Part 6 (1/2)
”All ready!” yelled back Mr Saunders in reply
”Let go!” then called out Mr Mackay, the secondhis cry with a second shout--
”Stand clear of the cable!”
At the sa the tumbler a smart stroke with a hammer which he had picked up from off the windlass, the cathead stopper was at once released and the anchor fell froreat heavy splash, the chain cable jiggle-joggling along the deck after it, and rushi+ngnoise like that of thunder!
CHAPTER FIVE
CAPTAIN GILLESPIE COMES ABOARD
”Oh!” I exclai over the boatswain, ith Adaed cathead stopper ”I' over the boatching the operation of letting go the anchor; and, as the ponderous ed into the river, it sent up a column of spray on to the forecastle that ca me almost to the skin at the sahing at ht as I picked myself up ”One'd think ye're kilt entoirely, wid all that row ye'r makin'! Ye'll niver be a sailor, Misther Gray-ham, if ye can't stand a bit av fun!”
”Fun, you call it?” I rejoined, rather angrily, Isuit ”Why, I'rinning, as was also Adah it's pricious little av the say there is, be the saside av us now”
”But, it is salt for all that,” said I, having had an opportunity of tasting it's flavour,
”It is just like brine and even hed all thevainly to get rid of the taste; for, I had sed about half a pint at least of the stuff
”It ain't as good as Paydro's tay that we had jist now, is it?” he observed consolingly ”Thare's too s an' cats an' other poor bastesesses in it for that, its into blue wather an' out av soundin's, it'll be a real trayte for ye to taste it thin”
”I don't know about that,” I answered, getting over ave such a knoink and looked so comical--as I daresay I did, with all the shi+ne taken out of h of it already”
I do not believe I could forget anything, however trivial, that occurred that day, every incident connected with the shi+p and its surroundings being staht February afternoon was already drawing to a close, the sun having set, as usual at that ti down just as ere in all the bustle of ”bringing up;” and, as the Silver Queen had sith the tide after anchoring, her head now pointing up streaone over, I had an uninterrupted view from where I stood on the forecastle of the western horizon, with the hazy city still apparent between I noticed how the warradually to the reen, , a soft se fro out one by one the distant objects It was still light enough, however, to see everything all round near where ere lying, we being then just off the Lobster, midway in the stream, which at that point is about a mile wide, with Gravesend on our left or ”port” hand, and the frowning fort of Tilbury guarding the entrance to the river on our right
All seemed very quiet, as if old Father Thames and those ent to and fro on his broad bosoht slowly descended on the scene, hushi+ng the spirit of the waters to rest, the ebbing tide lapping its lullaby
Two other vessels, largefar-away down the streaainst the current with a long string of heavily-laden coal barges in tow, andtiallant little Arrohich had pulled us along so th off, waiting to see whether ould require her services any further, blowing off her superfluous steam in the meantime, with a turn of her paddles every now and then to show that she was quite ready for ns of life afloat in our i, busy tideway; and the shore on either side was equally still, only an occasional light, twinkling here and there like a Will o'
the Wisp, bearing evidence that so to wake up as the darkness greith that topsy-turvy habit which those who live on land have soht!
We aboard shi+p, though, preserved the regular ways of sea-folk; and beyond myself and Tim Rooney, who remained behind on the forecastle, to keep me company more than to act as look-out, I believe, not a soul was to be seen on the upper deck of the Silver Queen during this last half- hour of the first dog-watch, now just expiring
No, not a soul For Mr Saunders, the second mate, with Matthews and the other apprentices had started aft to their quarters theforwards; Mr Mackay had disappeared fro taken our river pilot down into the cuddy for a glass of grog prior to his departure for the shore to make his way back by land to the docks he had started fro up, and so ”combine business with pleasure,” as Saer, as if he had said so extremely funny; while Ada hands we had aboard, had likewise proceeded towards the cuddy by the boatswain's advice to try and wheedle the steward Pedro into giving the as yet any cook in the shi+p to look after the ements of the crew, so that they were all adrift in this respect, having no proper provision made for the occurring, until, presently, the sa the steward stowing provisions in the after-hold beneath the saloon, came out from under the break of the poop at six o'clock to strike the shi+p's bell, or ”, in the same way as he had done previously
I think I can hear the sound now as I heard it that cal-clang, cling-clang!” of our tocsin, tolling and telling the hour, being echoed by the ”pong-pang, pong-pang!” of the ain answered a second or so later by the ”ting-ting, ting-ting!” of the other vessel further away, the different tones lingering on the air and see the laggards of the congregation to prayers Father wasn't an extreh churchman, or otherwise I would have said vespers!