Wild Life in the Land of the Giants: A Tale of Two Brothers
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the flag, andit was still flying when--an hour afterwards a couple of tugs managed toget us in tow, and we were once more heading back for the harbour.
The first words the officer of the tug said to me, when he had time tospeak, were--
"Why, you're a pretty lot! Cutting out a man o' war under the very gunsof the flag-ship, and running off with it. Ha! ha! ha!"
Whatever the laugh might have meant, it sounded to me like the yell of ahyena.
"If you please, sir," I advanced, "we didn't run away with the ship; theship ran away with us."
"Was it bullum _versus_ boatum," he said, "or boatum _versus_ bullum?"
"I don't talk Turkish," I said.
"Well," he said, "Turkish here or Turkish there, you young pirate, Isuppose you know what you'll catch?"
"Hang us, won't they?"
"Hang you? Yes. Drum-head court-martial, and hanging, and serve youright too. You don't look very frightened," he added. "There get awayinside, the lot of you, and thank your stars it is no worse."
We did as we were told, at the same time I could not help wondering whatworse could befall us, than a drum-head court-martial with hanging tofollow.
I stopped behind Jill long enough to ask the officer this question:
"They won't hang our little sister Mattie?"
"No, not likely, we'll make much of her."
He caught Mattie up as he spoke, and soon had her laughing and crowinglike a mad thing as he galloped round the deck with her on his shoulder.
"They won't hang Mattie," I said to Jill.
"No," said Jill, "that is one good thing."
"Well, do _you_ want to be hanged, Jill?"
"I don't think I should like it _much_."
"Well, nothing can save us, you know."
"But flight, Jack."
"Yes, flight, Jill, that's it. I suppose they won't drum-head usto-day?"
"I don't know. I'm not so sure. A drum-head court-martial _is_ adrum-head court-martial, you see. And the beauty of it is--if there beany beauty about it--that it's got up and got done with at once."
"Well, then, I move we prepare for instant flight."
"Quite right. I'm all ready as it is. Let us eat this pie, though."
We did eat the pie. In fact, we breakfasted very heartily. But we grewvery sad again when we thought of Mattie we must leave so soon, ifindeed we should be successful in getting away at all. However, wecould only try.
I got Mattie by the port, and said sadly enough--
"You won't ever, ever forget me, will you, dear Mattie?" I put thequestion with a kiss.
"No, you silly boy; I promise I won't. But what a silly question.We'll play at pirates again to-morrow."
I felt very much inclined to cry, but--I did not.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
ALONE ON THE MOOR--ADVENTURE IN THE CAVE.
On looking back through a long vista of years, and considering all the_pros_ and _cons_ of the case, and remembering that Jill and I were onlyboys, I do not think it any wonder we ran away from the dear old_Thunderbolt_ hulk. I have always accused myself to myself, for thefolly of having given way to a sudden romantic impulse--for which I,being the elder of the three on board, am alone accountable--playing atpirates, firing at a flag-ship, and all the rest of it.
But when our little game was over, and the full enormity of the offencestared us in the face, and after what the officer of the tug-boat hadtold us, I repeat, it is no wonder we ran away. We were not to know theofficer was, figuratively speaking, laughing in his sleeve at us. Webelieved him. We were convinced it would end in a drum-headcourt-martial, with, next day, poor Jack swung up at one end of thefore-yard, and poor dear Jill at the other. A pretty sight that wouldhave been on a summer's morning. Romantic? Oh, yes, I own there wouldhave been a good deal of romance about it. Rather much indeed. Ourposition would have been far too exalted to suit even my ambition.
Some one has said that hanging is the worst use you can put a man to, soit cannot be good for a boy.
That officer of the tug-boat, too, made so awfully light of the matter.
When I had asked him if hanging was very, very, dreadful,--
"Oh, dear me, no, my lad," he replied, laughing, "not half so bad ashaving a tooth pulled."
Our darling mother told us never to hate anybody, but I do not think Iloved that officer very much just then.
Well, how did we get away? The fact is our escape was effected far moresafely and easily than I had anticipated. I had expected that therewould be a considerable deal of romance about that I felt sure theywould fire shot and shell and shrapnel at the boat that was bearing usoff, and if after throwing ourselves into the water we reached shoresafely, they would send a regiment or two of soldiers at the very leastto pursue us.
The old _Thunderbolt_, when she ran away, "showed a pair of cleanheels," so I heard that tug-boat fellow say, because wind and tide washurrying her on. But it was no such easy matter to get her back; so thewhole morning had fled before she was once more alongside her moorings.Then the bustle and din and the loud talking were shocking, for nearlyan hour.
Mattie--I was so glad of this--got very sleepy, so we took her into MrsMoore's room and placed her on the bed. She bade us both good-nightprettily, but sleepily, and I was glad of this too, for the"good-nights" did for the "good-byes." Ah! little did Mattie think wewere going to leave her, but she did not feel the tear that fell on herbeautiful hair as I bent over her. It was best. After this I supposeit was activity that made us feel brave. We had to look sharp, I assureyou. We hurried into our cabin--ours, alas! no more--and exchanged ourhats for caps, and put on our monkey jackets--our winter ones. Thiswould not look odd, because there was quite a raw air over the water.We went and packed our one portmanteau, taking nothing lumbersome, andno books, except our little Bibles that mamma had given us.
Then I sat down and wrote a letter, a very brief one, to Mattie. Itonly said, in a boy's scrawling hand--
"Dearest Mattie,--Please always pray for Jack and poor Jill.--Your loving and affectionate Jack."
I folded this up, and glided away into the child's room and laid it onher pillow. She was sound asleep, but I kissed her brow. If I hadstopped to look at her, I believe my heart would have broken in two.
Jill was waiting with the bag, and the difficulty was now to get a boat.We had thought of getting into the dinghy and paying a man to returnit. It was better we didn't.
I opened the port. The fresh morning air blew in and calmed me, andjust at that moment, as if a good fairy had sent him, a shore boatmanrounded the stern of the hulk, and was close beneath us.
"Boatman," I said, "can you take us on shore?"
He looked about him a bit and nodded. Then I dropped my bag, and hecaught it _so_ neatly.
"We'll get in from a lower port," I said.
The man nodded again. Off Jill and I went down below to poor TomMorley's quarters. Nobody saw us, for everybody was on the upper deckforward, and making a terrible din. In three minutes more we were wellaway from the ship, but I made Jill lie down for fear of the shot andshell and shrapnel which I expected to be flying about our ears soon,and I myself pulled up the neck of my monkey jacket.
The man rowed right away up the harbour, and, to my intense joy, we hadsoon put a wall between us and the ships of war.
My heart had been thumping violently, and I dare say so was poor Jill's.
When we landed, and I was diving for my purse to pay the mail, he heldup his hand deprecatingly.
"Look here, youngsters," he said, "I was a boy myself once. You've gotinto a little scrape, and you're going to stop away from school till thelittle storm blows over. I won't take a penny for this job, and I'lltake you both on board free and for nothing. My name's Joe Saunders;you can ask for me."
Then we thanked him and shook hands with him, with the tears in oureyes--in fact I think some rolled over. Next moment we were off andaway.
We walked very fast and took the qui
etest streets. We met some marines,and our hearts began to beat again; but they hardly looked at us.
When we had gone some distance we were on high ground, and paused tolook back. We could see the forest of masts rising over the walls andyards, and the smoke curling up from the chimneys. And as we gazed twobells rang out almost simultaneously from all the ships, whileimmediately afterwards, sweet and clear in the still morning air, rosethe music of the band on the flag-ship's quarter-deck.
It was very beautiful, but to us inexpressibly saddening.
We hurried on now, and were soon thankful to find ourselves out in thegreen country, with music of another kind falling on our ears--the happysongs of the birds.
We did not stay to listen