Chapter VIII: Jack's Sea-Daddy

Midshipman Jack was among the first on deck. All he could see was the star-lit, wind-tossed waves that, at each dip of the good ship's prow, rose like mountains right ahead, or, as she leaned to leeward, seemed ready to engulf her.

But away on the port bow he could now and then catch a glimpse of huge black boulders, over which spume was dashing white and high. These boulders were the rocks on which the good _Gurnet_ might soon be dashed, and go to pieces.

In each lull of the gale, even already, the boom of the breaking waves could be heard--a sound that had been to many and many a sailor ere now the last he had ever heard on earth.

Jack began to say his prayers, and to think of those at home. One and all of his friends and relations seemed to rise up before his mind's eye at this moment, and seemed to speak to him, to beckon to him, to pray for him.

Poor Jack! his brain was all in a whirl, but suddenly he remembered that he was guilty of a breach of faith. He had no business on deck. The surgeon had given him orders to remain below. He must hasten down, therefore, though it did seem dreadful to be drowned in the dark--drowned like a rat in a drain. The companionship of even those brightly-shining stars would have made death appear less terrible. But--yes, he must go below. The first duty of sailor or soldier is obedience.

He found his way at last into the ward-room, in which the lamp was still burning, and threw himself down on the sofa.

He could pray; ah! there was comfort in that. After he had said his prayers--no, but prayed his prayers; for there is a deal of difference between saying a prayer and praying it: in the one it comes welling up from the heart itself, in the other it is but lip-worship--after he had prayed, he began to repeat a psalm to himself, one that he had learned at his mother's knee:--

"God is our refuge and our strength,
In straits a present aid;
Therefore, although the earth remove,
We will not be afraid:
Though hills amidst the seas be cast;
Though waters roaring make."

It was just at this line that the young sailor boy's thoughts were wafted away and away to hills and glens and streams and woods, all basking in the sweet light of the summer sun.

Jack was asleep and dreaming.

* * * * *

But a terrible time of anxiety was being passed by those on deck.

The captain and Sturdy himself were both on the little three-plank bridge, hanging on to the rope-rail as if to a life-line.

Again and again Sturdy had shouted down the tube, "Get up steam as fast as possible!" Yet down there he knew the engineer and stokers were fighting like furies in the fierce heat of the engine-room. Well they knew how precious every minute, nay, every second, was. Bacon and even bladders of lard were put into the fire, but apparently without any result, although the flames roared high, and there was even danger of firing the padding betwixt boilers and bunkers.

Nearer and nearer loom the black rocks. Can they weather them? All that brave ship can do the _Gurnet_ is doing. She is sailing as close to the wind as gull or frigate-bird. All that brave men can think of to save her has been done.

Again and again they imagine that they have passed the worst; again and again whale-back rocks rise ominously further ahead.

The captain, and even Sturdy, are now in despair, and the last command is given,--

"Stand by to man and lower boats!"

In such a case this would be the sailor's last resort. In such a sea it would be all but hopeless.

Sturdy draws closer to the captain, and pointing with one arm ahead, shouts in his ear, "We can't weather it. Our only chance is to keep her away and try to sail between the rocks into the open water beyond."

The captain is about to assent, when a dark figure is seen struggling up through the companion-hatch. He is waving his hands aloft and shouting. But the wind cuts the words short off; they cannot be heard. He rushes now to the bridge-ladder and clutches the rope and shouts again.

Sturdy bends towards him. He catches the words.

"Saved!" he cries, creeping back towards the captain.

Saved? I doubt it. The ship's fore-part even now touches ground, and the waves leap madly over her.

But the screw is revolving at last, and slowly the good ship begins to forge ahead. It is a fight now, and a hard one, betwixt wind and steam, and for a time no one can tell which will be victor.

But, hurrah, science has conquered! The useless sails are taken in, and in less than half an hour the _Gurnet_ is clear, and away from the terrible reef.

* * * * *

There was nothing talked about at breakfast next morning except the danger the ship had come through. But what signifies danger to sailors, especially when it is past? The wind and sea had now gone down, the fires were banked, and all sail was being made for Gibraltar, that impregnable fortress whose splendid story may never all be told, and the possession of which is begrudged to us by almost every civilized nation on the globe.

Britain means to hold it nevertheless, as long at least as she rides mistress of the seas; as long as there floats over us, in sea-fight or in tempest,

"The flag that braved a thousand years
The battle and the breeze."

By the time the _Gurnet_ reached the Rock, Jack was permitted to keep his watch. He was attached to Sturdy's, luckily for him. Under this brave fellow he would learn seamanship, a science that I am sorry to say naval officers of our day do not know too much about.

But Jack's hopes of spending a day on shore on the historical Rock were doomed to disappointment. For the _Gurnet_ had not a clean bill of health. One or two cases of cholera had taken place, it was said, at Plymouth before she sailed. She had therefore come from an infected port, and no one would be allowed to set foot on shore. The utmost indulgence permitted was to post their letters. A boat came alongside for these. They were handed over the side and taken with a pair of tongs, being soon after fumigated with tobacco smoke and the fumes of burning brimstone.

Fruit, however, was handed up, and many other dainties from shore. The money received was immediately plunged into a vase containing some acid disinfectant. Well, all this was provoking enough, especially as there was not a sick man on board.

From the place where they lay waiting for important documents, etc., they could see the soldiers on the Rock and the promenaders near to the shore, and at morn and eventide the sound of music stole sweetly over the waters from military bands in garrison or barracks.

Early though the season was, everything in and around Gibraltar looked semi-tropical, and Jack Mackenzie would have given a good deal, he thought, to be allowed to land. The sky was blue, and the sea and scenery far and near lay quivering in the glorious sunshine all day long.

When Jack turned out to keep the middle watch for the first time, although rather sleepy when aroused, he speedily pulled himself together, dressed, and went on deck. The stars were shining, but no moon, and afar off was the town with its twinkling lights, rising higher and higher up the hill. Lower down, closer to the water's edge, the lights were more abundant; for sailing ships and steamers lay there, and not far away a man-o'-war or two.

But the lights in the town grew fewer and fewer, and the silence greater, till, after a time, little was to be heard except the sentries calling, bells solemnly tolling the hour, and now and then a wild, unearthly yell which Jack could not account for.

He was leaning over the bulwarks, gazing towards the great looming Rock, when a hand was placed on his shoulder, and he looked quickly up to find it was Sturdy's.

"Am I doing right?" said Jack. "You see, I'm not up to keeping watch yet. Should I keep constantly tramping up and down?"

Sturdy laughed.

"You'd soon have Auld Reikie using language if you did. It is while lying at anchor like this that sailors sleep most lightly, and Reikie is nothing if not a sailor. Perhaps if you did much of the tramping business, he'd come up the hatch and shy a boot at you."

"Shy his boot at me! Would he, sir?"

"Well, I didn't say _his_ boot, but _a_ boot. I daresay Auld Reikie would just as soon shy somebody else's, because when one does this sort of thing the boot nearly always flies overboard.--But come and sit down here on the skylight. In keeping your watch, you know, the main thing is to keep your weather eye lifting, and to note what goes on high and low, fore and aft. See?"

"Yes."

"Well, now, let us yarn. Tell me about your brothers and sisters, mother and aunts, and--oh, but of course you are far too young to have a sweetheart."

"Nearly fourteen," said Jack proudly. "Yes, I have a sweetheart--just one."

"Well, one at a time is all I ever have--in the same port, I mean. And what is your young lady's name?"

"She is the first young lady ever I spoke to in all my life. She is my cousin, eight years old, and her name is Tottie Morgan. Tottie isn't her baptismal name, you know, only her brothers and sisters call her that. Her mother calls her Violet."

"And are you going to marry her?"

"Oh yes, I suppose so."

"He, he! Well, it's a long time to look forward to."

"Tottie's oldest brother is a perfect man; Llewellyn is his name. He is sixteen, and going to be a soldier, and wear a feather bonnet."

"Fine fun that'll be. Well, Jack, they say we'll soon have war. Then you will meet your cousin Llewellyn, if he isn't killed in the first off-go. Young fellows often are, because they are so foolishly rash. Soon may it come."

"What, sir?"

"Why, the war. I want my promotion; and if we had plenty of fighting, in two or three years' time, Jack, you too would win your epaulettes, and exchange your toothpick for a cheese-knife."

"I'm afraid, sir, I didn't hear you aright; did I, sir?"

"Exchange your dirk, I mean, for a long sword; that is, if we didn't have to expend a hammock on you--bury you at sea, that is."

"Oh yes, I see, sir. Then I couldn't marry Tottie, could I, sir?"

"No; you'd get out of that engagement."

"Well, sir, I thought once I would like to be a soldier, and wear a feather bonnet like father did; but grandma said 'No!' so I had to be a sailor. But I feel sure I shall like the sea."

"Don't talk, Jack. Why, you haven't been a dog-watch* in the service."

* The two shortest watches on board ship, from 4 to 6, and 6 to 8 p.m., are so called. They are thus arranged that the same men should not come on deck always at the same hours.

"No, sir, I didn't know there was a dog on board."

"Ha, ha, ha! Well, we have an old sea-dog in the shape of a bos'n, and we have a cat too, a beauty, but I don't like to see her taken out."

"Don't you like cats, sir?"

"Not cats with nine tails. But heave round, Jack."

"Heave what round, sir?"

"O Jack, you'll be the death of me. I mean heave round with your yarn. Tell me all about your people while I light my pipe. Never you learn to smoke, Jack," he continued, lighting a match, and holding it to the bowl of his meerschaum. Puff, puff, puff. "It is one of the worst habits out"--puff--"it weakens the heart"--puff--"weakens the nerves"--puff, puff--"and I don't know what all it doesn't do, but Dr. Reikie could tell you"--puff, puff. "Heave round, lad!"

Jack kept Lieutenant Sturdy interested for hours. Somehow the boy felt that he had found in this straightforward English sailor a true friend, and so he never hesitated to tell him all the events of his young life--all his trials and sufferings, and even his aspirations.

And Sturdy listened attentively, sometimes patting the boy's hand with true sympathy.

"Well, well, well," said the lieutenant at last. "I thought I had roughed it in my young days, but your story has the weather-gauge of mine, Jack--the weather-gauge of mine.

"Ah! well, dear lad, I hope the worst is past. You've just got to do your duty now, keep your weather eye aloft, obey orders, and trust in God. Your life afloat won't be all beer and skittles, I assure you. But a sailor's life isn't a bad one after all. I love it, Jack, oh yes, dearly. You've got to rough it now and then, but then you are here, there, and everywhere, over all the world. You see so much and you learn so much, so that in many ways sailors are far wiser than landsmen.

"Well, as long as you and I are shipmates, Jack, just look upon me as your sea-daddy. Come to me if you have any difficulty, and I'll show you how to steer out of it; and what you want to know about the ship I'll tell you."

"Thank you, sir. You are so good I shall always look upon you as my sea-father."

"Right; and if you want a sea-uncle--and that is handy too at times--why, there's the bos'n. He is a roughish old swab like myself, but his heart is as soft as a girl's. He'll put you up to the ropes, and show you how to splice and reef and steer. Never despise knowledge, no matter where it comes from; and if you keep your place without being uppish, if you are brave and bright, depend upon it, the men will love you and respect you. But I say, Jack, weren't you a bit afraid the other night when it was blowing big guns?"

"Well, you see, sir, at first when all hands were called to shorten sail, I thought I should go upstairs and help."

"Ha, ha, ha!"

"I was just going up, sir, when Dr. Reikie caught me by--by a part of my dress, sir, and pulled me down. He made me a prisoner. But I did escape when I thought we were all going to be drowned."

"Yes?"

"Well, then, I went downstairs again and--"

"Yes, you went below and--"

"Well, sir, I fear I was very wicked; for I began to say my prayers, and fell asleep in the middle of them."

"Why, Jack, it's eight bells--four o'clock.--Forward there! Eight bells! Call the watch!"

Ring-ding, ring-ding, ring-ding, ring-ding.

Jack went quickly down below, and began to undress. He felt tired and sleepy now, and could almost have gone to bed with his boots on.

His chest--it was not a large one--stood outside the dispensary door. There Jack knelt to pray.

Then he quickly caught hold of a ring in a beam, and swung himself into his hammock. He could do so now without tumbling out again at the other side.

I think his head had hardly touched the pillow when he was fast asleep--a happy, dreamless, sailor's slumber.