Part 6 (1/2)
”Peter Trawl, sir,” I answered, and, eager to see Jack, for whom I had been looking out since I got out of the boat, thinking that we should know each other, I added, ”I have a brother, sir, who went to sea aboard this brig, and we have been looking out for him ever so long to come home. Please, sir, can I go and find him?”
The commander's countenance a.s.sumed a look of concern. ”Poor fellow! I wish that he was on board for his sake and yours, my lad,” he answered.
”I cannot say positively that he is dead, but I have too much reason to believe that he is. While we were cruising among the islands of the East Indian Archipelago he formed one of a boat's crew which was, while at a distance from the s.h.i.+p, attacked by a large body of Malay pirates.
When we got up we found only on man, mortally wounded, in the bottom of the boat, who before he died said that, to the best of his belief, the officer in charge and the rest of the men had been killed, as he had seen several dragged on board the proas, and then hacked to pieces and hove overboard.
”We chased and sank some of the pirate fleet, and made every possible search for the missing men, in case any of them should have escaped on sh.o.r.e, to which they were close at the time of the attack, but no traces of them could be discovered. I left an account of the occurrence with the vessel which relieved me on the station, and should any of the poor fellows have been found I should have been informed of it. It was my intention, as soon as I was paid off the _Lapwing_, to come down to Portsmouth to break the news to his father. Say this from me, and that I yet hope to see him shortly.”
Commander Rogers seemed very sorry when I told him that father and mother were both dead. He asked me where I lived. I told him, as well as I could describe the house, forgetting that, too probably, Mary and I and Nancy would not be long allowed to remain there.
”When I commission another s.h.i.+p, would you like to go with me, my lad?”
he asked.
”Very much, sir,” I answered. ”But I have a sister, and I couldn't go away with no one to take care of her; so I must not think of it now Tom Swatridge has gone. All the same, I thank you kindly, sir.”
”Well, well, my lad; we will see what can be done,” he said, and just then a mids.h.i.+pman came up to report that the boat was ready to carry the rescued man, with the surgeon, to the sh.o.r.e.
I found that the master's mate, Mr Harvey, and one of the men were going in my boat, and of course I did not like to say that I could get into the harbour very well without them. I touched my hat to the commander, who gave me a kind nod--it would not have done for him, I suppose, to shake hands with a poor boy on his quarter-deck even if he had been so disposed--and then I hurried down the side.
I made sail, and took the helm just as if I had been by myself, Mr Harvey sitting by my side, while the seaman had merely to rig out the mainsail with the boat-hook, as we were directly before the wind.
”You are in luck, youngster,” observed Mr Harvey; ”though you have lost one friend you've gained another, for our commander always means what he says, and, depend on it, he'll not lose sight of you.”
He seemed a very free-and-easy gentleman, and made me tell him all about myself, and how we had lost father and mother, and how Tom Swatridge had taken charge of Mary and me. His cheerful way of talking made me dwell less on my grief than I should have done had I sailed into the harbour all alone.
”I should like to go and see your little sister and the faithful Nancy,”
he said, ”but I must return to the brig as soon as that poor man has been carried to the hospital, and I have several things to do on sh.o.r.e.
Land me at the Point, you can find your way to the Hard by yourself, I've no doubt.”
”The boat would find her way alone, sir, she's so accustomed to it,” I answered.
We ran in among a number of wherries with people embarking from the Point or landing at it. The Point, it should be understood by those who do not know Portsmouth, is a hard s.h.i.+ngly beach on the east side, at the mouth of the harbour, and there was at that time close to it an old round stone tower, from which an iron chain formerly extended across to Blockhouse Fort, on the Gosport side, to prevent vessels from coming in without leave.
”Here, my lad, is my fare,” said Mr Harvey, slipping half a guinea into my hand as he stepped on sh.o.r.e, followed by the seaman; ”it will help to keep Nancy's pot boiling till you can look about you and find friends.
They will appear, depend on it.”
Before I could thank him he was away among the motley crowd of persons thronging the Point. I was thankful that no one asked me for old Tom, and, shoving out from among the other boats, I quickly ran on to the Hard.
When I landed the trial came. A waterman had gained an inkling of what had occurred from one of the crew of the _Lapwings_ boat, and I was soon surrounded by people asking questions of how it happened.
”I can't tell you more,” I answered, at length breaking from them.
”Tom's gone, and brother Jack's gone, and I must go and look after poor Mary.”
It was late by the time I reached home. Nancy had got supper ready on the table, and Mary had placed old Tom's chair for him in a snug corner by the fire. They saw that something was the matter, for I couldn't speak for a minute or more, not knowing how to break the news to them.
At last I said, with a choking voice, pointing to the chair, ”He'll never sit there more!”
Dear me, I thought Mary's and Nancy's hearts would break outright when they understood what had happened. It was evident how much they loved the rough old man--I loved him too, but in a different way, I suppose, for I could not ease my heart by crying; indeed I was thinking about what Mary and Nancy would do, and of brother Jack's loss. I did not like to tell Mary of that at first, but it had to come out, and, strange as it may seem, it made her think for the time less about what was to us by far the greater loss. Supper remained long untasted, but at last I felt that I must eat, and so I fell to, and after a time Nancy followed my example and made Mary take something.