Part 15 (1/2)

”Now this is a confounded rascally business,” said Jack to himself; who then dropped his cloak, jumped upon the window-sill, opened wide the window-curtains with both hands, and uttered a yelling kind of ”ha! ha! ha! ha!”

The priests turned round, saw the demon as they imagined dropped the paper on the table, and threw themselves with their faces on the floor.

”Exorciso te,” stammered one. ”Ha! ha! ha! ha!” repeated Jack, entering the room, and taking up the paper which he burnt by the flame of the candle. Our hero looked at the old man on the bed; his jaw had fallen, his eyes were turned. He was dead. Jack then gave, one more 'ha! ha! ha! ha!” to keep the priests in their places, blew out the candles, made a spring out of the window, caught up his cloak, and disappeared as fast as his legs could carry him.

Jack ran until he was out of breath, and then he stopped, and sat down by the side of the road. It was broad moonlight, and Jack knew not where he was: ”but Minorca has not many high roads,” thought Jack, 'and I shall find my way home. Now, let me see,-I have done some good this evening. I have prevented those rogues from disinheriting a family. I wonder who they are; they ought to be infinitely obliged to me. But if the priests find me out, what shall I do? I never dare come on sh.o.r.e again-they'd have me in the Inquisition. I wonder where I am,” said Jack; ”I will get on that hill, and see if I can take a departure.”

The hill was formed by the road being cut perpendicularly almost through it, and was perhaps some twelve or fourteen feet high. Jack ascended it, and looked about him. ”There is the sea, at all events, with the full moon silvering the waves,” said Jack, turning from the road, 'and here is the road; then that must be the way to Port Mahon. But what comes here?-it's a carriage. Why, it's the yellow carriage of that old lady with her diamonds, and her two splashy footmen!” Jack was watching it as it pa.s.sed the road under him, when of a sudden, he perceived about a dozen men rush out, and seize the horses' heads,-a discharge of firearms, the coachman dropped off the box, and the two footmen dropped from behind. The robbers then opened the door, and were hauling out the fat old lady covered with diamonds. Jack thought a second-it occurred to him, that although he could not cope with so many, he might frighten them, as he had frightened one set of robbers already that night. The old lady had just been tumbled out of the carriage-door, like a large bundle of clothes tied up for the wash, when Jack, throwing off his cloak, and advancing to the edge of the precipice, with the full moon behind him throwing out his figure in strong relief, raised his trident, and just as they were raising their knives, yelled a most unearthly ”ha, ha, ha, ha!” The robbers looked up, and forgetting the masquerade, for there is a double tremor in guilt, screamed with fear; most of them ran away, and dropped after a hundred yards; others remained paralysed and insensible. Jack descended the hill, went to the a.s.sistance of the old lady, who had swooned, and had to put her into the carriage; but although our hero was very strong, this was a work of no small difficulty. After one or two attempts, he lowered down the steps and contrived to b.u.mp her on the first, from the first he purchased her on the second, and from the second he at last seated her at the door of the carriage. Jack had no time to be over-polite. He then threw her back into the bottom of the carriage, her heels went up to the top, Jack shoved in her petticoats as fast as he could, for decency, and then shutting the door seized the reins, and jumped upon the box. ”I don't know the way,” thought Jack, ”but we must needs go when the devil drives”; so sticking his trident into the horses, they set off at a rattling pace, pa.s.sing over the bodies of the two robbers, who had held the reins, and who both lay before him in a swoon. As soon as he had brought the horses into a trot, he slackened the reins, for, as Jack wisely argued, they will be certain to go home if I let them have their own way The horses, before they arrived at the town, turned off, and stopped at a large country house. That he might not frighten the people, Jack had put on his cloak, and taken off his mask and head-piece, which he had laid beside him on the box. At the sound of the carriage-wheels the servants came out, when Jack, in few words, told them what had happened. Some of the servants ran in, and a young lady made her appearance, while the others were helping the old lady out of the carriage, who had recovered her senses, but had been so much frightened that she had remained in the posture in which Jack had put her.

As soon as she was out, Jack descended from the coach-box and entered the house. He stated to the young lady what had taken place, and how opportunely he had frightened away the robbers, just as they were about to murder her relation; and also suggested the propriety of sending after the servants who had fallen in the attack; which was immediately done by a strong and well-armed party collected for the occasion. Jack, having made his speech, made a very polite bow and took his leave, stating that he was an English officer belonging to a frigate in the harbour. He knew his way back, and in half an hour was again at the inn, and found his comrades. Jack thought it advisable to keep his own secret, and therefore merely said, that he had taken a long walk in the country; and soon afterwards went to bed.

The next morning our hero, who was always a man of his word, packed up his portmanteau, and paid his bill. He had just completed this heavy operation, when somebody wanted to speak to him, and a sort of half-clerical, half-legal sort of looking gentleman was introduced, who, with a starched face and prim air, said that he came to request in writing the name of the officer who was dressed as a devil, in the masquerade of the night before.

Jack looked at his interrogator, and thought of the priests and the Inquisition. ”No, no,” thought he, ”that won't do; a name I must give, but it shall be one that you dare not meddle with. A mids.h.i.+pman you might get hold of, but it's more than the whole island dare to touch a post-captain of one of his Majesty's frigates.” So Jack took the paper and wrote Captain Henry Wilson, of his Majesty's s.h.i.+p Aurora.

The prim man made a prim bow, folded up the paper and left the room.

Jack threw the waiter half a doubloon, lighted his cigar, and went on board.

CHAPTER XXV.

In which the old proverb is ill.u.s.trated, ”That you must not count your chickens before they are hatched.”

THE FIRST LIEUTENANT of the Aurora was a very good officer in many respects, but, as a mids.h.i.+pman, he had contracted the habit of putting his hands in his pockets, and could never keep them out, even when the s.h.i.+p was in a gale of wind; and hands are of some use in a heavy lurch. He had more than once received serious injury from falling on these occasions, but habit was too powerful; and, although he had once broken his leg by falling down the hatchway, and had moreover a large scar on his forehead, received from being thrown to leeward against one of the guns, he still continued the practice; indeed, it was said that once when it was necessary for him to go aloft, he had actually taken the two first rounds of the Jacob's ladder without withdrawing them, until, losing his balance, he discovered that it was not quite so easy to go aloft with his hands in his pockets. In fact, there was no getting up his hands, even when all hands were turned up. He had another peculiarity, which was, that he had taken a peculiar fancy to a quack medicine, called Enouy's Universal Medicine for all Mankind; and Mr Pottyfar was convinced in his own mind that the label was no libel, except from the greatness of its truth. In his opinion, it cured everything, and he spent one of his quarterly bills every year in bottles of this stuff; which he not only took himself every time he was unwell, but occasionally when quite well, to prevent his falling sick. He recommended it to everybody in the s.h.i.+p, and nothing pleased him so much as to give a dose of it to everyone who could be persuaded to take it. The officers laughed at him, but it was generally behind his back, for he became very angry if contradicted upon this one point, upon which he certainly might be considered to be a little cracked. He was indefatigable in making proselytes to his creed, and expatiated upon the virtues of the medicine, for an hour running, proving the truth of his a.s.sertions by a pamphlet, which, with his hands, he always carried in his trousers' pocket.

Jack reported himself when he came on board, and Mr Pottyfar, who was on the quarter-deck at the time, expressed a hope that Mr Easy would take his share of the duty, now that he had had such a spell on sh.o.r.e; to which Jack very graciously acceded, and then went down below, where he found Gascoigne and his new messmates, with most of whom he was already acquainted.

”Well, Easy,” said Gascoigne, ”have you had enough of the sh.o.r.e?' ”Quite,” replied Jack, recollecting that, after the events of the night before, he was just as well on board; ”I don't intend to ask for any more leave.”

”Perhaps it's quite as well, for Mr Pottyfar is not very liberal on that score, I can tell you; there is but one way of getting leave from him.”

”Indeed!” replied Jack; 'and what is that?” ”You must pretend that you are not well, take some of his quack medicine, and then he will allow you a run on sh.o.r.e to work it off.”

”Oh! that's it, is it? well then, as soon as we anchor in Valette, I'll go through a regular course, but not till then.'

”It ought to suit you, Jack; it's an equality medicine; cures one disorder just as well as the other.”

”Or kills-which levels all the patients. You're right, Gascoigne, I must atronise that stuff-for more reasons than one. Who was that person on deck in mufti?”

”The mufti, Jack; in other words, the chaplain of the s.h.i.+p, but he's a prime sailor, nevertheless.

”How's that?” ”Why, he was brought up on the quarter-deck, served his time, was acting lieutenant for two years, and then, somehow or another, he bore up for the church.”

”Indeed-what were his reasons?” ”No one knows-but they say he has been happy ever since.” ”Why so?' ”Because he did a very foolish thing, which cannot now be remedied. He supposed at the time that he would make a good parson, and now that he has long got over his fit, he finds himself wholly unfit for it-he is still the officer in heart, and is always struggling with his natural bent, which is very contrary to what a parson should feel.”

”Why don't they allow parsons to be broke by a court-martial, and turned out of the service, or to resign their commissions, like other people?'

”It won't do, Jack-they serve heaven-there's a difference between that and serving his Majesty.”

”Well, I don't understand these things. When do we sail?” ”The day after to-morrow.” ”To join the fleet of Toulon?” ”Yes: but I suppose we shall be driven on the Spanish coast going there. I never knew a man-of-war that was not.'

”No; wind always blows from the south, going up the Mediterranean.” ”Perhaps you'll take another prize, Jack-mind you don't go away without the articles of war.”

”I won't go away without Mesty, if I can help it. 0 dear, how abominable a mids.h.i.+pman's berth is after a long run on sh.o.r.e! I positively must go on deck and look at the sh.o.r.e, if I can do nothing else.”

”Why, ten minutes ago you had had enough of it?” ”Yes, but ten minutes here has made me feel quite sick. I shall go to the first lieutenant for a dose.”

”I say, Easy, we must both be physicked on the same day. ”To be sure; but stop till we get to Malta.” Jack went on deck, made acquaintance with the chaplain and some of the officers whom he had not known, then climbed up into the maintop, where he took a seat on the armolest, and, as he looked at the sh.o.r.e, thought over the events that had pa.s.sed, until Agnes came to his memory, and he thought only of her. When a mid is in love, he always goes aloft to think of the object of his affection; why, I don't know, except that his reverie is not so likely to be disturbed by an order from a superior officer.

The Aurora sailed on the second day, and, with a fine breeze, stood across, making as much northing as easting; the consequence was, that one fine morning they saw the Spanish coast before they saw the Toulon fleet. Mr Pottyfar took his hands out of his pockets, because he could not examine the coast through a telescope without so doing; but this, it is said, was the first time that he had done so on the quarter-deck from the day that the s.h.i.+p had sailed from Port Mahon. Captain Wilson was also occupied with his telescope, so were many of the officers and mids.h.i.+pmen, and the men at the mastheads used their eyes, but there was nothing but a few small fis.h.i.+ng- boats to be seen. So they all went down to breakfast, as the s.h.i.+p was hove-to close in with the land.

”What will Easy bet,” said one of the mids.h.i.+pmen, ”that we don't see a prize to-day?”

”I will not bet that we do not see a vessel-but I'll bet you what you please, that we do not take one before twelve o'clock at night.”

”No, no, that won't do-just let the teapot travel over this way, for it's my forenoon watch.”

”It's a fine morning,” observed one of the mates, of the name of Martin; ”but I've a notion it won't be a fine evening.”

”Why not?” inquired another. ”I've now been eight years in the Mediterranean, and know something about the weather. There's a watery sky, and the wind is very steady. If we are not under double-reefed topsails to-night, say I'm no conjurer.”

”That you will be, all the same, if we are under bare poles,” said another. ”You're devilish free with your tongue, MY youngster.-Easy, pull his ears for me.” ”Pull them easy, Jack, then,” said the boy, laughing. ”All hands make sail!” now resounded at the hatchways. ”There they are, depend upon it,” cried Gascoigne, catching up his hat and bolting out of the berth, followed by all the others except Martin, who had just been relieved, and thought that his presence in the waist might be dispensed with for the short time, at least, which it took him to swallow a cup of tea.

It was very true; a galliot and four lateen vessels had just made their appearance round the easternmost point, and as soon as they observed the frigate, had hauled their wind. In a minute the Aurora was under a press of canvas, and the telescopes were all directed to the vessels.

”All deeply laden, sir,” observed Mr Hawkins, the chaplain; ”how the topsail of the galliot is scored!”

”They have a fresh breeze just now,” observed Captain Wilson to the first lieutenant.

”Yes, sir, and it's coming down fast.” ”Hands by the royal halyards, there.” The Aurora careened with the canvas to the rapidly-increasing breeze. ”Top-gallant sheet and halyards.” ”Luff you may, quarter-master; luff, I tell you. A small pull of that weather maintop-gallant brace-that will do,” said the master.

”Top-men aloft there;-stand by to clew up the royals and, Captain Wilson, shall we take them in?-I'm afraid of that pole-it bends now like a coach-whip,” said Mr Pottyfar, looking up aloft, with his hands in both pockets.

”In royals-lower away.” ”They are going about, sir,” said the second lieutenant, Mr Haswell. ”Look out,” observed the chaplain, ”it's coming.” Again the breeze increased, and the frigate was borne down. ”Hands reef topsails in stays, Mr Pottyfar.” ”Aye, aye, sir-'bout s.h.i.+p.” The helm was put down and the topsails lowered and reefed in stays. ”Very well, my lads, very well indeed,” said Captain Wilson.

Again the topsails were hoisted and top-gallant sheets home It was a strong breeze, although the water was smooth, and the Aurora dashed through at the rate of eight miles an hour, with her weather leeches lifting.

”Didn't I tell you so?” said Martin to his messmates on the gangway ”but there's more yet, my boys.”

”We must take the top-gallant sails off her,” said Captain Wilson, looking aloft-for the frigate now careened to her bearings, and the wind was increasing and squally. ”Try them a little longer”; but another squall came suddenly-the halyards were lowered, and the sails clewed up and furled.

In the meantime the frigate had rapidly gained upon the vessels, which still carried on every st.i.tch of canvas, making short tacks insh.o.r.e. The Aurora was again put about with her head towards them, and they were not two points on her weather-bow. The sky, which had been clear in the morning, was now overcast, the sun was obscured with opaque white clouds, and the sea was rising fast. Another ten minutes, and then they were under double-reefed topsails and the squalls were accompanied with heavy rain. The frigate now dashed through the waves, foaming in her course, and straining under the press of sail. The horizon was so thick that the vessels ahead were no longer to be seen.