CHAPTER EIGHT.
THE GOOD-NATURED SEAMEN--PIERRE LAMONT--DAVID'S EMPLOYMENT--THEREPUBLICAN OFFICER.
No one seemed disposed to pay the slightest attention to the two boys.The officers glanced at them superciliously. The captain, after takinga few turns on deck, scowled on them as he passed on his way below.They were left standing on the deck of the schooner, which went flyingon before the still increasing gale. They were wet and cold, andgrieving for the loss of their old friend, as well as very anxious aboutthe sorrow their absence would cause their relatives at home.
"I suppose the Frenchmen won't let us starve altogether," said David."The officers indeed don't seem inclined to treat us well, but perhapsthe men may be differently disposed. I propose that, having done whatwe considered our duty, we go forward and throw ourselves upon theirkindness. Still, as I'm a quarter-deck officer, we ought to be treatedwith respect by the officers. I'm sure, if we had picked up two Frenchmidshipmen on board our frigate, we should have made regular pets ofthem, and given them no cause to complain."
"But remember this is not a frigate," observed David; "I think it willbe wiser to put our dignity in our pockets, and make the best of thingsas they are."
Still Harry held out for some little time; but at length the surly looksof the officers, not to mention his hunger, made him yield to David'ssuggestions, and they quietly worked their way forward. As soon as thebacks of the officers were turned the men came round them, and by theexpression of their countenances showed that they at least bore them noill-will. One or two, by signs, invited them below, and they were veryglad to escape from the cold autumn gale which was blowing through theirwet clothes. Although unable to communicate by words, the lads had nodifficulty in making their wishes known to the Frenchmen by signs. Somedry clothes were quickly produced from the bag of a young seaman. Assoon as Harry and David had dressed themselves in these, some provisionsand a bottle of wine were brought to them, the Frenchmen standing roundlooking on with great satisfaction while they discussed them.
"_Buvez, me amis_," said a stout good-natured looking seaman, pouringout a glass of claret. The boys guessed by his signs clearly enoughwhat he said, and thanked him by nodding in return. They both feltconsiderably better for their repast.
"If it wasn't for the loss of poor old Jefferies, I should not haveminded it at all," said David; "but for him to lose his life, and for usto find ourselves little better than prisoners on board a Frenchman, isvery trying."
"As you remember, nearly his last words were, `Trust in God,'" remarkedHarry; "so let us go on trusting; he was a good old man, and is gone toheaven I'm sure, so we ought not to mourn for him much. It would havebroken his heart to find himself on board this vessel."
"I wonder in what direction we are going?" said David.
"I will try and get a look at the compass when we go on deck again, butwe mustn't let the Frenchmen think we care anything about the matter,"said Harry.
"What a pity it is we can't talk French a little! I wish we could thankthese kind, good-natured fellows, because really I am very grateful fortheir kindness to us."
"At all events, we can do it by signs," said Harry, jumping up andshaking the Frenchman by the hand who had given them the wine.
"Much obliged, monsieur; much obliged for your good dinner; the sausageswere excellent. We don't often taste such claret at sea as you gaveus."
Of course, though the Frenchman did not understand a word Harry hadsaid, yet he was evidently in the way of becoming a favourite amongthem. When invited to return on deck they did not hesitate to do so,for by keeping forward they were not recognised among the French crew.In the evening they were again invited to join the mess of the menbelow, which, if not quite in accordance with English notions, was notquite the wretched fare on which Frenchmen are supposed to exist.Indeed, it must be owned that the provisions were far better cooked andmade into more palatable messes than they would have been on board anEnglish vessel of the same character. At night they had a berthallotted to them in a standing bed-place forward, into which they weretoo glad to creep. Having thanked the God of mercy who had thuspreserved them, in a prayer which came from the very bottom of theirhearts, and asked for a blessing on all those they had left at home,they lay down in their narrow berth, and stowed themselves away as wellas space would allow. They had reason to be thankful that they hadescaped the perils to which they had been exposed for so many nights onthe raft; and though their sleeping-place was very close and dark, ithad the advantage of being dry. They were very quickly fast asleep, inspite of all the rolling and pitching of the vessel, as she dashedforward across the stormy ocean. There was no danger of their beingpitched out. In spite of the groaning of the bulkheads, the whistlingof the wind through the rigging, the loud dash of the seas against thevessel, and the numerous other loud wild sounds which are heard during agale at sea, the boys slept on till a gleam of daylight found its waydown to their narrow berth.
"_Mangez, mangez, mes amis_!" said a voice, which was recognised as thatof their kind friend of the previous evening. He had come, it appeared,to summon them to breakfast, for the crew were employed below indiscussing that meal. Once on their feet, the boys found themselvesperfectly ready to join their French friends, and to do ample justice tothe food placed before them.
"If it were not for the dignity of the thing we should not be so badlyoff, after all," said Harry; "but really I cannot quite get over theskipper not treating us as officers, as he should have done."
The Frenchmen greeted them with kind smiles, and soon again reconciledthem to their wretched fate.
The gale now increased to a regular hurricane. The schooner ran beforeit under a close-reefed fore-topsail, but even then the seas followed sorapidly that there appeared great probability of their breaking onboard. Both officers and men either remained below, or, when necessitycompelled them to be on deck, kept close to the bulwarks, that theymight have something to catch hold of should an accident occur. Underthese circumstances no work was expected to be done; the boys weretherefore allowed to do just as they pleased. They wisely kept forwardamong their friends the seamen. They had observed a boy about their ownage eyeing them occasionally as he passed sometimes with a dish from thecook's caboose, or with various messages with which he seemed to begenerally employed; yet he had not hitherto spoken to them.
"I like his looks," said David; "I can't help fancying that he wants tobe friendly. Next time he passes us I will say something to him; orsee, I've got a knife in my pocket; I'll present it to him, it will showour good-will."
"That will be very much like purchasing kindness," answered Harry.
In a few minutes after this the boy again came near.
"Here, garcon," said David, pulling out his knife as he spoke, "takethis, you may find it very useful."
"Merci," said the boy, "thank you--much obliged."
"What! do you speak English?" asked David.
"Very little, but I know what you say."
"Oh, we're so glad of that," exclaimed the two boys in the same breath.
"What is your name?" asked David.
"Pierre Lamont," answered the French boy.
"We shall be friends," said David. "You don't hate the English, I hope,like the captain?"
"Oh no, no," answered Pierre, "I love the English; my poor mother wasEnglish, but she is dead, and so is my father, but he was French."
"Then have you no one to look after you?" exclaimed David, in a tone ofcommiseration.
"No, I am all alone in the world, no one to care for me," said Pierre.
"Are you happy here on board this ship?" asked Harry.
"Oh no, no. Sometimes I am pretty well off; but often our cruel menorder me about, and beat me with the rope's-end if I do not do quicklywhat they command."
"You see, Harry," said David, "there's one on board this ship worse offthan we are. We have some dear friends on shore, and though they don'tknow what has become of us, we hope that they are
are safe, and that weshall get back to them some day."
"Do you know where we're going, Pierre?" asked Harry. "I wanted to lookat the compass; but I'm afraid of going aft, lest I should meet thecaptain."
"You are right to keep away from him," answered Pierre. "If he kneweven that I spoke English he would treat me worse than he does. But youask where are we going. I believe that we're bound out to the WestIndies to take as many English merchant-vessels as we can find."
"I thought we were going in that direction," answered David.
"But, Pierre, do you think if any of the English vessels are defended,that the captain will make us fight against our own countrymen?"
"Oh, you may depend on that," said Pierre. "That is, you will beemployed in bringing up powder from below."
"What! shall we be turned into powder-monkeys?" exclaimed Harry, in atone of indignation. "That will be too bad."
"Is that what you call the boys who bring up the powder?"
"Yes, but only the smallest among the ship's crew are employed in thatwork, and they should not treat officers in that way, even though we aretheir enemies," exclaimed Harry, indignantly.
"That is the very reason the captain will take delight in giving yousuch employment," said Pierre. "No one likes him on board. Even theofficers fear him; but he is said to be a very good seaman and a daringcharacter, so brave that he cares for nothing."
From this account of the captain the boys saw that they were not farwrong in the opinion they had formed of him from his countenance and hismanner towards them. They resolved, therefore, to keep out of his way,and to avoid irritating him if they could. While the gale continued hehad quite enough to do to look after the vessel without troublinghimself about them. Indeed, as far as they could judge, he hadforgotten that they were on board. Although the place below where theysat with the men was close and dark in consequence of being batteneddown, they spent much of their time there. Many of the men wereemployed in various works. Several were making models of vessels in away few English seamen could have done. David proposed doing somethingof the sort, to show the Frenchmen that he did not wish to be idle, andthat he felt himself at home among them. He asked Pierre to get himsome corks, and to set to work to make a model of a village church.This, with the aid of some pins, he rapidly accomplished with a filewhich he borrowed from one of the men, and he drew down the warmcommendations of his companions, who were especially well disposed toappreciate such efforts. He accordingly presented it to his stoutfriend, Jacques Rossillion, the good-natured seaman who had from thefirst taken an interest in him.
Thus several days passed away till the gale abated, the sea went down,and sail was once more made on the schooner. Harry had been perhapsunwisely anxious to put on his own uniform again, which was nowthoroughly dry and fit to wear. Pierre advised him not to appear beforethe captain in it. "Still it's my proper dress," answered Harry, who,like many midshipmen, was very tenacious on that subject. The gale,which had been in their favour, had carried them a long way towardstheir destination, as they judged by the warmth of the atmosphere andthe tropical appearance of the sea. The officers as usual paced thequarter-deck, and the men congregated together forward. A monkey, whichhad hitherto stowed himself away somewhere out of sight, was among theoccupants of the deck. To an English crew a monkey is a greatacquisition, but a French ship's company can scarcely get on withoutone. When they are inclined to play pranks he is always at theirservice, and woe betide the unhappy small boy of a ship's company onwhose muster-roll a monkey is not to be found! as he has to endure whatthe four-handed animal would otherwise have to go through.
On looking over the side Harry observed a black fin gliding along at thesame rate as the schooner. "Look there, David; did you ever see aregular shark before?" he said. "If anybody was to fall overboard thatfellow would snap him in two in half a second. The best swimmer wouldhave but a poor chance unless he was well prepared. I have heard of asailor attacking a shark with a knife in his hand, and cutting him up;but a man only with iron nerves and great presence of mind and a goodswimmer could ever make the attempt." While they were speaking thecaptain appeared on deck. "Here, you boys, come aft," he shouted."What, do you think you are to pass away your time in idleness, and getfed and grow fat? You are very much mistaken if you think any suchthing. Take each of you a tar-bucket, and go and black down the riggingfrom the fore-topmast head." Poor Harry looked at his uniform; it hadendured the wetting, but it would be spoiled in a few minutes by theoperation which he was ordered to perform. He saw that it would not doto disobey the captain's orders. If they had time to find Pierre theymight borrow some frocks and canvas trousers.
"I say what I mean," shouted the captain; "and off with you at once--onetaking the starboard, and one the larboard rigging. What, you don'tlike to spoil your clothes, I see. I was not allowed any clothes tospoil when I was in an English prison."
"Surely you will let us borrow some frocks, sir," answered David."Though we are gentlemen, and unaccustomed to such work, we are willingto obey you, only we don't want to spoil our clothes."
"Aloft, I say, or overboard you go. There's a fellow alongside ready tobreakfast off you, if you are anxious to feed him." The littleFrenchman looked so fierce that the boys really believed he was inearnest.
"It can't be helped," said David. "You must tell me what to do, for Inever blacked down rigging even on board the yacht."
"Just secure the bucket as you descend, and take care not to let the tardrop from the brush on deck. It's not the difficulty of the thing, butit is very derogatory."
Seeing that there was no use in further expostulation, the boys tookeach of them a bucket as they were ordered, and ascended, one on oneside, and one on the other, of the fore-rigging, and having reached themasthead Harry secured his bucket, and showed David how to secure his.The operation, besides being a very dirty one, was tedious, as each ropehad to be gone carefully round with the tar. Often they made melancholyfaces at each other as they gradually descended, but neither the captainnor officers showed the slightest commiseration, only watchingapparently to see that the work was effectually performed. While thecaptain remained on deck the crew took no notice of them. This was,however, evidently done in kindness. At length the work was over, and,seeing the captain on deck, they thought the best way was to go aft andreport what they had done. "Very well," said the captain; "tomorrow youwill black down the main-rigging; in the meantime I want to see a polishput upon those brass stanchions, and the swivel guns are not so brightas they should be. I shall have work for you in my cabin, too, by andby. You are young English gentlemen, I understand. You may consider ita privilege to have to serve a poor republican seaman, who has workedhis way up from before the mast."
"We will do our best to obey you, sir," answered David, who wiselywished to conciliate the man, in spite of his surly manners. Heremembered that "a soft answer turneth away wrath."