Part 29 (1/2)
Scarcely half an hour had elapsed after this before Stella was once more on board the _Sarah Jane_. Sail was made, the anchor lifted, and the brig with a fair wind glided out of the harbour.
Murray continued on board her as far as he could venture to sea, but as he dared not be long absent from the _Supplejack_, he was at length compelled to return.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
STELLA AND THE MIDs.h.i.+PMEN SAIL FOR JAMAICA IN THE SARAH JANE--VOYAGE-- ARRIVAL--JACK'S DELIGHT AT RECOVERING TOM--STELLA GOES TO THE BRADSHAWS--HIGSON PROMOTED--THE PLANTAGENET AND TUDOR SAIL FOR CARTHAGENA--THEY QUICKLY SETTLE ALL DIFFICULTIES--PROCEED TO THE MOSQUITO Sh.o.r.e--BOAT EXPEDITION UP THE SAN JUAN DE NICARAGUA--NIGHT ENCAMPMENT--VISIT OF A PUMA--A CHASE--SCENERY OF THE RIVER--BIRDS AND MONKEYS--VOYAGE CONTINUED--AN UNPLEASANT BED ON AN ANTHILL--APPROACHING THE ENEMY--A SAD ACCIDENT--ALARM--THE CAPTAIN ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE THE DROWNING MEN--DOES NOT RETURN.
The _Sarah Jane_ meeting with fine weather and a fair wind glided rapidly across the Caribbean Sea. Higson felt proud of his first command, and soon gained that self-confidence which long years spent in a subordinate position had made him doubt that he possessed. The mids.h.i.+pmen supported him well, and Needham, who acted as boatswain,--and a more thorough man-of-war's-man never stepped,--a.s.sisted to keep the rest of the crew in good order. Tom Rogers was declared ”First Lieutenant,” and he walked the deck with all the air and consequence of one. He had already become a fair navigator, and Higson could depend on his calculations. Gordon was dubbed the ”Master,” and it was voted that Desmond should be ”Second Lieutenant.”
”I say,” exclaimed Tom, ”we ought to have a doctor, and so I propose that we give Master Spider the rating, since we haven't got a better one to fill the post; he at all events won't drench his patients with physic, and if he has to bleed them he will do it artistically with his teeth.” So Spider was dubbed ”Doctor” from henceforth. Higson appointed Archy Gordon also to do the duties of ”Purser,” so that he had plenty of occupation.
It was impossible to be more attentive to poor Miss O'Regan than were the young mids.h.i.+pmen, or more thoughtful in all they did. Although she still looked pale, she endeavoured to show her grat.i.tude whenever she came on deck by her cheerful conversation and her smile, which Desmond declared beat everything in the way of suns.h.i.+ne. The mids.h.i.+pmen enjoyed the voyage and quickly regained their strength, somewhat lost during their imprisonment; as to their spirits they were of too buoyant a nature to be kept down the moment the pressure was removed.
At length the Blue Mountains beyond the harbour of Port Royal appeared in sight, the sea breeze, which still blew fresh, wafting the brig rapidly towards the sh.o.r.e.
Miss O'Regan, with her faithful attendant by her side, seated on deck, watched with much interest the magnificent view which gradually rose before her eyes. The three mids.h.i.+pmen were standing near her.
”I cannot help hoping that the frigate and corvette have been sent to sea; if not, Higson will have pretty soon to give up his command, and we three, degraded from our rank, shall be ignominiously sent back into the mids.h.i.+pman's berth,” said Tom, with a laughable grimace.
”Then the sooner we make up our minds to sink into insignificance the better,” observed Desmond, who had a telescope to his eye. ”I make out clearly enough the frigate and corvette at anchor; however, we shall have a jolly time of it giving the other fellows an account of our adventures. I vote that we make old Scrofton believe that 'Master Spider' played a gallant part in the capture of the Carthagenan fleet, and led the boarders when we took the corvette.”
”But we didn't board at all, in the first place,” said Tom, ”so that won't be true to begin with.”
”No, but when one's about spinning a yarn it's as well to spin a good one,” answered Desmond.
”To my mind a joke's a joke, and a lie's a lie,” observed Tom.
”Although it would be very good fun to quiz old Scrofton, we certainly should not tell him what is not the truth, and I won't vote for anything of the sort.”
”Nor will I,” observed Gordon, ”and after all the adventures we have been preserved from, it's time that we should knock off our mids.h.i.+pmen's tricks. Where should we have been if my cousin Murray hadn't come in at the moment he did, and so bravely captured the fleet? We should to a certainty have been shot, as was the poor colonel.”
”Hus.h.!.+” said Tom, pointing to Miss O'Regan, ”she may hear us.” Paddy Desmond looked rather vexed. ”I don't consider humbugging an old bo'sun telling a lie, as you choose to call it,” he said, turning away.
”Truth is truth, Paddy, though,” answered Tom; ”I didn't mean to offend you, and I dare say we shall get a rise out of old Scrofton without descending to falsehood.” Paddy's anger was as usual quickly appeased, and he joined in the hearty laughter which ”Master Spider” produced, as at that moment he came hopping aft rigged in a white s.h.i.+rt with blue turn-down collar, white trousers, a straw hat secured to the top of his head, and a wooden cutla.s.s made fast to one of his paws, and which, in his efforts to free himself from it, he appeared to be flouris.h.i.+ng about as if engaged in mortal combat.
”There!” exclaimed Paddy, ”if he didn't board the Dons he shows that he would have done so if we had run them alongside, and he would precious soon have driven them overboard.”
Even Stella could not help indulging in a smile such as had not for a long time lighted up her countenance, while Polly clapped her hands, and shrieked with laughter.
Gradually the fortifications and buildings of Port Royal and the long line of the Palisades appeared in sight, and the brig pa.s.sing close round the works of Fort Charles steered in and anch.o.r.ed a short distance from the frigate. Blue Peter was flying from the mastheads of both s.h.i.+ps, a signal that they were about to put to sea, so there was no time to be lost. Higson ordered a boat to be lowered, and leaving the brig in charge of Needham, accompanied by the three mids.h.i.+pmen, pulled alongside the frigate. Stella naturally preferred remaining on board the brig until she could be conveyed to Kingston.
Captain Hemming was on sh.o.r.e, but Mr Cherry and Jack Rogers were on board, while Adair was seen walking the deck of the corvette.
”A boat coming alongside, sir,” sang out Norris, addressing Jack, who was officer of the watch, ”and if I can believe my eyes, there's Higson, with your brother, and Gordon, and Paddy Desmond in her.” The announcement produced no small excitement on board, all who heard it hurrying to have a look at the three long-lost mids.h.i.+pmen.
Jack, his warm heart beating with joy, rushed to the gangway. He was soon shaking hands with Tom and his companions, who were warmly welcomed by their other s.h.i.+pmates. Spider, who had accompanied them, made his own way up the side, and seated on the hammock nettings, holding on by a backstay, was received with shouts of laughter by his old friends, he chattering away, seemingly as glad to see them as they were to greet him. Singling old Ben s.n.a.t.c.hblock, with whom he had been a favourite, he sprang on his shoulders and was quickly carried in triumph forward, where he was lost to sight among the crew, who gathered round him as school girls are wont to do round a small child introduced amongst them.
Higson and the mids.h.i.+pmen were in the meantime relating their adventures as rapidly as their tongues could wag; as soon as they had given a brief outline of them, they inquired what had occurred during their absence.
The corvette had been repaired. Commander Babbicome, though still as much afraid of the West India climate as at first, had not resigned, as it was thought he would do. Her complement had been made up of the crew of two merchant vessels wrecked on the coast, with other volunteers, and a few hands from the frigate, and they were now only waiting the return of Captain Hemming to proceed to the southward, application having been made by her Britannic Majesty's consul at Bluefields on the Mosquito sh.o.r.e for the a.s.sistance of some s.h.i.+ps of war, to protect British interests in that part of the world. A variety of outrages and insults of which he complained having been offered to Englishmen, work of some sort it was expected would be cut out for them, and all hands were delighted at the thoughts of having something in the way of fighting to do.