The Battery and the Boiler: Adventures in Laying of Submarine Electric Cables

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER SEVEN.

  THE BIG SHIP--FIRST NIGHT ABOARD.

  When our hero at last reached the Great Eastern, he soon found himselfin what may be termed a lost condition. At first he was disappointed,for he saw her at a distance, and it is well-known that distance lendsdeception as well as "enchantment to the view." Arrived alongside,however, he felt as if he had suddenly come under the walls of a greatfortress or city.

  Presently he stood on the deck of the Big Ship, as its familiars calledit, and, from that moment, for several days, was, as we have said, in alost condition. He was lost in wonder, to begin with, as he gazed atthe interminable length and breadth of planking styled the deck, and theforest of funnels, masts, and rigging, and the amazing perspective,which caused men at the further end from where he stood to look likedolls.

  Then he was lost in reality, when he went below and had to ask his wayas though he were wandering in the labyrinths of a great city. Hefelt--or thought he felt--like a mere mite in the mighty vessel. Soonhe lost his old familiar powers of comparison and contrast, and ere longhe lost his understanding altogether, for he fell down one of thehatchways into a dark abyss, where he would probably have ended hiscareer with electric speed if he had not happily fallen into the arms ofa human being, with whom he rolled and bumped affectionately, thoughpainfully, to the bottom of the stair.

  The human being, growled intense disapprobation during the process, andRobin fancied that the voice was familiar.

  "Come, I say," said the being, remonstratively, "this is altogether tooloving, you know. Don't squeeze quite so tight, young 'un, whoever yoube."

  "Oh, I _beg_ your pardon," gasped Robin, relaxing his grasp when theystopped rolling; "I'm _so_ sorry. I hope I haven't hurt you."

  "Hurt me!" laughed Jim Slagg, for it was he; "no, you small electrician,you 'aven't got battery-power enough to do _me_ much damage; but whatd'ye mean by it? Is this the way to meet an old friend? Is it rightfor a Wright to go wrong at the wery beginnin' of his career? But come,I forgive you. Have you been introdooced to Capting Anderson yet?"

  "No! Who is he?"

  "Who is he, you ignorant crokidile! why, he's the capting of the GreatEastern, the commander o' the Big Ship, the Great Mogul o' thequarter-deck, the king o' the expedition. But, of course, you 'aven'tbin introdooced to him. He don't associate much with small fry likeus--more's the pity, for it might do 'im good. But come, I'll take youunder my wing for the present, because your partikler owner, EbbysneezerSmith, ain't come aboard yet--ashore dissipatin', I suppose,--an'everybody's so busy gettin' ready to start that nobody will care to bebothered with you, so come along."

  There was same truth in this eccentric youths' remarks, for in thebustle of preparation for an early start every one on board seemed to beso thoroughly engrossed with his own duty that he had no time to attendto anything else, and Robin had begun to experience, in the absence ofhis "partikler owner," an uneasy sensation of being very much inpeople's way. As he felt strangely attracted by the off-handgood-humoured impudence of his new friend, he consented to follow him,and was led to a small apartment, somewhere in the depths of the mightyship, in which several youths, not unlike Slagg, were romping. Theyhad, indeed, duties to perform like the rest, but the moment chanced tobe with them a brief period of relaxation, which they devoted toskylarking.

  "Hallo who have you got here?" demanded a large clumsy youth, knockingoff Slagg's cap as he asked the question.

  "Come, Stumps, don't you be cheeky," said Slagg, quietly picking up hiscap and putting it on; "this is a friend o' mine--one o' theelectricians,--so you needn't try to shock _his_ feelin's, for he cangive better than he gets. He's got no berth yet, so I brought 'im hereto show him hospitality."

  "Oh, indeed," said Mr Stumps, bowing with mock respect; then, turningto the comrade with whom he had been skylarking, "Here, Jeff, supplythis _gentleman_ with food."

  Jeff, entering into Stumps' humour, immediately brought a plate ofbroken ship-biscuit with a can of water, and set them on the tablebefore Robin. Our hero, who had never been accustomed to much jesting,took the gift in earnest, thanked Jeff heartily, and, being hungry, setto work with a will upon the simple fare, while Stumps and Jeff lookedat each other and winked.

  "Come, I can add something to improve that feast," said Slagg, drawing apiece of cheese from his pocket, and setting it before his friend.

  Robin thanked him, and was about to take the cheese when Stumps snatchedit up, and ran out of the room with it, laughing coarsely as he went.

  "The big bully," growled Slagg; "it's quite obvious to me that fellerwill have to be brought to his marrow-bones afore long."

  "Never mind," said Jeff, who was of a more amiable spirit than Stumps,"here's more o' the same sort." He took another piece of cheese from ashelf as he spoke, and gave it to Robin.

  "Now, my young toolip," said Slagg, "havin' finished your feed, p'r'apsyou'd like to see over the big ship."

  With great delight Robin said that he should like nothing better, and,being led forth, was soon lost a second time in wonderment.

  Of what use was it that Slagg told him the Great Eastern was 692 feetlong by 83 feet broad, and 70 feet deep? If he had said yards insteadof feet it would have been equally instructive to Robin in his thenmentally lost condition. Neither was it of the slightest use to be toldthat the weight of the big ship's cargo, including cable, tanks, andcoals, was 21,000 tons.

  But reason began to glimmer again when Slagg told him that the twolargest vessels afloat could not contain, in a convenient position forpassing out, the 2700 miles then coiled in the three tanks of the GreatEastern.

  "This is the main tank," said Slagg, leading his friend to a smallplatform that hung over a black and apparently unfathomable gulf.

  "I see nothing at all," said Robin, stretching his head cautiouslyforward and gazing down into darkness profound, while he held on tightto a rail. "How curious!--when I look down everything in this wonderfulship seems to have no bottom, and when I look up, nothing appears tohave any top, while, if I look backward or forward things seem to haveno end! Ah! I see something now. Coming in from the light preventedme at first. Why, it's like a huge circus!"

  "Yes, it on'y wants hosses an' clowns to make it all complete," saidSlagg. "Now, that tank is 58 feet 6 inches in diameter, and 20 feet 6inches deep, an' holds close upon 900 miles of cable. There are twoother tanks not much smaller, all choke-full. An' the queer thing is,that they can telegraph through all its length _now_, at this moment asit lies there,--an' they are doing so continually to make sure thatall's right."

  "Oh! I understand _that_," said Robin quickly; "I have read all aboutthe laying of the first cable in 1858. It is the _appearance_ of thingsin this great ship that confounds me."

  "Come along then, and I'll confound you a little more," said Slagg.

  He accordingly led his friend from one part of the ship to another,explaining and commenting as he went, and certainly Robin's wonder didnot decrease.

  From the grand saloon--which was like a palatial drawing-room, in sizeas well as in gorgeous furniture--to the mighty cranks and boilers ofits engines, everything in and about the ship was calculated to amaze.As Slagg justly remarked, "It was stunnin'."

  When our hero was saturated with the "Big Ship" till he could hold nomore, his friend took him back to his berth, and left him there for atime to his meditations.

  Returning soon after, he sat down on a looker.

  "I say, Robin Wright," he began, thrusting his hands into histrousers-pockets, "it looks a'most as if I had smuggled you aboard ofthis ship like a stowaway. Nobody seems to know you are here, an'what's more, nobody seems to care. Your partikler owner ain't turned upyet, an' it's my opinion he won't turn up to-night, so I've spoke to thestooard--he's _my_ owner, you know--an' he says you'd better just turninto my berth to-night, an' you'll get showed into your own to-morrow."

  "But where will _you_ sleep?" asked Robin, with some hesitation.


  "Never you mind that, my young electrician. That's _my_ business. Whatyou've got to do is to turn in."

  Jeff and another lad, who were preparing to retire for the night at thetime, laughed at this, but Robin paid no attention, thanked his friend,and said that as he was rather tired he would accept his kind offer.

  Thereafter, pulling out the small Bible which he had kept in his pocketsince leaving home, he went into a corner, read a few verses, and thenknelt down to pray.

  The surprise of the other lads was expressed in their eyes, but theysaid nothing.

  Just then the door opened, and the lad named Stumps entered. Catchingsight of Robin on his knees he opened his eyes wide, pursed his mouth,and gave a low whistle. Then he went up to Robin and gave him a slightkick. Supposing that it was an accident, Robin did not move, but onreceiving another and much more decided kick, he rose and turned round.At the same moment Stumps received a resounding and totally unexpectedslap on the cheek from Jim Slagg, who planted himself before him withclenched fists and flashing eyes.

  "What d'ye mean by interferin' wi' _my_, friend at his dewotions, youmonkey-faced polypus?" he demanded fiercely.

  The monkey-faced polypus replied not a word, but delivered aright-hander that might have felled a small horse. Jim Slagg howeverwas prepared for that. He turned his head neatly to one side so as tolet the blow pass, and at the same moment planted his knuckles on thebridge of his opponent's nose and sent him headlong into Jeff's bunk,which lay conveniently behind. Jumping furiously out of that, andskinning his shins in the act, Stumps rushed at Slagg, who, leapinglightly aside, tripped him up and gave him a smack on the left ear as hepassed, by way of keeping him lively.

  Unsubdued by this, Stumps gathered himself up and made a blind rush athis adversary, but was abruptly stopped by what Jeff called a "dab onthe nose." Repeating the rush, Stumps was staggered by a plunging blowon the forehead, and he paused to breathe, gazing the while at his foe,who, though a smaller youth than himself, was quite as strong.

  "If you've had enough, monkey-face," said Slagg, with a bland smile,"don't hesitate to say so, an' I'll shake hands; but if you'd prefer alittle more before goin' to bed, just let me know, and--"

  Slagg here performed some neat and highly suggestive motions with hisfists by way of finishing the sentence.

  Evidently Stumps wanted more, for, after a brief pause, he again rushedat Slagg, who, stepping aside like a Spanish matador, allowed his foe toexpend his wrath on the bulkhead of the cabin.

  "You'll go through it next time, Stumps, if you plunge like that," saidJeff, who had watched the fight with lively interest, and had encouragedthe combatants with sundry marks of applause, besides giving them muchgratuitous advice.

  Regardless alike of encouragement and advice, the angry youth turnedround once more and received a buffet that sent him sprawling on thetable, off which he fell and rolled under it. There he lay and panted.

  "Now, my sweet polypus," said the victor, going down on one knee andpatting the vanquished on his shoulder, "next time you feels tempted tokick a gentleman--specially a electrician--at his dewotions, think ofJim Slagg an' restrain yourself. I bear you no ill-will however--so,good-night."

  Saying this, Robin's champion left the room and Stumps retired to hisberth growling.

  Before passing from the subject, we may add that, the next night,Robin--whose owner was still absent--was again hospitably invited toshare the cabin of his friend and protector. When about to retire torest he considered whether it was advisable to risk the repetition ofthe scene of the previous, night, and, although not quite easy in hisconscience about it, came to the conclusion that it would be well to sayhis prayers in bed. Accordingly, he crept quietly into his berth andlay down, but Jim Slagg, who was present, no sooner saw what he wasabout than he jumped up with a roar of indignation.

  "What are you about?" he cried, "ain't you goin' to say your prayers,you white-livered electrician? Come, git up! If _I'm_ to fight, _you_must pray! D'ye hear? Turn out, I say."

  With that he seized Robin, dragged him out of bed, thrust him on hisknees, and bade him "do his dooty."

  At first Robin's spirit rose in rebellion, but a sense of shame at hismoral cowardice, and a perception of the justice of his friend's remark,subdued him. He did pray forthwith, though what the nature of hisprayer was we have never been able to ascertain, and do not care toguess. The lesson, however, was not lost. From that date forward RobinWright was no longer ashamed or afraid to be seen in the attitude ofprayer.