Part 1 (1/2)
Peter Trawl
by W H G Kingston
CHAPTER ONE
MY EARLY DAYS AT HOME
Brother Jack, a seaed sturdily ahead; father followed, carrying the oars, spars, sails, and other gear of the wherry, while as I toddled alongside him I held on with one hand to the skirt of his pea-jacket, and griped the boat-hook which had been given to e with the other
From the front of the well-known inn, the ”Keppel's Head,” the portrait of the brave old admiral, which I always looked at with awe and adazed sternly down on us as wethe Coe
Father and Jack hauled in the wherry, and having deposited their burdens in her, set to work to rasping the boat-hook, which I held upright with the point in the ground, watching their proceedings, till father, lifting me up in his arms, placed me in the stern-sheets
”Sit there, Peter, and mind you don't topple overboard, my son,” he said, in the kind tone in which he always spoke to me and Jack
I was too small to be of much use, indeed father had hitherto only takenacross to Gosport and back or plying about the harbour
It was a more eventful day to Jack than to , I had a sort of idea that he was going to sea, and when the nextshe threw her aran to cry too, I understood that he would be away for a long tirieved as much as mother to part with hi hies would be the ht sort of eddication on shore,” observed father ”He'll learn on board a man-of-hat duty and discipline mean, and to my mind till a lad knows that he isn't worth his salt”
The _Lapwing_ brig-of-war, fitted out at Sheerness, had brought up at Spithead, and her co served,that he had a son old enough to go to sea, offered to take Jack and look after hiers was a midshi+pman, he fell overboard, and would have been drowned had not father jurateful, but had not till now had an opportunity of practically showing his gratitude Father, therefore, gladly accepted his offer, being sure that he would do his best for Jack; and as Blue Peter was flying fro, there was no ti hi, to understand these matters, but I learnt about the for a sailor aboard of aoff, when two persons who had co down the Hard with cases and packages in their hands and under their ar ery, as sailors call the costu out to Spithead, o with you,” shouted the first
”Ay, ay, sir! I'll be glad enough to take you,” answered father, happy to get a fare, instead of ive you five shi+llings apiece,” said the officer, for such he seemed to be
”Thank you, sir; that will do What shi+p shall I put you aboard?” asked father
”The _Intrepid_, South Sea whaler--she's lying to the eastward of the et abreast of Southsea Castle,”
answered the officer
”Step aboard, then, sir,” said father ”The tide will soon have doneout of the harbour, and there's no tiers took their seats in the stern-sheets, and father and Jack, shoving off, pulled out into the stream
The officer took the yoke-lines, and by the way he handled the is always required where tides run strong and vessels are asse been just proclaimed, Portsmouth Harbour was croith n stations, and with transports and victuallers coed; while all the way up towards Porchester Castle lay, now dismantled in vast numbers, those stout old shi+ps with naland in hters, ers, and other craft of various descriptions, were sailing or pulling about in all directions, so that the stranger had to keep his eyes about hi into, some other boat or vessel
”We'll step the mast, and make sail while we're in smooth water, sir,”
said father ”There's a lop of a sea outside, when it wouldn't be pleasant to this gentleave a look at the landsether comfortable
”The doctor hasn't been used to the sea, but he'll soon get accustomed to it No fear of that, cockle, eh?” said the officer, as, he afterwards told father, second mate of the _Intrepid_
”I hope I shall, Mr Griffiths, but I confess I don'twaves out there in such a cockleshell of a boat as this,” answered the doctor ”No offence to you,to father
”Ha! Ha! Ha! That's just what the boat is at present,” said the ? She carries you and your fortunes, and if she takes us safe alongside the _Intrepid_--and I see no reason why she shouldn't--we shall be obliged to her and her owner here What's your name, my man?”