thorough masters of his or her part.
But one day Mr Moore with his wife were invited to Trafalgar Cottageand Tom Morley was left in charge of the ship, while at her own specialrequest Mattie was also left on board.
We could play now to our hearts' content.
But we little knew what was before us.
CHAPTER SIX.
AN APPALLING ADVENTURE--"WE MUST PREPARE FOR INSTANT FLIGHT."
Just after tea, and while Tom was telling some of his most fascinatingstories, and we three children were listening with dilated eyes andbated breath, we were hailed by a boatman.
"_Thunderbolt_ ahoy!"
"Ay, ay," cried Tom, jumping up and rushing to the gangway--we had beenhaving tea on the upper deck.
Then up sprang an old shipmate of Tom's, and we heard them talkingearnestly together and looking towards us. At last Tom advanced almostshyly. "I dunno really," he said, "if one o' you young gentlemen wouldlike to be left in charge of the old _Thunderbolt_ for an hour or so.Yonder's an old shipmate o' mine, and I'd dearly like to run on shorefor maybe an hour."
"Oh, we'd like it immensely." We spoke these words both at the sametime, as strangely enough we always did speak brief sentences, whenexcited.
"Well then," said Tom, laughing and addressing me, "You're Captain Jack,this is Commander Jill, and this is Mattie the mate."
"Hurrah!" we shouted. "Off you trundle, Tom, and see you enjoy yourselfproperly; and if you don't report yourself in due form when you come onboard, we'll put you in irons. D'ye hear?"
"Ay, ay, sir," said Tom, saluting. Then over the side went he and hisfriend, and we saw them--_no more_.
Tom had promised not to be gone longer than eight o'clock, but eight andnine went by, and still he came not. The shades of night began todarken over the water and over the town, and worse than all it came onto blow.
We did not expect Mrs Moore to come back. Indeed it had been arranged,that if she did not return by seven, Tom was to see to putting us all tobed; and Tom--wicked, thoughtless Tom--had faithfully promised he would.
Alas! I fear that at that very moment Tom was tossing a can, andsinging one of Dibdin's songs.
"It's very romantic, isn't it?" said Mattie.
We both smiled like automata and said "yes"; but I don't think either ofus thought it was a desirable situation to be left in.
Jill and I were thinking about the ghost. But it would not do to say aword concerning this to Mattie. Each knew, too, what the other wasthinking about. I am sure enough of this, because when, just as we wereretiring into the great cabin, Jill gave a little glance behind him, andI said in his ear, "There are no such things, old Jill," he nodded andsmiled.
The wind shortly increased to nearly the force of a gale. It wentroaring through the rigging of our one mast in a way that was dismal tolisten to, though Mattie assured us it was perfectly delightful. Thewater alongside was all in a seethe, and the great ship wriggled if shedid not roll, and kept pulling at her moorings as if she wanted to goflying away on the wings of that strong north wind. We busiedourselves, now, Jill and I, in getting supper, after which we put Mattieto bed on the couch. The three of us determined to turn inall-standing, as sailors phrase it when they mean that they do notundress.
But Jill and I took rugs and lay down in the cabin, as we did not wantto be far from Mattie should she call during the night.
We had thought of keeping watch and watch in true navy fashion. But forseveral reasons we abandoned the idea. First and foremost there reallywas nothing to watch except Mattie, and we could watch her better ifbeside her; secondly it would be dreadfully dreary; and thirdly therewas the very remotest chance, that the ghost of some of the bravefellows whose life-blood stained the fighting deck might take it intoits head to visit the _Thunderbolt_ during the storm that was raging.
The three of us said our prayers together, Jill and I kneeling down byMattie's couch. Then we kissed "good night," and she went off like atop.
After we were quite sure she was sound, Jill looked at me and I lookedat Jill, and up we both got as if we had arranged it all beforehand, andcarefully locked the door and loaded our pistols and lay down again. Wehad no shot, but I said that did not matter, as if the noise of thepistol did not alarm the ghost and show him he was not wanted, shotwould only go right through him and the holes would fill up againimmediately.
However, we knew ghosts did not like light, so we left the swing lampburning and lay down.
Not to sleep, for a time at all events. We could hear the roar of thewind now more distinctly, and many strange noises that we could notunderstand. It might have been rats, but there were footsteps soaudible overhead every now and then, that we fully expected to see thedoor open and honest Tom appear to report himself.
I'm certain we heard scuffling and stamping outside the door, but atlast all sounds merged into dreams, and if we did start awake now andthen we could not be sure whether the noises that roused us were realityor imaginary.
We did sleep sound at last, for long hours too; then all at once, as ifby instinct, or, as I said before, as if wound up to it like clockworkautomata, Jill and I both rose up and became fully sensible that we werestanding hand in hand in the centre of the room.
It was grey daylight on a lovely morning--very early, perhaps not quitethree o'clock, and Jill and I both stared in astonishment as we gazedout of the port.
Why, the town was going round us. Houses and buildings and vessels werepassing by the window.
Could we be dreaming? No, yonder was the green of a hill now, and theclouds moving also.
About the same moment that these wonderful phenomena were beingpresented to our eyes, the midshipman on watch on one of the ships--who,by the way, was half asleep--ran down below and reported to hiscommander that a steamer was going up harbour, and would run into thedockyard.
The commander said, "Get out of here, youngster. You're mad ordreaming."
The middy went on deck, but came diving below again immediately, takingtwo steps at a time.
"The _Thunderbolt_ has slipped her moorings, and is driving out to sea."
"Ay, lad," said the commander, "that is more like it. The steamer youthought moving has been stationary."
And now on board the hulk the real situation began to dawn upon ourminds.
We were being run away with.
Then a great gun reverberated high over the howling wind, and gun aftergun followed.
The good people of the town made quite sure that one of two things hadhappened: either a foreign enemy had landed, or the end of the world hadcome.
At the first gun Mattie, wideawake, jumped off the couch, and we at onceexplained to her the situation.
"Hullo!" she cried, "how nice! Hullo! hullo! Let's play at beingpirates."
Her mirth and excitement were infectious.
In a minute or two we were armed and had rushed on deck, and the playwas commenced.
The old _Thunderbolt_ now was making good way down the harbour, and howshe missed fouling and sinking some of the craft is to me a mystery tothis day. But some of them had a marvellously close shave.
The whole harbour was now alarmed, and the officers and crews swarmed onthe decks of the vessels. But the stately hulk held on her way,heading--sometimes sterning--for more open water.
Meanwhile, Pirate Jill was cheering in the ratlines, and finally leapeddown, and the battle began with swords, we, the combatants, shouting aswildly as we thought was desirable.
We were now bearing close down upon the flag-ship, and could distinguishthe officers on the poop.
"Hurrah!" cried Jill, "let's now play at being pirates proper."
"Hullo!" cried Mattie, "we're all pirates."
I ran speedily off for Tom's old battered speaking trumpet, and we werevery close to the flag-ship when I hailed her, in true pirate fashion.
"Lie to there, till we send a boat on board, or we'll blow you out ofthe water."
A chorus of laughter came from quar
ter-deck and waist.
"Fire!" I cried.
Bang, bang, went both pistols at once.
"Hullo!" cried Mattie; "Hullo!"
And at the same moment, seeing she had the halyards in her hand, Ilooked aloft just in time to see a little black bundle expand into ahuge flag, and lo! fluttering out in the morning air was the dark dreadensign of the pirate, with its hideous skull and cross-bones.
"Hullo!" cried Mattie once more.
But Jill and I stood aghast!
Then our dream rushed back to our minds.
We did not foul the flag-ship, and were soon rolling away out seawards.But what had we done? It was dreadful to think of--hoisted the pirateflag and fired upon one of her Majesty's flags, right into the teeth ofher officers and crew.
So paralysed were we that we entirely forgot to haul down
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