Ben Burton: Born and Bred at Sea

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  Directly the crew of the prow discovered the frigate they lowered thesails, and getting out the oars, began to pull her head round in thedirection of the wind's eye. At that moment, however, the chase had gotclose to the frigate.

  "She is telling her what sort of gentry we are, and depend upon it shewill be after us directly," said Kiddle.

  He was right, apparently, for immediately the frigate's head sails wereseen shivering in the breeze, and slowly coming about, she stood towardsus on the other tack. The other prows discovered her at the same momentthat we did, and were now pulling away as fast as their crews could urgethem through the water. The frigate, as she approached, began firingfrom her foremost guns. Had one of her shots struck us between wind andwater, it would have sent us to the bottom. As to the prows escaping,it seemed scarcely possible. Still the Malays held on, tuggingdesperately at their oars. While some of the crew were rowing, the restwere employed in examining the priming of their muskets and feeling theedge of their swords, while a low conversation was carried on amongthem.

  "I do not quite like what they are saying, sir," said Smith to me. "Asfar as I can make out, they are vowing to Allah, that if the frigatecomes up with them they will knock us all on the head and blowthemselves up. They are in earnest, I am afraid, for I know theirpeople have done the same sort of thing before now."

  "Tell them," I said, "that as they have treated us so well, that if theywill haul down their colours we will use our influence with the captainof the ship to have them set at liberty. Tell them we think she is theship we belong to, and that if they are wise men they will follow ouradvice."

  Smith, knowing pretty well that our lives depended upon the way he mightput the matter to the old chief, began to address him slowly. Graduallyhe grew more energetic and warm. While he was speaking a shot cameflying close by us, carrying away the greater number of the oars on oneside. Escape now seemed impossible. Again we urged our advice. Thechief seemed unwilling to follow it.

  "Ask him if he hasn't got a wife or two and a few young children at homewho would like to see him again," said Brady to Smith. "Tell him at allevents we have, and if he's a wise man that he will live himself and letus live. Faith, it's a little exaggeration as far as some of us areconcerned, but if it excites the old gentleman's commiseration, sureFather O'Rouke would absolve me for that as well as a few other lies Ihave had to tell in my life."

  Smith interpreted these remarks. The Rajah spoke to his crew. Directlyafterwards the uninjured oars were thrown in.

  "We have got your promise, then, young officer, that my people and Ishall be uninjured, and shall be allowed to go free?" said the chief.

  "Yes," I answered, "I fully believe if that frigate is the one to whichwe belong, that the captain will carry out my promises."

  On this the chief briefly addressed his crew.

  The frigate, understanding apparently that we had given in, ceasedfiring, and directly afterwards hove to. There was just time to lower aboat, when again she stood on in chase of the other prows. The moon wasnow shining brightly, and by her light we saw a boat approaching us. Ina few minutes she was alongside, and her crew, led by an officer, sprangon board. I thought I recognised Oldershaw's figure. "They have givenin," I shouted out, "and we have promised that you would spare theirlives and let them go free."

  "Hillo! Who is that? Bless my heart, who are you?" exclaimedOldershaw. "What! Ben Burton! Is it possible!"

  We were all of us, it must be remembered, in Eastern dresses, findingthem far more comfortable than those we had laid aside.

  "Yes, and I am here too!" sung out Dicky Esse.

  "I am heartily glad of it," exclaimed Oldershaw. "We thought you hadall been knocked on the head by the savages long ago. And have any moreof you escaped?"

  "Yes, sir," said Toby Kiddle. "Here am I, and here's Pat Brady, andthese two men of the `Resolution,' and fortunate men they are, for theyare the only ones alive out of the whole ship's company."

  Oldershaw now learned from us, for the first time, of the sad loss ofthe frigate. We told him also how well we had been treated by theRajah. On this Oldershaw went up and shook him by the hand, and toldSmith to assure him that no harm would be done him or his people, andthat the captain of the frigate would be very much obliged to him forthe way he had treated us. The old chief seemed highly pleased, andordered pipes and coffee to be brought aft, and in ten minutes we wereall seated in the after part of the prow, smoking the fragrant weed andsipping the warm beverage, while the Malays were doing the honours toour men. I need not say, however, that Oldershaw told us all to keep abright look-out, so that, in case of treachery being intended, we mightnot be taken by surprise. The frigate stood on, and from the rapidfiring we heard, it was pretty evident that she was roughly handling theother prows. The chief shrugged his shoulders. "It was the will ofAllah," he said: "if his people were killed, it was not his fault, norwas it ours, so he hoped it would not interfere with our presentfriendly relations." Such, at least, was something like theinterpretation which Smith gave us of his remarks. At length thefrigate was seen running back. As she approached, we fired a gun todraw her attention, and in a short time she was up to us, shorteningsail as she approached. Another boat now came off from her, when Esseand I went on board and reported ourselves to Captain Oliver. He waswalking the quarter-deck when we appeared at the gangway. "What!" heexclaimed, "you my midshipmen! I thought when I saw you that you were acouple of young Malays. Come into the cabin, and let me hear youraccount. I am, indeed, heartily glad to hear that you have escaped."Mr Schank expressed equal satisfaction at again seeing us, as, indeed,did all our shipmates. When he heard how well we had been treated bythe old Rajah, he sent to request his presence on board, that he mightthank him personally for his kindness to us. After some little delay,notice was given that the Rajah was coming on board in one of our boats.The sides were manned to do him honour, and in a short time he appearedat the gangway, no longer habited in the dingy costume in which we hadseen him, but superbly dressed with a turban glittering with gems, andrichly jewelled sword by his side, attended by four other persons alsofinely habited. Without the slightest embarrassment, he followed thecaptain, after a due amount of salaams had passed between them, into thecabin. He there took his seat with perfect composure, and Smith wassummoned to act as interpreter. Captain Oliver again thanked him forhis kindness to us, and then took occasion to express his regret that heshould ever be engaged in deeds of which the English could not approve,such as robbing vessels and knocking their crews on the head, or sendingthem overboard. The old chief did not for a moment deny that such werehis usual occupations, but observed quietly that his fathers had donethe same before him, and, as it was necessary to live, he should be gladto hear if the English chief could point out any better occupation."Surely," he remarked, "you do just the same. What are all these gunsfor? For what are the arms you and your people carry, but to rob andkill your enemies?" and the old gentleman chuckled, fully believing thathe had checkmated the infidel chief.

  "Well, well," answered Captain Oliver, "we will talk of that anothertime; but have you any favour to ask which it is in my power to grant,as I shall be glad to do anything to please you, to show my gratitude."

  The Rajah thought a moment. "No," he said. "You have refrained fromsending my vessel to the bottom when you had the power to do so, and Ihave no more to ask since you allow me to go free. But there is onefavour. I should like again to see your dancing-man go through hiswonderful performance."

  Until we explained the remark, Captain Oliver was puzzled to know whathis guest meant. "What do you say, Schank. We have a few men on boardwho can dance, besides the Irishman, have we not?"

  "Yes, sir, there are several," observed Mr Schank.

  "Very well, just go and make such arrangements as you can best manage ondeck, and we will have our guest up when all is ready." In a short timeTom King entered the cabin.
r />   "Please, sir," he reported, "the ball-room is prepared, and the dancersare ready."

  "Very well," said the Captain, and he made a sign to our Malay friendsto accompany him on deck.

  A number of the crew with lanterns in their hands had been arrangedround the quarter-deck. On the after part, carpets and cushions hadbeen spread, on which our guests were requested to take their seats,while between every two men with lanterns stood others, each with a bluelight case in his hand. We had on board a couple of fiddlers, besidesthe marines' fifes and drums. All our musical powers had been musteredfor the occasion.

  "Strike up!" cried Mr Schank, and the fiddlers began to play, joined inby the other instruments as they did so. The circle of lantern menopened, and Pat Brady, followed by nearly a dozen other men, sprang intothe centre. Pat first performed a jig for which he was celebrated. Itwas followed by a regular sailor's hornpipe. When this was finished,the band struck up a Scotch reel. At the same time the blue lights wereignited, and four men in kilts and plaids sprang into the circle andcommenced a Highland fling, shrieking and leaping, and clapping theirhands in a way that made the old Rajah almost jump off his cushions withastonishment, the glare of the blue lights increasing the wild andsavage appearance of the dancers.

  "Bismillah! These English are wonderful people!" exclaimed the oldRajah. "If they would but follow the prophet, and take to piracy likeus, they might possess themselves of the wealth of all the world, forwho could stand against them!" So delighted was the old gentleman withhis entertainment, that he declined receiving any further present withthe exception of a few bottles of rum, which he could not bring himselfto refuse. He promised also that should any English people fall intohis power, that, for the sake of us and our dancing friends, he wouldalways treat them with kindness, and assist them in reaching any portthey might desire.

  We now put him on board his prow, and sent him rejoicing on his way.Possibly he might not have been so well-pleased when he came to discoverthat three of his fleet had been sunk by our guns, and yet he wasevidently too great a philosopher to allow such a matter to weighheavily upon his spirits. I was very thankful to be once more on boardthe frigate. Captain Oliver treated me and Esse with the greatestkindness, for, though we had kept up our spirits, we were rather theworse for the hardships we had gone through, and the strain on ournerves; for midshipmen have nerves, whatever may be thought to thecontrary, though they are fortunately very tough and not easily put outof order. We were accordingly put into the sick list and relieved fromduty for a couple of weeks. I repeated to Mr Schank the account whichMr Noalles had given me of himself. He was greatly astonished at whatI told him.

  "I little thought the man I knew so well when I was last in these seaswas the one who had behaved so cruelly to my poor sister," he said."However, he has gone, and peace be to his memory. I will do my utmostto discover his daughter, and I should think, as Mr Bramston must bewell-known in Bombay, there can be little difficulty in doing that. Iwill write the first opportunity to a friend I have in Calcutta, and gethim to make all the inquiries in his power." After cruising for somemonths among the East India Islands, we returned to Canton. We werethere directed to convoy a fleet of merchantmen round to Calcutta. Whatwith risks from pirates, from rocks and shoals, from hurricanes, fromenemies' cruisers, and from the unseaworthiness of some, it is a wonderthat we managed to bring the greater portion of the vessels under ourcharge safe to their destination. Mr Schank's friend told him that hehad inquired for Mr Bramston, and found that he had for some years beenresiding as a district judge in Ceylon, where, indeed, he had passed thegreater portion of his time. He understood that he was alive andmarried, but how long he had been married he could not tell, or whetherhe had married a second time. This much was satisfactory.

  We had now been upwards of four years on the station, and were every dayexpecting to be ordered home. The Admiral, however, told our Captain,that not having more frigates on the station than he required, he mustkeep us till we were relieved. We were just weighing anchor to proceedback to Canton, when a frigate was seen standing towards us.

  She soon made her number. "The Thetis." The signal book was in instantrequisition, and the answer to our question was: "Direct from England torelieve the `Orion'." The signal midshipman threw up his hat as he readit. A shout ran along the decks. Before she had come to an anchor, ourboat was alongside, and returned with a bag of letters and newspapers.We delayed our departure that we might receive her letters home inreturn. For a long time I had not heard from my mother. She was well,and she gave me a very good account of Mrs and the Misses Schank, andthe dear Little Lady. But she said that she herself was sorely annoyedby letters from Mr Gillooly, who still persevered in his suit. "Theyare warm enough and devoted enough in all conscience," she observed, "somuch so, indeed, that I feel sure they are written under the influenceof potent tumblers of whisky. Though I never could endure a milk-sop,yet I have a still greater objection to the opposite extreme. Besides,Ben," she added, "my dear boy, however my friends may urge me, I wish todie as I have lived, faithful to the memory of your brave father."

  I could not but applaud the resolution of my mother, at the same timethat I felt anxious that she should do whatever would most conduce toher happiness. The officers and parties of the ships' companies havingexchanged visits with each other, we bade our relief farewell, and withjoyous hearts made sail for Old England.