CHAPTER VII
Archy went below, and in a few minutes Langton bounded into the littlecabin. Archy, who was of a demonstrative nature, seized him and huggedhim hard, and Langton seemed equally as overjoyed to see him.
"Langton," were Archy's first words, "do you know who you are?"
Langton looked at him keenly instead of replying. He thought perhaps Dr.MacBean had let his patient out of bed too soon.
"I say," said Archy, earnestly, "do you know that you are my firstcousin?"
Langton was sure then that Archy's brain was still unsettled by the clipover the ear he had got.
"Yes, yes, I know it," he answered, soothingly; "it's all right. Don'tvex yourself about it, though."
"But, Langton, I know that you are Lord Bellingham's grandson," criedArchy.
A deep flush overspread Langton's handsome face.
"I know it, too; but he drove my mother out of his house for marryingmy father--an honorable soldier, an honest gentleman, and a better manthan Lord Bellingham."
"I believe you."
"And as he treated my mother so ill and insulted my father, I have nodesire for the world to know that I am his grandson."
"But he did the same by my father and mother. My father was his onlyson, and he went to America, and that is how I came to be an American."
"I did not know that. My mother told me she had an only brother; that hehad left England, and had given up all communication with his family. Itis true that when I heard your name--Baskerville--I remembered that ithad been my mother's name; but as you never spoke of any Englishrelatives, I was no prophet to discover that we were first cousins.Why," continued Langton, saying what everybody else did, "you are theheir!"
"No, I am not. You are much more likely to be master of Bellingham thanI. Do you suppose Lord Bellingham would ever make an American his heir?Oh, you don't know him. But you ought to know our uncle, ColonelBaskerville--glorious old chap. Did you never hear of him?"
"Yes, but he was in India; and you forget that I left home when I waseleven years old, and I did not much care for family histories then.Why, however, did you never mention to me that Lord Bellingham was yourgrandfather?"
"Because my commodore, the great Paul Jones, advised me that the less Isaid about it the better as long as I was in the American Navy; and hewarned me if I were captured at any time that it might go the harderwith me if it was known that I was of an English family. The day I leftthe _Seahorse_, when I went into the cabin to say good-bye to CaptainLockyer, and get his letter to Admiral Kempenfelt, he had an open'Peerage and Baronetage' before him. He asked me one or two questionsabout my father's and mother's names, and then quietly wrote, before myface, that I was Lord Bellingham's grandson. Foolishly enough, I thoughtwhen I got to England that my grandfather might help me to getexchanged. But Commodore Jones was right--it went the harder with me onthat account, and I don't propose to trust myself shortly within reachof the Admiralty. I shall take my chances at Gibraltar."
"You always were, and always will be, a fellow for adventure. Now, tellme all that has befallen you--and, by George! how comical you lookwithout any hair!"
Archy plunged into his story. He told it with fire and energy. Langtonlistened, deeply interested, and only interrupted the recitaloccasionally by gusts of laughter when Archy told of some of thepeculiarly odd circumstances that had happened to him. Then Langton toldhis story. There was nothing to laugh at in that; it was only a modesthistory of his sufferings since they had parted, not the least of whichwas the cruel disappointment of leaving England without seeing hismother and sisters.
"There is not much money at home to spare," he said; "so, besides that Icould not ask for leave when ordered for active service, I thought Icould benefit my mother most by going where there was likely to beprize-money. And that gave me heart to come cheerfully--as I had to comeanyhow. By the way, do you know we have a royal prince on board--PrinceWilliam Henry, second son of your friend King George III., otherwiseknown in the mess as Billy. He is a tolerably good sort of a chap, notvery bright, but takes what comes, along with the rest of us, like atrue-born Briton. You will see him at the mess."
"If I go to the mess. But, look you, Langton, I do not budge to the messunless I am invited in due form, just as you invite a French midshipman.As Commodore Jones said of Admiral de la Motte Piquet, 'I can show acommission as respectable as any the French Admiral can produce'; and socan I."
"I will see to it that your high mightiness is invited in form. But letme ask you--how is it that you Americans, who preach liberty andequality and republican simplicity, and all that sort of thing, areinvariably haughty and punctilious to the last degree?"
"Only with benighted Europeans, my dear Langton. With each other we arelike the Spanish grandees, who, I have heard, call each other Nick andJack and Rob--or their Spanish equivalents--and are all ease andfamiliarity among themselves. But when they meet another less great thanthemselves, they are careful to give him all his names and honors andtitles."
Langton went off laughing at this, and left Archy congratulating himselfon having given a clinching reason, until he recalled ColonelBaskerville's remark, that to have the best of it at repartee was by nomeans to have the best of it in reason and common-sense. Dear old chap!Archy meant, the very next day, to write him a long letter, telling himthe events of every moment since they parted.
Presently a note was brought in, addressed to Midshipman Baskerville,late of the continental ship _Bon Homme Richard_. It was an invitationto be the guest of the midshipmen's mess. Archy examined it carefullyand critically. Yes, it was in due form, although neither the writing,the spelling, nor the grammar was above reproach. He accepted theinvitation, and signed his name and rank in a large, bold hand, and wasglad enough to do so.
Before supper was ready Archy went on deck again. Lounging on the railwas a little midshipman who, Archy speedily discovered, was the scion ofroyalty, Prince William. A more harmless, quiet, common-place reefer hehad never seen. The twilight was fast melting into night, and Archy waswatching with interest the movements of the fleet and convoy, largerthan anything of the kind he had ever seen before, when the ship's bellclanged out suddenly for "Fire!" Archy suspected that it was merely afire-drill, and so evidently thought Prince William, for, rousinghimself and seeing Admiral Digby near him unconcernedly studying thestars through his glass, the young Prince walked leisurely to hisstation, and was the last midshipman to take his place at the head ofhis division.
The Admiral's eyes flashed--that was not the sort of discipline heproposed to allow. He glanced up at the bridge, where stood CaptainFulke; but the captain either did not see the young Prince'sdilatoriness or else he did not choose to see it. Archy watched withinterest what the Admiral would do. As soon as the drill was over andthe men had left their quarters, the Prince passed close by the Admiral,who spoke sharply to him.
"Your Royal Highness will remember that this is his Majesty's ship_Royal George_, and not a hayfield at harvest time. Masthead, sir."
Prince William, whose rosy face instantly grew a picture of woe,nevertheless made his way aloft with much greater alacrity than he hadmade his station. The men grinned slyly at each other, and a midshipmanbehind the Admiral made a motion as if to pat him on the back. Archyopened his eyes wide--this was discipline, indeed.
Presently the Admiral passed near him. Archy saluted him respectfully,and hoped the Admiral would speak to him, and was not disappointed.
"I hear that you and young Langton have found yourselves to be firstcousins, Mr. Baskerville," he said.
"Yes, sir; and the best of friends we were from the day we met."
"You have had considerable experience as a prisoner on British ships,eh? First, on the _Seahorse_, then on the _Thunderer_, and now on the_Royal George_."
"I have always been well treated, sir. That is, if I wasn't well treatedin the beginning, I was in the end."
"That speaks well for you, sir. It is sometimes difficult to get ouryoung officers
to treat Americans with respect; but I, amongothers--notably Admiral Keppel--have always insisted that they beaccorded all the consideration of prisoners of war, even before the lateformal agreement was made."
"I, for one, will remember it with gratitude, sir. But, may I say toyou, sir, that since our conversation this afternoon I have beenreflecting upon my circumstances, and I think my chances of exchangewill be better at Gibraltar than if I were to be returned to England,as you kindly offered. No doubt the Spaniards will soon raise the siege,and then I can easily get to France on my parole."
"No doubt--no doubt--the Spaniards must soon give it up, and you wouldprobably be nearer your object."
The Spaniards were never farther from giving it up than at the verymoment these words were uttered.
As the Admiral walked on, Archy was left alone. He made no move towardsspeaking to the number of officers that he saw standing or walkingabout; but Admiral Digby's example and well-known wishes were not loston them, and presently two or three came up civilly enough and talkedwith him, and then it was suppertime, and Langton coming after him, thetwo went below to those regions, in the depths of the ship, which werethought good enough for the midshipmen. Archy was politely received,though not with the cordiality that would have been extended to a Frenchmidshipman. But Langton was a prime favorite in the mess, and the storyof his connection with Archy, and their identical relationship to LordBellingham, had spread over the ship like wildfire. Therefore, thetemperature of Archy's reception was sensibly raised when Langtonannounced:
"Gentlemen, Mr. Baskerville is my cousin, and we were chums before weknew we were cousins. Mr. Baskerville is heir to a peerage if he wantsit, but he swears he had rather be an American, which at least showsthat he has a spirit of his own. So, I say, pity it is that all such arenot Englishmen."
"Agreed," piped up a very small midshipman, which caused a roar oflaughter that covered the youngster with confusion.
Archy observed that Prince William was not at the table, and some oneasking what had become of him, one of the older midshipmen said:
"Poor devil! When my relief reported I managed to bring in a remark tothe first lieutenant about Billy, but the hint was not taken, so I fancyhe is still in the cross-trees."
Just then, however, Billy walked in. He was greeted with a chorus ofjeers and cheers, with inquiries how was it aloft, and was he going totell his father, and did he intend, in the event he came to the throne,to make Admiral Digby a peer, under the title of Lord Masthead, andother remarks of a facetious nature. Billy took all this with perfectgood-nature, and called for boiled beef and potatoes, but grewdecidedly sulky when he heard there was no pudding.
Archy laughed as much as anybody at the chaff going on, and, as he had apeculiarly rich and ringing laugh, it attracted Billy's attention, who,without minding the banter of his comrades, seemed to feel himselfdeeply injured by the amusement he afforded the young American. Hegrowled out something, of which the only distinct words were "Americantraitors and rebels."
There was a dead silence, and Archy felt that upon his conduct at thatvery moment depended the opinion of every person in the ship. He lookedthe Prince squarely in the eye, and said, quietly:
"Perhaps you do not know that I am an American, and late midshipman onthe continental ship _Bon Homme Richard_."
"'PERHAPS YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT I AM AN AMERICAN'"]
"Yes, I know it, and damned if I care," was his Royal Highness's replyto this.
The silence was continued. Langton, without speaking a word, smiledslightly. He knew that a firm bearing, and that alone, would establishArchy's position in the mess, and, having considerable knowledge of thatyoung gentleman, he had no doubt of the attitude he would take.
"I might, if I chose, report you to the Admiral for insulting aprisoner of war," said Archy, in his most nonchalant manner, "butreporting is considered a deuced ungentleman-like thing in our service.So I will give you a drubbing, if you will fight me, as soon as I amable. I am just out of the sick-bay."
"Oh, Lord!" cried Billy, "I'll fight you with all the pleasure in life,but as for the Admiral--bad luck to him--he will skin me, sure, if hefinds out what I said."
"Don't be afraid," answered Archy, "and take a few boxing-lessons if youcan; it will not save you a drubbing, but it will be more sport to theby-standers."
"Mr. What's-your-name," said Billy, advancing and holding out his hand,"you are a gentleman, and I say so, and I shall be happy to give yousatisfaction whenever you want it."
At which, the British sense of fair-play being touched, the reefersroared out a cheer. Billy stood, blinking and smiling, while Archyassumed the air of a modest hero. Great interest was aroused in thesteerage by this prospective battle of the giants. Archy, who regainedhis health with a bound, was extremely anxious to force events, butLangton, who was his backer, would not hear of it; he meant his clientto be in full fettle when he tackled the scion of royalty. Meanwhile,Archy had no fault whatever to find with his treatment in the mess, andBilly proved himself to be one of the kindest-hearted and most generousand unassuming creatures in the world, in spite of being rather dull andfoolish.
At last, one morning, at the mess-table, after an unusually jolly supperthe night before, when Billy and Archy had chummed together after themost approved fashion among midshipmen, Billy remarked, sagely:
"I've been thinking, Baskerville, what is the use of our fighting? Ihate fighting. I always get the worst of it. But I can do it, you know."
"Of course. So can I. You are as game a fellow as I ever saw--and theobject of fighting among gentlemen is to prove they are game. If themess says so, let us consider it off."
"Why not?" replied Billy, with a grin, looking around. "They know I canfight--I have fought 'em; but there ain't any use in fighting unless oneis obliged to."
"Not a bit," said Langton. "So, if you please, I shall be happy toconsult with your friend as to the possibility of coming to an honorablearrangement."
"Good!" was Billy's remark; "and let me tell you, it looks to me"--hereBilly cocked his eye with great knowingness--"as if we will have somefighting to do with powder and ball before long. The Admiral has not hadthe ships kept cleared for action ever since we began to approach CapeSt. Vincent for nothing."
And then there was heard resounding through the great ship theboatswain's pipe calling all hands on deck, and a voice was heardshouting in the gangway:
"The Spanish fleet is sighted!"
The Rock of the Lion Page 7