Mr. Midshipman Easy by Frederick Marryat (reading tree .TXT) 📖
- Author: Frederick Marryat
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Such were the contents of the letter, which were immediately communicated to the Governor and Captain Wilson, upon their meeting at breakfast.
“Very well, we must see to this,” observed the Governor, who then made his enquiries as to the other intelligence contained in the letters.
Jack and Gascoigne were uneasy till the breakfast was over, when they made their escape: a few moments afterwards Captain Wilson rose to go on board, and sent for them, but they were not to be found.
“I understand it all, Wilson,” said the Governor; “leave them to me; go on board and make yourself quite easy.”
In the meantime our two midshipmen had taken their hats and walked away to the parapet of the battery, where they would not be interrupted.
“Now, Gascoigne,” observed Jack, ‘you guess what I’m about - I must shoot that rascal this very morning, and that’s why I came out with you.”
“But, Easy, the only difference is this, that I must shoot him, and not you; he is my property, for I found him out.”
“We’ll argue that point,” replied Jack: “he has attempted the life of my is-to-be, please God, father-in-law, and therefore I have the best claim to him.”
“I beg your pardon, Jack, he is mine, for I discovered him. Now let me put a case: suppose one man walking several yards before another, picks up a purse, what claim has the other to it? I found him, and not you.”
“That’s all very well, Gascoigne; but suppose the purse you picked up to be mine, then I have a right to it, although you found it; he is my bird by right, and not yours.”
“But I have another observation to make, which is very important; he is a blood relation of Agnes, and if his blood is on your hands, however much he may deserve it, depend upon it, it will be raised as an obstacle to your union: think of that.”
Jack paused in thought.
“And let me induce you by another remark-you will confer on me a most particular favour.”
“It will be the greatest I ever could,” replied Jack, “and you ought to be eternally indebted to me.”
“I trust to make him eternally indebted to me,” replied Gascoigne.
Sailors, if going into action, always begin to reckon what their share of the prize-money may be, before a shot is fired-our two midshipmen appear in this instance to be doing the same.
The point having been conceded to Gascoigne, Jack went to the inn where Don Silvio had mentioned that he had taken up his quarters, and sending up his card, followed the waiter upstairs. The waiter opened the door, and presented the card.
“Very well,” replied Don Silvio, “you can go down and show him up.”
Jack hearing these words, did not wait, but walked in, where he found Don Silvio very busy removing a hone upon which he had been whetting a sharp double-edged stiletto. The Sicilian walked up to him, offering his hand with apparent cordiality; but Jack, with a look of defiance, said, “Don Silvio, we know you; my object now is to demand, on the part of my friend, the satisfaction which you do not deserve, but which our indignation at your second attempt upon Don Rebiera induces us to offer; for if you escape from him you will have to do with me. On the whole, Don Silvio, you may think yourself fortunate, for it is better to die by the hands of a gentleman than by the gibbet.”
Don Silvio turned deadly pale-his hand sought his stiletto in his bosom, but it was remaining on the table; at last he replied, “Be it so-I will meet you when and where you please, in an hour from this.”
Jack mentioned the place of meeting, and then walked out of the room. He and Gascoigne then hastened to the quarters of an officer they were intimate with, and having provided themselves with the necessary firearms, were at the spot before the time. They waited for him till the exact time, yet no Don Silvio made his appearance.
“He’s off,” observed Gascoigne; “the villain has escaped us.”
Half an hour over the time had passed, and still there was no sign of Gascoigne’s antagonist, but one of the Governor’s aides-de-camp was seen walking up to them.
“Here’s Atkins,” observed Jack; “that’s unlucky, but he won’tinterfere.”
“Gentlemen,” said Atkins, taking off his hat with much solemnity, “the Governor particularly wishes to speak to you both.”
“We can’t come just now-we’ll be there in half an hour.”
“You must be there in three minutes, both of you. Excuse me, my orders are positive-and to see them duly executed I have a corporal and a file of men behind that wall-of course, if you walk with me quietly there will be no occasion to send for their assistance.”
“This is confounded tyranny,” cried Jack. “Well may they call him ‘King Tom.’”
“Yes,” replied Atkins, “and he governs here in ‘rey absoluto’ so come along.”
Jack and Gascoigne, having no choice, walked up to the government house, where they found Sir Thomas in the veranda, which commanded a view of the harbour and offing.
“Come here, young gentlemen,” said the Governor, in a severe tone; “do you see that vessel about two miles clear of the port? Don Silvio is in it, going back to Sicily under a guard. And now remember what I say as a maxim through life. Fight with gentlemen, if you must fight, but not with villains and murderers. By ‘consenting’ to fight with a ‘blackguard,’ you as much disparage your cloth and compromise your own characters, as by refusing to give satisfaction to a ‘gentleman.’ There, go away, for I’m angry with you, and don’t let me see you till dinnertime.”
In which our hero sees a little more service, and is better employed than in fighting Don Silvio.
BUT before they met the Governor at his table, a sloop of war arrived from the fleet with despatches from the commander-in-chief. Those to Captain Wilson required him to make all possible haste in fitting, and then to proceed and cruise off Corsica, to fall in with a Russian frigate which was on that coast; if not there, to obtain intelligence, and to follow her wherever she might be.
All was now bustle and activity on board of the Aurora. Captain Wilson, with our hero and Gascoigne, quieted the Governor’s house and repaired on board, where they remained day and night. On the third day the Aurora was complete and ready for sea, and about noon sailed out of Valette Harbour.
In a week the Aurora had gained the coast of Corsica, and there was no need of sending lookout men to the masthead, for one of the officers or midshipmen was there from daylight to dark. She ran up the coast to the northward without seeing the object of her pursuit, or obtaining any intelligence.
Calms and light airs detained them for a few days, when a northerly breeze enabled them to run down the eastern side of the island. It was on the eighteenth day after they had quieted Malta, that a large vessel was seen ahead about eighteen miles off. The men were then at breakfast.
“A frigate, Captain Wilson, I’m sure of it,” said Mr Hawkins, the chaplain, whose anxiety induced him to go to the masthead.
“How is she steering?”
“The same way as we are.”
The Aurora was under all possible sail, and when the hands were, piped to dinner, it was thought that they had neared the chase about two miles.
“This will be a long chase; a stern chase always is,” observed Martin to Gascoigne.
“Yes, I’m afraid so-but I’m more afraid of her escaping.”
“That’s not unlikely either,” replied the mate.
“You are one of job’s comforters, Martin,” replied Gascoigne.
“Then I’m not so often disappointed,” replied the mate. “There are two points to be ascertained; the first is, whether we shall come up with the vessel or lose her-the next is, if we do come up with her, whether she is the vessel we are looking for.”
“You seem very indifferent about it.”
“Indeed I am not: I am the oldest passed midshipman in the ship, and the taking of the frigate will, if I live, give me my promotion, and if I’m killed, I shan’t want it. But I’ve been so often disappointed, that I now make sure of nothing until I have it.”
“Well, for your sake, Martin, I will still hope that the vessel is the one we seek, that we shall not be killed, and that you will gain your promotion.”
“I thank you, Easy-I wish I was one that dared hope as you do.”
Poor Martin! he had long felt how bitter it was to meet disappointment upon disappointment. How true it is, that hope deferred maketh the heart sick! and his anticipations of early days, the buoyant calculations of youth, had been one by one crushed, and now, having served his time nearly three times over, the reaction had become too painful, and, as he truly said, he dared not hope: still his temper was not soured, but chastened.
“She has hauled her wind, sir,” hailed the second lieutenant from the topmast cross-trees.
“What think you of that, Martin?” observed Jack.
“Either that she is an English frigate, or that she is a vessel commanded by a very brave fellow, and well-manned.”
It was sunset before the Aurora had arrived within two miles of the vessel; the private signal had been thrown out, but had not been answered, either because it was too dark to make out the colours of the flags, or that these were unknown to an enemy. The stranger had hoisted the English colours, but that was no satisfactory proof of her being a friend; and just before dark she had put her head towards the Aurora, who had now come stem down to her. The ship’s company of the Aurora were all at their quarters, as a few minutes would now decide whether they had to deal with a friend or foe.
There is no situation perhaps more difficult, and demanding so much caution, as the occasional meeting with a doubtful ship. On the one hand, it being necessary to be fully prepared, and not allow the enemy the advantage which may be derived from your inaction; and on the other, the necessity of prudence, that you may not assault your friends and countrymen. Captain Wilson had hoisted the private night-signal, but here again it was difficult, from his sails intervening, for the other ship to make it out. Before the two frigates were within three cables’ length of each other, Captain Wilson, determined that there should be no mistake from any want of precaution on his part, hauled up his courses and brailed up his driver that the night-signal might be clearly seen.
Lights were seen abaft on the quarter-deck of the other vessel, as if they were about to answer, but she continued to keep the Aurora to leeward at about half a cable’s length, and as the foremost guns of each vessel were abreast of each other, hailed in English-
“Ship ahoy! what ship’s that?”
“His Majesty’s ship Aurora,” replied Captain Wilson, who stood on the hammocks. “What
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