Part 34 (1/2)
I of course said that I did, that he had treated me very kindly at Savannah, and that I must congratulate him on his good fortune.
While we were speaking, Tom came up, and said somewhat abruptly, ”Paddy, we must not delay longer.” He didn't again turn towards Miss Lucy, to whom I went up and wished good-bye. Tom and I then paid our adieus to the rest of the family. Lucy was well-nigh crying, I thought, but the yellow light admitted through the blinds prevented me from seeing clearly.
”It's all over,” cried Tom, as we got outside. ”I thought it would happen. I've been and made a fool of myself, and I'll never do so again as long as I live; no, never--never!”
I comforted Tom as well as I could, and indeed he soon recovered his equanimity. I told him I was sure that Miss Lucy was very grateful, though she was not inclined to wait till he had become a post-captain, or even a commander, to marry him.
We looked in on our way down to the harbour on our two French friends.
We found them in high spirits, for they had just received information that they were to accompany the Count de Gra.s.se, and other French officers, who were about to return home, on board the _Sandwich_, Sir Peter Parker's flag-s.h.i.+p, on their parole. As Sir Peter was on the point of sailing in charge of a homeward-bound convoy, Sir George Rodney remained as commander-in-chief at Jamaica. A short time after, Admiral Pigot arrived out from England to supersede him, and Sir George returned home in the _Montague_.
At length, after lying idle for some time, Admiral Pigot, with his flag on board the _Formidable_ made the signal for the whole fleet to put to sea.
A report reached us just before this that we and the other s.h.i.+ps were to return to England, and highly delighted every one was at the thoughts of going home. We were, however, kept cruising for some time, till we fell in with the fleet of Admiral Graves off Havanna; thence we proceeded to Bluefields, on the south coast of Jamaica, towards its western end.
Here Admiral Graves, whose flag was flying aboard the _families_, received orders to convoy a hundred sail of merchantmen, together with the French prizes, consisting of the _Ville de Paris_, no guns, the _Glorieux_ and _Hector_; of 74 guns each, and the _Ardent_ and _Jason_, of 64 guns each. The men-of-war accompanying them were the _Canada_, our s.h.i.+p the _Cerberus_, of 74 guns each, and the _Pallas_, of 36 guns.
”It's to be hoped that we shall have fine weather,” said Nettles.h.i.+p one day at mess. ”Even now we're obliged to keep the pumps going every watch. It's a wonder the hull and rigging hold together; while we're terribly short-handed, and, as far as I can judge, the rest of the s.h.i.+ps are in no better condition, and the prizes are still more battered.”
”What an old croaker you've become,” cried Tom. ”I thought you would have been the last person to talk in that way.”
Others, joining Tom, made the same sort of remarks.
”I'm not croaking. I only say that never fleet put to sea in a worse condition; but I do hope we shall be blessed with fine weather, and not meet with a heavy gale, or have to encounter an enemy of superior force.”
Those watching us from the sh.o.r.e could certainly not have supposed that the fine-looking fleet sailing along the coast of Jamaica was unable to cope with the fiercest gale that it was likely to encounter.
As we got away from land we found that the _Jason_ had not joined us, being employed in completing her water, while during a calm the officers of the _Ardent_ sent a memorial to the admiral stating that she was totally unseaworthy; and they had therefore the good fortune to be ordered back to Jamaica to refit.
For some time the fine weather lasted, and few doubted that we should convoy the merchantmen committed to our charge, and the trophies of our hard-earned victory, in safety to England. We had got about the lat.i.tude of the Bermudas, when some of the convoy parted company, on their way to New York, leaving us, including the men-of-war and merchantmen, with only ninety-two sail,--the _Ville de Paris_, under an experienced navigator, leading the van through the Gulf Stream. The wind and sea, however, shortly after this got up, and two s.h.i.+ps, the _Caton_ and _Pallas_, made signals of distress, each having sprung a leak. The admiral therefore ordered them to bear away for Halifax, then less than a hundred leagues distant. Scarcely were they out of sight than the wind s.h.i.+fted to the south-east, blowing strongly, while a still heavier sea got up. The admiral on this made signals for the whole fleet to collect together, and prepare for a heavy gale. He hove-to on the larboard tack under his mainsail, with topgallant masts struck. We and the other s.h.i.+ps followed his example, with all our other canvas furled.
Nettles.h.i.+p, Tom Pim, and I, being in the same watch, were on deck together. We had just got the s.h.i.+p snug, and, our duties for the moment performed, were standing together, watching the fast-rising seas.
”I say, Nettles.h.i.+p, we have got that gale you hoped we should escape, and no mistake about it,” said Tom Pim; ”but the old barkie rides easily, and the wind must blow a good deal harder than it does yet to hurt her.”
”But we can't say that it won't blow harder, youngster,” said Nettles.h.i.+p, who was much graver than usual. ”To my mind the weather looks as threatening as it well can be, and those in authority would have shown more wisdom had they waited till the equinox was over to send us to sea. Just look round; now did you ever see a wilder sky?”
Nettles.h.i.+p was right. The clouds were rus.h.i.+ng madly on overhead, while to the southward and east it had a peculiarly angry appearance.
Foam-capped waves were tossing and tumbling, the spoon-drift flying off their heads covering the ocean with a sheet of white, while a lurid light occasionally gleamed forth from the point where the sun was going down, tinging for a moment the crests of the seas and here and there a tossing s.h.i.+p on which it fell. The sea with thundering blows struck our bows and washed along our high sides, the blocks rattled, the wind whistled in the rigging, the masts groaned, the bulkheads creaked. We had to speak at the top of our voices to make each other hear, while the lieutenants had to shout their loudest through their speaking-trumpets as they issued their orders. We were the leewardmost of the men-of-war who were in sight, the merchantmen scattered around, all pitching and rolling together, in a way which threatened to send their masts overboard. The latter we could see had now a yard, now a topmast carried away, but as far as we could make out, no great damage had been done. Each dog-watch the pumps were manned. Their clanking was heard amid the uproar as night closed in. My old s.h.i.+pmates and I had to keep the morning watch, so as soon as the hammocks were piped down, we turned in to get some sleep first. Seldom that I had my head on the pillow many seconds before my eyes closed, but this night the fearful uproar, the violent swinging of my hammock, and the plunges which I felt the s.h.i.+p making, kept me awake. My watch below seemed twice as long as usual. At length I heard eight bells strike. I turned out, and with my two messmates went on deck.
”Things haven't mended since sundown,” observed Nettles.h.i.+p, as he, Pim, and I were together on the quarter-deck.
Indeed, the wind was howling more furiously than ever, and the big s.h.i.+p plunged and rolled in a way which made it difficult to keep our feet.
”We've plenty of sea-room, that's one satisfaction, at all events,” said Nettles.h.i.+p. ”I shouldn't like to be on a lee sh.o.r.e on a night like this.”
”Faith, nor should I, unless there was a good harbour to run into,” said I.
”It must have a broad entrance, and be well lighted, then,” he answered, ”or we shouldn't be much better off than we are at present.”
Two--four bells struck in the morning watch, and there appeared to be no improvement in the weather. The captain and second and third lieutenants came on deck, and, by the way they stood talking together, I saw that they considered matters growing serious. The pumps were kept going twice as long as usual. Six bells had just struck, when there came a sound like thunder breaking over our heads. Looking up, I saw the mainsail aback.