CHAPTER FIVE.
CAPTAIN GILLESPIE COMES ABOARD.
"Oh!" I exclaimed at the same moment, drawing back hastily and tumblingover the boatswain, who with Adams was now busy hauling inboard thetackle of the disengaged cathead stopper. "I'm blinded!"
You see, I had been leaning over the bows, watching the operation ofletting go the anchor; and, as the ponderous mass of metal plunged intothe river, it sent up a column of spray on to the forecastle that cameslap into my face, drenching my clothes and wetting me almost to theskin at the same time.
"Whisht, ma bouchal!" cried Tim Rooney, laughing at my sorry plight as Ipicked myself up. "One'd think ye're kilt entoirely, wid all that rowye'r makin'! Ye'll niver be a sailor, Misther Gray-ham, if ye can'tstand a bit av fun!"
"Fun, you call it?" I rejoined, rather angrily, I must confess, lookingdown ruefully at my soaking suit. "Why, I'm wet through!"
"Niver moind that," replied he, still grinning, as was also Adams."Sure, it's ownly y'r say chris'nin', though it's pricious little av thesay there is, be the same token, in this dirthy shoal wather alongsideav us now."
"But, it is salt for all that," said I, having had an opportunity oftasting it's flavour, my mouth being wide open when I got the ducking."It is just like brine and even more nasty!"
Tim laughed all the more at the faces I made, as I spluttered and fumed,trying vainly to get rid of the taste; for, I had swallowed about half apint at least of the stuff.
"It ain't as good as Paydro's tay that we had jist now, is it?" heobserved consolingly. "Thare's too many did dogs an' cats an' otherpoor bastesesses in it for that, me bhoy; but, faix, ye jist wait tillwe gits into blue wather an' out av soundin's, it'll be a real traytefor ye to taste it thin."
"I don't know about that," I answered, getting over my little bit oftemper and laughing too, he gave such a knowing wink and looked socomical--as I daresay I did, with all the shine taken out of my newuniform--"I think I've had quite enough of it already."
I do not believe I could forget anything, however trivial, that occurredthat day, every incident connected with the ship and its surroundingsbeing stamped indelibly on my mind.
The bright February afternoon was already drawing to a close, the sunhaving set, as usual at that time of year, about half-past five o'clock,going down just as we were in all the bustle of "bringing up;" and, asthe Silver Queen had swung with the tide after anchoring, her head nowpointing up stream, looking back as it were on the course she had goneover, I had an uninterrupted view from where I stood on the forecastleof the western horizon, with the hazy city still apparent between. Inoticed how the warm crimson and orange tints of the after-glow changedgradually to the more sober tones of purple and madder and pale sea-green, marking the approach of evening, a soft semi-transparent mist thewhile rising from the surface of the water and blotting out one by onethe distant objects. It was still light enough, however, to seeeverything all round near where we were lying, we being then just offthe Lobster, midway in the stream, which at that point is about a milewide, with Gravesend on our left or "port" hand, and the frowning fortof Tilbury guarding the entrance to the river on our right.
All seemed very quiet, as if old Father Thames and those who went to andfro on his broad bosom were thinking of going to sleep; and thus, theshades of night slowly descended on the scene, hushing the spirit of thewaters to rest, the ebbing tide lapping its lullaby.
Two other vessels, large merchantmen both, were moored close to ours,and a tug far-away down the stream astern was toiling up wearily againstthe current with a long string of heavily-laden coal barges in tow, andmaking but poor headway judging from the long time she took to getabreast of us; while our own gallant little Arrow, which had pulled usalong so merrily to our anchorage, was lying-to, about a cable's lengthoff, waiting to see whether we would require her services any further,blowing off her superfluous steam in the meantime, with a turn of herpaddles every now and then to show that she was quite ready for morework.
These were all the signs of life afloat in our immediate vicinity on thewhilom teeming, busy tideway; and the shore on either side was equallystill, only an occasional light, twinkling here and there like a Will o'the Wisp, bearing evidence that some people were stirring, or beginningto wake up as the darkness grew, with that topsy-turvy habit which thosewho live on land have sometimes of turning day into night!
We aboard ship, though, preserved the regular ways of sea-folk; andbeyond myself and Tim Rooney, who remained behind on the forecastle, tokeep me company more than to act as look-out, I believe, not a soul wasto be seen on the upper deck of the Silver Queen during this last half-hour of the first dog-watch, now just expiring.
No, not a soul. For Mr Saunders, the second mate, with Matthews andthe other apprentices had started aft to their quarters the moment theanchor had been dropped and all things made snug forwards; Mr Mackayhad disappeared from the poop, having taken our river pilot down intothe cuddy for a glass of grog prior to his departure for the shore tomake his way back by land to the docks he had started from, unless hecould pick up a job of another vessel going up, and so "combine businesswith pleasure," as Sam Weeks remarked to Matthews with a snigger, as ifhe had said something extremely funny; while Adams and the other twosailors, the remaining hands we had aboard, had likewise proceededtowards the cuddy by the boatswain's advice to try and wheedle thesteward Pedro into giving them some tea, there not being as yet any cookin the ship to look after the messing arrangements of the crew, so thatthey were all adrift in this respect, having no proper provision madefor them.
Then, all was still inboard and out; nothing occurring, until,presently, the same boy I had noticed before, and who I found washelping the steward stowing provisions in the after-hold beneath thesaloon, came out from under the break of the poop at six o'clock tostrike the ship's bell, or "make it four bells," nautically speaking, inthe same way as he had done previously.
I think I can hear the sound now as I heard it that calm evening when wewere anchored off Gravesend. The "cling-clang, cling-clang!" of ourtocsin, tolling and telling the hour, being echoed by the "pong-pang,pong-pang!" of the merchantman lying near us, and that again answered asecond or so later by the "ting-ting, ting-ting!" of the other vesselfurther away, the different tones lingering on the air and seeming to melike the old church bells of Westham summoning the laggards of thecongregation to prayers. Father wasn't an extreme high churchman, orotherwise I would have said vespers!
After sunset, it grew colder, the wind coming from the eastwards up theopen reach of the river; and so, what with my wet things and standing solong on the forecastle I began to shiver. The boatswain noticed this onthe sound of the ship's bell waking him up from a little nap into whichhe had nearly fallen when things became quiet and I ceased to talk.
"Bedad ye're tremblin' all over, loike a shaved monkey wid the ag'ey,sure," he said as he yawned and stretched himself, rising from his seaton the knightheads, where he was supposed to be keeping a strict look-out in the absence of the other men from forward. "Why the dickensdon't ye go into the cuddy aft an' warrum y'rsilf, an' dhry y'r witclothes be the stowve there, youngster?"
"I was just thinking of it," I replied.
"Ye'd betther do it, that's betther nor thinkin'," he retorted; "or ilseye'll be catching a cowld an' gittin' them nasty screwmatics as makes mehowl av a winther sometimes."
As Tim spoke, I heard a splashing noise in the distance, with therattling sound of oars moving in the rowlocks; and, looking over thebows to the left, I noticed a large boat rowing rapidly up to us fromthe direction of Gravesend.
This boat, as it got nearer, seemed to be crammed full of men, itsgunwale being quite down to the water's edge with the weight of itshuman cargo.
In an instant, the thought flashed through my mind, ridiculous though itwas, that the ship was about to be boarded by pirates, my reading forsome time past, and especially during the last week or so when I wasassured of going to sea, having been mainly
confined to stories ofnautical adventure, in which such gentry generally played a prominentpart.
"Look, look, Mr Rooney!" I cried stopping my shivering and feeling allaglow with excitement. "Don't you see that boat there coming towards usto capture the ship?"
"Arrah, don't make a fool av y'rsilf, Misther Gray-ham," he answered,laughing and taking the matter quite coolly. "It's ownly goin' to thatYankee astern av us; but the tide bein' on the ebb, in course, they'vegot to make foorther up the strame towards this vessel, so as to fetchtheir own craft handsomely--d'ye see?"
He was mistaken, however, for the boat approached closer and closer tous, so that the occupants could be clearly distinguished; and, just asit came alongside, a man in the stern-sheets, who had been steering,stood up, still holding the yokelines, and hailed the ship.
"Silver Queen, ahoy!"
"Begorra, it's the skipper!" ejaculated Tim, recognising the voice atonce; and he then shouted out in a louder tone: "Aye, aye, Cap'enGillespie, it's the owld barquy, sure enough. Stand by, an' I'll haiveye a rhope in a brace av shakes!"
The quiet that had reigned on board now vanished; and all was bustle andactivity, the captain's loud hail having been heard by others besidesthe boatswain.
Almost before he had time to pitch the promised rope to the bowman ofthe boat so that it could drop down with the stream under the ship'scounter, Mr Mackay and the pilot appeared again on the poop; while theothers came out on to the main-deck, ready to receive the new-comers inseaman-like fashion, the second mate and Matthews taking up a positionjust amidships, abaft of the main-chains, where the side-ladder wasfixed, acting as a sort of guard of honour as it were.
First to appear on board, holding on to the side lines which the secondmate had thrown over within his reach, and stepping up the narrow andslippery ladder cleats as if he were ascending a comfortable staircase,only pausing an instant on the edge of the gunwale of the bulwarksbefore jumping down on the deck, was a tall spare man with a thin faceand high cheekbones, a long pointed nose being also a most prominentfeature. He had very scanty whiskers, too, and this seemed to make hisface look thinner and his nose longer, so that the latter resembled abird's beak.
This was Captain Gillespie, as I quickly learnt from the way MrSaunders and Matthews addressed him; Mr Mackay, meanwhile, giving him acordial salutation from the head of the poop, his proper place as theofficer in command, until his superior took the reins in his own hand,which as yet the captain did not offer to do.
"I hardly expected you so soon, sir," said Mr Mackay, leaning over therail. "We brought up earlier than I thought we should, the tidefetching us down in capital time."
"Aye, but I was on the look-out for ye, Mackay, for I told you I'd beaboard almost as you anchored; and, you know, when I say a thing I meana thing."
"Hear that now?" said Tim the boatswain to me in a loud whisper, hehaving come down from the forecastle after heaving a rope over to thosein the boat, and I following him to where the others were standing onthe deck. "Ye'll soon know owld Jock's ways. We allers calls him`Sayin's an' Maynins'; for that's what he's allars a-sayin'!"
While the captain was exchanging greetings with the mates and Matthews,my other two fellow apprentices being nowhere to be seen, another thinman followed him up the side-ladder from the boat, who, wearing a thickmonkey-jacket, looked a trifle less lean than Captain Gillespie; and tohim succeeded a shoal of sailors, nineteen clambering in on board afterhim.
Tim Rooney did not notice these much, only telling me that the one whocame immediately in the captain's wake was the "say," or channel pilot,who would con the ship for the remainder of her course down the riverand to the Downs beyond; and I may add that this individual was the onlythin pilot I have ever seen!
Rooney also said that the batch of men brought to complete our crewseemed "a tidy lot;" but when the last man stepped down from thebulwarks, he seemed a little more impressed, not to say excited.
"Bedad," he exclaimed sotto voce to me, "I'm blissid if the skipperar'n't picked up that Chinee cook we'd aboard two v'y'ges agone, owldChing Wang! There's his ugly yalle'r face now toorned this wayforeninst you, Misther Gray-ham. Begorra hee don't look a day oulder,if a troifle uglier since I sayed him last!"
"And is he a Chinaman?" I asked, full of curiosity; "a real, liveChinaman from the East?"
"Be jabers he is, ivery inch av him from his blissid ould pigtail, tiedup with a siezin' of ropeyarn, down to his rum wooden brogues an' all,the craythur!" replied Tim, stretching out his big hairy fist to theother, who had advanced on seeing him and stopped just abreast, hissaffron-coloured face puckered up into a sort of wrinkled smile ofpleasure at meeting an old shipmate like the boatswain, who said in hishearty way: "Hallo, ye ould son av a gun! Who'd a-thought av sayin' yeag'in in the ould barquey, Ching Wang? Glad ye're a-comin' with us, an'hopes ye're all roight!"
"Chin-chin, Mass' Looney," answered the Chinee, putting his monkey-likepaw into Tim's broad palm and shaking hands cordially in Englishfashion. "Me belly well, muchee sank you. Me fetchee chow-chow numberone chop when you wauchee."
"Aye, that's roight, me joker; if ye say that I gits me groob whin Iwants it, we'll be A1 friends an' have no squalls atwane us," said myfriend the boatswain as the Chinaman passed along the deck to theforward deck-house, entering the galley as if he knew the way well, Timadding as he got out of hearing: "The ig'rant haythin, he nivir canspake me name roight; allers callin' me `looney,' jist as if I wor ablissid omahdawn loike himsilf!"
Meanwhile, the other men who had come on board, most of whom were finestrapping fellows, as if Captain Gillespie had selected them carefully,scrambled past us to their quarters in the forecastle, the boatswainscanning them keenly with his sharp seaman's eye as they went by, andcommenting on their appearance; some being sturdy and having decentchests of clothes, which they lugged after them, while others lookedlean and half starved, carrying their few belongings in bags, whichshowed that they had little or nothing beyond what they stood up in, andwere but ill provided for the long voyage we were about to take.
Tim shook his head at these latter.
"Begorra, thay're as lane as Job's toorkey, an' that wor all skin an'faythers," he muttered. "Thay'll pick up, though, whin they gits out tosay an' has a good bit av salt joonk insoide av 'em, instid av the poorlivin' thay've hid av late."
As soon as the men had all disappeared under the forecastle, leavingroom for us to pass along the deck, the boatswain stepped up to thecaptain to present himself; and I followed his example.
"Hi, Rooney, man," said Captain Gillespie accosting Tim, "I'm glad youhaven't deserted us; though I knew it before, for I heard your voiceanswering my hail."
"No, cap'en, I'll niver desart the ould ship so long's ye're theskipper," replied Tim. "It's goin' on foive years now since we'vesailed togither."
"Aye, close on that; and I hope we'll sail together for five years more,man, for I don't wish a better bosun," responded the other pleasantly."But, who's that you've got in tow?"
"Misther Gray-ham, sorr," said Tim, shoving me more in front as I tookoff my cap and bowed.
"Our new apprentice," explained Mr Mackay from the top of the poopladder as he caught sight of me. "He came aboard just before we leftthe docks."
"Ah, I thought I didn't see him this morning," observed the captain.And turning to me he said: "I've read a very good letter the owners gotabout you, youngster, and if you only do your duty and obey orders I'lltry to make a sailor out of you, and we'll get on very well together;but, mind you, if you try any tricks with me, you'll find me ascorcher."
"Oh, I think he'll turn out all right," put in Mr Mackay as I blushedand stood before the old fellow not knowing what to say, he looked sostern at me when he spoke. "I've had a chat with him already, and Ithink he's got the right stuff in him."
"Has he?" returned the captain. "That's got to be proved by and by.All boys promise well at first, but generally end badly! However, Ionly want him to understand me at the start,
and know that when I say athing I mean a thing, and stick to it, too. Where are the other'prentices?"
"I told them they might turn in, as there was nothing else for them todo," replied the first mate, excusing them; "they were hard at it allday getting the cargo in, and helping to warp out of dock."
"H'm," muttered the captain, as if he did not like the idea of anyonehaving a rest off while he was about; and he compressed his lips whilehis long nose seemed to grow longer. "H'm!"
"What do you think of doing sir?" inquired Mr Mackay in the middle ofthis awkward pause, by way of changing the conversation. "The windlooks as if it was going to hold from the east'ard."
"Aye, so I think, too," assented Captain Gillespie, looking more amiableas his mind was recalled to action. "It's just the wind we want forgoing down Channel; and the sooner we take advantage of it, the better.What say you pilot?"
"I'm agreeable," replied the thin man alongside him in the monkey-jacket, who was giving some parting message to the one in the oilskin ashe went down the side-ladder to take a passage back to Gravesend in theshoreboat that had brought his comrade off. "I think we'd better loseno time but tow on at once to the Downs."
"Just what I wish," said Captain Gillespie springing up the poop ladderand taking his place by the side of Mr Mackay; and, as the shoreboatpushed off with its now solitary passenger and only one waterman topull, he shouted out, "Hands, up anchor!"
"Aye, aye, sorr," responded the boatswain, who, expecting the order, hadalready gone forwards to rouse out the men before they had stowedthemselves into their bunks, quickly followed by Mr Saunders the secondmate, who also anticipated what was coming; and the next moment I couldhear Tim's shrill whistle and his hoarse call, which seemed an echo ofthe captain's, albeit in even a louder key, "A-all hands up anchor!"
Mr Mackay now hailed the tug, which had been standing by still with hersteam up, awaiting our summons, and she steered up alongside shortly;so, while our portion of the crew manned the windlass, hauling in thecable with a chorus and the clink-clanking noise of the chain as thepauls gripped, another set of hands busied themselves in getting in thetowing-hawser from the Arrow, and fastening it a second time around ourbollards forward.
"Hove short, sir!" soon sang out the second mate from his station on theknightheads, when the anchor was up and down under our forefoot. "It'llshow in a minute!"
"All right," answered Captain Gillespie from aft, "bring it home!"
More clink-clanking ensued from the windlass; and, then, as the vessel'shead slewed round with the tide, showing that she was released from theground, Mr Saunders shouted, "Anchor's now in sight, sir!"
"Heave ahead!" the captain roared in answer to the master of the tug;and, a second or two later, we were under weigh and proceeding once moredown the river, Captain Gillespie calling to the second mate that hemight "cat and fish" the anchor if he liked, as he did not intend tobring up again, but to make sail as soon as the tug cast off in themorning. Adding, as Mr Saunders turned away to give the order formanning the catfalls: "And you'd better see to your side-lights at once,for fear of accidents."
Mindful of my previous experiences on the forecastle, I now kept awayfrom this part of the vessel, especially now that it was crowded withthe additional hands that had come on board; and after remaining forsome little time near the deck-house, I went up on the poop after thenew pilot, who as soon as we were moving took up a similar position onthe weather side as his predecessor had done, proceeding likewise to conthe ship in the same manner.
The evening was rapidly drawing in; and the big red and green lanterns,which I noticed were placed presently in the fore-chains on the port andstarboard sides respectively, began to shoot out their party-colouredgleams across the surface of the water, stretching out to meet thebright twinkling lights ashore on either hand, which multiplied fourfoldas the darkness grew.
Adams was not at the wheel now, one of the fresh hands having taken hisplace. But I did not mind this man being a stranger, nor did I feel solonesome and anxious for someone to speak to as was the case earlier inthe day; for Captain Gillespie having taken command of the ship, MrMackay the first mate was a free man, and he came and talked to me,explaining things very kindly as we pursued our way onward, the tidestill with us and adding considerably to the rate we were being towed bythe little Arrow, which had red and green side-lights like ours and abright clear white one at the masthead as well, to show to other craftthat she was a steamer under weigh, so that they might avoid fouling inthe fairway.
An hour or so after starting from Gravesend, we passed a bright redbeacon, which Mr Mackay told me was the light marking the Mucking Flat;and, later on yet, glided by the one on Chapman Head, getting abreast ofthe light at the head of Southend Pier on our left at ten o'clock, or"four bells" in the first watch--soon after which, the revolving lightof the Nore lightship was sighted, like a single-eyed Cyclops, staringat us in the distance one moment and eclipsed the next.
The moon now rose, putting all these artificial lights to shame as itflooded the stream with its silver sheen; but I got so sleepy with thenight air after all my excitement through the day, besides beingthoroughly exhausted from standing so long on my legs, that, as MrMackay was pointing out something in connection with Sheerness and theIsle of Sheppey, and a light house on top of a church--I'm sure I can'trecollect what it was all about--I made a stumble forward and nearlyfell on my face on the deck, dead beat.
"Poor little chap, you're tired out," said the first matesympathisingly, putting his arm round me and holding me up; "and when afellow's tired out, the best thing he can do is to turn in!"
"Eh, sir," said I sleepily. "Turn where?"
"Turn in, my boy," he replied laughing. "Go to roost, I mean. To bed--if you understand that better."
"But where shall I go, sir?" I asked, catching his meaning at last.
"Come along and I'll soon show you," he answered, taking me down thepoop ladder to the after-deckhouse, and hailing the steward to show alight: "There!"
It was a little narrow box of a cabin with four bunks in it, two on oneside running athwart the deck and two fore and aft. The ends of thesecrossed each other, and they looked exactly like shelves in a cupboard;while, to add to the effect and trench on the already limited space ofthis apartment, the floor was blocked up by two other sea-chests besidesmy own, and a lot of loose clothes and other things strewn about.
The two bottom bunks were already occupied, Jerrold and Sam Weekssnoring away respectively in them; and one of the two upper ones wasfilled with what looked like a collection of odds and ends and crockeryware.--This was the situation.
What was I to do?
I looked at Mr Mackay appealingly.
"Well, Graham," he said in answer to my look, "you must make the best ofa bad job. These two fellows have turned in first, so, as you're thelast comer you've only got Dobson's choice in the matter of bunks--thattop one there, which seems a little less crowded than the other, ornothing."
"I'm so weary," I replied, "I can sleep anywhere. I don't mind."
"Then, in you go," cried he, giving me a hoist up, while he covered meover with a blanket which he pulled off young Weeks, that worthy havingwith his customary smartness appropriated mine as well as his own. "Areyou all right now?"
"Yes--th-ank you," I answered, closing my eyes; "g-ood night, sir."
"Good night, my boy."
"Goo-goo-oo-ah!" I murmured drowsily, falling asleep in the middle bothof a yawn and of my sentence, only to wake again the next moment--itseemed to me--from a horrible dream, in which I was assailed by a crowdof savages, who were dancing round me with terrible cries and just goingto make an end of me, for they were pulling and hauling away at me andshaking me to pieces!
And, strange to say, my first waking impression appeared to confirm thestory of my dream; for there really was an awful noise going on allround and a yellow tawny face was bending over me looking into mine, allthe yellower from the bright sunlight that streamed th
rough the opendoor of the cabin fall upon it, while the owner of the face was shakingme and calling out close to my ear in a strange dialect, "Hi, lillypijjin, rousee and bittee!"