Part 1 (2/2)
DR MACAULAY, FOUNDER OF ”BOY'S OWN PAPER”
CHAPTER ONE
PREPARING TO START
No steaht of, when our young friends Jack, Tom, and Bill lived They first ate, on the deck of which shi+p a score of other lads and some fifty or sixty men were mustered, who had just co been on a cruise to collect such stray hands as could be found; and a curious lot they were to look at
A-shore fellows in s-tails and round hats, fisher boots and flushi+ng coats; and not a fehose whitey-brown faces, and close-cropped hair, uess that their last residence ithin the walls of a gaol There were seae,passed since they left their native land; that they did not look especially amiable was not to be wondered at, since they had been prevented fro, as they had intended, to visit their friends, or -expected spree on shore They were all noaiting to be inspected by the first lieutenant, before their names were entered on the shi+p's books
The rest of the creere going about their various duties Most of theallant frigate During that tih she had coreatly thinned her shi+p's company, and the captain was therefore anxious to make up the complement as fast as possible by every means in his power
The seah some of them had been much of the same description the this, or of talking of their previous histories; they had, however, got worked into shape by degrees: and the newcoone through the sauished from the older hands, except, rummet, when their clumsy ould shohat they were; few of them either were likely ever to be the outermost on the yard-arht, while it was blowing great guns and sate lay at Spithead She had been waiting for these hands to put to sea Lighters were alongside, and whips were never-ceasingly hoisting in casks of rum, with bales and cases of all sorts, which it seemed impossible could ever be stoay Froestat the top of their voices, issuing and repeating orders; but there were two persons who out-roared all the rest, the boatswain and the boatswain's mate They were proud of those voices of theirs Let the hardest gale be blowing, with the wind howling and whistling through the rigging, the canvas flapping like claps of thunder, and the seas roaring and dashi+ng against the bows, they could make themselves heard above the loudest sounds of the storm
At present the boatswain bawled, or rather roared, because he was so accustoentler voice while carrying on duty on deck; and the boatswain's ood voice of his own, though it was not so rough as that of his inferiors He made it come out with a quick, sharp sound, which could be heard from the poop to the forecastle, even with the wind ahead
Jack, Tooing to happen They were all three of about the saht, and so close together
They were too htened, to talk just then, though they all three had tongues in their heads, so they listened to the conversation going on around the-shore chap of one of the whitey-brown-faced gentlemen
”Oh, I've jist dropped from the clouds; don't knohere else I've coot your hair cropped off as you came doas the next query
”Yes! it was the wind did it as I ca down,” answered the other, as evidently never at a loss what to say ”And now, et on board this craft?” he inquired
”I swam off, of course, seized with a fit of patriotisland,” was the answer
It cannot, however, be said that this is a fair specimen of the conversation; indeed, it would benefit no one as said to be repeated
Jack, Toht be supposed to do who had dropped froe and bewildering, for not one of them had ever before been on board a shi+p, and Bill had never even seen one Having not been much accustomed to the appearance of trees, he had sorew out of the deck, that the yards were branches, and the blocks curious leaves; not that amid the fearful uproar, and what see clearly
Bill Rayner had certainly not been born with a silver spoon in his arret and died in a garret, although not before, happily for hi for himself, and, still ht principles on hisher boy's hands and looking earnestly into his eyes, she said, ”Be honest, Bill, in the sight of God Never forget that He sees you, and do your best to please Him No fear about the rest I aht If others try to persuade you to do what's wrong, don't listen to them Promise me, Bill, that you will do as I tell you”
”I promise, mother, that I will,” answered Bill; and, small lad as he was,a woht hireat adept at any of those arts, but he possessed the groundwork, which was an ie by reading sign-boards, looking into book-sellers' s, and studying any stray leaves he could obtain
Bill's h shell by the parish, and Bill went out into the world to seek his fortune He took to curious ways,-- hunting in dust-heaps for anything worth having; running errands when he could get any one to send hi duty as a link-boy at houses when grand parties were going forward or during foggy weather; for Bill, though he often went supperless to his nest, either under a market-cart, or in a cask by the river side, or in soed to have a little capital hich to buy a link; but the said capital did not growsed it all up
Bill, as are many other London boys, was exposed to te, without a roof to sleep under, or a friend to who too scanty to keep hi hiswandered farther east than he had ever been before, he found hi off a party of e One of thethat matters could not be ly accoh he had very little notion where they were going Reaching a boat, they were et away; but a gentle prick from the point of a cutlass, or a clout on the head, ned to their fate One of theot soht and left at theoverboard, and before the boat could be pulled round had already got back nearly half-way to the landing-place
One or two of the press-gang, who hadback as he saw the escaped the first volley, and by the tiained such a distance that the shot spattered into the water on either side of hi so on, the gloom concealed him from view
They kneever, that he must have landed in safety from the cheers which came from off the quay, uttered by the croho had followed the press-gang, hooting them as they embarked with their captives