Part 11 (2/2)
”Mr Simple, what are you about, sir?”
”I was listening to what you said,” replied I, touching my hat.
”I admire your candour, sir,” replied he, ”but advise you to discontinue the practice. Walk over to leeward, sir, and attend to your duty.”
When I was on the other side of the deck, I looked round, and saw the captain and first lieutenant both laughing.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
I GO AWAY ON SERVICE, AM WOUNDED AND TAKEN PRISONER WITH O'BRIEN-- DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND BETWEEN THE O'BRIENS--GET INTO COMFORTABLE QUARTERS--MY FIRST INTERVIEW WITH CELESTE.
And now I have to relate an event, which, young as I was at the time, will be found to have seriously affected me in after-life. How little do we know what to-morrow may bring forth! We had regained our station, and for some days had been standing off and on the coast, when one morning at daybreak, we found ourselves about four miles from the town of Cette, and a large convoy of vessels coming round a point. We made all sail in chase, and they anch.o.r.ed close in sh.o.r.e, under a battery, which we did not discover until it opened fire upon us. The shot struck the frigate two or three times, for the water was smooth, and the battery nearly level with it. The captain tacked the s.h.i.+p, and stood out again, until the boats were hoisted out, and all ready to pull on sh.o.r.e and storm the battery. O'Brien, who was the officer commanding the first cutter on service, was in his boat, and I again obtained permission from him to smuggle myself into it.
We ran on sh.o.r.e, amidst the fire of the gun-boats which protected the convoy, by which we lost three men, and made for the battery, which we took without opposition, the French artillerymen running out as we ran in. The first lieutenant, who commanded, desired O'Brien to remain with the first cutter, and after the armourer had spiked the guns, as officer of the boat he was to shove off immediately. O'Brien and I remained in the battery with the armourer, the boat's crew being ordered down to the boat, to keep her afloat, and ready to shove off at a moment's warning.
We had spiked all the guns but one, when all of a sudden a volley of musketry was poured upon us, which killed the armourer and wounded me in the leg, above the knee. I fell down by O'Brien, who cried out, ”By the powers! here they are, and one gun not spiked.” He jumped down, wrenched the hammer from the armourer's hand, and seizing a nail from the bag, in a few moments he had spiked the gun. At this time I heard the tramping of the French soldiers advancing, when O'Brien threw away the hammer, and lifting me upon his shoulders, cried, ”Come along, Peter, my boy,” and made for the boat as fast as he could; but he was too late; he had not got half-way to the boat, before he was collared by two French soldiers, and dragged back into the battery. The French troops then advanced, and kept up a smart fire; our cutter escaped, and joined the other boat, who had captured the gun-boats and convoy with little opposition. Our large boats had carronades mounted in their bows, and soon returned the fire with round and grape, which drove the French troops back into the battery, where they remained, popping at our men under cover, until most of the vessels were taken out: those which they could not man were burnt. In the meantime, O'Brien had been taken into the battery, with me on his back: but as soon as he was there, he laid me gently down, saying, ”Peter, my boy, as long as you were under my charge, I'd carry you through thick and thin; but now that you are under the charge of these French beggars, why, let them carry you.
Every man his own bundle, Peter, that's fair play; so if they think you're worth the carrying, let them bear the weight of ye.”
As soon as our boats were clear of their musketry, the commanding officer of the French troops examined the guns in the battery, with the hope of reaching them, and was very much annoyed to find that every one of them was spiked. ”He'll look sharper than a magpie before he finds a clear touch-hole, I expect,” said O'Brien, as he watched the officer.
And here I must observe, that O'Brien showed great presence of mind in spiking the last gun; for had they had one gun to fire at our boats towing out the prizes, they must have done a great deal of mischief to them, and we should have lost a great many men; but in so doing, and in the attempt to save me, he sacrificed himself, and was taken prisoner.
When the troops ceased firing, the commanding officer came up to O'Brien, and looking at him, said, ”Officer?” to which O'Brien nodded his head. He then pointed to me--”Officer?” O'Brien nodded his head again, at which the French troops laughed, as...o...b..ien told me afterwards, because I was what they called an _enfant_, which means an infant. I was very stiff and faint, and could not walk. The officer who commanded the troops left a detachment in the battery, and prepared to return to Cette, from whence they came. O'Brien walked, and I was carried on three muskets by six of the French soldiers,--not a very pleasant conveyance at any time, but in my state excessively painful.
However, I must say, that they were very kind to me, and put a great coat or something under my wounded leg, for I was in an agony, and fainted several times. At last they brought me some water to drink. O how delicious it was! In about an hour and a half, which appeared to me to be five days at the least, we arrived at the town of Cette, and I was taken up to the house of the officer who commanded the troops, and who had often looked at me as I was carried there from the battery, saying, ”_Pauvre enfant_!” I was put on a bed, where I again fainted away.
When I came to my senses, I found a surgeon had bandaged my leg, and that I had been undressed. O'Brien was standing by me, and I believe that he had been crying, for he thought that I was dead. When I looked him in the face, he said, ”Pater, you baste, how you frightened me: bad luck to me if ever I take charge of another youngster. What did you sham dead for?”
”I am better now, O'Brien,” replied I: ”how much I am indebted to you!
you have been made prisoner in trying to save me.”
”I have been made prisoner in doing my duty, in one shape or another.”
I squeezed the offered hand of O'Brien, and looked round me; the surgeon stood at one side of the bed, and the officer who commanded the troops at the other. At the head of the bed was a little girl about twelve years old, who held a cup in her hand, out of which something had been poured down my throat. I looked at her, and she had such pity in her face, which was remarkably handsome, that she appeared to me as an angel, and I turned round as well as I could, that I might look at her alone. She offered me the cup, which I should have refused from any one but her, and I drank a little. Another person then came into the room, and a conversation took place in French.
”I wonder what they mean to do with us,” said I to O'Brien.
”Whist, hold your tongue,” replied he; and then he leaned over me, and said in a whisper, ”I understand all they say; don't you recollect, I told you that I learnt the language after I was kilt and buried in the sand in South America?” After a little more conversation, the officer and the others retired, leaving n.o.body but the little girl and O'Brien in the room.
”It's a message from the governor,” said O'Brien, as soon as they were gone, ”wis.h.i.+ng the prisoners to be sent to the gaol in the citadel, to be examined; and the officer says (and he's a real gentleman, as far as I can judge) that you're but a baby, and badly wounded in the bargain, and that it would be a shame not to leave you to die in peace; so I presume that I'll part company from you very soon.”
”I hope not, O'Brien,” replied I; ”if you go to prison, I will go also, for I will not leave you, who are my best friend, to remain with strangers; I should not be half so happy, although I might have more comforts in my present situation.”
”Pater, my boy, I am glad to see that your heart is in the right place, as I always thought it was, or I wouldn't have taken you under my protection. We'll go together to prison, my jewel, and I'll fish at the bars with a bag and a long string, just by way of recreation, and to pick up a little money to buy you all manner of nice things; and when you get well, you shall do it yourself--mayhap you'll have better luck, as Peter your namesake had, who was a fisherman before you. But somehow or another, I think we mayn't be parted yet, for I heard the officer (who appears to be a real gentleman, and worthy to have been an Irishman born) say to the other, that he'd ask the governor for me to stay with you on parole, until you are well again.” The little girl handed me the lemonade, of which I drank a little, and then I felt very faint again.
I laid my head on the pillow, and O'Brien having left off talking, I was soon in a comfortable sleep. In an hour I was awakened by the return of the officer, who was accompanied by the surgeon. The officer addressed O'Brien in French, who shook his head as before.
Two other persons then came into the room: one of them addressed O'Brien in very bad English, saying that he was interpreter, and would beg him to answer a few questions. He then inquired the name of our s.h.i.+p, number of guns, and how long we had been cruising. After that the force of the English fleet, and a great many other questions relative to them; all of which were put in French by the person who came with him, and the answers translated and taken down in a book. Some of the questions...o...b..ien answered correctly; to others he pleaded ignorance; and to some he a.s.serted what was not true. But I did not blame him for that, as it was his duty not to give information to the enemy. At last they asked my name and rank, which O'Brien told them.
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