Part 7 (2/2)

”Why, he had a red coat and white belt,” etcetera, etcetera.

”I am afraid that won't help us,” said the first lieutenant, laughing.

”Ah! he thought himself very clever; but I know his name, I saw it on his musket. It was Tower!” exclaimed Pigeon triumphantly.

A general laugh followed this announcement, for Tower is the name engraved on all Government arms issued from the stores in that ancient fortress of London.

He used to find his way into the mids.h.i.+pmen's berth and to make himself quite at home, occupying the s.p.a.ce which, as Hemming observed, a better man might fill. Various devices were made to get clear of him. One of the officers had a horn with which he now and then startled the silence of the decks--a practice, by-the-bye, rather subversive of discipline.

One day, while Pigeon was in the berth, the horn was heard to sound.

”What's that?” he asked.

”Hurrah! the mail coach come in from Sicily,” exclaimed Jack, starting up and rus.h.i.+ng out. ”Come along, it's a sight worth seeing. You'll have letters by it to a certainty, Pigeon.”

Away rushed Pigeon up on deck, while Jack, amid the laughter of the rest of the occupants, returned to the berth. The captain and several of the gun-room officers were on deck, when Pigeon made his hasty appearance, and hurried eagerly to the side.

”What is the matter, Mr Pigeon?” asked Captain Lascelles.

”The mail from Sicily! the mail from Sicily!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Pigeon. ”Has it gone? Am I too late to see it?”

Even the captain could not help joining in the laugh which was raised against the once dictatorial bully of little boys at school.

”Oh, you have not missed it,” said Mr Thorn. ”Go down to the berth again, and say that we will call you when it heaves in sight.”

More mystified than ever, Pigeon returned to the berth, when he was welcomed with shouts still more vehement than those which had received him on deck. The place he had left was occupied, and no one offered to make room for him, or asked him to sit down--a pretty strong proof that he was not wanted. Such is the deserved fate of school bullies when they get into the world, and have their measures properly taken. Still the mids.h.i.+pmen had not done with him. Quirk, the monkey, had remained, on his good behaviour, part and parcel of the crew. For the sake of the men, with whom he was a decided favourite, any slight misdemeanours which they could not contrive to hide were generally overlooked. Quirk occasionally paid a visit to the mids.h.i.+pmen's berth, where he sat up at table cracking nuts, ”evidently under the impression,” as Jack observed, ”that he is one of us.” Quirk had soon struck up a friends.h.i.+p with the bear, who was a very tame beast, and could play almost as many antics as he could, only in a more sedate way. Wherever Quirk went, Bruin would endeavour to follow; and one day, while the mids.h.i.+pmen were at dinner, the latter, led by the monkey, was seen approaching the berth. Nuts and biscuits were held out. They were easily tempted in. Room was made for them, and they were regaled to their hearts' content on all the delicacies of the season which the men could produce.

”We'll have them again, and we'll have a friend to meet them,” exclaimed Jack.

”A bright idea!”

”Who?” was asked.

”Pigeon,” said Jack; and so it was settled.

That afternoon Mr Pigeon received a note written on pink scented paper, to the following effect:--

”The gentlemen of the mids.h.i.+pmen's berth request the pleasure of Mr Pigeon's company at dinner, to meet two distinguished foreigners, in every way worthy of his acquaintance and friends.h.i.+p.”

Pigeon asked the gun-room officers whether he ought to accept the invitation.

”Certainly, it will be an insult if you don't,” was the answer.

They might possibly have suspected that a joke was brewing, but they said nothing. The dinner-hour on the next day arrived. The berth was kept as dark as possible, and when Pigeon presented himself at the door he was ushered in in due form, and with unusual politeness handed to the upper end of the berth.

”Dinner!” cried the caterer. ”Bear a hand, boy.”

The mids.h.i.+pman's boy, who had been standing against the door, grinning from ear to ear, had to decamp.

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