Again the breeze increased, and the frigate was borne wn. ae Hands reef topsails in stays, Mr. Pottyfar.”’ “ Ay, ay, sir—’bout ship.” The helm was put down and the topsails lowered and storm, or when occasionally the gleaming lightning cast a momentary glare, threatening every moment to | repeat its attack upon the vessel, while the deafening | thunder burst almost on their devoted heads. | All was dismay and confusion for a minute or two: at last Captain Wilson, who had himself lost his sight for | reefed in stays. a short time, called for the carpenter and a»es—they ss Very well, my lads, very well, indeed,” said Cap- | climbed up, that is, two or three of them, and he pointed tain n, | to the mizzenmast; the master was also there, and he Again the topsails were hoisted and top-gallant sheets cut loose the axes for the seamen to use; in a few min- home. It was a strong breeze, although the water was | utes the mizzenmast fell over the quarter, and the helm | smooth, and the Aurora dashed through at the rate of being put hard up, the frigate paid off and slowly | eight miles an hour, with her weather leeches lifting. | righted. But the horror of the scene was not yet over. | ‘Didn't I tell you so?’ said Martin to his messmates | The boatswain, who had been on the forecastle, had on the gangway; “ but there’s more yet, my boys.” been led below, for his vision was gone for ever. The ‘We must take the top-gallant sails off her,” said men who lay scattered about had been examined, and Captain Wilson, looking aloft—for the frigate now | they were assisting them down to the care of the sur- careened to her bearings, and the wind was “Try them a little longer;"’ but another deck. The ship had taken fire at the coal-hole and car- the sails clewed up and furled. | was intense. In the meantime the frigate had rapidly gained upon; “Call the drummer,” said Captain Wilson, “and let | carried on every stitch of can- | him beat to quarters—all hands to their stations—let | tacks inshore. The Aurora was the ee be rigged and the buckets passed along. | n put about with her head toward them, and they | Mr. n, see that the wounded men are taken down | Where's Mr. Haswell? Mr. Pottyfar, station | whieh had been clear in the morning, was now overcast, | the men to the water on by hand on the lower the sun was obscured with opaque white clouds, and | deck. I will go there myself. Mr. Jones, take charge of the sea was rising fast. Another ten minutes, and then | the ship.” | and the squalls| Pottyfar, who actually had taken his hands out of his | The frigate now | pockets, hastened down to comply with the captain’s | | orders on the main deck, as Captain Wilson descended | straining under the press of sail. e horizon was so | to the deck below. | thick that the vessels ahead were no longer to be seen, “I say, Jack, this is very different from this morn- | “We shall have it, I expect,’ said Captain W ilson. _ ing,” observed Gascoigne. obee “so it is; but I say | : ign * , say so?” rved Martin to Gascoigne.| “Yes,” replied Jack, Gascoigne, me We take a prizes to-day, depend upon it.” what's the best thing’ to do?—when the chimney’s on ‘We must have another hand to the wheel, sir, if | fire on shore, they put a wet blanket over it.” ou please,” said the quarter-master, who was assist- * Yes,” replied Gascoigne; *‘ but when the coal-hole is t im on fire on board, they will not find that suffcient.”’ | : “At allevents, wet blankets must be a good thing, sir, we cannot carry the Ned, so let us pull out the hammocks; cut the lanyards | mainsail much longer.”’ and get some out—we can but offer them you know, | No,” observed the chaplain, “I was thinkingso.”” and if they do no good, at least it show our " Captain Wilson, if you please, we are very close | zeal.”’ in.” said the master; “don’t you think we had better| “Yes, Jack, and I think when they turn in again . _ those whose blankets you take will agree with you, that | ‘Yes, Mr. Jones. Hands about ship—and—yes, by | zeal makes the service very uncomfortable. However, | heavens we must !—up mai i I think you are right.”’ The mainsail was taken off, and the frigate pepeted The two midshipmen collected three or four hands, to be immediately relieved. She no longer jerked and | and in a very short time they had more blankets than plu as before. they could carry—there was no trouble in wetting them, neets very near the land, Captain Wilson; thick as | for the main deck was afloat—and followed by the men it is, 1 think I can make out the loom of it—shall we | they had collected, Easy and Gascoigne went down with | - large bundles in their arms to where Captain Wilson e helmsman. | Pottyfar, with his hands concealed as usual, stood | by the capstern. “TI fear, “Yes—hands wear ship—put the helm up.” It was but just in time, for as the frigate flew round, a circle, as she paid off before the wind, they co ive the tous coast, not two cables’ length from them. “Excellent, Mr. © i caaed said gg Pp ss ; oe ce my ng the precipi- | over now, and stamp upon them well;’ yee ets and the captain's coat had already been to the same object. called the other midshipmen, and they went up occasion, the o + i of bie lips; “oan, they be saysting for a further supply; but there was no i creasing geon, when the cry of *‘ Fire!” issued from the lower | was giving directions to the men. , excellent, Mr. Gascoigne!” | deck, thought that he had done quite enough; lads, throw them | as deep as the men’s jack-— sacrificed | clined to make a speech, and began something about when there was danger that it leveled every one to an equality even on board of a man-of-war. ** By no means, Mr. Easy,”’ replied Captain Wilson; ‘it does the very contrary; for it proves which is the best man, and those who are the best raise themselves at once above the rest.” Jack was very much inclined to argue the point, but he took the compliment and held his tongue, which was the wisest thing he could have done; so he made his bow, and was about to go down in the midshipmen's ~ berth when the frigate was pooped by a tremendous sea, which washed all those who did not hold on down into the waist. Jack was among the number, and naturally catching at the first object which touched bim, he caught hold of the chaplain by the leg, who commenced swearing most terribly; but before he could finish the oath, the water which had burst into the cabin through the windows—for the dead lights, in the confusion, had not yet been shipped—burst out the cross bulkheads sweeping like a torrent the marine, the cabin-door, an everything else in its force, and floating Jack and the chaplain with several others down the main hatchway on to the lower deck. The lowerdeck being also full of water, men and chests were rolling and tossing about, and Jack was sometimes in company with the chaplain, and at other times separated; at last they both recov- ered their legs, and gained the midshipmen's berth, which, although afloat, was still a haven of security. Mr. Hawkins spluttered and spit, and so did Jack, until he began to laugh. “This is very trying, Mr. Easy,” said the chaplain; “very trying indeed to the temper. I hope I have no sworn—l hope not,”’ ** Not a word,” said Jack; “ I was close to you all the me pS Sy only said, ‘God preserve us!’ *’ “Only that? I was afraid that I said ‘God d—n it!” **Quite a mistake, Mr. Hawkins. Let's go into the gun-room, and try to wash this salt-water out of our mouths, and then I will tell Te all you said, as far as I could hear it, word for word.” So Jack by this means got another glass of grog which was very acceptable in his wet condition, and made himself very comfortable, while those on deck _ were putting on the dead lights, and very busy setting the goose-wings of the mainsail, to prevent the frigate from being pooped a second time. CHAPTER XXVIII. IN WHICH OUR HERO BECOMES EXCESSIVELY UNWELL, AND AGREES TO GO THROUGH A COURSE OF MEDICINE. Tue hammocks were not piped down that night: some | were taken indiscriminately for the wounded, but the rest remained in the nettings, for all hands were busy reparing jury masts and jury rigging, and Mr. Potty: ar was so well employed that for twelve hours his hands were not in his pockets. It was indeed a dread: ful night: the waves were mountains high, and chased the frigate in their fury, cresting, breaking, and roar- ing at her taffrail. But she flew before them with the wings of the wind; four men at the helm, as- sisted os one at the relieving tackles below. Jack, having n thanked on and washed off the quarter- e was e could swim before he had satisfied all the scruples of the chaplain, and, stowing himself away on one of the lockers of the midshipmen's berth, was soon fast asleep, notwithstanding that the frigate roll wale under, Gascoigne had done much better; he taken down a hammock, as he said, for a poor om books-com a th | i [SS Se Sth Se —_—e-., ——~ — 7. = ee