CHAPTER FORTY THREE.
MARK IS WANTED ON DECK.
"Here, Mark, old chap, the skipper wants you on the quarter-deck," saidBob Howlett some weeks later.
"Wants me?" cried Mark, clapping his hand to his head.
"Yes."
"Why, I heard the men piped up, and everybody's there."
"Yes, all of 'em. Russell's there too, and Whitney."
"Whitney?"
"Yes, I think the skipper's going to have your bare head exhibited, andthe doctor's to give the men a lecture on the new growth of hair on thehuman skull."
"Get out; he doesn't want me, Bob. I shall be obliged to give you thatlicking."
"No gammon, really. You are to come at once."
"Is this serious?"
"Yes: honour."
"But--oh, Bob, I'm such a guy."
"You are, my boy; but we'll forgive you. Come on." Mark hurriedlycovered as much of his disfigurement as he could with his cap, andfollowed his messmate on deck, where, to his horror, he found officersand men all drawn up, with the shabby port and town of Goldby glorifiedby the setting sun, and all beneath the quarter-deck awning bathed in agolden glow.
One of the first objects upon which his eyes lit was the younglieutenant, looking weak and pale, as he sat there in uniform for thefirst time during many days. Tom Fillot and the rest of the prize crewwere in front, and as Mark shrinkingly marched up to where the captainwas waiting, Mr Russell gave him a friendly smile, and the firstlieutenant one of his frowning nods.
Mark felt miserable, for, as Bob kindly told him afterwards, he lookedjust like an escaped lunatic, who had jumped out of a strait waistcoatinto a middy's uniform. He felt as if the men were smiling in derisionat his aspect, especially Tom Fillot and Dance, who were grinning, whileSoup and Taters displayed nearly every one of their magnificent whiteteeth.
There was a singing in his ears too, and a sensation of giddiness; andwhen Mr Whitney nodded and looked hard at him, the midshipman halfthought that Bob Howlett's words were right, and that the doctor wasreally going to lecture upon his bald head.
Then the captain spoke, amidst the most profound silence, and Mark feltas if he were a culprit, and as ready to hang his head; but somehow hedrew a deep breath and held himself up stiffly, and his eyes flasheddefiance, as he said to himself, "Let them laugh if they like. I did myduty."
"Glad to see you on deck again, Mr Vandean," said the captain, shakinghands, and speaking in his clear, penetrating tones. "I know that youhave felt a little shrinking naturally, sir, but no British sailor needbe ashamed of scars received in an honourable service."
"Thank you, sir," murmured Mark, in a choking voice, and his eyes lookedhis gratitude.
"I sent for you, Mr Vandean, because I felt that you ought to hear anannouncement I have to make to the whole crew of her Majesty's sloop_Nautilus_."
He paused for a moment or two, and whispered to Mr Staples, who wasclose behind him. Then he nodded, and went on:
"The two schooners so gallantly taken, lost, and retaken by the bravelittle prize crew I sent on board, have been condemned and sold. Theyare beautiful little well-formed vessels, and have made a splendidprice.--Silence!"
There had been a low murmur, which was instantly checked.
"Then for head money on one hundred and eighty-seven poor blackfellow-creatures rescued from what to them were floating hells, therewill also be a handsome sum to add, and make a capital distribution ofprize-money amongst the smartest crew a captain in Her Majesty's servicecould wish to command."
Here there was an attempt at a cheer, but the captain held up his hand.
"I have a few more words to say, and they are these. We all owe ourthanks to those officers and men who have turned what had so far been abarren time into one rich in action. There is not a man among us whowould not gladly have done his duty as well; and no doubt--it shall notbe my fault if they do not--others will have plenty of opportunities fordistinguishing themselves. But I feel that we ought all to publiclythank these officers and men for the brave fight they made on ourbehalf. You will be glad to hear that I have strongly recommended mygallant friend Mr Russell for promotion, which he has won by his braveefforts and his sufferings in our great humane fight to wipe away thesinister black bar from the world's shield of civilisation. Stop, mylads; you shall cheer directly. Dance, Fillot, and Bannock stand nextfor promotion, and I thank them publicly for setting so brave an examplewith their messmates, of patient self-denial, obedience, and sterlingBritish manly pluck in a good cause."
Another murmur ran along the ranks, and Mark saw that Tom Fillot washanging his head and colouring like a schoolboy, while Dance could notstand still. Almost at the same moment Mark caught Bob Howlett's eyes,which twinkled with mischief and seemed to say, "Your turn now."
"One more word," said the captain, "and I have done."
He paused, and in the intense, painful silence the glowing quarter-deck,with its many faces, seemed to swim round Mark Vandean.
"There is one whom I have not named," said the captain--"Mr Vandean."
Here, unchecked, there was a tremendous cheer, in which the officersjoined, and the captain smiled, while now Mark's head did hang a little,and he trembled.
Then, as there was silence once more, the captain turned to him.
"Mr Vandean," he said, "I thank you--we all thank you for what you havedone. I name you, of course, in my despatch, but it is folly to talk toyou of promotion for years to come. That is certain, however, if you goon in the course you have followed since you joined my ship. I tellyou, sir, that it is such lads as you who have made the words BritishBoy admired--I may say honoured--wherever our country's name is known.Mark Vandean, I am proud of you, and some day I feel that your countrywill be as proud--proud as we all are--proud as the father and mother athome will be when they know everything about their gallant son. Godbless you, my boy! A British captain should be like a father to thelads whom he commands. Heaven knows I feel so toward you."
He stopped, with his hand on Mark's shoulder, and the first lieutenantstepped forward, cap in hand, to wave it wildly.
"Now, my lads," he shouted, "for Lieutenant Russell and Mr Vandean:cheer!"
They did.
"One more for our captain!"
The voices rang out again and again, and yet again. And made the waterripple round the ship, Bob Howlett afterwards declared. But fiveminutes after, when he was down with Mark in the middies' berth, whilethe hero of the evening sat hot and quivering in every nerve, Bobuttered a contemptuous snort.
"Oh!" he cried, "what a jolly shame!"
Mark stared.
"You do get all the crumb, old chap. All that fuss over a fellow with ahead of hair like yours!"
Then, as he saw the pained look in his messmate's countenance, the tearsrose in his eyes, and he gulped out,--
"Only my gammon, old chap. I'm as proud of you as any of 'em, and Ionly wish now that we were two great gals."
"Why?" cried Mark, wonderingly, as he caught the hands extended to himby his friend.
"Because then I could hug you. But I can't: it would be so Frenchy."
"Fists'll do," said Mark, gripping Bob's fingers with all his might.
"Yes, and we're to stick to each other always."
"Always."
"Through thick and thin."
"Through thick and thin."
"Chums to the end."
"To the very end, Bob."
"Yah!" roared the latter, angrily, as he picked up a bread tray to throwat a head he had seen through his dim eyes watching them intently, "Howdare you sneak in, sir to watch what's going on? Why, I thought it wasone of the men. Come here and stand on your head, ugly. You can't telltales of how stupid and choky I've been."
The chimpanzee came forward out of the semi-darkness, and squatted downto have its ears pulled; while, as soon as he grew more calm, and hisheart beat regularly once again, Mark sat down to pen a long, longletter to that best of pl
aces--his far-off home.
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