Mr. Midshipman Easy

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER ELEVEN.

  IN WHICH OUR HERO PROVES THAT ALL ON BOARD SHOULD EQUALLY SACRIFICEDECENCY TO DUTY.

  The success of any young man in a profession very much depends upon theoccurrences at the commencement of his career, as from those is hischaracter judged, and he is treated accordingly. Jack had chosen toenter the Service at a much later period than most lads; he was tall andmanly for his age, and his countenance, if not strictly handsome, worethat expression of honesty and boldness which is sure to please. Hisspirit in not submitting to, and meeting Vigors when he had hardlyrecovered from his severe prostration of sea-sickness, had gained himwith the many respect, and with all, except his antagonist and MrSmallsole, goodwill. Instead of being laughed at by his messmates, hewas played with; for Jolliffe smiled at his absurdities, and attemptedto reason him out of them, and the others liked Jack for himself and hisgenerosity, and, more over, because they looked up to him as a protectoragainst Vigors, who had persecuted them all; for Jack had declared, thatas might was right in a midshipman's berth, he would so far restoreequality, that if he could not put down those who were the strongest, atall events he would protect the weak, and, let who would come into theberth, they must be his master before they should tyrannise over thoseweaker than he.

  Thus did Jack Easy make the best use that he could of his strength, andbecome, as it were, the champion and security of those who, althoughmuch longer at sea and more experienced than he was, were glad toshelter themselves under his courage and skill, the latter of which hadexcited the admiration of the butcher of the ship, who had been apugilist by profession. Thus did Jack at once take the rank of anoldster, and soon became the leader of all the mischief. Weparticularly observe this, because, had it so happened that our hero hadsuccumbed to Vigors, the case would have been the very reverse. He thenwould have had to go through the ordeal to which most who enter thenaval service are exposed, which cannot be better explained than bycomparing it to the fagging carried to such an iniquitous extent inpublic schools.

  Mr Asper, for his own reasons, made him his companion: they walked thenight-watch together, and he listened to all Jack's nonsense about therights of man. And here Mr Asper did good without intending it, for,at the same time that he appeared to agree with Jack, to secure hisfavour, he cautioned him, and pointed out why this equality could notexist altogether on board of a man-of-war.

  As for himself, he said, he saw no difference between a lieutenant, oreven a captain, and a midshipman, provided they were gentlemen: heshould choose his friends where he liked, and despised that power ofannoyance which the service permitted. Of course, Jack and Mr Asperwere good friends, especially as, when half the watch was over, toconciliate his good will and to get rid of his eternal arguing, MrAsper would send Jack down to bed.

  They were now entering the Straits, and expected to anchor the next dayat Gibraltar, and Jack was forward on the forecastle, talking withMesty, with whom he had contracted a great friendship, for there wasnothing that Mesty would not have done for Jack, although he had notbeen three weeks in the ship; but a little reflection will show that itwas natural.

  Mesty had been a great man in his own country; he had suffered all thehorrors of a passage in a slave ship; he had been sold as a slave twice;he had escaped--but he found that the universal feeling was strongagainst his colour, and that on board of a man-of-war he was condemned,although free, to the humblest of offices.

  He had never heard any one utter the sentiments, which _now_ beat in hisown heart, of liberty and equality--we say _now_, for when he was in hisown country before his captivity, he had no ideas of equality; no onehas who is in power: but he had been schooled; and although peopletalked of liberty and equality at New York, he found that what theypreached for themselves, they did not practise towards others, and that,in the midst of liberty and equality, he and thousands more wereenslaved and degraded beings.

  Escaping to England, he had regained his liberty, but not his equality;his colour had prevented the latter, and in that feeling all the worldappeared to conspire together against him, until, to his astonishment,he heard those sentiments boldly expressed from the lips of Jack, andthat in a service where it was almost tantamount to mutiny. Mesty,whose character is not yet developed, immediately took a fondness forour hero, and in a hundred ways showed his attachment. Jack also likedMesty, and was fond of talking with him, and every evening, since thecombat with Vigors, they had generally met in the forecastle to discussthe principles of equality and the rights of man.

  The boatswain, whose name was Biggs, was a slight, dapper, active littleman, who, as captain of the foretop, had shown an uncommon degree ofcourage in a hurricane, so much so, as to recommend him to the admiralfor promotion. It was given to him; and after the ship to which he hadbeen appointed was paid off, he had been ordered to join H.M. sloop_Harpy_. Jack's conversation with Mesty was interrupted by the voice ofthe boatswain, who was haranguing his boy. "It's now ten minutes, sir,by my repeater," said the boatswain, "that I have sent for you;" and MrBiggs pulled out a huge silver watch, almost as big as a Norfolk turnip.A Jew had sold him the watch; the boatswain had heard of repeaters, andwished to have one. Moses had only shown him watches with the hour andminute hands; he now produced one with a second hand, telling him it wasa repeater.

  "What makes it a repeater?" inquired the boatswain.

  "Common watches," said the cunning Jew, "only tell the minutes and thehours; but all repeaters tell the seconds."

  The boatswain was satisfied--bought the watch, and, although many hadtold him it was no repeater, he insisted that it _was_, and would callit so.

  "I swear," continued the boatswain, "it's ten minutes and twenty secondsby my repeater."

  "If you please, sir," said the boy, "I was changing my trousers when yousent for me, and then I had to stow away my bag again."

  "Silence, sir; I'd have you to know that when you are sent for by yourofficer, trousers or no trousers, it is your duty to come up directly."

  "Without trousers, sir!" replied the boy.

  "Yes, sir, without trousers; if the captain required me, I should comewithout my shirt. Duty before decency." So saying, the boatswain layshold of the boy.

  "Surely, Mr Biggs," said Jack, "you are not going to punish that boyfor not coming up without his trousers!"

  "Yes, Mr Easy, I am--I must teach him a lesson. We are bound, now thatnewfangled ideas are brought into the ship, to uphold the dignity of theservice; and the orders of an officer are not to be delayed ten minutesand twenty seconds because a boy has no trousers on." Whereupon theboatswain administered several smart cuts with his rattan upon the boy,proving that it was quite as well that he had put on his trousers beforehe came on deck. "There," said Mr Biggs, "is a lesson for you, youscamp--and, Mr Easy, it is a lesson for you also," continued theboatswain, walking away with a most consequential air.

  "Murder Irish!" said Mesty--"how him cut caper. De oder day he hawl outde weather ear-ring, and touch him hat to a midshipman. Sure enough,make um cat laugh."

  The next day, the _Harpy_ was at anchor in Gibraltar Bay; the captainwent on shore, directing the gig to be sent for him before nine o'clock;after which hour the sally-port is only opened by special permission.There happened to be a ball given by the officers of the garrison onthat evening, and a polite invitation was sent to the officers of H.M.sloop _Harpy_. As those who accepted the invitation would be detainedlate, it was not possible for them to come off that night. And as theirservices were required for the next day, Captain Wilson allowed them toremain on shore until seven o'clock the next morning, at which hour, asthere was a large party, there would be two boats sent for them.

  Mr Asper obtained leave, and asked permission to take our hero withhim; to which Mr Sawbridge consented. Many other officers obtainedleave, and, among others, the boatswain, who, aware that his serviceswould be in request as soon as the equipment commenced, asked permissionfor this evening. And Mr Sawbridge, feeling that he could be betters
pared at this than at any other time, consented. Asper and Jack wentto an inn, dined, bespoke beds, and then dressed themselves for theball, which was very brilliant, and, from the company of the officers,very pleasant. Captain Wilson looked on at the commencement, and thenreturned on board. Jack behaved with his usual politeness, danced tilltwo o'clock, and then, as the ball thinned, Asper proposed that theyshould retire. Having once more applied to the refreshment-room, theyhad procured their hats, and were about to depart, when one of theofficers of the garrison asked Jack if he would like to see a baboon,which had just been brought down from the rock; and, taking some of thecakes, they repaired to the court where the animal was chained down to asmall tank. Jack fed the brute till all the cakes were gone, and then,because he had no more to give him, the baboon flew at Jack, who, inmaking his retreat, fell back into the tank, which was about two feetdeep. This was a joke; and having laughed heartily, they wished theofficer good-night, and went to the inn.

  Now, what with the number of officers of the _Harpy_ on shore, who hadall put up at the same inn, and other occupants, the landlord wasobliged to put his company into double and treble bedded rooms; but thiswas of little consequence. Jack was shown into a doubled-bedded room,and proceeded to undress; the other was evidently occupied, by the heavybreathing which saluted Jack's ear.

  As Jack undressed, he recollected that his trousers were wet through,and to dry them he opened the window, hung them out, and then jammeddown the window again upon them, to hold them in their position, afterwhich he turned in and fell fast asleep. At six o'clock he was called,as he had requested, and proceeded to dress, but to his astonishmentfound the window thrown open and his trousers missing. It was evidentthat his partner in the room had thrown the window open during thenight, and that his trousers, having fallen down into the street, hadbeen walked off with by somebody or another. Jack looked out of thewindow once more, and perceived that whoever had thrown open the windowhad been unwell during the night. A nice drunken companion I have had,thought Jack; but what's to be done? And in saying this, he walked upto the other bed, and perceived that it was tenanted by the boatswain.Well, thought Jack, as Mr Biggs has thought proper to lose my trousers,I think I have a right to take his, or at least the wear of them, to goon board. It was but last night he declared that decency must give wayto duty, and that the orders of a superior officer were to be obeyed,with or without garments. I know he is obliged to be on board, and nowhe shall try how he likes to obey orders in his shirt tails. Socogitating, Jack took the trousers of the boatswain, who still snored,although he had been called, and, putting them on, completed the rest ofhis dress, and quitted the room. He went to that of Mr Asper, where hefound him just ready, and, having paid the bill--for Asper had forgottenhis purse--they proceeded down to the sally-port, where they found otherofficers waiting, sufficient to load the first boat, which shoved off,and they went on board. As soon as he was down below, Jack hastened tochange his trousers, and, unobserved by any one, threw those belongingto Mr Biggs on a chair in his cabin, and, having made a confidant ofMesty, who was delighted, he went on deck, and waited the issue of theaffair.

  Before Jack left the hotel, he had told the waiter that there was theboatswain still fast asleep, and that he must be roused up immediately;and this injunction was obeyed. The boatswain, who had drunk too muchthe night before, and, as Jack had truly imagined, had opened the windowbecause he was unwell, was wakened up, and, hearing how late it was,hastened to dress himself. Not finding his trousers, he rang the bell,supposing that they had been taken down to be brushed, and, in themeantime, put on everything else, that he might lose no time: the waiterwho answered the bell denied having taken the trousers out of the room,and poor Mr Biggs was in a sad quandary. What had become of them, hecould not tell: he had no recollection of having gone to bed the nightbefore; he inquired of the waiter, who said that he knew nothing aboutthem--that he was very tipsy when he came home, and that when he calledhim, he had found the window open, and it appeared that he had beenunwell--he supposed that he had thrown his trousers out of the window.Time flew, and the boatswain was in despair. "Could they lend him apair?"

  "He would call his master."

  The master of the inn knew very well the difference of rank betweenofficers, and those whom he could trust and those whom he could not. Hesent up the bill by the waiter, and stated that, for a deposit, thegentleman might have a pair of trousers. The boatswain felt in hispockets and remembered that all his money was in his trousers' pocket.He could not only not leave a deposit, but could not pay his bill. Thelandlord was inexorable. It was bad enough to lose his money, but hecould not lose more.

  "I shall be tried by a court-martial, by heavens!" exclaimed theboatswain. "It's not far from the sally-port; I'll make a run for it,and I can slip into one of the boats and get another pair of trousersbefore I report myself as having come on board;" so, making up his mind,the boatswain took to his heels, and with his check shirt tailsstreaming in the wind, ran as hard as he could to where the boat waswaiting to receive him. He was encountered by many, but he only ran thefaster the more they jeered, and, at last, arrived breathless at hisgoal, flew down the steps, jumped into the boat, and squatted on thestern sheets, much to the surprise of the officers and men, who thoughthim mad. He stated in a few words that somebody had stolen his trousersduring the night; and as it was already late, the boat shoved off, themen as well as the officers convulsed with laughter.

  "Have any of you a pea-jacket?" inquired the boatswain of the men--butthe weather was so warm that none of them had brought a pea-jacket. Theboatswain looked round; he perceived that the officers were sitting on aboat-cloak.

  "Whose boat-cloak is that?" inquired the boatswain.

  "Mine," replied Gascoigne.

  "I trust, Mr Gascoigne, you will have the kindness to lend it to me togo up the side with."

  "Indeed I will not," replied Gascoigne, who would sooner have thrown itoverboard and have lost it, than not beheld the anticipated fun;"recollect I asked you for a fishing-line, when we were becalmed offCape St. Vincent, and you sent word that you'd see me damned first. NowI'll see you the same before you have my boat-cloak."

  "Oh, Mr Gascoigne, I'll give you three lines, directly I get on board."

  "I dare say you will, but that won't do now. `Tit for tat,' MrBoatswain, and hang all favours," replied Gascoigne, who was steeringthe boat, having been sent on shore for the others. "In bow--rowed ofall." The boat was laid alongside--the relentless Gascoigne caught uphis boat-cloak as the other officers rose to go on board, and rolling itup, in spite of the earnest entreaties of Mr Biggs, tossed it into themain chains to the man who had thrown the stern-fast, and to make thesituation of Mr Biggs still more deplorable, the first lieutenant wasstanding looking into the boat, and Captain Wilson walking the quarterdeck.

  "Come, Mr Biggs, I expected you off in the first boat," cried MrSawbridge; "be as smart as you please, for the yards are not yetsquared."

  "Shall I go ahead in this boat, and square them, sir?"

  "That boat, no; let her drop astern, jump up here and lower down thedinghy. What the devil do you sit there for, Mr Biggs?--you'll obligeme by showing a little more activity, or, by Jove, you may save yourselfthe trouble of asking to go on shore again. Are you sober, sir?"

  The last observation decided Mr Biggs. He sprung up from the boat justas he was, and touched his hat as he passed the first lieutenant.

  "Perfectly sober, sir, but I've lost my trousers."

  "So it appears, sir," replied Mr Sawbridge, as Mr Biggs stood on theplaneshear of the sloop where the hammock netting divides for anentrance, with his shirt tails fluttering in the sea breeze; but MrSawbridge could not contain himself any longer; he ran down the shipladder which led on the quarter deck, choked with laughter. Mr Biggscould not descend until after Mr Sawbridge, and the conversation hadattracted the notice of all, and every eye in the ship was on him.

  "What's all this?" said Captain Wil
son, coming to the gangway.

  "Duty before decency," replied Jack, who stood by, enjoying the joke.

  Mr Biggs recollected the day before--he cast a furious look at Jack, ashe touched his hat to the captain, and then dived down to the lowerdeck.

  If anything could add to the indignation of the boatswain, it was tofind that his trousers had come on board before him. He now felt that atrick had been played him, and also that our hero must have been theparty, but he could prove nothing; he could not say who slept in thesame room, for he was fast asleep when Jack went to bed, and fast asleepwhen Jack quitted the room.

  The truth of the story soon became known to all the ship, and "dutybefore decency" became a by-word. All that the boatswain could do hedid, which was to revenge himself upon the poor boy--and Gascoigne andJack never got any fishing-tackle. The boatswain was as obnoxious tothe men as Vigors, and in consequence of Jack's known opinions upon therights of man, and his having floored their two greatest enemies, hebecame a great favourite with the seamen, and, as all favourites arehonoured by them with a sobriquet, our hero obtained that of _EqualityJack_.