Part 13 (1/2)
”It is the wind first blowing off fro fro certain hours of the day, which it does regularly every twenty-four hours This is also the effect of the heat of the sun The sea breeze co, and in the afternoon it dies ahen the land breeze coht”
”There are latitudes close to the trade-winds,” said Ready, ”where the wind is not certain, where shi+ps have been becalmed for weeks; the crews have exhausted the water on board, and they have suffered dreadfully We call them the Horse latitudes - why, I do not know But it is tio into the house”
They returned home, and after supper Ready went on with his narrative
”I left off at the time that I was sent on board of the man-of-war, and I was put down on the books as a supernumerary boy I was on board of her for nearly four years, and ere sent about fro, tall lad, and was put into the mizen-top I found it very comfortable I did my duty, and the consequence was, I never was punished; for apunished, if he only does his duty, and the duty is not very hard either; not like on board of the merchant vessels, where there are so few hands - there it is hard work Of course, there are some captains who coood fortune to be with a very ed to punish the h he would not overlook any i which was a source of constant unhappiness to ain, and see my mother I had written two or three letters, but never had an answer; and at last I became so impatient that I deterht offer We were then stationed in the West Indies, and I had very often consultations with Hastings on the subject, for he was quite as anxious to get away as I was; and we had agreed that ould start off together the very first opportunity At last we anchored in Port Royal, Jae convoy of West India shi+ps, laden with sugar, about to sail iet on board of one, they would secrete us until the tih, thepressed every man they could lay their hands upon There was but one chance, and that was by swiht-tih, as they were anchored not a hundred yards from our own shi+p What ere afraid of was the sharks, which were so plentiful in the harbour However, the night before the convoy was to sail we made up our minds that ould run the risk, for ere so i It was in the middle watch - I recollect it, and shall recollect it all ht - that ered ourselves down very softly from the bows of the shi+p, and as soon as ere in the water we struck out for one of the West Indiaht in the water h it, and he hailed, of course; we gave no answer, but swam as fast as we could; for after he had hailed we heard a bustle, and we knew that the officer of the watch was ht hold of the cable of the West Indiaman, and was about to clis, when I heard a loud shriek, and, turning round, perceived a shark plunging doith Hastings in his jaws I was so frightened, that for a short tian to climb up by the cable as fast as I could I was just in tih I was clear out of the water ht ave th, and in a second or two afterwards I was up at the hawse-holes, and theover the bows, and had witnessed poor Hastings' death, helped me on board, and hurried me down below, for the boat froside When the officer of the boat came on board, they told him they had perceived us both in the water, close to their vessel, and that the sharks had taken us down As the shriek of Hastings was heard by the people in the boat, the officer believed that it was the case, and returned to the shi+p I heard the druht ascertain ere the two men who had attempted to say, and a fewput down D D against s”
”What does D D ed from the service; D D stands for dead,” replied Ready; ”and it was only through the mercy of Providence that I was not so”
”It was a rave
”Yes, indeed, sir; I can hardly describe my sensations for some hours afterwards I tried to sleep, but could not - I was in agony The ht the shark had hold of me, and I would start up and shriek; and then I said ain, but it was of no use The captain of the West Indiaman was afraid that my shrieks would be heard, and he sent me down a tumbler of rum to drink off; this composed me, and at last I fell into a sound sleep When I awoke, I found that the shi+p was under weigh and with all canvas set, surrounded by more than a hundred other vessels; the uns and ht, and ere bound for Old England I felt so happy, that I thought I would risk the jaws of another shark to have regainedonce o to Newcastle and see my poor mother”
”I aood, Ready,” observed Mrs Seagrave, ”if you got over it so soon”
”Indeed,which the first sight of the vessels under weigh for England produced upon me I can honestly say that I was a better and ht, when I was in my hammock, I prayed very fervently; and there happened to be a very good old Scotchman on board, the second mate, who talked very seriously to me, and pointed out hoonderful had been my preservation, and I felt it It was he who first read the Bible with me, and made me understand it, and, I e home as a seaman before the mast, and the captain was pleased with ow, and we parted company with the convoy at North Foreland, and arrived safe in port The captain took uineas for e home; and as soon as I received the money, I set off for Newcastle as fast as I could I had taken a place on the outside of the coach, and I entered into conversation with a gentleed to Newcastle, and I first inquired if Mr Masterman, the shi+p-builder, was still alive He told me that he had been dead about three months `And to whom did he leave his money?' I asked, `for he was very rich, and had no kin' `He had no relations,' replied the gentleman, `and he left all his money to build an hospital and almshouses He had a partner in his business latterly, and he left the yard and all the stores to him, I believe, because he did not knohom to leave it to There was a lad whom I knew for certain he intended to have adopted and to have made his heir - a lad of the name of Ready; but he ran away to sea, and has never been heard of since It is supposed that he was lost in a prize, for he was traced so far Foolish boy that he was He ht now have been a man of fortune'
”`Very foolish indeed,' replied I
”`Yes; but he has harmed more than himself His poor mother, who doted upon hirees, and--'
”`You don't entle at me with surprise; `she died last year of a broken heart'
”I fell back on the luggage behind entleman had not held me He called to the coachman to pull up the horses, and they took me down, and put me inside; and as the coach rolled on, I cried as if my heart would break”
Ready appeared so rave proposed that he should leave off his history for the present
”Thank you, sir, it will be better; for I feelin after-life to reflect upon, that your foolish conduct has hastened the death of a ive you the truth for your advantage”
Chapter XL
A few gs in her apron, which she had found in the hen-house
”Look, Missy Seagrave - fowls lay eggs - soon have plenty - plenty for Master Williaain - and plenty for chickens by and by”
”You haven't taken them all out of the nests, Juno; have you?”
”No; leave one in each nest for hen to see”
”`Well, then, ill keep them for Williaain”
”I a now, mother,” replied Willias for the hens to sit upon”
”No, no, Willia early chickens”
For a few days Mr Seagrave and Ready were eun to sprout up along with the seeds which had been sown; during which tiht in three or four eggs regularly; but on the third day there were none to be found On the fourth day the hens appeared also not to have laid, rave; as when hens co, when they sat down to breakfast, Master Torave asked where he was
”I suspect, , ”that Tommy will not come either to his breakfast or his dinner to-day”
”What can you rave
”Why, ht it very odd that there were no eggs, and I thought it probable that the hensto search I could not find any eggs, but I found the egg-shells, hid under soued, that if an anis, it would not have been so careful to hide the egg-shells So, this , I fastened up the door of the hen-house, and only left open the little sliding door, by which the fowls go in to roost; and then, after you were up, I watched behind the trees, and saw Too to the hen-house He tried the door, and finding it fast, crept into the hen-house by the little sliding-door As soon as he was in I let down the slide, and fastened it with a nail; so there he is, caught in his own trap”
”And there shall he rerave
”Yes, it will serve hirave; ”and be a lesson to hirave, Ready, and Williarave and Juno, with little Caroline, were busy indoors To; but it was of no use, no one paid any attention to hiain, but with as little success: it was not till the evening that the door of the hen-house was opened, and Tommy permitted to come out He looked very foolish; and sat down in a corner without speaking
”Well, Tos did you suck to-day” said Ready
”Tos any more,” said the urchin
”No, you had better not,” replied Mr Seagrave, ”or you will find, in the end, that you will have less to eat, instead of more, as you have this day”
Tommy waited very quietly and very sulkily till supper was ready, when he made up for lost time After which Ready continued his narrative
”I told you, Williaentleman on the coach that my mother had died of a broken heart, in consequence of ony until I arrived at Newcastle, where I could ascertain all the facts connected with her decease When the coach stopped, the gentleman, who had remained outside, came to the coach door, and said to me, `If I mistake not, you are Masterman Ready, who ran away to sea; are you not?' `Yes, sir,' replied I, very sorrowfully, `I am' `Well,and thoughtless, and certainly had no idea that you would have distressed yourto sea, but the report of your death, which preyed so much upon her mind; and that was not your fault Youto say to you'
”`I will call upon you to- until I talk to the neighbours and visit rave It is very true that I did not intend to distress my mother; and that the report ofthat, if I had not been so thoughtless, she would be still alive and happy' The gentleaveI then went to the house my mother used to live in I knew that she was not there; yet I was disappointed and annoyed when I heard hter within I looked in, for the door was open; in the corner where le, and toe table; and when they cried out to hed atcottage, the inmates of which had been very intimate with my mother I found the wife at home, but she did not know me; and I told her who I was She had attendedher illness, till the day of her death; and she told me all I wished to know It was some little relief to my mind to hear that my poor mother could not have lived, as she had an incurable cancer; but at the sahts, and that my name was the last word on her lips She also said that Mr Masterman had been very kind toI then asked her to shohere my mother had been buried She put on her bonnet, and led rave, and then, at my request, she left me I seatedand bitterly did I weep her loss and pray for forgiveness
”It was quite dark when I left the spot and went back to the cottage of the kind woman who had attended my mother I conversed with her and her husband till late, and then, as they offeredI went to keep entleman whom I had met in the coach: I found by the brass plate on the door that he was a lawyer He desired me to sit down, and then he closed the door carefully, and having asked me many questions, to ascertain if I was really Masterman Ready, he said he was the person employed at Mr Masterreat consequence, as it proved that the insurance of the vessel which had belonged to my father and Mr Masterman, and which had been lost, had not been made on Mr Masterman's share only, but upon my father's as well, and that Mr Masterman had defrauded my mother He said he had found the paper in a secret drawer so dead, and I being supposed to be dead, he did not see any use in reeable a circumstance; but that, now I had re-appeared, it was his duty so to do, and that he would arrange the matter for me, if I pleased, with the corporation of the town, to whom all Mr Masterman's property had been left in trust to build an hospital and almshouses He said that the insurance on the vessel was three thousand pounds, and that one-third of the vessel belonged to my father, so that a thousand pounds were due to him, which the interest for so many years would increase to above two thousand pounds This was good news for reed to all he proposed He set to work at once, and having called together the mayor and corporation of the town, and proved the docureed that I was entitled to the money, and that it should be paid to me without any contest Thus you see, Master William, was a new temptation thrown in my way”
”How do you mean a temptation? It surely was very fortunate, Ready,” said William
”Yes, Willia to the ideas of the world; every one congratulated ood fortune, that I forgot all the proood life, which I rave Now do you perceive why I called it a temptation, Master Williarave, ”riches and prosperity in this world prove often the greatest of temptations; it is adversity that chastens and amends us, and which draws us to God”
”As soon as the an to squander it away in all manner of folly Fortunately, I had not received it uardian angel to save me As soon as I had made known to him what had taken place, he reasoned with me, pointed out tomyself for life, and proposed that I should purchase a part of a vessel, on condition that I was captain of her I liked this idea verya fool ofonly restrained , not ate at one time, I had latterly paid no attention I told Sanders this, and he replied, that if I would take hiot over, as he could navigate well, and that I could learn to do so in the first voyage; so all was arranged
”Fortunately, I had not spent above one hundred pounds of the ow in co about for a vessel that would suit At last, he found that there was one ready for launching, which, in consequence of the failure of the house for which it was built, was to be sold Hefound as likely to purchase her - that it was a very safe and respectable firm - he made a proposal for me that I should take one-fourth share of her, and command her As Sanders was very respectable, and well known to be a steady man, his recommendation was attended to so far that the parties wished to see and speak to ain was made I paid down my two thousand pounds for my share, and as soon as the vessel was launched, was very busy with Sanders, who her out The house which had purchased her with me was a West India firm, and the shi+p was of course intended for the West India trade I had two or three hundred pounds left, after I had paida venture onnautical instruments, &c I also fitted h Sanders had persuaded me to be rational, I was still puffed up with pride at the idea of being captain of reat a rise for one who had just before been a lad in the mizen-top of a man-of-war I dressed s on ers Indeed, as captain and part owner of a fine vessel, I was considered as somebody, and was often invited to the table of the other owners of the vessel I ell off, for my pay was ten pounds a ht produce, and my quarter-share of the profits of the vessel This may be considered as the most prosperous portion of my life; and so, if you please, ill leave off here for to-night, for I ”
Chapter XLI