Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

. ‘ ix O a — ———_—— - ——- —_ = “T dare say Mrs. Oxbelly would make a very good | Chancellor of the Exchequer,” replied Gascoigne, smil- ing; “‘one thing is certain, that if they gave the sub- ject half the consideration they have others of less sony ener an arrangement might be made by which his Majesty’s navy would never be short of men.” ‘“No doubt, no doubt, Mr, Gascoigne; but, neverthe- less, the king’s prerogative must never be given up.” “There I agree with you, Mr. Oxbelly; it must be held in case of sudden emergency and absolute need,” ‘“‘We'll argue that point by-and-by,” replied Jack; ‘‘now let us consult as to our measures. My opinion is, that if I made more sail we should beat the frigate, but she would come up with the prizes.”’ ‘‘That’s the best thing we can do, Mr. Easy; but let us send a boat on board of them, and take out all the men that can possibly be spared, that there may be no excuse for ais hg them.”’ “Yes,” replied Gascoigne ; “‘and as the wind is fall- ing it is possible it may fall calm, and they may send their boats; suppose we separate a mile or two from each other.”’ aed Dat very good advice, Massa Gascoigne,’’ observed esty. This plan was 4 in the latteens, and four in the galli in obedience to the orders, sheered o the Rebiera, who made all sail and started ahead of the rizes. This maneuver was perceived on board of the rigate, and made them sure that it was a Spanish con- voy Sewers deck, sails wetted, and every exertion made to come up. frigate was eight or nine miles off, it fell calm, as Gas- goigne had predicted, and the heads of all the vessels, as well as the frigate, were now round the compass, ‘“‘There’s our boats,” said Mr. Oxbelly: “they will have a long pull, and all for nothing.” ‘‘ How savage they will be!’’ observed Gascoigne. ‘‘ Never mind that,” replied Jack; ‘‘ Mesty says that dinner is ready.”’ ed upon; only three men were left ot, and the vessels After dinner, they all went on deck, and found that the boats had separated, one pulling for each of the | rizes, and two for the Rebiera. In less than an hour, hey would probably be alongside. ‘And now let us decide how we are to act. We must not resist, if they attempt to impress the men?”’ “T’ve been thinking upon that matter, Mr. Easy, and it appears to me that the men must be permitted to act as they please, and that we must be neuter. lieutenant in his Majesty's service, cannot of course act, neither can Mr. Gascoigne, You are not in the service, but I should recommend you to do the same, That the men have a right to resist, if possible, is ad- mitted; they always do so, and never are punished for so doing. Under the guns of the frigate, of course we should only have to submit; but these two boats do not contain more than twenty-five men, I should think, and our men are the stronger party. We had better leave it to them, and stand neuter.” “Dat very good advice,” said Mesty; “‘leab it to us;”’ and Mesty walked away forward where the seamen were already in consultation, Jack also agreed to the prudence of this measure, and he perceived that the seamen, after a consultation with Mesty, were all arming themselves for resistance. The boats were now close on board, and English col- ors were hoisted at the er This did not, however, check the impetus of the boats, who, with their ensigns trailing in the still water astern of them, dashed oe side, and an officer leaped on board, cutlass in hand, followed by the seamen of the frigate. The men of the Rebiera remained collected forward—Easy, Gascoigne, and Oxbelly aft. ‘“ What vessel is this?’’ cried the lieutenant who com- manded the boats. Jack, with the greatest politeness, took off his hat, and told him that it was the Rebiera letter of marque, and that the papers were ready for his inspection. ‘** And the other vessels?”’ J Of si to Rebiera, cut out of Malaga Bay,” replied ack, “Then you are a privateer,” observed the disappoint- ed officer. ‘‘ Where are your papers?” 7 i gh Oxbelly, oblige me by bringing them up,” said ack, ‘Wat Jack of the bone house,’’ observed the lieuten- ant, looking at Oxbelly. “A lieutenant in his Majesty’s service, of longer standing than yourself, young ‘man,”’ replied Oxbelly, firmly: *‘and who, if he ever meets you in any other Aa will make you answer for your insolent re- mark.” ‘‘Indeed!’’ observed the lieutenant, ironically; ‘now if you had said you were once a boatswain or gunner,” “Consider yourself kicked,” roared Oxbelly, losing ne ettng wh ld ise? ‘* Heyday! why, you 0 4 “ Sir,” observed Jack, who listened with indignation, “Mr. Oxbelly is a lieutenant in his Majesty’s service, and you have no right to insult him, even if he were not.’ % presume you are all officers,”’ replied the lieuten- ant. ““T am, sir,”’ retorted ny me gr “an officer in his Majesty’s service, and.on boa of this vessel by per- mission of Captain Sawbridge of the Latona.”’ “ And~ was untila few months ago, sir,’’ continued Jack; ‘“‘at present I am captain and owner of this ves- sel—but here arethe papers. You will have no obstruc- tion from us in the execution of your duty—at the same time, I call upon the two young gentlemen by your side, oe your own men, to bear witness to what takes place.”’ ** Oh, very well, sir—just as you please. Your papers, = perceive, are all right. Now you will oblige me by NS rour men,” * Certainly. sir,”’ 2 ag Jack; “‘ send all the men aft to muster, Mr. Oxbelly.”’ The men came aft to the mainmast, with Mesty at their head, and answered to their names. As the men | sed over, the lieutenant made a pencil mark against n of them, who appeared the when the roll had been called, he ordered those men to get their bags and go into-the boat, ‘Sir, as you must observe, I am short-handed, with my men away in prizes; and I, as commander of this vessel, protest against this proceeding; sist upon taking them, of course I can d plied Jack. “*T do insist, sir; I’m not going on board empty-hand- | ed, at all events,”’ | “Well sir, I can say no more,” said Jack, walking | ait to the taffrail, to which Oxbelly and Gascoigne retreated. ff on both sides of | oescape. The fire-engine was got on | But about four o’clock in the afternoon, when the | I, as a | est seamen; and, | and if you in- | o nothing,” re- | shore with Don Phi --~e=s The New York Library. ‘Come, my lads, get those men in the boat,”’ said the lieutenant. But the men had all retreated forward in a body, with | Mesty at their head, and had armed themselves. Some _of the seamen of the frigate had gone forward, in obe- — A A ay We must pass over the “‘ pros” and ‘cons ” of Don Rebiera and his lady, the pleading of Jack for immedi- ate nuptials, the unwillingness of the mother to with her only daughter, the family consultation, the dowry, and all these particulars. A month after his arrival Jack was married, and was, of course, as happy | as the day was long. _ A few days afterward, Mr. Oxbelly advised departure, as the expenses of the vessel were heavy, and it was his duty so to do. Don Philip and Don Martin obtained leave to go to England, with their sister and her hus- band. Nevertheless, Jack, who found Palermo a ve pleasant residence, was persuaded by the Don and his “wife to remain there a month, and then there was cry- ing and sobbing, and embracing, and embarking; and at last the Rebiera, whose cabins had been arranged for the reception of the party, weighed and made sail for | Malta, Jack having promised to call upon the governor. us, come take us—’pose you can. By all the power,; In four days they anchored in Valette Harbor, and but we make mince-meat of you, anyhow.” | Jack — his respects to his old friend, who was The seamen paused—they were ee to fight for | very glad to see him. The governor sent his own barge their country, but not to be killed by or kill those who | for Mrs. Easy, and she was installed in the state apart- were their own countrymen, and who were doing ex- | ments, which were acknowledged to be very comforta- actly what they would have done themselves. The lieu- | ble. Our hero had, as usual, a long story to tell the tenant thought otherwise; he was exasperated at this | governor, and the governor listened to it very atten- sensation. ively, probably because he thought it would be the ‘You black scoundrel,I left you out because I | last, which opportunity Jack employed to narrate the thought you not worth having, but now I'll add you to | unfortunate end of his father. the number,” | ‘“*T would not have said so at the time, Mr. Easy, but Stop a little,” replied Mesty. now the wound is healed, i tell you that it is the best The lieutenant would not take the Ashantee’s very | thing that could have happened—poor old gentleman! | prudent advice; he, flew forward to seize Mesty, who | he was mad indeed.” striking him a blow with the flat of his saber, almost Our hero remained a fortnight at Malta, and then leveled him to the deck. At this the men and other | Signora Easy was re-embarked, and once more the officers of the frigate darted forward; but after a short | Rebiera made sail. scuffle, in which ¢ few wounds were received, were| ‘Fare you well, my lad; what I have seen of your beaten back into the boats. The lieutenant was thrown | brothers-in-law pleases me much; and as for your wife in after them, 4 the nervous arm of Mesty—and, | it will be your own fault if she is not all that you woul assailed by cold shot and other missiles, they sheered | wish, If ever I come to England again, I will pay my off with precipitation, and pulled back in the direction | first visit to Forest Hill. God bless you!” of the frigate. But Sir Thomas never did go back to England, and There will be a row about this,” said Oxbelly, “as | this was their final adieu. Once more the Rebiera soon as they come clear of the vessel. If the frigate | pursued her course, stopped a day or two at Gibraltar ets hold of us she will show us no mercy. There is @| shared the proceeds of the captured gun-boat, and yreeze coming from the north-west. ow fortunate! | then made sail for England, where she arrived with- we shall be three leagues to windward, and may es- | out adventure or accident in three weeks, Thus ended | cape. the last cruise of Mr. Midshipman Easy, As soon as I doubt if she could catch us at any point of sailing: | their quarantine at the Mother-bank was over, they they may come up with the prizes, but can do nothing disembarked, and found Dr. Middleton and Mr. Han- wit them. | son waiting for them at the George Hotel. Our hero No, the boats which boarded them are already re- | scarcely had time to introduce his wife, when the turned to the frigate; she must wait for them, and that | waiter said that a lady wished to speakto him. She | will give us a start, and it will be night before they can | did not wait to know if Jack was visible, but forced | dience to their officer, to lead the men selected into the boat; but they were immediately desired to keep back. | The scuffle forward attracted the notice of the lieuten- | — who immediately summoned all his men out of the oats. “Mutiny, by heavens! ds *9 Come up all of you, my Majesty then came forward, with a saber in one hand and a pistol in the other, and then addressed the sea- men of the frigate: ‘*T tell you dis, my lads—you not so strong as we—you not got better arms—we not under gun of frigate now, and ab determination not to go board. *Pose you want | | ! i ] | | make sail.”’ her way past him. Jack looked at her large propor- _ “Fire a gun for the prizes to close,” said Jack; ‘ we | tions, anid decked at once that it must be Mrs. telly, | heh a Ene een on board | again, and then be off to | in which conjecture he was right. | Palermo as as we can.’ , “Pray, sir, what do you mean by carrying off m | We cando no better,” said Oxbelly. “If ever I | husband in that way ?! exclaimed the dy, tea wit | mone ws reine agg: os amy seen, I got trouble him to | anger. repeat his words. Trim the sails, m 2° ‘““God forbid that I should have t ry i ‘His language was unpardonable” observed Jack. band oan Oxbell * ay orn Mone Nh ionnig’ your hus “Since I’ve been in the service, Mr. Easy, I have al-| “ Yes, sir, but it’s little better than kiana ing, and ways observed that some officers appear to imagine, | there’s a law for kidnapping children, at all events. | that because they are under the king’s pennant, ay | shall send my lawyer to you, that you may depend /are warranted in _— and tyrannizing over all) upon.” those who have not the honor to hoist it; whereas, ‘You hardly can consider your husband as a child, | the very fact of their being king’s officers should be | Mrs. Oxbelly,” replied Jack, laughing. \ an inducement to them toshow an example of courtesy ‘Very well, sir, we shall see, Pray, where is he now?” _and gentlemanly conduct in the execution of their duty, ‘‘He is on board, Mrs. Oxbelly, and will be delighted however unpleasant it may be.” to see you.” ‘“*T’m not quite so sure of that,”’ “Tt is only those who, insignificant themselves, want to make themselves of importance by the pennant they ‘“‘He’s very anxious to see little Billy,’ said Gas- coigne, | a under,”’ oles our hero. | “Very true Mr. Easy; but you are not aware that a ‘What do you know of little Billy, young man?” | great part of the ill ti shown to the service is owing * And ates than anxious to be oe Nepean Soom oy He's ose young men in office. The | quite tired of sleeping single, Mrs. Oxbelly.”’ ‘‘Ah, very well, he has been talking, has he? Very | to the insolence of th _king’s name is a warrant for every species of tyranny and unwarrantable conduct. I remember Mrs. Oxbelly | well,’ exclaimed the lady, in a rage. telling one of them, when —” 2 r But,” said Easy, “I am happy to say, that, with u I beg _ pardon, Mr. Oxbelly,” interrupted Jack, | and prize-money, during his short absence, he has but we have no time to chat now; the breeze is com- y brought home nearly five hundred nds.”’ ing down fast, and I perceive the prizes are closing. A epson Let us lower down the boat, send the men on board again, and give them their orders—which I will do in writing, in case they part com a “Very true, sir. It will be dark in half an hour, and |as we are now standing in-shore, they will think that we intend to remain on the coast. As soon as it is quite dark we will shape our course for Palermo. I will go down and look at the chart.”’ CHAPTER XLII. WHICH WINDS UP THE NAUTICAL ADVENTURES OF MR. MIDSHIPMAN EASY. 4 “ive hundred pounds!—you don't say so, sir?” ex claimed Mrs. Oxbelly; “‘ are you sure of that?” dear me! how glad I shall be to see him! Well, Mr. Easy, it was hard to part with him in so unhandsome a way—but all’s for the best in this world. What a dear nice lady your wife is, Mr. Easy—but I won't intrude— ‘‘Now coming into harbor,”’ replied Gascoigne; ‘if ou bargain, you can get off for two-pence.”’ , ees sure,’’ rejoined Gascoi y “Five hundred pounds!” exclaimed Mrs. Oxbelly, e. ive hundred pounds !— Well that is comfortable— I beg pardon. Where is the brig, Mr. Easy?” whose wrath was now appeased. In half an hour the prizes were again alongside, the “By all power, she no fool of a woman dat,” said men put on board, and the boat hoisted up. The frig- | Mest treated. curtsevi “T tink . ate still remained becalmed to leeward, and hoisted in | ‘ ety right ween tin ager feet ; Mr! Ox h; = her boats. They watched until she was hid by the | e have now come to the end of our hero’s adven- shades of night, and then wearing round stood away, tures; that afternoon they all started for Forest Hill, with the wind two points free, for the coast of Sicily. | where everything was ready for their reception, The The next morning when the sun rose there was nothing Rebiera’s men were paid off, and were soon distributed in sight. Strange anomaly, in a state of high civiliza- on board of his Majesty’s ships; the vesse] was sold tion, where you find your own countrymen avoided and /and Mr. Oxbelly retired to Southsea, to the society of more dreaded than even y eur foes! his wife and little Billy. Whether he obtained from The run was prosperous, the weather was fine, and | his wife a divorce “‘ de thoro”’ is not handed down. the prizes did not part eyes Our hero, who was now of age, invited all within On the sixteenth day the Rebiera and her convoy an- | twenty miles of home to balls and dinners, became a chored in Palermo Bay. The wind was light in the morn- | great favorite, kept a pack of hounds, rode with the ing that they stood in, andas Jack had alarge blue flag foremost, receive a deputation to stand for the coun with Rebiera in white letters hoisted at the main, Don | in the Conservative interest, was elected without muc Philip and Don Martin were on board and greeting our | expense, which was very wonderful, and took his seat hero, before the Rebiera’s anchor had plunged into the | jn Parliament. Don Philip and Don Martin, after two clear blue water. | months’ stay, took their passage back to Palermo, The information which our hero seen ny heme hav- | fully satisfied with the prospects of their sister as to ing been assured of the health of Agnes and her parents | competence and happiness. Jack had no occasion to was satisfactory. The disappearance of the friar had, | argue the point with Agnes; she conformed at once to at first, occasioned much surprise; but_as the servants the religion of her husband, proved an excellent and of Don Rebiera swore to his return without the black, | affectionate wife, and eventually the mother of four and the letter of Don Rebiera, sent to the convent, re- | children, three boys and ee ee me eC OS Oe | a girl. | questing his presence, was opened and read, there was | Mesty held his post with ei ty, and proved himself no suspicion against the family. A hundred conjec- | trustworthy. Gascoigne, toy tha bikerds of the Conser- tures had been afloat, but gradually they had subsided, | vative member, soon obtained the rank of post-captain and it was at last supposed that he had been carried | and was always his devoted and sincere friend. And off by the banditti, some of whom had been taken, and thus ends the acknowledged that they had seized a friar, on a day oT which they could not recollect, The reader will re-|_ member that it was Mesty. fap ee The Rebiera received pratique, and Jack hastened on | ie" C aptain d and Dis brother, and wae once Romance, DEATH-SHOT , or, Tracked 1 pocre in com nr ea ges, ss in —_ hero’s opinion, | mprove n j y bon | since his departure. Most young men i) to Death, will be given complete in love think the same after an absence, provided it is not ry of Mr. Midshipman Easy. THE END. too long. The prizes were sold and the money distrib- Nymber 12 NEW YORK LIBRARY uted, and every .1n was satisfied, as the fetohed a larger sum than they had anticipated, °°$ | Double Number), Price Twenty Conte OnitCUOOKS.COMm