Read Ebook: The Armed Ship America; Or When We Sailed from Salem by Otis James Kennedy J W Illustrator

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Ebook has 799 lines and 37810 words, and 16 pages

"If you make the request known this night, Nathan Crowninshield, I will stand by your side while the words are spoken, and take upon myself such blame as may follow; but it must be done before we go to bed, for I'll not try to sleep while there's any prospect of such a possibility."

"Perhaps so."

"Then come with me, and we'll have the matter settled at once. I am ready to do even more than make a simple request, on the possibility that we might leave port on board this ship."

"My father was to be in your uncle's counting-room to-night, so I heard him tell mother, and if your courage holds good, we two may be laughed at by all the clerks in the Crowninshields' office before an hour has passed."

Simon could have pursued no wiser course, had he wished to urge me on to such a step; for by his tone I understood him to intimate that I was afraid to make the attempt, and without further parley I cried:

"Follow me, unless it so be you are afraid! I count on asking permission from the captain and owner of this ship to sail in her, when she goes forth to work destruction upon British craft."

Then, perhaps, fearing lest the courage should ooze out at my fingers' ends, I went rapidly on deck, over the rail, and headed straight for the office of the owners.

Under almost any other circumstances I would not have dared to enter that portion of the counting-room where my Uncle George transacted the more private business of the concern; but at this time I was made bold by desperation, knowing full well that a delay of five minutes or more might serve to shake the resolution I had formed.

My Uncle George and Captain Ropes were holding what I could well fancy was a private consultation on matters concerning the ship, and both looked up in surprise, not unmixed with anger, when we two lads stood before them.

I knew from the expression on my uncle's face that it was in his mind to say something harsh concerning our intrusion; and, feeling as if I had destroyed what little chance we might have had by such a display of rudeness, I blurted out the request which was formed in my mind, before either of the gentlemen had time to speak.

"What has Joshua Seabury been saying to you?" my uncle asked, sharply. "Why should he above all others think that two boys may be allowed to call themselves members of an armed ship's crew?"

Being thus called upon to defend myself, as it were, I repeated in substance the few words the old man had spoken, laying considerable stress upon the fact that Captain Ropes was three years younger than Simon and me when he first went to sea, and urging that, if Master Josh would take us under his tuition, we should beyond a question pay our footing, even though we might not earn the smallest wages.

Because of the fear--I might almost say the belief, that our request would be treated with disdain, and thinking another opportunity to make our wishes known might not present itself, I succeeded in stating our case fairly well, as I believed.

Before having concluded with all the arguments which presented themselves to my mind, I saw Captain Ropes look at his son in a friendly fashion, and then glance inquiringly at my uncle, whereat the latter, observing the mute question, answered:

"Two lads like those would simply be so much useless lumber aboard the ship, eh, captain?"

My heart sank at what I believed was the beginning of a refusal; but rose very suddenly when Simon's father replied, with an air which told that he considered our request in a certain degree important:

"Unless we count on setting some of the men to do boy's duty, we are like to need a few lads, Master Crowninshield."

"Ay; but you want such as have had some experience."

"If old Joshua Seabury cares to take these two lads under his wing, I'll answer for it they will be experienced before we get well settled down to our work," the captain replied, grimly, and Simon furtively kicked me, as if to say that fortune was smiling upon us.

"She is willing, sir, that I become a sailor, as was my father before me, and surely could not refuse her permission if I should have such opportunity of serving an apprenticeship as would come under the command of a sailor like Captain Ropes."

"We ask for nothing more than that, sir," Simon said, quickly, and I understood, although the formal permission had not really been given, that we two boys were favoured far above many able seamen of Salem, inasmuch as we would leave port on board the staunchest and swiftest privateer afloat.

It is true my mother wept some while I gleefully told her of the good fortune which was mine; but never a word did she speak against the project, for again and again had we talked of the day when I should set off to follow in my father's footsteps.

She must have realised that in a lifetime I might never hope to have such an opportunity of becoming a sailor as now presented itself, and while I doubt not that her heart trembled as she thought of our engaging in a regular battle, no remonstrance was made against it.

Simon Ropes and I did not give words to the exultation both felt, when we parted for the night.

Already had we begun to realise the responsibilities which would be ours. Even now we understood somewhat of the sorrow that must come when we parted with our mothers, and had a vague idea that when we left Salem it might be never to return.

Therefore it was we gave token of our joy only by a silent clasp of the hand.

I am not ashamed to set it down that my pillow was wet with tears that night, as I lay thinking of the many days which must pass before I should see my home again, if indeed I ever did, and I dwelt much longer on my mother's grief and my own loneliness, when we should be parted, than on the glory which might be mine in case I lived to be clasped in her loving arms again.

UNDER WAY.

Having counted on surprising Master Josh by announcing that we were to sign articles as members of the crew whenever the papers were made ready, we were disappointed.

I believe the old man had been firmly convinced that Simon's father and my uncle would allow us to ship, once the desire was made known, for he treated our coming as a matter of course, and, to our great surprise, ceased from that moment to be the friendly friend we had ever known him.

Instead of asking if we would kindly do this or that, or explaining that it would be to our advantage if we learned to make such a splice or tie a particular knot, he drove us to work like slaves, and one would have fancied that we met him for the first time on that morning.

Having partaken of a scanty breakfast, owing to our eagerness to be on board the ship at an early hour, it was by no means pleasant to run here or there at the old gunner's call, or, when one was doing his best, to be sharply reprimanded because he had not succeeded in accomplishing more.

In fact, the change in his manner was so decided and disagreeable that I came to believe something had gone wrong over night, and took counsel with Simon concerning it.

The result of our conference was that we made up our minds to demand an explanation from Master Josh, and without delay.

We were ready to obey him while he spoke us in friendly fashion, but when it came to being ordered about as if we were hardly better than the dirt beneath his feet, we were disposed to raise forcible and emphatic objections.

Simon insisted that I should be the one to demand an explanation, promising to stand close behind me meanwhile, thus showing that he was in full accord with all I said, and without delay we sought out the old man.

At the time he chanced to be working upon Number One gun, on the starboard side, and although it is certain he saw us approaching, never so much as a sign of consciousness did he give.

This seeming indifference nettled me quite as much as had his suddenly assumed tone of command, and I broke out hotly, asking why it was that he took unto himself so many high and mighty airs without due cause, so far as we could understand.

The old man ceased his work very suddenly when I began to speak, and, before having come to the end of the reproaches, I believed of a verity he was minded to raise his hand against me.

He evidently thought better of it, however, for when I was come to an end of words, the old gunner straightened himself up, surveying both Simon and me from head to foot, after which he asked, in what sounded very much like a jeering tone:

"Of course you did," I said, quickly, not realising what turn he was giving to the situation. "There could have been no mistake when we said that permission had been given us, both by Captain Ropes and my Uncle George."

"Then it is allowed that you are the same as members of the crew, eh?"

"How else can it be?"

"That was the way I understood it, and now hark ye, lads. Is it in your mind that boys aboard ship are to be dandled an' petted? Have you got the idee that every man Jack of us must take off his hat 'cause one of you happens to be son of the captain, an' the other a nephew of the owner?"

I looked at Simon, not knowing what reply to make to such a question, and he gazed at me in mute astonishment.

"You may as well make up your minds as to what you count on bein' aboard this ship, 'cause the matter's got to be settled mighty soon," the old gunner said, solemnly. "I took it for granted that you was rated as boys; but if it so be you're reckonin' on makin' the cruise for pleasure, an' settin' yourselves above the others with high an' lofty airs 'cause of your relationship, why, then, we'll have a plain understandin' from the start. It ain't allowed that passengers may mosey 'round here for'ard,--leastways it never has been on any ship I was aboard of; so you'll excuse me for takin' the liberty of settin' you about a sailorman's duties, otherwise I'll call the crew of the captain's gig to escort you into the cabin, where you seem to belong."

The old man tugged at the lock of hair over his forehead, as he scraped with one foot, in what he believed to be the proper kind of a bow, and started aft as if to carry out his threat.

Now, although I had never been to sea, I knew enough of a sailorman's life to understand that if the remainder of the crew got the slightest inkling of what had just happened, our lives would be far from pleasant during the cruise; therefore, I checked him by clutching at his arm, imploringly, as I cried:

"We were in the wrong when we complained, Master Josh. Surely you have known us long enough to believe that we no more intend to shirk our duties than to play the part of passengers. It was because you had changed so completely that we came to you with the questions in our mouths."

"Accordin' to your talk, it seems that you understand the matter without my goin' into very many explanations," the old man said, grimly.

"What you have said is the same as an explanation, sir," Simon meekly replied. "If you will please set us about some task we'll agree never to raise another question, however changed your manner may be."

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