Part 5 (2/2)

The next day the Harpy was at anchor in Gibraltar Bay; the captain went on sh.o.r.e, directing the gig to be sent for him before nine o'clock; after which hour the sally-port is only opened by special permission. There happened to be a ball given by the officers of the garrison on that evening, and a polite invitation was sent to the officers of H.M. sloop Harpy. As those who accepted the invitation would be detained late, it was not possible for them to come off that night. And as their services were required for the next day, Captain Wilson allowed them to remain on sh.o.r.e until seven o'clock the next morning, at which hour, as there was a large party, there would be two boats sent for them.

Mr Asper obtained leave, and asked permission to take our hero with him; to which Mr Sawbridge consented. Many other officers obtained leave, and, among others, the boatswain, who, aware that his services would be in request as soon as the equipment commenced, asked permission for this evening. And Mr Sawbridge, feeling that he could be better spared at this than at any other time, consented. Asper and Jack went to an inn, dined, bespoke beds, and then dressed themselves for the ball, which was very brilliant, and, from the company of the officers, very pleasant. Captain Wilson looked on at the commencement, and then returned on board. Jack behaved with his usual politeness, danced till two o'clock, and then, as the ball thinned, Asper proposed that they should retires. Having once more applied to the refreshment-room, they had procured their hats, and were about to depart, when one of the officers of the garrison asked Jack if he would like to see a baboon, which had just been brought down from the rock; and, taking some of the cakes, they repaired to the court where the animal was chained down to a small tank. Jack fed the brute till all the cakes were gone, and then, @because he had no more to give him, the baboon flew at Jack, who, in making his retreat fell back into the tank, which was about two feet deep. This was a joke, and having laughed heartily, they wished the officer goodnight, and went to the inn.

Now, what with the number of officers of the Harpy on sh.o.r.e, who had all put up at the same inn, and other occupants, the landlord was obliged to put his company into double and treble-bedded rooms; but this was of little consequence. Jack was shown into a double-bedded room, and proceeded to undress; the other was evidently occupied, by the heavy breathing which saluted Jack's ear.

As Jack undressed, he recollected that his trousers were wet through, and to dry them he opened the window, hung them out, and then jammed down the window again upon them, to hold them in their position, after which he turned in and fell fast asleep. At six o'clock he was called, as he had requested, and proceeded to dress, but to his astonishment found the window thrown open and his trousers missing. It was evident, that his partner in the room had thrown the window open during the night, and that his trousers, having fallen down into the street, had been walked off with by somebody or another. Jack looked out of the window once more, and perceived that whoever had thrown open the window had been unwell during the night. A nice drunken companion I have had, thought Jack; but what's to be done? And in saying this, he walked up to the other bed, and perceived that it was tenanted by the boatswain. Well, thought Jack, as Mr Biggs has thought proper to lose my trousers, I think I have a right to take his, or at least the wear of them to go on board. It was but last night he declared that decency must give way to duty, and that the orders of a superior officer were to be obeyed, with or without garments. I know he is obliged to be on board, and now he shall try how he likes to obey orders in his s.h.i.+rt tails. So cogitating, Jack took the trousers of the boatswain, who still snored, although he had been called, and putting them on, completed the rest of his dress, and quitted the room. He went to that of Mr Asper, where he found him just ready, and, having paid the bill-for Asper had forgotten his purse-they proceeded down to the sally-port, where they found other officers waiting, sufficient to load the first boat, which shoved off, and they went on board. As soon as he was down below, Jack hastened to change his trousers, and, un.o.bserved by anyone, threw those belonging to Mr Biggs on a chair in his cabin, and, having made a confidant of Mesty, who was delighted, he went on deck, and waited the issue of the affair.

Before Jack left the hotel, he had told the waiter that there was the boatswain still fast asleep, and that he must be roused up immediately; and this injunction was obeyed. The boatswain, who had drunk too much the night before, and, as Jack had truly imagined, had opened the window because he was unwell, was wakened up, and hearing how late it was, hastened to dress himself. Not finding his trousers, he rang the bell, supposing that they had been taken down to be brushed, and, in the meantime, put on everything else, that he might lose no time: the waiter who answered the bell, denied having taken the trousers out of the room, and poor Mr Biggs was in a sad quandary. What had become of them, he could not tell: he had no recollection of having gone to bed the night before; he inquired of the waiter, who said that he knew nothing about them- that he was very tipsy when he came home, and that when he called him, he had found the window open, and it appeared that he had been unwell-he supposed that he had thrown his trousers out of the window. Time flew, and the boatswain was in despair. ”Could they lend him a pair?”

”He would call his master.” The master of the inn knew very well the difference of rank between officers, and those whom he could trust and those whom he could not. He sent up the bill by the waiter, and stated that, for a deposit, the gentleman might have a pair of trousers. The boatswain felt in his pockets and remembered that all his money was in his trousers' pocket. He could not only not leave a deposit, but could not pay his bill. The landlord was inexorable. It was bad enough to lose his money, but he could not lose more.

”I shall be tried by a court-martial, by heavens!” exclaimed the boatswain -It's not far from the sally-port: I'll make a run for it, and I can slip into one of the boats and get another pair of trousers before I report myself as having come on board.” So making up his mind, the boatswain took to his heels, and with his check s.h.i.+rt tails streaming in the wind, ran as hard as he could to where the boat was waiting to receive him. He was encountered by many, but he only ran the faster the more they jeered, and, at last, arrived breathless at his goal, flew down the steps, jumped into the boat, and squatted on the stern sheets, much to the surprise of the officers and men, who thought him mad. He stated in a few words that somebody had stolen his trousers during the night; and as it was already late, the boat shoved off the men as well as officers convulsed with laughter.

”Have any of you a pea-Jacket?” inquired the boatswain of the men-but the weather was so warm that none of them had brought a pea-Jacket. The boatswain looked round; he perceived that the officers were sitting on a boat-cloak.

”Whose boat-cloak is that?” inquired the boatswain.

”Mine,” replied Gascoigne.

”I trust, Mr Gascoigne, you will have the kindness to lend it to me to go up the side with.”

”Indeed I will not,” replied Gascoigne, who would sooner have thrown it overboard and have lost it, than not beheld the antic.i.p.ated fun: ”recollect I asked you for a fis.h.i.+ng-line, when we were becalmed off Cape St Vincent, and you sent word that you'd see me dead first. Now I'll just see you the same before you have my boat-cloak.”

”Oh, Mr Gascoigne, I'll give you three lines, directly I get on board.”

”I dare say you will, but that won't do now. 't.i.t for tat,' Mr Boatswain, and hang all favours,” replied Gascoigne, who was steering the boat, having been sent on sh.o.r.e for the others. ”In borrowed of all.” The boat was laid alongside-the relentless Gascoigne caught up his boat-cloak as the other officers rose to go on board, and rolling it up, in spite of the earnest entreaties of Mr Biggs, tossed it into the main chains, to the man who had thrown the stem fast; and to make the situation of Mr Biggs still more deplorable, the first lieutenant was standing looking into the boat, and Captain Wilson walking the quarter-deck.

”Come, Mr Biggs, I expected you off in the first boat,” cried Mr Sawbridge; ”be as smart as you please, for the yards are not yet squared.”

”Shall I go ahead in this boat, and square them, sir?” ”That boat! no; let her drop astern, jump up here and lower down the dinghy. What the devil do you sit there for, Mr Biggs?- you'll oblige me by showing a little more activity, or, by Jove, you may save yourself the trouble of asking to go on sh.o.r.e again. Are you sober, sir?”

The last observation decided Mr Biggs. He sprung up from the boat just as he was, and touched his hat as he pa.s.sed the first lieutenant. Perfectly sober, sir, but I've lost my trousers.”

”So it appears, sir,” replied Mr Sawbridge, as Mr Biggs stood on the plane shear of the sloop where the hammock netting divides for an entrance, with his s.h.i.+rt tails fluttering in the sea breeze; but Mr Sawbridge could not contain himself any longer; he ran down the s.h.i.+p ladder which led on the quarter-deck, choked with laughter. Mr Biggs could not descend until after Mr Sawbridge, and the conversation had attracted the notice of all, and every eye in the s.h.i.+p was on him.

”What's all this?” said Captain Wilson, coming to the gangway. ”Duty before decency,” replied Jack, who stood by enjoying the joke.

Mr Biggs recollected the day before-he cast a furious look at Jack, as he touched his hat to the captain, and then dived down to the lower deck.

If anything could add to the indignation of the boatswain, it was to find that his trousers had come on board before him. He now felt that a trick had been played him, and also that our hero must have been the party, but he could prove nothing; he could not say who slept in the same room, for he was fast asleep when Jack went to bed, and fast asleep when Jack quitted the room.

The truth of the story soon became known to all the s.h.i.+p, and ”duty before decency' became a bye-word. All that the boatswain could do he did, which was to revenge himself upon the poor boy-and Gascoigne and Jack never got any fis.h.i.+ng-tackle. The boatswain was as obnoxious to the men as Vigors, and in consequence of Jack's known opinions upon the rights of man, and his having floored their two greatest enemies, he became a great favourite with the seamen, and as all favourites are honoured by them with a soubriquet, our hero obtained that of Equality Jack.

CHAPTER XII.

In which our hero prefers going down to going up; a choice, it is to be hoped, he will reverse upon a more important occasion.

THE NEXT DAY being Sunday, the hands were turned up to divisions, and the weather not being favourable, instead of the service the articles of war were read with all due respect shown to the same, the captain, officers, and crew, with their hats off in a mizzling rain. Jack, who had been told by the captain that these articles of war were the rules and regulations of the service, by which the captain, officers, and men, were equally bound, listened to them as they were read by the clerk with the greatest attention. He little thought that there were about five hundred orders from the Admiralty tacked on to them, which, like the numerous codicils of some wills, contained the most important matter, and to a certain degree make the will nugatory.

Jack listened very attentively, and, as each article was propounded, felt that he was not likely to commit himself in that point, and, although he was rather astonished to find such a positive injunction against swearing considered quite a dead letter in the s.h.i.+p, he thought that, altogether, he saw his way very clear. But to make certain of it, as soon as the hands had been piped down he begged the clerk to let him have a copy of the articles.

Now the clerk had three, being the allowance of the s.h.i.+p, or at least all that he had in his possession, and made some demur at parting with one; but at last he proposed-”some rascal,” as he said, having stolen his tooth-brush-that if Jack would give him one he would give him one of the copies of the articles of war. Jack replied that the one he had in use was very much worn, and that unfortunately he had but one new one, which he could not spare. Thereupon the clerk, who was a very clean personage, and could not bear that his teeth should be dirty, agreed to accept the one in use, as Jack could not part with the other. The exchange was made, and Jack read the articles of war over and over again, till he thought he was fully master of them.

”Now,” says Jack, ”I know what I am to do, and what I am to expect, and these articles of war I will carry in my pocket as long as I'm in the service; that is to say, if they last so long: and provided they do not, I am able to replace them with another old tooth-brush, which appears to be the value attached to them.”

The Harpy remained a fortnight in Gibraltar Bay, and Jack had occasionally a run on sh.o.r.e, and Mr Asper invariably went with him to keep him out of mischief; that is to say, he allowed him to throw his money away on no one more worthless than himself.

One morning Jack went down in the berth, and found young Gossett blubbering.

”What's the matter, my dear Mr Gossett?” inquired Jack, who was just as polite to the youngster as he was to anybody else.

”Vigors has been thras.h.i.+ng me with a rope's end,” replied Gossett, rubbing his arm and shoulders.

”What for?” inquired Jack. ”Because he says the service is going to h.e.l.l-(I'm sure it's no fault of mine)-and that now all subordination is destroyed, and that upstarts join the s.h.i.+p who, because they have a five-pound note in their pocket, are allowed to do just as they please. He said he was determined to uphold the service, and then he knocked me down- and when I got up again he told me that I could stand a little more-and then he took out his colt, and said he was determined to ride the high horse-and that there should be no Equality Jack in future.”

”Well,” replied Jack. ”And then he colted me for half an hour, and that's all.” ”By de soul of my fader, but it all for true, Ma.s.sa Easy-he larrup um, sure enough-all for noteing, bad luck to him-I tink,” continued Mesty, ”he hab debelish bad memory-and he want a little more of Equality Jack.”

”And he shall have it too,” replied our hero; ”why it's against the articles of war, 'all quarrelling, fighting, &c.' I say, Mr Cossett, have you got the spirit of a louse?'

”Yes,” replied Cossett.

”Well, then, will you do what I tell you next time, and trust to me for protection?”

”I don't care what I do,” replied the boy, ”if you will back me against the cowardly tyrant?”

”Do you refer to me?” cried Vigors, who had stopped at the door of the berth.

”Say yes,” said Jack. ”Yes, I do,” cried Gossett.

”You do, do you?-well, then, my chick, I must trouble you with a little more of this,” said Vigors, drawing out his colt.

”I think that you had better not, Mr Vigors,” observed Jack. ”Mind your own business, if you please,” returned Vigors, not much liking the interference. ”I am not addressing my conversation to you, and I will thank you never to interfere with me. I presume I have a right to choose my own acquaintance, and, depend upon it, it will not be that of a leveller.”

”All that is at your pleasure, Mr Vigors,” replied Jack; ”you have a right to choose your own acquaintance, and so have I a right to choose my own friends, and, further, to support them. That lad is my friend, Mr Vigors.'

”Then,” replied Vigors, who could not help bullying even at the risk of another combat which he probably intended to stand, ”I shall take the liberty of giving your friend a thras.h.i.+ng”; and he suited the action to the word.

”Then I shall take the liberty to defend my friend,” replied Jack; ”and as you call me a leveller, I'll try if I may not deserve the name” whereupon Jack placed a blow so well under the ear, that Mr Vigors dropped on the deck, and was not in a condition to come to the scratch, even if he had been inclined. ”And now, youngster,” said Jack, wresting the colt out of Vigors' hand, ”do as I bid you-give him a good colting if you don't I'll thrash you.”

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