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diff --git a/33939.txt b/33939.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..07c9bf3 --- /dev/null +++ b/33939.txt @@ -0,0 +1,8474 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Sturdy and Strong, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Sturdy and Strong + How George Andrews Made His Way + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Release Date: October 7, 2010 [EBook #33939] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STURDY AND STRONG *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + STURDY AND STRONG + + G. A. HENTY + + + [Illustration: "SURLY JOE SAT WITH A CHILD ON EITHER SIDE, + TELLING THEM SEA STORIES."--_Frontispiece._ + _Sturdy and Strong._] + + + + STURDY AND STRONG + OR + _How George Andrews Made His Way_ + + BY + G. A. HENTY + + AUTHOR OF "THE YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN," "WITH CLIVE IN INDIA," + "IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE," "THE LION OF THE NORTH," "FACING DEATH," + ETC., ETC., ETC. + + + NEW YORK + THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY + PUBLISHERS + + + + +PREFACE. + + +Whatever may be said as to distinction of classes in England, it is +certain that in no country in the world is the upward path more open +to those who brace themselves to climb it than in our own. The +proportion of those who remain absolutely stationary is comparatively +small. We are all living on a hillside, and we must either go up or +down. It is easier to descend than to ascend; but he who fixes his +eyes upwards, nerves himself for the climb, and determines with all +his might and power to win his way towards the top, is sure to find +himself at the end of his day at a far higher level than when he +started upon his journey. It may be said, and sometimes foolishly is +said, that luck is everything; but in nineteen cases out of twenty +what is called luck is simply a combination of opportunity, and of the +readiness and quickness to turn that opportunity to advantage. The +voyager must take every advantage of wind, tide, and current, if he +would make a favorable journey; and for success in life it is +necessary not only to be earnest, steadfast, and true, but to have the +faculty of turning every opportunity to the best advantage; just as a +climber utilizes every tuft of grass, every little shrub, every +projecting rock, as a hold for his hands or feet. George Andrews had +what may be called luck--that is, he had opportunities and took +advantage of them, and his rise in life was consequently far more +rapid than if he had let them pass without grasping them; but in any +case his steadiness, perseverance, and determination to get on would +assuredly have made their way in the long run. If similar qualities +and similar determinations are yours, you need not despair of similar +success in life. + + G. A. HENTY. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + STURDY AND STRONG: PAGE + I. ALONE, 1 + II. TWO FRIENDS, 25 + III. WORK, 48 + IV. HOME, 74 + V. AN ADVENTURE, 97 + VI. FIRE! 117 + VII. SAVED! 142 + DO YOUR DUTY, 165 + SURLY JOE, 231 + A FISH-WIFE'S DREAM, 257 + + + + +STURDY AND STRONG. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +ALONE. + + +"You heard what he said, George?" + +"Oh, mother, mother!" + +"Don't sob so, my boy; he is right. I have seen it coming a long time, +and, hard as it seems, it will be better. There is no disgrace in it. +I have tried my best, and if my health had not broken down we might +have managed, but you see it was not to be. I shall not mind it, dear; +it is really only for your sake that I care about it at all." + +The boy had ceased sobbing, and sat now with a white set face. + +"Mother, it will break my heart to think that I cannot keep you from +this. If we could only have managed for a year or two I could have +earned more then; but to think of you--you in the workhouse!" + +"In a workhouse infirmary, my boy," his mother said gently. "You see it +is not as if it were from any fault of ours. We have done our best. You +and I have managed for two years; but what with my health and my eyes +breaking down we can do so no longer. I hope it will not be for long, +dear. You see I shall have rest and quiet, and I hope I shall soon be +able to be out again." + +"Not soon, mother. The doctor said you ought not to use your eyes for +months." + +"Even months pass quickly, George, when one has hope. I have felt this +coming so long that I shall be easier and happier now it has come. After +all, what is a workhouse infirmary but a hospital, and it would not seem +so very dreadful to you my going into a hospital; the difference is only +in name; both are, after all, charities, but the one is kept up out of +subscriptions, the other from the rates." + +His mother's words conveyed but little comfort to George Andrews. He had +just come in from his work, and had heard what the parish doctor had +told his mother. + +"I can do nothing for you here, Mrs. Andrews. You must have rest and +quiet for your eyes, and not only that, but you must have strengthening +food. It is no use my blinking the truth. It is painful for you, I know. +I can well understand that; but I see no other way. If you refuse to go +I won't answer for your life." + +"I will go, doctor," she had answered quietly. "I know that it will be +best. It will be a blow to my boy, but I see no other way." + +"If you don't want your boy to be alone in the world, ma'am, you will do +as I advise you. I will go round in the morning and get you the order of +admission, and as I shall be driving out that way I will, if you like, +take you myself." + +"Thank you, doctor; you are very good. Yes, I will be ready in the +morning, and I thank you for your offer." + +"Very well, then, that's settled," the doctor said briskly. "At ten +o'clock I will be here." + +Although a little rough in manner, Dr. Jeffries was a kind-hearted and +humane man. + +"Poor woman," he said to himself as he went downstairs, "it is hard for +her. It is easy to see that she is a lady, and a thorough lady too; but +what can I do for her! I might get her a little temporary help, but that +would be of no use--she is completely broken down with anxiety and +insufficient food, and unless her eyes have a long holiday she will lose +her sight. No, there's nothing else for it, but it is hard." + +It was hard. Mrs. Andrews was, as the doctor said, a lady. She had lost +both her parents while she was at school. She had no near relations, and +as she was sixteen when her mother died she had remained at school +finishing her education and teaching the younger children. Then she had +obtained a situation as governess in a gentleman's family, and two years +afterwards had married a young barrister who was a frequent visitor at +the house. + +Mr. Andrews was looked upon as a rising man, and for the first seven or +eight years of her marriage his wife's life had been a very happy one. +Then her husband was prostrated by a fever which he caught in one of the +midland towns while on circuit, and although he partially recovered he +was never himself again. His power of work seemed to be lost; a languor +which he could not overcome took possession of him. A troublesome cough +ere long attacked him, and two years later Mrs. Andrews was a widow, and +her boy, then nine years old, an orphan. + +During the last two years of his life Mr. Andrews had earned but +little in his profession. The comfortable house which he occupied had +been given up, and they had removed to one much smaller. But in spite +of this, debts mounted up, and when, after his death, the remaining +furniture was sold and everything settled, there remained only about +two hundred pounds. Mrs. Andrews tried to get some pupils among her +late husband's friends, but during the last two years she had lost +sight of many of these, and now met with but poor success among the +others. She was a quiet and retiring woman, and shrank from continuous +solicitations, and at the end of three years she found her little +store exhausted. + +Hitherto she had kept George at school, but could no longer do so, +and, giving up her lodging in Brompton, went down to Croydon, where +someone had told her that they thought she would have a better chance +of obtaining pupils, but the cards which some of the tradesmen allowed +her to put in the window led to no result, and finding this to be the +case she applied at one of the milliner's for work. This she obtained, +and for a year supported herself and her boy by needlework. + +From the time when George left school she had gone on teaching him his +lessons; but on the day when he was thirteen years old he declared +that he would no longer submit to his mother working for both of them, +and, setting out, called at shop after shop inquiring if they wanted +an errand-boy. He succeeded at last in getting a place at a grocer's +where he was to receive three shillings a week and his meals, going +home to sleep at night in the closet-like little attic adjoining the +one room which his mother could now afford. + +For a while they were more comfortable than they had been for some +time; now that his mother had no longer George to feed, her earnings +and the three shillings he brought home every Saturday night enabled +them to live in comparative ease, and on Sunday something like a feast +was always prepared. But six months later Mrs. Andrews felt her +eyesight failing, the lids became inflamed, and a dull aching pain +settled in the eyeballs. Soon she could only work for a short time +together, her earnings became smaller and smaller, and her employers +presently told her that she kept the work so long in hand that they +could no longer employ her. There was now only George's three +shillings a week to rely upon, and this was swallowed up by the rent. +In despair she had applied to the parish doctor about her eyes. For a +fortnight he attended her, and at the end of that time had +peremptorily given the order of which she had told her son. + +To her it was a relief; she had seen that it must come. Piece by piece +every article of clothing she possessed, save those she wore, had been +pawned for food, and every resource was now exhausted. She was worn +out with the struggle, and the certainty of rest and food overcame her +repugnance to the house. For George's sake too, much as she knew he +would feel her having to accept such a refuge, she was glad that the +struggle was at an end. The lad had for the last six months suffered +greatly for her sake. Every meal to which he sat down at his +employer's seemed to choke him as he contrasted it with the fare to +which she was reduced, although, as far as possible, she had concealed +from him how sore was her strait. + +George cried himself to sleep that night, and he could scarce speak +when he said good-by to his mother in the morning, for he could not +tell when he should see her again. + +"You will stop where you are, my boy, will you not?" + +"I cannot promise, mother. I don't know yet what I shall do; but +please don't ask me to promise anything. You must let me do what I +think best. I have got to make a home for you when you are cured. I am +fourteen now, and am as strong as most boys of my age. I ought to be +able to earn a shilling a day somehow, and with seven shillings a +week, mother, and you just working a little, you know, so as not to +hurt your eyes, we ought to be able to do. Don't you bother about me, +mother. I want to try anyhow what I can do till you come out. When you +do, then I will do whatever you tell me; that's fair, isn't it?" + +Mrs. Andrews would have remonstrated, but he said: + +"Well, mother, you see at the worst I can get a year's character from +Dutton, so that if I can't get anything else to do I can get the same +sort of place again, and as I am a year older than I was when he took +me, and can tie up parcels neatly now, I ought to get a little more +anyhow. You see I shall be safe enough, and though I have never +grumbled, you know, mother--have I?--I think I would rather do +anything than be a grocer's boy. I would rather, when I grow up, be a +bricklayer's laborer, or a plowman, or do any what I call man's work, +than be pottering about behind a counter, with a white apron on, +weighing out sugar and currants." + +"I can't blame you, George," Mrs. Andrews said with a sigh. "It's +natural, my boy. If I get my eyesight and my health again, when you +grow up to be a man we will lay by a little money, and you and I will +go out together to one of the colonies. It will be easier to rise +again there than here, and with hard work both of us might surely hope +to get on. There must be plenty of villages in Australia and Canada +where I could do well with teaching, and you could get work in +whatever way you may be inclined to. So, my boy, let us set that +before us. It will be something to hope for and work for, and will +cheer us to go through whatever may betide us up to that time." + +"Yes, mother," George said. "It will be comfort indeed to have +something to look forward to. Nothing can comfort me much to-day; but +if anything could it would be some such plan as that." + +The last words he said to his mother as, blinded with tears, he kissed +her before starting to work, were: + +"I shall think of our plan every day, and look forward to that more +than anything else in the world--next to your coming to me again." + +At ten o'clock Dr. Jeffries drove up to Mrs. Andrews' humble lodging +in a brougham instead of his ordinary gig, having borrowed the +carriage from one of the few of his patients who kept such a vehicle, +on purpose to take Mrs. Andrews, for she was so weak and worn that he +was sure she would not be able to sit upright in a gig for the three +miles that had to be traversed. He managed in the course of his rounds +to pass the workhouse again in the afternoon, and brought George, +before he left work, a line written in pencil on a leaf torn from his +pocketbook: + + "My darling, I am very comfortable. Everything is clean and + nice, and the doctor and people kind. Do not fret about + me.--Your loving mother." + +Although George's expressed resolution of leaving his present +situation, and seeking to earn his living in some other way, caused +Mrs. Andrews much anxiety, she had not sought strongly to dissuade him +from it. No doubt it would be wiser for him to stay in his present +situation, where he was well treated and well fed, and it certainly +seemed improbable to her that he would be able to get a better living +elsewhere. Still she could not blame him for wishing at least to try. +She herself shared to some extent his prejudice against the work in +which he was employed. There is no disgrace in honest work; but she +felt that she would rather see him engaged in hard manual labor than +as a shop boy. At any rate, as he said, if he failed he could come +back again to Croydon, and, with a year's character from his present +employer, would probably be able to obtain a situation similar to that +which he now held. She was somewhat comforted, too, by a few words +the doctor had said to her during their drive. + +"I think you are fortunate in your son, Mrs. Andrews. He seems to me a +fine steady boy. If I can, in any way, do him a good turn while you +are away from him, I will." + +George remained for another month in his situation, for he knew that +it would never do to start on his undertaking penniless. At the end of +that time, having saved up ten shillings, and having given notice to +his employer, he left the shop for the last time, and started to walk +to London. It was not until he began to enter the crowded streets that +he felt the full magnitude of his undertaking. To be alone in London, +a solitary atom in the busy mass of humanity, is a trying situation +even for a man; to a boy of fourteen it is terrible. Buying a penny +roll, George sat down to eat it in one of the niches of a bridge over +the river, and then kneeling up watched the barges and steamers +passing below him. + +Had it not been for his mother, his first thought, like that of most +English boys thrown on the world, would have been to go to sea; but +this idea he had from the first steadily set aside as out of the +question. His plan was to obtain employment as a boy in some +manufacturing work, for he thought that there, by steadiness and +perseverance, he might make his way. + +On one thing he was resolved. He would make his money last as long as +possible. Three penny-worth of bread a day would, he calculated, be +sufficient for his wants. As to sleeping, he thought he might manage +to sleep anywhere; it was summer time and the nights were warm. He had +no idea what the price of a bed would be, or how to set about getting +a lodging. He did not care how roughly he lived so that he could but +make his money last. The first few days he determined to look about +him. Something might turn up. If it did not he would set about getting +a place in earnest. He had crossed Waterloo Bridge, and, keeping +straight on, found himself in Covent Garden, where he was astonished +and delighted at the quantities of fruit, vegetables, and flowers. + +Although he twice set out in different directions to explore the +streets, he each time returned to Covent Garden. There were many lads +of his own age playing about there, and he thought that from them he +might get some hints as to how to set about earning a living. They +looked ragged and poor enough, but they might be able to tell him +something--about sleeping, for instance. For although before starting +the idea of sleeping anywhere had seemed natural enough, it looked +more formidable now that he was face to face with it. + +Going to a cook-shop in a street off the market he bought two slices +of plum-pudding. He rather grudged the twopence which he paid; but he +felt that it might be well laid out. Provided with the pudding he +returned to the market, sat himself down on an empty basket, and began +to eat slowly and leisurely. + +In a short time he noticed a lad of about his own age watching him +greedily. + +He was far from being a respectable-looking boy. His clothes were +ragged, and his toes could be seen through a hole in his boot. He wore +neither hat nor cap, and his hair looked as if it had not been combed +since the day of his birth. There was a sharp, pinched look on his +face. But had he been washed and combed and decently clad he would not +have been a bad-looking boy. At any rate George liked his face better +than most he had seen in the market, and he longed for a talk with +someone. So he held out his other slice of pudding, and said: + +"Have a bit?" + +"Oh, yes!" the boy replied "Walker, eh?" + +"No, I mean it, really. Will you have a bit?" + +"No larks?" asked the boy. + +"No; no larks. Here you are." + +Feeling assured now that no trick was intended the boy approached, +took without a word the pudding which George held out, and, seating +himself on a basket close to him, took a great bite. + +"Where do you live?" George asked, when the slice of pudding had half +disappeared. + +"Anywheres," the boy replied, waving his hand round. + +"I mean, where do you sleep?" + +The boy nodded, to intimate that his sleeping-place was included in +the general description of his domicile. + +"And no one interferes with you?" George inquired. + +"The beaks, they moves you on when they ketches you; but ef yer get +under a cart or in among the baskets you generally dodges 'em." + +"And suppose you want to pay for a place to sleep, where do you go and +how much do you pay?" + +"Tuppence," the boy said; "or if yer want a first-rate, fourpence. +Does yer want to find a crib?" he asked doubtfully, examining his +companion. + +"Well, yes," George said. "I want to find some quiet place where I can +sleep, cheap, you know." + +"Out of work?" the boy inquired. + +"Yes. I haven't got anything to do at present. I am looking for a +place, you know." + +"Don't know no one about?" + +"No; I have just come in from Croydon." + +The boy shook his head. + +"Don't know nothing as would suit," he said. "Why, yer'd get them +clothes and any money yet had walked off with the wery fust night." + +"I should not get a room to myself, I suppose, even for fourpence?" +George asked, making a rapid calculation that this would come to two +and fourpence per week, as much as his mother had paid for a +comparatively comfortable room in Croydon. + +The boy opened his eyes in astonishment at his companion requiring a +room for himself. + +"Lor' bless yer, yer'd have a score of them with yer!" + +"I don't care about a bed," George said. "Just some place to sleep in. +Just some straw in any quiet corner." + +This seemed more reasonable to the boy, and he thought the matter +over. + +"Well," he said at last, "I knows of a place where they puts up the +hosses of the market carts. I knows a hostler there. Sometimes when +it's wery cold he lets me sleep up in the loft. Aint it warm and +comfortable just! I helps him with the hosses sometimes, and that's +why. I will ax him if yer likes." + +George assented at once. His ideas as to the possibility of sleeping +in the open air had vanished when he saw the surroundings, and a bed +in a quiet loft seemed to him vastly better than sleeping in a room +with twenty others. + +"How do you live?" he asked the lad, "and what's your name?" + +"They calls me the Shadder," the boy said rather proudly; "but my real +name's Bill." + +"Why do they call you the Shadow?" George asked. + +"'Cause the bobbies finds it so hard to lay hands on me," Bill +replied. + +"But what do they want to lay hands on you for?" George asked. + +"Why, for bagging things, in course," Bill replied calmly. + +"Bagging things? Do you mean stealing?" George said, greatly shocked. + +"Well, not regular prigging," the Shadow replied; "not wipes, yer +know, nor tickers, nor them kind of things. I aint never prigged +nothing of that kind." + +"Well, what is it then you do--prig?" George asked, mystified. + +"Apples or cabbages, or a bunch of radishes, onions sometimes, or +'taters. That aint regular prigging, you know." + +"Well, it seems to me the same sort of thing," George said, after a +pause. + +"I tell yer it aint the same sort of thing at all," the Shadow said +angrily. "Everyone as aint a fool knows that taters aint wipes, and no +one can't say as a apple and a ticker are the same." + +"No, not the same," George agreed; "but you see one is just as much +stealing as the other." + +"No, it aint," the boy reasserted. "One is the same as money and +t'other aint. I am hungry and I nips a apple off a stall. No one aint +the worse for it. You don't suppose as they misses a apple here? Why, +there's wagon-loads of 'em, and lots of 'em is rotten. Well, it aint +no more if I takes one than if it was rotten. Is it now?" + +George thought there was a difference, but he did not feel equal to +explaining it. + +"The policemen must think differently," he said at last, "else they +wouldn't be always trying to catch you." + +"Who cares for the bobbies?" Bill said contemptuously. "I don't; and I +don't want no more jaw with you about it. If yer don't likes it, yer +leaves it. I didn't ask for yer company, did I? So now then." + +George had really taken a fancy to the boy, and moreover he saw that +in the event of a quarrel his chance of finding a refuge for the night +was small. In his sense of utter loneliness in the great city he was +loath to break with the only acquaintance he had made. + +"I didn't mean to offend you, Bill," he said; "only I was sorry to +hear you say you took things. It seems to me you might get into +trouble; and it would be better after all to work for a living." + +"What sort of work?" Bill said derisively. "Who's agoing to give me +work? Does yer think I have only got to walk into a shop and ask for +'ployment? They wouldn't want to know nothing about my character, I +suppose? nor where I had worked before? nor where my feyther lived? +nor nothing? Oh, no, of course not! It's blooming easy to get work +about here; only got to ax for it, that's all. Good wages and all +found, that's your kind." + +"I don't suppose it's easy," George said; "but it seems to me people +could get something to do if they tried." + +"Tried!" the boy said bitterly. "Do yer think we don't try! Why, we +are always trying to earn a copper or two. Why, we begins at three +o'clock in the morning when the market-carts come in, and we goes on +till they comes out of that there theater at night, just trying to +pick up a copper. Sometimes one does and sometimes one doesn't. It's a +good day, I tell you, when we have made a tanner by the end of it. +Don't tell me! And now as to this ere stable; yer means it?" + +"Yes," George said; "certainly I mean it." + +"Wery well then, you be here at this corner at nine o'clock. I will go +before that and square it with Ned. That's the chap I was speaking +of." + +"I had better give you something to give him," George said. "Will a +shilling do?" + +"Yes, a bob will do for three or four nights. Are you going to trust +me with it?" + +"Of course I am," George replied. "I am sure you wouldn't be so mean +as to do me out of it; besides, you told me that you never stole money +and those sort of things." + +"It aint everyone as would trust me with a bob for all that," Bill +replied; "and yer are running a risk, yer know, and I tells yer if yer +goes on with that sort of game yer'll get took in rarely afore yer've +done. Well, hand it over. I aint a-going to bilk yer." + +The Shadow spoke carelessly, but this proof of confidence on the part +of his companion really touched him, and as he went off he said to +himself, "He aint a bad sort, that chap, though he is so precious +green. I must look arter him a bit and see he don't get into no +mischief." + +George, on his part, as he walked away down into the Strand again, +felt that he had certainly run a risk in thus intrusting a tenth of +his capital to his new acquaintance; but the boy's face and manner had +attracted him, and he felt that, although the Shadow's notions of +right and wrong might be of a confused nature, he meant to act +straight toward him. + +George passed the intervening hours before the time named for his +meeting in Covent Garden in staring into the shop windows in the +Strand, and in wondering at the constant stream of vehicles and foot +passengers flowing steadily out westward. He was nearly knocked under +the wheels of the vehicles a score of times from his ignorance as to +the rule of the road, and at last he was so confused by the jostling +and pushing that he was glad to turn down a side street and to sit +down for a time on a doorstep. + +When nine o'clock approached he went into a baker's shop and bought a +loaf, which would, he thought, do for supper and breakfast for himself +and his companion. Having further invested threepence in cheese, he +made his way up to the market. + +The Shadow was standing at the corner whistling loudly. + +"Oh, here yer be! That's all right; come along. I have squared Ned, +and it's all right." + +He led the way down two or three streets and then stopped at a +gateway. + +"You stop here," he said, "and I will see as there aint no one but Ned +about." + +He returned in a minute. + +"It's all clear! Ned, he's a-rubbing down a hoss; he won't take no +notice of yer as yer pass. He don't want to see yer, yer know, 'cause +in case anyone comed and found yer up there he could swear he never +saw yer go in, and didn't know nothing about yer. I will go with yer +to the door, and then yer will see a ladder in the corner; if yer whip +up that yer'll find it all right up there." + +"But you are coming too, aint you?" George asked. + +"Oh, no, I aint a-coming. Yer don't want a chap like me up there. I +might pick yer pocket, yer know; besides I aint your sort." + +"Oh, nonsense!" George said. "I should like to have you with me, Bill; +I should really. Besides, what's the difference between us? We have +both got to work for ourselves and make our way in the world." + +"There's a lot of difference. Yer don't talk the way as I do; yer have +been brought up different. Don't tell me." + +"I may have been brought up differently, Bill. I have been fortunate +there; but now, you see, I have got to get my living in the best way I +can, and if I have had a better education than you have, you know ever +so much more about London and how to get your living than I do, so +that makes us quits." + +"Oh, wery well," Bill said; "it's all the same to this child. So if +yer aint too proud, here goes." + +He led the way down a stable yard, past several doors, showing the +empty stalls which would be all filled when the market carts arrived. +At the last door on the right he stopped. George looked in. At the +further end a man was rubbing down a horse by the faint light of a +lantern, the rest of the stable was in darkness. + +"This way," Bill whispered. + +Keeping close behind him, George entered the stable. The boy stopped +in the corner. + +"Here's the ladder. I will go up fust and give yer a hand when yer +gets to the top." + +George stood quiet until his companion had mounted, and then ascended +the ladder, which was fixed against the wall. Presently a voice +whispered in his ear: + +"Give us your hand. Mind how yer puts your foot." + +In a minute he was standing in the loft. His companion drew him along +in the darkness, and in a few steps arrived at a pile of hay. + +"There yer are," Bill said in a low voice; "yer 'ave only to make +yourself comfortable there. Now mind you don't fall down one of the +holes into the mangers." + +"I wish we had a little light," George said, as he ensconced himself +in the hay. + +"I will give you some light in a minute," Bill said, as he left his +side, and directly afterwards a door opened and the light of a +gaslight in the yard streamed in. + +"That's where they pitches the hay in," Bill said as he rejoined him. +"I shuts it up afore I goes to sleep, 'cause the master he comes out +sometimes when the carts comes in, and there would be a blooming row +if he saw it open; but we are all right now." + +"That's much nicer," George said. "Now here's a loaf I brought with +me. We will cut it in half and put by a half for the morning, and eat +the other half between us now, and I have got some cheese here too." + +"That's tiptop!" the boy said. "Yer're a good sort, I could see that, +and I am pretty empty, I am, for I aint had nothing except that bit +of duff yer gave me since morning, and I only had a crust then. 'Cept +for running against you I aint been lucky to-day. Couldn't get a job +nohows, and it aint for want of trying neither." + +For some minutes the boys ate in silence. George had given much the +largest portion to his companion, for he himself was too dead tired to +be very hungry. When he had finished, he said: + +"Look here, Bill; we will talk in the morning. I am so dead beat I can +scarcely keep my eyes open, so I will just say my prayers and go off +to sleep." + +"Say your prayers!" Bill said in astonishment. "Do yer mean to say as +yer says prayers!" + +"Of course I do," George replied; "don't you?" + +"Never said one in my life," Bill said decidedly; "don't know how, +don't see as it would do no good ef I did." + +"It would do good, Bill," George said. "I hope some day you will think +differently, and I will teach you some you will like." + +"I don't want to know none," Bill said positively. "A missionary chap, +he came and prayed with an old woman I lodged with once. I could not +make head nor tail of it, and she died just the same, so you see what +good did it do her?" + +But George was too tired to enter upon a theological argument. He was +already half asleep, and Bill's voice sounded a long way off. + +"Good-night," he muttered; "I will talk to you in the morning," and in +another minute he was fast asleep. + +Bill took an armful of hay and shook it lightly over his companion; +then he closed the door of the loft and threw himself on the hay, and +was soon also sound asleep. When George woke in the morning the +daylight was streaming in through the cracks of the door. His +companion was gone. He heard the voices of several men in the yard, +while a steady champing noise and an occasional shout or the sound of +a scraping on the stones told him the stalls below were all full now. + +George felt that he had better remain where he was. Bill had told him +the evening before that the horses and carts generally set out again +at about nine o'clock, and he thought he had better wait till they had +gone before he slipped down below. Closing his eyes he was very soon +off to sleep again. When he woke, Bill was sitting by his side looking +at him. + +"Well, you are a oner to sleep," the boy said. "Why, it's nigh ten +o'clock, and it's time for us to be moving. Ned will be going off in a +few minutes, and the stables will be locked up till the evening." + +"Is there time to eat our bread and cheese?" George asked. + +"No, we had better eat it when we get down to the market; come +along." + +George at once rose, shook the hay off his clothes, and descended the +ladder, Bill leading the way. There was no one in the stable, and the +yard was also empty. On reaching the market they sat down on two empty +baskets, and at once began to eat their bread and cheese. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +TWO FRIENDS. + + +"I did wake before, Bill," George said after he had eaten a few +mouthfuls; "but you were out." + +"Yes, I turned out as soon as the carts began to come in," Bill said, +"and a wery good morning I have had. One old chap gave me twopence for +looking arter his hoss and cart while he went into the market with his +flowers. But the best move was just now. A chap as was driving off +with flowers, one of them swell West-end shops, I expect, by the look +of the trap, let his rug fall. He didn't see it till I ran after him +with it, then he gave me a tanner; that was something like. Have yer +finished yer bread and cheese?" + +"Yes," George said, "and I could manage a drink of water if I could +get one." + +"There's a fountain handy," Bill said; "but you come along with me, I +am agoing to stand two cups of coffee if yer aint too proud to take +it;" and he looked doubtfully at his companion. + +"I am not at all too proud," George said, for he saw that the +slightest hesitation would hurt his companion's feelings. + +"It aint fust-rate coffee," Bill said, as with a brightened look on +his face he turned and led the way to a little coffee-stall; "but it's +hot and sweet, and yer can't expect more nor that for a penny." + +George found the coffee really better than he had expected, and Bill +was evidently very much gratified at his expression of approval. + +"Now," he said, when they had both finished, "for a draw of 'baccy," +and he produced a short clay pipe. "Don't yer smoke?" + +"No, I haven't begun yet." + +"Ah! ye don't know what a comfort a pipe is," Bill said. "Why, when +yer are cold and hungry and down on your luck a pipe is a wonderful +thing, and so cheap; why, a ounce of 'baccy will fill yer thirty pipes +if yer don't squeeze it in too hard. Well, an ounce of 'baccy costs +threepence halfpenny, so, as I makes out, yer gets eight pipes for a +penny; and now," he went on when he had filled and lit his pipe, +"let's know what's yer game." + +"You mean what am I going to do?" George asked. + +Bill nodded. + +"I want to get employment in some sort of works. I have been an +errand-boy in a grocer's for more than a year, and I have got a +written character from my master in my pocket; but I don't like the +sort of thing; I would rather work with my own hands. There are plenty +of works where they employ boys, and you know one might get on as one +gets older. The first thing is to find out whereabouts works of that +sort are." + +"There are lots of works at the East End, I have heard tell," Bill +said; "and then there's Clerkenwell and King's Cross, they aint so far +off, and there are works there, all sorts of works, I should say; but +I don't know nuffin' about that sort of work. The only work as I have +done is holding hosses and carrying plants into the market, and +sometimes when I have done pretty well I goes down and lays out what I +got in _Echoes_, or _Globes_, or _Evening Standards_; that pays yer, +that does, for if yer can sell them all yer will get a bob for eight +penn'orth of papers, that gives yer fourpence for an hour's work, and +I calls that blooming good, and can't yer get a tuck-out for a bob! +Oh, no, I should think not! Well, what shall it be? I knows the way +out to Whitechapel and to Clerkenwell, so whichever yer likes I can +show yer." + +"If Clerkenwell's the nearest we may as well try that first," George +said, "and I shall be much obliged to you for showing the way." + +The two boys spent the whole day in going from workshop to workshop +for employment; but the answers to his application were unvarying: +either he was too young or there was no place vacant. George took the +disappointment quietly, for he had made up his mind that he would have +difficulty in getting a place; but Bill became quite angry on behalf +of his companion. + +"This is worse nor the market," he said. "A chap can pick up a few +coppers there, and here we have been a-tramping about all day and aint +done nothing." + +Day after day George set out on his quest, but all was without +success. He and Bill still slept in the loft, and after the first day +he took to getting up at the same time as his companion, and going out +with him to try and pick up a few pence from the men with the +market-carts. Every other morning they were able to lie later, as +there were only regular marketdays three mornings a week. + +On market mornings he found that he earned more than Bill, his better +clothes giving him an advantage, as the men were more willing to trust +their carts and rugs to the care of a quiet, respectable-looking boy +than to that of the arabs who frequented the Garden. But all that was +earned was laid out in common between the two boys, and George found +himself seldom obliged to draw above a few pence on his private stock. +He had by this time told the Shadow exactly how much money he had, and +the boy, seeing the difficulty that George found in getting work, was +most averse to the store being trenched upon, and always gave his vote +against the smallest addition to their ordinary fare of bread and +cheese being purchased, except from their earnings of the day. This +George felt was the more creditable on Bill's part, inasmuch as the +latter had, in deference to his prejudices, abstained from the petty +thefts of fruit with which before he had seasoned his dry crusts. + +George had learned now what Bill knew of his history, which was little +enough. He supposed he had had a father, but he knew nothing of him; +whether he had died, or whether he had cut away and left mother, Bill +had no idea. His mother he remembered well, though she had died when +he was, as he said, a little chap. He spoke of her always in a hushed +voice, and in a tone of reverence, as a superior being. + +"We was poor, you know," he said to George, "and I know mother was +often short of grub, but she was just kind. I don't never remember her +whacking me; always spoke soft and low like; she was good, she was. +She used to pray, you know, and what I remember most is as the night +afore she was took away to a hospital she says, 'Try and live honest, +Bill; it will be hard, but try, my boy. Don't you take to stealing, +however poor you may be;' and I aint," Bill said earnestly over and +over again. "When I has seed any chap going along with a ticker handy, +which I could have boned and got away among the carts as safe as +ninepence, or when I has seed a woman with her purse a-sticking out of +them outside pockets, and I aint had a penny to bless myself with, and +perhaps nothing to eat all day, I have felt it hard not to make a +grab; but I just thought of what she said, and I aint done it. As I +told yer, I have often nabbed things off the stalls or out of the +baskets or carts. It didn't seem to me as that was stealing, but as +you says it is, I aint going to do so no more. Now look yer here, +George; they tells me as the parsons says as when people die and they +are good they goes up there, yer know." + +George nodded, for there was a question in his companion's tone. + +"Then, of course," Bill went on, "she is up there. Now it aint likely +as ever I should see her again, 'cause, you know, there aint nothing +good about me; but if she was to come my way, wherever I might be, and +was to say to me, 'Bill, have you been a-stealing?' do yer think she +would feel very bad about them 'ere apples and things?" + +"No, Bill, I am sure she would not. You see you didn't quite know that +was stealing, and you kept from stealing the things that you thought +she spoke of, and now that you see it is wrong taking even little +things you are not going to take them any more." + +"That I won't, so help me bob!" the boy said; "not if I never gets +another apple between my teeth." + +"That's right, Bill. You see you ought to do it, not only to please +your mother, but to please God. That's what my mother has told me over +and over again." + +"Has she now?" Bill said with great interest, "and did you use to prig +apples and sichlike sometimes?" + +"No," George said, "not that sort of thing; but she was talking of +things in general. Of doing things that were wrong, such as telling +lies and deceiving, and that sort of thing." + +"And your mother thinks as God knows all about it?" + +George nodded. + +"And that he don't like it, eh, when things is done bad?" + +George nodded again. + +"Lor', what a time he must have of it!" Bill said in solemn wonder. +"Why, I heard a woman say last week as six children was enough to +worrit anyone into the grave; and just to think of all of us!" and +Bill waved his arm in a comprehensive way and repeated, "What a time +he must have of it!" + +For a time the boys sat silent in their loft, Bill wondering over the +problem that had presented itself to him, and George trying to find +some appropriate explanation in reply to the difficulty Bill had +started. At last he said: + +"I am afraid, Bill, that I can't explain all this to you, for I am not +accustomed to talk about such things. My mother talks to me sometimes, +and of course I went to church regularly; but that's different from my +talking about it; but you know what we have got to do is to try and +please God, and love him because he loves us." + +"That's whear it is," Bill said; "that's what I've heard fellows say +beats 'em. If he loves a chap like me how is it he don't do something +for him? why don't he get you a place, for instance? You aint been +a-prigging apples or a-putting him out. That's what I wants to know." + +"Yes, Bill, but as I have heard my mother say, it would be very hard +to understand if this world were the only one; but you see we are only +here a little time, and after that there's on and on and on, right up +without any end, and what does it matter if we are poor or unhappy in +this little time if we are going to be ever so happy afterwards? This +is only a sort of little trial to see how we behave, as it were, and +if we do the best we can, even though that best is very little, then +you see we get a tremendous reward. For instance, you would not think +a man was unkind who kept you five minutes holding his horse on a cold +day, if he were going to give you enough to get you clothes and good +lodging for the rest of your life." + +"No, I should think not," Bill said fervently; "so it's like that, is +it?" + +George nodded. "Like that, only more." + +"My eye!" Bill murmured to himself, lost in astonishment at this new +view of things. + +After that there were few evenings when, before they nestled +themselves down in the hay, the boys did not talk on this subject. At +first George felt awkward and nervous in speaking of it, for like the +generality of English boys, however earnest their convictions may be, +he was shy of speaking what he felt; but his companion's eagerness to +know more of this, to him, new story encouraged him to speak, and +having in his bundle a small Bible which his mother had given him, he +took to reading to Bill a chapter or two in the mornings when they had +not to go out to the early market. + +It is true that Bill's questions frequently puzzled him. The boy saw +things in a light so wholly different from that in which he himself +had been accustomed to regard them that he found a great difficulty in +replying to them. + +George wrote a letter to his mother, telling her exactly what he was +doing, for he knew that if he only said that he had not yet succeeded +in getting work she would be very anxious about him, and although he +had nothing satisfactory to tell her, at least he could tell her that +he had sufficient to eat and as much comfort as he cared for. Twice he +received replies from her, directed to him at a little coffee-house, +which, when they had had luck, the boys occasionally patronized. As +time went on without his succeeding in obtaining employment George's +hopes fell, and at last he said to his mate; "I will try for another +fortnight, Bill, and if at the end of that time I don't get anything +to do I shall go back to Croydon again." + +"But yer can earn yer living here!" Bill remonstrated. + +"I can earn enough to prevent me from starving, but that is all, +Bill. I came up to London in hopes of getting something to do by which +I might some day make my way up; if I were to stop here like this I +should be going down, and a nice sight I should be to mother if, when +she gets well enough to come out of the infirmary, I were to go back +all in rags." + +"What sort of a place is Croydon?" Bill asked. "Is there any chance of +picking up a living there? 'cause I tells yer fair, if yer goes off I +goes with yer. I aint a-thinking of living with yer, George; but we +might see each other sometime, mightn't we? Yer wouldn't mind that?" + +"Mind it! certainly not, Bill! You have been a good friend to me, and +I should be sorry to think of you all alone here." + +"Oh, blow being a good friend to yer!" Bill replied. "I aint done +nothing except put yer in the way of getting a sleeping-place, and as +it's given me one too I have had the best of that job. It's been good +of yer to take up with a chap like me as don't know how to read or +write or nothing, and as aint no good anyway. But you will let me go +with yer to Croydon, won't yer?" + +"Certainly I will, Bill; but you won't be able to see much of me. I +shall have to get a place like the last. The man I was with said he +would take me back again if I wanted to come, and you know I am all +day in the shop or going out with parcels, and of course you would +have to be busy too at something." + +"What sort of thing do yer think, George? I can hold a hoss, but that +aint much for a living. One may go for days without getting a chance." + +"I should say, Bill, that your best chance would be to try and get +work either in a brickfield or with a market-gardener. At any rate we +should be able to get a talk for half an hour in the evening. I was +always done at nine o'clock, and if we were both in work we could take +a room together." + +Bill shook his head. + +"That would be wery nice, but I couldn't have it, George. I knows as I +aint fit company for yer, and if yer was with a shop-keeping bloke he +would think yer was going to run off with the money if he knew yer +kept company with a chap like me. No, the 'greement must be as yer +goes yer ways and I goes mine; but I hopes as yer will find suffin to +do up here, not 'cause as I wouldn't like to go down to this place of +yourn, but because yer have set yer heart on getting work here." + +A week later the two boys were out late in Covent Garden trying to +earn a few pence by fetching up cabs and carriages for people coming +out from a concert in the floral hall. George had just succeeded in +earning threepence, and had returned to the entrance to the hall, and +was watching the people come out, and trying to get another job. +Presently a gentleman, with a girl of some nine or ten years old, came +out and took their place on the footpath. + +"Can I call you a carriage, sir?" George asked. + +"No, thank you, lad, a man has gone for it." + +George fell back and stood watching the girl, who was in a white +dress, with a little hood trimmed with swansdown over her head. + +Presently his eye fell on something on which the light glittered as it +hung from her neck. Just as he was looking a hand reached over her +shoulder, there was a jerk, and a sudden cry from the child, then a +boy dived into the crowd, and at the same moment George dashed after +him. There was a cry of "Stop, thief!" and several hands made a grab +at George as he dived through the crowd; but he slipped through them +and was soon in the roadway. + +Some twenty yards ahead of him he saw the boy running. He turned up +Bow Street and then dashed down an alley. He did not know that he was +followed until suddenly George sprang upon his back, and the two fell +with a crash, the young thief undermost. George seized his right hand, +and kneeling upon him, twisted it behind his back and forced him to +open his fingers, the boy, taken by surprise, and not knowing who was +his assailant, making but slight resistance. + +George seized the gold locket and dashed back at full speed into the +market, and was soon in the thick of the crowd round the entrance. The +gentleman was standing talking to a policeman, who was taking a note +of the description of the lost trinket. The girl was standing by +crying. + +"Here is your locket," George said, putting it into her hand. "I saw +the boy take it, and have got it from him." + +"Oh, papa! papa!" the girl cried. "Here is my locket again." + +"Why, where did you get it from?" her father asked in astonishment. + +"This boy has just given it to me," she replied. "He says he took it +from the boy who stole it." + +"Which boy, Nellie? Which is the boy who brought it back?" + +The girl looked round, but George was gone. + +"Why didn't you stop him, my dear?" her father said. "Of course I +should wish to thank and reward him, for the locket was a very +valuable one, and the more so to us from its having belonged to your +mother. Did you notice the boy, policeman?" + +"No, sir, I did not see him at all." + +"Was he a poor boy, Nellie?" + +"Not a very, very poor boy, father," the girl replied. "At least I +don't think so; but I only looked at his face. He didn't speak like a +poor boy at all." + +"Would you know him again?" + +"Oh, yes, I am sure I should. He was a good-looking boy with a nice +face." + +"Well, I am very sorry he has gone away, my dear. Evidently he does +not want a reward, but at any rate I should have liked to thank him. +Are you always on this beat, policeman?" + +"I am on night duty, sir, while the concerts are on." + +"At any rate, I dare say you know the constables who are about here in +the daytime. I wish you would mention the fact to them, and ask them +if they get any clew to the boy who has rendered me this service, to +let me know. Here is a card with my name and address." + +After restoring the locket George made his way to the entrance to the +stables, where he generally met Bill after the theater had closed and +there was no farther chance of earning money. It was not till half an +hour later that the boy came running up. + +"I have got eightpence," he said. "That is something like luck. I got +three jobs. One stood me fourpence, the other two gave me tuppence +each. What do yer say? Shall we have a cup of coffee afore we turns +in?" + +"I think we had better not, Bill. I have got sixpence. We will put +that by, with the sixpence we saved the other day, for the hostler. We +haven't given him anything for some time. Your eightpence will get us +a good breakfast in the morning." + +When they had comfortably nestled themselves in the hay George told +his companion how he had rescued and restored the locket. + +"And he didn't give yer nuffin! I never heerd tell of such a scaly +trick as that. I should ha' said it ought to have been good for a bob +anyway." + +"I did not wait to see, Bill. Directly I had given the little girl her +locket I bolted." + +"Well, that were soft. Why couldn't yer have waited to have seen what +the bloke meant to give yer?" + +"I did not want to be paid for such a thing as that," George replied. +"I don't mind being paid when I have done a job for anyone; but this +was different altogether." + +Bill meditated for a minute or two. + +"I can't see no difference, nohow," he said at last. "Yer did him a +good turn, and got the thing back. I dare say it were worth five bob." + +"A good deal more than that, Bill." + +"More nor that! Well, then, he ought to have come down handsome. +Didn't yer run like winking, and didn't yer jump on the chap's back +and knock him down, and didn't yer run back again? And warn't there a +chance, ef one of the bobbies had got hold of yer collar and found it +in yer hand, of yer being had up for stealing it? And then yer walks +off and don't give him a chance of giving yer nuffin. My eye, but yer +are a flat!" + +"I don't suppose you will quite understand, Bill. But when people do a +thing to oblige somebody, and not as a piece of regular work, they +don't expect to be paid. I shouldn't have liked it if they had offered +me money for such a thing." + +"Well, ef yer says so, no doubt it's right," Bill rejoined; "but it +seems a rum sort of notion to me. When people loses things they +expects to pay to get 'em back. Why, don't yer see outside the p'lice +station, and in the shop winders, papers offering so much for giving +back things as is lost. I can't read 'em myself, yer know; but chaps +have read 'em to me. Why, I've heerd of as much as five quid being +offered for watches and sichlike as was lost by ladies coming out of +theayters, and I have often thought what a turn of luck it would be to +light on one of 'em. And now yer says as I oughtn't to take the money +ef I found it." + +"No, I don't say that, Bill. If you found a thing and saw a reward +offered, and you wanted the money, you would have good right to take +it. But, you see, in this case I saw how sorry the girl was at losing +her locket, and I went after it to please her, and I was quite content +that I got it back for her." + +Bill tried again to think the matter over in his mind, but he was +getting warm and sleepy, and in a few minutes was sound off. + +Two or three days later the lads had, to their great satisfaction, +obtained a job. Walnuts were just coming in, and the boys were engaged +to take off the green shucks. Bill was particularly pleased, for he +had never before been taken on for such a job, and he considered it a +sort of promotion. Five or six women were also employed, and as the +group were standing round some great baskets Bill suddenly nudged his +friend: + +"I say, my eye, aint that little gal pretty?" + +George looked up from his work and at once recognized the girl to whom +he had restored the locket. Her eye fell on him at the same moment. + +"There, papa!" she exclaimed. "I told you if you brought me down to +the market I felt sure I should know the boy again if I saw him. +That's him, the one looking down into the basket. But he knew me +again, for I saw him look surprised when he noticed me." + +The gentleman made his way through the women to George. + +"My lad, are you the boy who restored the locket to my daughter three +evenings ago?" + +"Yes, sir," George said, coloring as he looked up. "I was standing +close by when the boy took it, so I gave chase and brought it back, +and that's all." + +"You were off again in such a hurry that we hadn't time to thank you. +Just come across to my daughter. I suppose you can leave your work for +a minute?" + +"Yes, sir. We are working by the job," George said, and looking rather +shamefaced he followed the gentleman to the sidewalk. + +"This is your boy, as you call him, Nellie." + +"I was sure I should know him again," the child said, "though I only +saw him for a moment. We are very much obliged to you, boy, papa and +me, because it had been mamma's locket, and we should have been very +sorry to have lost it." + +"I am glad I was able to get it back for you," George said; "but I +don't want to be thanked for doing it; and I don't want to be paid +either, thank you, sir," he said, flushing as the gentleman put his +hand into his pocket. + +"No! and why not?" the gentleman said in surprise. "You have done me a +great service, and there is no reason why I should not pay you for it. +If I had lost it I would gladly have paid a reward to get it back." + +"Thank you, sir," George said quietly; "but all the same I would +rather not be paid for a little thing like that." + +"You are a strange fellow," the gentleman said again. "One does not +expect to find a boy in the market here refusing money when he has +earned it." + +"I should not refuse it if I had earned it," George said; "but I don't +call getting back a locket for a young lady who has lost it earning +money." + +"How do you live, lad? You don't speak like a boy who has been brought +up in the market here." + +"I have only been here three months," George said. "I came up to +London to look for work, but could not get any. Most days I go about +looking for it, and do what odd jobs I can get when there's a chance." + +"What sort of work do you want? Have you been accustomed to any work? +Perhaps I could help you." + +"I have been a year as an errand-boy," George answered; "but I didn't +like it, and I thought I would rather get some sort of work that I +could work at when I got to be a man instead of sticking in a shop." + +"Did you run away from home, then?" the gentleman asked. + +"No, sir. My mother was ill and went into an infirmary, and so as I +was alone I thought I would come to London and try to get the sort of +work I liked; but I have tried almost all over London." + +"And are you all alone here?" + +"No, sir, not quite alone. I found a friend in that boy there, and we +have worked together since I came up." + +"Well, lad, if you really want work I can give it you." + +"Oh, thank you, sir!" George exclaimed fervently. + +"And your friend too, if he likes. I have some works down at Limehouse +and employ a good many boys. Here is the address;" and he took a card +from his pocket, wrote a few words on the back of it, and handed it to +George. + +"Ask for the foreman, and give him that, and he will arrange for you +to begin work on Monday. Come along, Nellie; we have got to buy the +fruit for to-morrow, you know." + +So saying he took his daughter's hand, and George, wild with delight, +ran off to tell Bill that he had obtained work for them both. + +"Well, Nellie, are you satisfied?" + +"Yes, I am glad you could give him work, papa; didn't he look pleased? +Wasn't it funny his saying he wouldn't have any money?" + +"Yes; I hardly expected to have met with a refusal in Covent Garden; +but you were right, child, and you are a better judge of character +than I gave you credit for. You said he was a nice-looking lad, and +spoke like a gentleman, and he does. He is really a very good style of +boy. Of course he is shabby and dirty now, and you see he has been an +errand-boy at a grocer's; but he must have been better brought up than +the generality of such lads. The one he called his friend looked a +wild sort of specimen, altogether a different sort of boy. I should +say he was one of the regular arabs hanging about this place. If so, I +expect a very few days' work will sicken him; but I shouldn't be +surprised if your boy, as you call him, sticks to it." + +The next morning the two boys presented themselves at Mr. Penrose's +works at Limehouse. These were sawing and planing works, and the sound +of many wheels, and the hoarse rasping sound of saws innumerable, came +out through the open windows of the building as they entered the yard. + +"Now what do you boys want?" a workman said as he appeared at one of +the doors. + +"We want to see the foreman," George said. "I have a card for him from +Mr. Penrose." + +"I will let him know," the man replied. + +Two minutes later the foreman came out, and George handed him the +card. He read what Mr. Penrose had written upon it and said: + +"Very well, you can come in on Monday; pay, eight shillings a week; +seven o'clock; there, that will do. Oh, what are your names?" taking +out a pocket-book. "George Andrews and William Smith;" and then, with +a nod, he went back into his room, while the boys, almost bewildered +at the rapidity with which the business had been arranged, went out +into the street again. + +"There we are, Bill, employed," George said in delight. + +"Yes, there we is," Bill agreed, but in a more doubtful tone; "it's a +rum start, aint it? I don't expect I shall make much hand of it, but I +am wery glad for you, George." + +"Why shouldn't you make much hand of it? You are as strong as I am." + +"Yes; but then, you see, I aint been accustomed to work regular, and I +expect I shan't like it--not at first; but I am going to try. George, +don't yer think as I aint agoing to try. I aint that sort; still I +expects I shall get the sack afore long." + +"Nonsense, Bill! you will like it when you once get accustomed to it, +and it's a thousand times better having to draw your pay regularly at +the end of the week than to get up in the morning not knowing whether +you are going to have breakfast or not. Won't mother be pleased when I +write and tell her I have got a place! Last time she wrote she said +that she was a great deal better, and the doctor thought she would be +out in the spring, and then I hope she will be coming up here, and +that will be jolly." + +"Yes, that's just it," Bill said; "that's whear it is; you and I will +get on fust-rate, but it aint likely as your mother would put up with +a chap like me." + +"My mother knows that you have been a good friend to me, Bill, and +that will be quite enough for her. You wait till you see her." + +"My eye, what a lot of little houses there is about here!" Bill said, +"just all the same pattern; and how wide the streets is to what they +is up Drury Lane!" + +"Yes, we ought to have no difficulty in getting a room here, Bill, now +that we shall have money to pay for it; only think, we shall have +sixteen shillings a week between us!" + +"It's a lot of money," Bill said vaguely. "Sixteen bob! My eye, there +aint no saying what it will buy! I wish I looked a little bit more +respectable," he said, with a new feeling as to the deficiencies of +his attire. "It didn't matter in the Garden; but to go to work with a +lot of other chaps, these togs aint what you may call spicy." + +"They certainly are not, Bill," George said with a laugh. "We must see +what we can manage." + +George's own clothes were worn and old, but they looked respectable +indeed by the side of those of his companion. Bill's elbows were both +out, the jacket was torn and ragged, he had no waistcoat, and his +trousers were far too large for him, and were kept up by a single +brace, and were patched in a dozen places. + +When George first met him he was shoeless, but soon after they had set +up housekeeping together George had bought from a cobbler's stall a +pair of boots for two shillings, and these, although now almost +falling to pieces, were still the best part of Bill's outfit. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +WORK. + + +The next morning George went out with the bundle containing his Sunday +clothes, which had been untouched since his arrival in town, and going +to an old-clothes shop he exchanged them for a suit of working clothes +in fair condition, and then returning hid his bundle in the hay and +rejoined Bill, who had from early morning been at work shelling +walnuts. Although Bill was somewhat surprised at his companion not +beginning work at the usual time he asked no questions, for his faith +in George was so unbounded that everything he did was right in his +eyes. + +"There is our last day's work in the market, Bill," George said as +they reached their loft that evening. + +"It's your last day's work, George, I aint no doubt; but I expects it +aint mine by a long way. I have been a-thinking over this 'ere go, and +I don't think as it will act nohow. In the first place I aint fit to +go to such a place, and they are sure to make it hot for me." + +"That's nonsense, Bill; there are lots of roughish sort of boys in +works of that sort, and you will soon be at home with the rest." + +"In the next place," Bill went on, unheeding the interruption, "I +shall be getting into some blooming row or other afore I have been +there a week, and they will like enough turn you out as well as me. +That's what I am a-thinking most on, George. If they chucks me the +chances are as they chucks you too; and if they did that arter all the +pains you have had to get a place I should go straight off and make a +hole in the water. That's how I looks at it." + +"But I don't think, Bill, that there's any chance of your getting into +a row. Of course at first we must both expect to be blown up +sometimes, but if we do our best and don't answer back again we shall +do as well as the others." + +"Oh, I shouldn't cheek 'em back," Bill said. "I am pretty well used to +getting blown up. Every one's always at it, and I know well enough as +it don't pay to cheek back, not unless you have got a market-cart +between you and a clear road for a bolt. I wasn't born yesterday. +Yer've been wery good to me, you have, George, and before any harm +should come to yer through me, s'help me, I'd chuck myself under a +market-wagon." + +"I know you would, Bill; but, whatever you say, you have been a far +greater help to me than I have to you. Anyhow we are not going to part +now. You are coming to work with me to start with, and I know you will +do your best to keep your place. If you fail, well, so much the worse, +it can't be helped; but after our being sent there by Mr. Penrose I +feel quite sure that the foreman would not turn me off even if he had +to get rid of you." + +"D'yer think so?" + +"I do, indeed, Bill." + +"Will yer take yer davey?" + +"Yes, if it's any satisfaction to you, Bill, I will take my davey that +I do not think that they would turn me off even if they sent you +away." + +"And yer really wants me to go with yer, so help yer?" + +"Really and truly, Bill." + +"Wery well, George, then I goes; but mind yer, it's 'cause yer wishes +me." + +So saying, Bill curled himself up in the hay, and George soon heard by +his regular breathing that he was sound asleep. + +The next morning, before anyone was stirring, they went down into the +yard, as was their custom on Sunday mornings, for a good wash, +stripping to the waist and taking it by turns to pump over each other. +Bill had at first protested against the fashion, saying as he did very +well and did not see no use in it; but seeing that George really +enjoyed it he followed his example. After a morning or two, indeed, +and with the aid of a piece of soap which George had bought, Bill got +himself so bright and shiny as to excite much sarcastic comment and +remark from his former companions, which led to more than one +pugilistic encounter. + +That morning George remained behind in the loft for a minute or two +after Bill had run down, attired only in his trousers. When Bill went +up the ladder after his ablutions he began hunting about in the hay. + +"What are you up to, Bill?" + +"Blest if I can find my shirt. Here's two of yourn knocking about, but +I can't see where's mine, nor my jacket neither." + +"It's no use your looking, Bill, for you won't find them, and even if +you found them you couldn't put 'em on. I have torn them up." + +"Torn up my jacket!" Bill exclaimed in consternation. "What lark are +yer up to now, George?" + +"No lark at all. We are going together to work to-morrow, and you +could not go as you were; so you put on that shirt and those things," +and he threw over the clothes he had procured the day before. + +Bill looked in astonishment. + +"Why, where did yer get 'em, George? I knows yer only had four bob +with what we got yesterday. Yer didn't find 'em, and yer didn't--no, +in course yer didn't--nip 'em." + +"No, I didn't steal them certainly," George said, laughing. "I swapped +my Sunday clothes for them yesterday. I can do without them very well +till we earn enough to get another suit. There, don't say anything +about it, Bill, else I will punch your head." + +Bill stared at him with open eyes for a minute, and then threw +himself down in the hay and burst into tears. + +"Oh, I say, don't do that!" George exclaimed. "What have you to cry +about?" + +"Aint it enough to make a cove cry," Bill sobbed, "to find a chap +doing things for him like that? I wish I may die if I don't feel as if +I should bust. It's too much, that's what it is, and it's all on one +side; that's the wust of it." + +"I dare say you will make it even some time, Bill; so don't let's say +anything more about it, but put on your clothes. We will have a cup of +coffee each and a loaf between us for breakfast, and then we will go +for a walk into the park, the same as we did last Sunday, and hear the +preaching." + +The next morning they were up at their accustomed hour and arrived at +the works at Limehouse before the doors were opened. Presently some +men and boys arrived, the doors were opened, and the two boys followed +the others in. + +"Hallo! who are you?" the man at the gate asked. + +George gave their names, and the man looked at his time-book. + +"Yes, it's all right; you are the new boys. You are to go into that +planing-shop," and he pointed to one of the doors opening into the +yard. + +The boys were not long before they were at work. Bill was ordered to +take planks from a large pile and to hand them to a man, who passed +them under one of the planing-machines. George was told to take them +away as fast as they were finished and pile them against a wall. When +the machines stopped for any adjustment or alteration both were to +sweep up the shavings and ram them into bags, in which they were +carried to the engine-house. + +For a time the boys were almost dazzled by the whirl of the machinery, +the rapid motion of the numerous wheels and shafting overhead, and of +the broad bands which carried the power from them to the machinery on +the floor, by the storm of shavings which flew from the cutters, and +the unceasing activity which prevailed around them. Beyond receiving +an occasional order, shouted in a loud tone--for conversation in an +ordinary voice would have been inaudible--nothing occurred till the +bell rang at half-past eight for breakfast. Then the machinery +suddenly stopped, and a strange hush succeeded the din which had +prevailed. + +"How long have we got now?" George asked the man from whose bench he +had been taking the planks. + +"Half an hour," the man said as he hurried away. + +"Well, what do you think of it, Bill?" George asked when they had got +outside. + +"Didn't think as there could be such a row," Bill replied. "Why, talk +about the Garden! Lor', why it aint nothing to it. I hardly knew what +I was a-doing at first." + +"No more did I, Bill. You must mind what you do and not touch any of +those straps and wheels and things. I know when I was at Croydon there +was a man killed in a sawmill there by being caught in the strap; they +said it drew him up and smashed him against the ceiling. And now we +had better look out for a baker's." + +"I suppose there aint a coffee-stall nowhere handy?" + +"I don't suppose there is, Bill; at any rate we have no time to spare +to look for one. There's a pump in the yard, so we can have a drink of +water as we come back. Well, the work doesn't seem very hard, Bill," +George said as they ate their bread. + +"No, it aint hard," Bill admitted, "if it weren't for all them +rattling wheels. But I expect it aint going to be like that regular. +They've just gived us an easy job to begin with. Yer'll see it will be +worse presently." + +"We shall soon get accustomed to the noise, Bill, and I don't think we +shall find the work any harder. They don't put boys at hard work, but +just jobs like we are doing, to help the men." + +"What shall we do about night, George?" + +"I think that at dinner-time we had better ask the man we work for. He +looks a good-natured sort of chap. He may know of someone he could +recommend us to." + +They worked steadily till dinner-time; then as they came out George +said to the man with whom they were working: + +"We want to get a room. We have been lodging together in London, and +don't know anyone down here. I thought perhaps you could tell us of +some quiet, respectable people who have a room to let?" + +The man looked at George more closely than he had hitherto done. + +"Well, there aint many people as would care about taking in two boys, +but you seem a well-spoken young chap and different to most of 'em. Do +you think you could keep regular hours, and not come clattering in and +out fifty times in the evening, and playing tom-fools' tricks of all +sorts?" + +"I don't think we should be troublesome," George said; "and I am quite +sure we shouldn't be noisy." + +"You would want to be cooked for, in course?" + +"No, I don't think so," George said. "Beyond hot water for a cup of +tea in the evening, we should not want much cooking done, especially +if there is a coffee-stall anywhere where we could get a cup in the +morning." + +"You haven't got any traps, I suppose?" + +George looked puzzled. + +"I mean bed and chairs, and so on." + +George shook his head. + +"We might get them afterwards, but we haven't any now." + +"Well, I don't mind trying you young fellows. I have got a bedroom in +my place empty. A brother of mine who lodged and worked with me has +just got a job as foreman down in the country. At any rate I will try +you for a week, and if at the end of that time you and my missis don't +get on together you must shift. Two bob a week. I suppose that will +about suit you?" + +George said that would suit very well, and expressed his thanks to the +man for taking them in. + +They had been walking briskly since they left the works, and now +stopped suddenly before the door of a house in a row. It was just like +its neighbor, except that George noticed that the blinds and windows +were cleaner than the others, and that the door had been newly painted +and varnished. + +"Here we are," the man said. "You had best come in and see the missis +and the room. Missis!" he shouted, and a woman appeared from the +backroom. "I have let Harry's room, mother," he said, "and these are +the new lodgers." + +"My stars, John!" she exclaimed; "you don't mean to say that you let +the room to them two boys. I should have thought you had better sense. +Why, they will be trampling up and down the stairs like young hosses, +wear out the oil cloth, and frighten the baby into fits. I never did +hear such a thing!" + +"I think they are quiet boys, Bessie, and won't give much trouble. At +any rate I have agreed to try them for a week, and if you don't get +on with them at the end of that time, of course they must go. They +have only come to work at the shop to-day; they work with me, and as +far as I can see they are quiet young chaps enough. Come along, lads, +I will show you your room." + +It was halfway up the stairs, at the back of the house, over the +kitchen, which was built out there. It was a comfortable little room, +not large, but sufficiently so for two boys. There was a bed, a chest +of drawers, two chairs, and a dressing-table, and a strip of carpet +ran alongside the bed, and there was, moreover, a small fireplace. + +"Will that do for you?" the man asked. + +"Capitally," George said; "it could not be nicer;" while Bill was so +taken aback by its comfort and luxury that he was speechless. + +"Well, that's settled, then," the man said. "If you have got any +things you can bring 'em in when you like." + +"We have not got any to speak of," George said, flushing a little. "I +came up from the country three months ago to look for work, and beyond +odd jobs I have had nothing to do since, so that everything I had is +pretty well gone; but I can pay a week's rent in advance," he said, +putting his hand in his pocket. + +"Oh, you needn't mind that!" the man said; "as you work in the shop +it's safe enough. Now I must get my dinner, else I shall be late for +work." + +"Well, Bill, what do you think of that?" George asked as they left the +house. + +"My eye," Bill exclaimed in admiration; "aint it nice just! Why, yer +couldn't get a room like that, not furnished, anywhere near the +market, not at four bob a week. Aint it clean just; so help me if the +house don't look as if it has been scrubbed down every day! What a +woman that must be for washing!" + +"Yes; we shall have to rub our feet well, Bill, and make as little +mess as we can in going in and out." + +"I should think so," Bill said. "It don't seem to me as if it could be +true as we're to have such a room as that to ourselves, and to walk +into a house bold without being afraid as somebody would have his eye +on you, and chivey you; and eight bob a week for grub regular." + +"Well, let's get some bread and cheese, Bill; pretty near half our +time must be gone, and mind we must be very saving at first. There +will be several things to get; a kettle and a teapot, and a coffeepot, +and some cups and saucers, and we shall want a gridiron for frying +rashers of bacon upon." + +"My eye, won't it be prime!" Bill broke in. + +"And we shall want some towels," George went on with his enumeration. + +"Towels!" repeated Bill. "What are they like?" + +"They are cloths for wiping your hands and face after you have +washed." + +"Well, if yer says we wants 'em, George, of course we must get 'em; +but I've always found my hands dried quick enough by themselves, +especially if I gived 'em a rub on my trousers." + +"And then, Bill, you know," George went on, "I want to save every +penny we can, so as to get some things to furnish two rooms by the +time mother comes out." + +"Yes, in course we must," Bill agreed warmly, though a slight shade +passed over his face at the thought that they were not to be always +alone together. "Well, yer know, George, I am game for anythink. I can +hold on with a penn'orth of bread a day. I have done it over and over, +and if yer says the word I am ready to do it again." + +"No, Bill, we needn't do that," George laughed. "Still, we must live +as cheap as we can. We will stick to bread for breakfast, and bread +and cheese for dinner, and bread for supper, with sometimes a rasher +as a great treat. At any rate we will try to live on six shillings a +week." + +"Oh! we can do that fine," Bill said confidently; "and then two +shillings for rent, and that will leave us eight shillings a week to +put by." + +"Mother said that the doctor didn't think she would be able to come +out 'til the spring. We are just at the beginning of November, so if +she comes out the first of April, that's five months, say twenty-two +weeks. Twenty-two weeks at eight shillings, let me see. That's eight +pounds in twenty weeks, eight pounds sixteen altogether, that would +furnish two rooms very well, I should think." + +"My eye, I should think so!" Bill exclaimed, for to his mind eight +pound sixteen was an almost unheard-of sum, and the fact that his +companion had been able to calculate it increased if possible his +admiration for him. + +It needed but two or three days to reconcile Mrs. Grimstone to her new +lodgers. + +"I wouldn't have believed," she said at the end of the week to a +neighbor, "as two boys could have been that quiet. They comes in after +work as regular as the master. They rubs their feet on the mat, and +you can scarce hear 'em go upstairs, and I don't hear no more of 'em +till they goes out agin in the morning. They don't come back here to +breakfast or dinner. Eats it, I suppose, standing like." + +"But what do they do with themselves all the evening, Mrs. Grimstone?" + +"One of 'em reads to the other. I think I can hear a voice going +regular over the kitchen." + +"And how's their room?" + +"As clean and tidy as a new pin. They don't lock the door when they +goes out, and I looked in yesterday, expecting to find it like a +pigsty; but they had made the bed afore starting for work, and set +everything in its place, and laid the fire like for when they come +back." + +Mrs. Grimstone was right. George had expended six pence in as many +old books at a bookstall. One of them was a spelling-book, and he had +at once set to work teaching Bill his letters. Bill had at first +protested. "He had done very well without reading, and didn't see much +good in it." However, as George insisted he gave way, as he would have +done to any proposition whatever upon which his friend had set his +mind. So for an hour every evening after they had finished tea Bill +worked at his letters and spelling, and then George read aloud to him +from one of the other books. + +"You must get on as fast as you can this winter, Bill," he said; +"because when the summer evenings come we shall want to go for long +walks." + +They found that they did very well upon the sum they agreed on. Tea +and sugar cost less than George had expected. Mrs. Grimstone took in +for them regularly a halfpenny-worth of milk, and for tea they were +generally able to afford a bloater between them, or a very thin rasher +of bacon. Their enjoyment of their meals was immense. Bill indeed +frequently protested that they were spending too much money; but +George said as long as they kept within the sum agreed upon, and paid +their rent, coal, candles, and what little washing they required out +of the eight shillings a week, they were doing very well. + +They had by this time got accustomed to the din of the machinery, and +were able to work in comfort. Mr. Penrose had several times come +through the room, and had given them a nod. After they had been there +a month he spoke to Grimstone. + +"How do those boys do their work?" + +"Wonderful well, sir; they are the two best boys we have ever had. No +skylarking about, and I never have to wait a minute for a plank. They +generally comes in a few minutes before time and gets the bench +cleared up. They are first-rate boys. They lodge with me, and two +quieter and better-behaved chaps in a house there never was." + +"I am glad to hear it," Mr. Penrose said. "I am interested in them, +and am pleased to hear so good an account." + +That Saturday, to their surprise, when they went to get their money +they received ten shillings apiece. + +"That's two shillings too much," George said as the money was handed +to them. + +"That's all right," the foreman said. "The governor ordered you both +to have a rise." + +"My eye!" Bill said as they went out. "What do you think of that, +George? Four bob a week more to put by regularly. How much more will +that make by the time your mother comes?" + +"We won't put it all by, Bill. I think the other will be enough. This +four shillings a week we will put aside at present for clothes. We +want two more shirts apiece, and some more stockings, and we shall +want some shoes before long, and another suit of clothes each. We must +keep ourselves decent, you know." + +From the time when they began work the boys had gone regularly every +Sunday morning to a small iron church near their lodging, and they +also went to an evening service once a week. Their talk, too, at home +was often on religion, for Bill was extremely anxious to learn, and +although his questions and remarks often puzzled George to answer, he +was always ready to explain things as far as he could. + +February came, and to George's delight he heard, from his mother that +she was so much better that the doctor thought that when she came out +at the end of April she would be as strong as she had ever been. Her +eyes had benefited greatly by her long rest, and she said that she was +sure she should be able to do work as before. She had written several +times since they had been at Limehouse, expressing her great pleasure +at hearing that George was so well and comfortable. At Christmas, the +works being closed for four days, George had gone down to see her, and +they had a delightful talk together. Christmas had indeed been a +memorable occasion to the boys, for on Christmas Eve the carrier had +left a basket at Grimstone's directed "George Andrews." The boys had +prepared their Christmas dinner, consisting of some fine rashers of +bacon and sixpenny-worth of cold plum pudding from a cook-shop, and +had already rather lamented this outlay, for Mrs. Grimstone had that +afternoon invited them to dine downstairs. George was reading from a +book which he bought for a penny that morning when there was a knock +at the door, and Mrs. Grimstone said: + +"Here is a hamper for you, George." + +"A hamper for me!" George exclaimed in astonishment, opening the door. +"Why, whoever could have sent a hamper for me! It must be a mistake." + +"That's your name on the direction, anyhows," Mrs. Grimstone said. + +"Yes, that's my name, sure enough," George agreed, and at once began +to unknot the string which fastened down the lid. + +"Here is a Christmas card at the top!" he shouted. He turned it over. +On the back were the words: + +"With all good wishes, Helen Penrose." + +"Well, that is kind," George said in rather a husky voice; and indeed +it was the kindness that prompted the gift rather than the gift itself +that touched him. + +"Now, then, George," Bill remonstrated; "never mind that there card, +let's see what's inside." + +The hamper was unpacked, and was found to contain a cold goose, a +Christmas pudding, and some oranges and apples. These were all placed +on the table, and when Mrs. Grimstone had retired Bill executed a +war-dance in triumph and delight. + +"I never did see such a game," he said at last, as he sat down +exhausted. "There's a Christmas dinner for yer! Why, it's like them +stories of the genii you was a-telling me about--chaps as come +whenever yer rubbed a ring or an old lamp, and brought a tuck-out or +whatever yer asked for. Of course that wasn't true; yer told me it +wasn't, and I shouldn't have believed it if yer hadn't, but this 'ere +is true. Now I sees, George, as what yer said was right and what I +said was wrong. I thought yer were a flat 'cause yer wouldn't take +nothing for getting back that there locket, and now yer see what's +come of it, two good berths for us and a Christmas dinner fit for a +king. Now what are we going to do with it, 'cause yer know we dines +with them downstairs to-morrow?" + +"The best thing we can do, I think," George answered, "will be to +invite all of them downstairs, Bob Grimstone, his wife, and the three +young uns, to supper, not to-morrow night nor the night after, because +I shan't be back from Croydon till late, but say the evening after." + +"But we can't hold them all," Bill said, looking round the room. + +"No, we can't hold them here, certainly, but I dare say they will let +us have the feed in their parlor. There will be nothing to get, you +know, but some bread and butter, and some beer for Bob. Mrs. Grimstone +don't take it, so we must have plenty of tea." + +"I should like some beer too, just for once, George, with such a +blow-out as that." + +"No, no, Bill, you and I will stick to tea. You know we agreed that we +wouldn't take beer. If we begin it once we shall want it again, so we +are not going to alter from what we agreed to. We see plenty of the +misery which drink causes all round and the way in which money is +wasted over it. I like a glass of beer as well as you do, and when I +get to be a man I dare say I shall take a glass with my dinner +regularly, though I won't do even that if I find it makes me want to +take more; but anyhow at present we can do without it." + +Bill agreed, and the dinner-party downstairs and the supper two nights +afterwards came off in due course, and were both most successful. + +The acknowledgment of the gift had been a matter of some trouble to +George, but he had finally bought a pretty New Year's card and had +written on the back, "with the grateful thanks of George Andrews," and +had sent it to the daughter of his employer. + +At the beginning of April George had consulted Grimstone and his wife +as to the question of preparing a home for his mother. + +"How much would two rooms cost?" he had asked; "one a good-sized one +and the other the same size as ours." + +"Four shillings or four and sixpence," Mrs. Grimstone replied. + +"And supposing we had a parlor and two little bedrooms?" + +"Five and sixpence or six shillings, I should say," Mrs. Grimstone +replied. + +"And how much for a whole house?" + +"It depends upon the size. We pay seven shillings a week, but you +might get one without the kitchen and bedroom over it behind for six +shillings." + +"That would be much the nicest," George said, "only it would cost such +a lot to furnish it." + +"But you needn't furnish it all at once," Mrs. Grimstone suggested. +"Just a kitchen and two bedrooms for a start, and you can put things +into the parlor afterwards. That's the way we did when we first +married. But you must have some furniture." + +"And how much will it cost for the kitchen and two bedrooms?" + +"Of course going cheaply to work and buying the things secondhand, I +should say I could pick up the things for you, so that you could do +very well," Mrs. Grimstone said, "for six or seven pounds." + +"That will do capitally," George said, "for by the end of this month +Bill and I will have more than ten pounds laid by." + +"What! since you came here?" Grimstone exclaimed in astonishment. "Do +you mean to say you boys have laid by five pounds apiece?" + +"Yes, and bought a lot of things too," his wife put in. + +"Why, you must have been starving yourselves!" + +"We don't look like it," George laughed. "I am sure Bill is a stone +heavier than when he came here." + +"Well, young chap, it does you a lot of credit," Bob Grimstone said. +"It isn't every boy, by a long way, would stint himself as you must +have done for the last five months to make a comfortable home for his +mother, for I know lots of men who are earning their two quid a week +and has their old people in the workhouse. Well, all I can say is that +if I or the missis here can be of any use to you in taking a house we +shall be right down glad." + +"Thank you," George said. "We will look about for a house, and when we +have fixed on one if you or Mrs. Grimstone will go about it for us I +shall be much obliged, for I don't think landlords would be inclined +to let a house to two boys." + +"All right, George! we will do that for you with pleasure. Besides, +you know, there are things, when you are going to take a house, that +you stand out for; such as papering and painting, or putting in a new +range, and things of that sort." + +After their dinner on the following Sunday the two boys set out +house-hunting. + +"If it's within a mile that will do," George said. "It doesn't matter +about our going home in the breakfast time. We can bring our grub in a +basket and our tea in a bottle, as several of the hands do; but if +it's over a mile we shall have to hurry to get there and back for +dinner. Still there are plenty of houses in a mile." + +There were indeed plenty of houses, in long regular rows, bare and +hard-looking, but George wanted to find something more pleasant and +homelike than these. Late in the afternoon he came upon what he +wanted. It was just about a mile from the works and beyond the lines +of regular streets. Here he found a turning off the main road with but +eight houses in it, four on each side. It looked as if the man who +built them had intended to run a street down for some distance, but +had either been unable to obtain enough ground or had changed his +mind. + +They stood in pairs, each with its garden in front, with a bow-window +and little portico. They appeared to be inhabited by a different class +to those who lived in the rows, chiefly by city clerks, for the +gardens were nicely kept, the blinds were clean and spotless, muslin +curtains hung in the windows, and fancy tables with pretty ornaments +stood between them. Fortunately one of them, the last on the left-hand +side, was to let. + +"What do you think of this, Bill?" + +"It seems to be just the thing; but how about the rent, George? I +should think they were awful dear." + +"I don't suppose they are any more than the houses in the rows, Bill. +They are very small, you see, and I don't suppose they would suit +workmen as well as the others; at any rate we will see." + +Whereupon George noted down on a scrap of paper the name of the agent +of whom inquiry was to be made. + +"No. 8," he said; "but what's the name of the street? Oh, there it is. +Laburnum Villas. No. 8 Laburnum Villas; that sounds first-rate, +doesn't it? I will get Mrs. Grimstone to go round to the agent +to-morrow." + +This Mrs. Grimstone agreed to do directly she was asked. After +speaking to her husband she said, "I will get the key from the agent's +and will be there just after twelve to-morrow, so if you go there +straight when you get out you will be able to see the rooms and what +state it's in." + +"But how about Bob's dinner?" George asked. + +"Oh, he will have it cold to-morrow, and I will set it out for him +before I start." + +"That is very kind, Mrs. Grimstone, thank you very much. It would be +just the thing." + +Accordingly, at ten minutes past twelve on the following day the two +boys arrived breathless at No. 8 Laburnum Villas. + +"Hurrah!" George shouted, "there is Mrs. Grimstone at the window." + +The door was opened and they rushed in. + +"It's a tidy little place," Mrs. Grimstone said; "and it's in good +order and won't want any money laying out upon it." + +The house was certainly small, but the boys were delighted with it. On +the ground-floor were two little rooms opening with folding doors, +and a little kitchen built out behind. There was a room over this, and +two rooms above the sitting rooms. + +"That's just the right number," George said, "a bedroom each for us; +it couldn't be nicer; and what pretty paper!" + +"And there is a good long slip of garden behind," Mrs. Grimstone said, +"where you could grow lots of vegetables. Of course in the front you +would have flowers." + +"And how much do they want for it?" + +"Seven and sixpence a week, including rates and taxes. I call it dear +for its size, but then of course it's got the garden and it looks +pretty and nice. The agent says it's been painted and papered from top +to bottom since the last people left, but he says the owner won't let +it unless somebody comes who is likely to stop, and he will want +references of respectability." + +"All right!" George said; "I can manage that," for he had already been +thinking of the question in his mind; "and we can manage seven and +sixpence a week; can't we, Bill?" + +"We will try, anyhow," Bill said stoutly, for he was as much pleased +with the cottage as George was. + +They explored the garden behind the house. This was about a hundred +feet long by twenty-five wide. Half of it was covered with stumps of a +plantation of cabbages, the other half was empty and had evidently +been dug up by the last tenants ready for planting. + +"Why, I should think we shall be able to grow all our own potatoes +here!" George exclaimed in delight. + +Mrs. Grimstone was a country woman, and she shook her head. + +"You wouldn't be able to do that, George, not if you gave it all up to +potatoes; but if you planted the further end with potatoes you might +get a good many, and then, you know, at this end you might have three +or four rows of peas and French beans, and lettuces and such like, but +you will have to get some manure to put in. Things won't grow without +manure even in the country, and I am sure they won't here; and then +you know you can have flowers in the front of the house. But it's time +for you to be off, else you will be late at the works. I am sure it's +more than half an hour since you came in. I will take the key back and +tell them they shall have an answer by Wednesday or Thursday." + +George did not think they could have been a quarter of an hour; +however, he and Bill started at a trot, which they increased into a +run at the top of their speed when the first clock they saw pointed to +seven minutes to one. The bell was ringing as they approached the +works; it stopped when they were within fifty yards, and the gate was +just closing as they rushed up. + +"Too late," the man said. + +"Oh, do let us through," George panted out; "it's the first time we +have ever been late, and we have run a mile to be here in time!" + +"Oh, it's you, is it?" the man said, opening the gate a few inches to +look through. "Ah, well I will let you in this time, 'cause you are +well-behaved young chaps; but don't you run it so close another time, +else you will have to lose your hour." + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +HOME. + + +That evening George wrote a letter to Dr. Jeffries at Croydon, saying +that he had taken a little house for his mother to come to when she +came out of the infirmary, and as he had kindly said that he would +render her help if he could, would he be good enough to write to the +agent whose address he gave, saying that Mrs. Andrews, who was about +taking No. 8 Laburnum Villas, was a person of respectability. + +The following evening he received a letter from the doctor saying that +he had written to the agent, and that he was glad indeed to hear that +George was getting on so well that he was able to provide a home for +his mother. + +On Wednesday at dinner-time Mrs. Grimstone handed George a key. + +"There you are, George. You are master of the house now. The agent +said the reference was most satisfactory; so I paid him the seven and +sixpence you gave me for a week's rent in advance, and you can go in +when you like. We shall be sorry to lose you both, for I don't want +two better lodgers. You don't give no trouble, and all has been quiet +and pleasant in the house; and to think what a taking I was in that +day as Bob brought you here for the first time, to think as he had let +the room to two boys. But there, one never knows, and I wouldn't have +believed it as boys could be so quiet in a house." + +"Now we must begin to see about furniture," Bob Grimstone said. "The +best plan, I think, will be for you two to go round of an evening to +all the shops in the neighborhood, and mark off just what you think +will suit you. You put down the prices stuck on them, and just what +they are, and then the missis can go in the morning and bargain for +them. She will get them five shillings in the pound cheaper than you +would. It's wonderful how women do beat men down, to be sure. When a +man hears what's the price of a thing he leaves it or takes it just as +he likes, but a woman begins by offering half the sum. Then the chap +says no, and she makes as if she was going away; he lets her go a +little way and then he hollers after her, and comes down a goodish bit +in the price. Then she says she don't particularly want it and +shouldn't think of giving any such price as that. Then he tries again, +and so they gets on till they hit on a figure as suits them both. You +see that little tea-caddy in the corner? My wife was just three weeks +buying that caddy. The chap wanted seven and six for it, and she +offered him half a crown. He came down half a crown at the end of the +first week, and at last she got it for three and nine. Now, the first +thing you have got to do is to make out a list. First of all you have +got to put down the things as you must have, and then the things you +can do without, though you will get them if you can afford it. Mother +will help you at that." + +So Mrs. Grimstone and George sat down with paper and a pencil, and +George was absolutely horrified at the list of things which Mrs. +Grimstone declared were absolutely indispensable. However, after much +discussion, some few items were marked as doubtful. When the list was +finished the two boys started on an exploring expedition, and the next +week all their evenings were fully occupied. In ten days after they +began the three bedrooms and the kitchen were really smartly +furnished, Mrs. Grimstone proving a wonderful hand at bargaining, and +making the ten pounds go farther than George had believed possible. On +the Sunday Bob went with his wife and the boys to inspect the house. + +"It's a very comfortable little place," he said, "and that front +bedroom with the chintz curtains the missis made up is as nice a +little room as you want to see. As to the others they will do well +enough for you boys." + +The only articles of furniture in the sitting room were two long +muslin curtains, which Mrs. Grimstone had bought a bargain at a shop +selling off; for it was agreed that this was necessary to give the +house a furnished appearance. Bob Grimstone was so much pleased at +what had been done that he shared George's feeling of regret that one +of the sitting rooms could not also be furnished, and on the walk home +said: + +"Look here, George. I know you would like to have the house nice for +your mother. You couldn't make one of those sitting rooms comfortable +not under a five-pound note, not even with the missis to market for +you, but you might for that. I have got a little money laid by in the +savings-bank, and I will lend you five pounds, and welcome, if you +like to take it. I know it will be just as safe with you as it will be +there." + +"Thank you very much, Bob--thank you very much, but I won't take it. +In the first place, I should like mother to know that the furniture is +all ours, bought out of Bill's savings and mine; and in the next +place, I should find it hard at first to pay back anything. I think we +can just manage on our money, but that will be all. I told you mother +does work, but she mayn't be able to get any at first, so we can't +reckon on that. When she does, you know, we shall be able gradually to +buy the furniture." + +"Well, perhaps you are right, George," the man said after a pause. +"You would have been welcome to the money: but perhaps you are right +not to take it. I borrowed a little money when I first went into +housekeeping, and it took a wonderful trouble to pay off, and if +there's illness or anything of that sort it weighs on you. Not that I +should be in any hurry about it. It wouldn't worry me, but it would +worry you." + +A week later Mrs. Andrews was to leave the infirmary, and on Saturday +George asked for a day off to go down to fetch her. Every evening +through the week he and Bill had worked away at digging up the garden. +Fortunately there was a moon, for it was dark by the time they came +out from the works. Bill was charged with the commission to lay in the +store of provisions for the Sunday, and he was to be sure to have a +capital fire and tea ready by four o'clock, the hour at which George +calculated he would be back. + +Very delighted was George as in his best suit--for he and Bill had two +suits each now--he stepped out of the train at Croydon and walked to +the workhouse. His mother had told him that she would meet him at the +gate at half-past two, and punctually at the time he was there. A few +minutes later Mrs. Andrews came out, not dressed as he had seen her at +Christmas, in the infirmary garb, but in her own clothes. George gave +a cry of delight as he ran forward to meet her. + +"My darling mother! and you are looking quite yourself again." + +"I am, thank God, George. It has seemed a long nine months, but the +rest and quiet have done wonders for me. Everyone has been very kind; +and of course the knowledge, dear boy, that you had got work that you +liked helped me to get strong again. And you are looking well too; and +your friend, I hope he is well?" + +"Quite well, mother, but in a great fright about you. He is glad you +are coming because I am glad; but the poor fellow has quite made up +his mind that you won't like him and you won't think him a fit +companion for me. I told him over and over again that you are not that +sort; but nothing can persuade him. Of course, mother, he doesn't talk +good grammar, and he uses some queer expressions; but he is very much +changed in that way since I first knew him, and he tries very hard, +and don't mind a bit how often I correct him, and he is beginning to +read easy words quite well; and he is one of the best-hearted fellows +in the world." + +"If he is kind to you, George, and fond of you, that's enough for me," +Mrs. Andrews said; "but I have no doubt I shall soon like him for +himself. You could not like him as much as you do if there were not +something nice about him. And you have succeeded in getting a room for +me in the house in which you lodge?" for George had never mentioned a +word in his letter about taking a house, and had asked Dr. Jeffries if +he should see his mother to say nothing to her about his application +to him. + +"Yes, that's all right, mother," he replied briskly. + +"And you have got some new clothes since I saw you last, George. You +wanted them; yours were getting rather shabby when I saw you at +Christmas." + +"Yes, mother, they were." + +"I suppose you had to part with your best suit while you were so long +out of work?" + +"That was it, mother; but you see I have been able to get some more +things. They are only cheap ones, you know, but they will do very well +until I can afford better ones. I am not walking too fast for you, am +I? But we shall just catch the train. Or look here, would you mind +going straight by yourself to the railway station? Then you can walk +slowly. I will go round and get your box. I went into our old place as +I came along, and Mrs. Larkins said she would bring it downstairs for +me as I came back." + +"No, I would rather go round with you, George. I want to thank her for +having kept it for me so long. Even if we do miss the train it will +not matter much, as it will make no difference whether we get in town +an hour earlier or later." + +As George could not explain his special reason for desiring to catch +that train he was obliged to agree, and they stopped a quarter of an +hour at their old lodging, as Mrs. Larkins insisted upon their having +a cup of tea which she had prepared for them. However, when they +reached the station they found that a train was going shortly, and +when they reached town they were not so very much later than George +had calculated upon. + +They took a cab, for although Mrs. Andrews' box was not heavy, it was +too much for George to carry that distance; besides, Mrs. Andrews +herself was tired from her walk to the station from the infirmary, +having had no exercise for so long. When they got into the +neighborhood of Limehouse George got outside to direct the cabman. It +was just a quarter past four when the cab drew up at No. 8 Laburnum +Villas. + +"Why, is this the house?" Mrs. Andrews asked in surprise as George +jumped down and opened the door. "Why, you told me in one of your +letters it was a house in a row. What a pretty little place! It is +really here, George?" + +"It is here, mother; we moved the other day. There is Bill at the +door;" but Bill, having opened the door, ran away out into the garden, +and George, having paid the cabman, carried his mother's box in and +entered the house with her. + +"Straight on, mother, into the little room at the end." + +"What a snug little kitchen!" Mrs. Andrews said as she entered it; +"and tea all laid and ready! What, have they lent you the room for +this evening?" + +"My dear mother," George said, throwing his arms round her neck, +"this is your kitchen and your house, all there is of it, only the +sitting room isn't furnished yet. We must wait for that, you know." + +"What! you have taken a whole house, my boy! that is very nice; but +can we afford it, George? It seems too good to be true." + +"It is quite true, mother, and I think it's a dear little house, and +will be splendid when we have got it all furnished. Now come up and +see the bedrooms. This is Bill's, you know," and he opened the door on +the staircase, "and this is mine, and this is yours." + +"Oh, what a pretty little room!" Mrs. Andrews said: "but, my dear +George, the rent of this house and the hire of the furniture will +surely be more than we can afford to pay. I know what a good manager +you are, my boy, but I have such a horror of getting into debt that it +almost frightens me." + +"The rent of the house is seven and sixpence a week, mother, with +rates and taxes, and we can afford that out of Bill's earnings and +mine, even if you did not do any work at all; and as to the furniture, +it is every bit paid for out of our savings since we went to work." + +On hearing which Mrs. Andrews threw her arms round George's neck and +burst into tears of happiness. She was not very strong, and the +thought of the sacrifices these two boys must have made to get a +house together for her completely overpowered her. + +"It seems impossible, George," she said when she had recovered +herself. "Why, you have only been earning ten shillings a week each, +and you have had to keep yourselves and get clothes and all sorts of +things; it seems impossible." + +"It has not cost so much as you think, mother, and Bill and I had both +learned to live cheap in Covent Garden; but now let us go downstairs; +you have not seen Bill yet, and I know tea will be ready." + +But Bill had not yet come in, and George had to go out into the garden +to fetch him. + +"Come on, Bill; mother is delighted with everything. She won't eat +you, you know." + +"No, she won't eat me, George; but she will think me an out-and-out +sort of 'ottentot," which word had turned up in a book the boys had +been reading on an evening previously. + +"Well, wait till she says so; come along." + +So linking his arm in Bill's, George drew him along, and brought him +shamefaced and bashful into the kitchen. + +"This is Bill, mother." + +"I am glad to see you, Bill," Mrs. Andrews said, holding out her hand. +"I have heard so much of you from George that I seem to know you quite +well." + +Bill put his hand out shyly. + +"I am sure we shall get on well together," Mrs. Andrews went on. "I +shall never forget that you were a friend to my boy when he was +friendless in London." + +"It's all the t'other way, ma'am," Bill said eagerly; "don't you go +for to think it. Why, just look what George has done for me! There was +I, a-hanging about the Garden, pretty nigh starving, and sure to get +quadded sooner or later; and now here I am living decent, and earning +a good wage; and he has taught me to read, ma'am, and to know about +things, and aint been ashamed of me, though I am so different to what +he is. I tell you, ma'am, there aint no saying what a friend he's been +to me, and I aint done nothing for him as I can see." + +"Well, Bill, you perhaps both owe each other something," Mrs. Andrews +said: "and I owe you something as well as my son, for George tells me +that it is to your self-denial as well as to his own that I owe this +delightful surprise of finding a home ready for me; and now," she went +on, seeing how confused and unhappy Bill looked, "I think you two +ought to make tea this evening, for you are the hosts, and I am the +guest. In future it will be my turn." + +"All right, mother! you sit down in this armchair; Bill, you do the +rashers, and I will pour the water into the pot and then toast the +muffins." + +Bill was at home now; such culinary efforts as they had hitherto +attempted had generally fallen to his share, as he had a greater +aptitude for the work than George had, and a dish of bacon fried to a +turn was soon upon the table. + +Mrs. Andrews had been watching Bill closely, and was pleased with the +result of her observation. Bill was indeed greatly improved in +appearance since he had first made George's acquaintance. His cheeks +had filled out, and his face had lost its hardness of outline; the +quick, restless, hunted expression of his eyes had nearly died out, +and he no longer looked as if constantly on the watch to dodge an +expected cuff; his face had always had a large share of that merriment +and love of fun which seem the common portion of the London arabs, and +seldom desert them under all their hardships; but it was a happier and +brighter spirit now, and had altogether lost its reckless character. A +similar change is always observable among the waifs picked up off the +streets by the London refuges after they have been a few months on +board a training ship. + +When all was ready the party sat down to their meal. Mrs. Andrews +undertook the pouring out of the tea, saying that although she was a +guest, as the only lady present she should naturally preside. George +cut the bread, and Bill served the bacon. The muffins were piled on a +plate in the front of the fire as a second course. + +It was perhaps the happiest meal that any of the three had ever sat +down to. Mrs. Andrews was not only happy at finding so comfortable a +home prepared for her, but was filled with a deep feeling of pride and +thankfulness at the evidence of the love, steadiness, and +self-sacrifice of her son. George was delighted at having his mother +with him again, and at seeing her happiness and contentment at the +home he had prepared for her. Bill was delighted because George was +so, and he was moreover vastly relieved at finding Mrs. Andrews less +terrible than he had depicted her. + +After tea was cleared away they talked together for a while, and then +Bill--feeling with instinctive delicacy that George and his mother +would like to talk together for a time--said he should take a turn for +an hour, and on getting outside the house executed so wild a war-dance +of satisfaction that it was fortunate it was dark, or Laburnum Villas +would have been astonished and scandalized at the spectacle. + +"I like your friend Bill very much," Mrs. Andrews said when she was +alone with George. "I was sure from what you told me that he must be a +good-hearted lad; but brought up as he has been, poor boy, I feared a +little that he would scarcely be a desirable companion in point of +manners. Of course, as you say, his grammar is a little peculiar; but +his manners are wonderfully quiet and nice, considering all." + +"Look what an example he's had, mother," George laughed; "but really +he has taken great pains ever since he knew that you were coming +home. He has been asking me to tell him of anything he does which is +not right, especially about eating and that sort of thing. You see he +had never used a fork till we came down here, and he made me show him +directly how it should be held and what to do with it. It has been +quite funny to me to see him watching me at meals, and doing exactly +the same." + +"And you have taught him to read, George?" + +"Yes, mother." + +"And something of better things, George?" she asked. + +"Yes, mother, as much as I could. He didn't know anything when I met +him; but he goes to church with me now regularly, and says his prayers +every night, and I can tell you he thinks a lot of it. More, I think, +than I ever did," he added honestly. + +"Perhaps he has done you as much good as you have done him, George." + +"Perhaps he has, mother; yes, I think so. When you see a chap so very +earnest for a thing you can't help being earnest yourself; besides, +you know, mother," he went on a little shyly, for George had not been +accustomed to talk much of these matters with his mother--"you see +when one's down in the world and hard up, and not quite sure about the +next meal, and without any friend, one seems to think more of these +things than one does when one is jolly at school with other fellows." + +"Perhaps so, George, though I do not know why it should be so, for the +more blessings one has the more reason for love and gratitude to the +giver. However, dear, I think we have both reason to be grateful now, +have we not?" + +"That we have, mother. Only think of the difference since we said +good-by to each other last summer! Now here you are strong and well +again, and we are together and don't mean to be separated, and I have +got a place I like and have a good chance of getting on in, and we +have got a pretty little house all to ourselves, and you will be able +to live a little like a lady again,--I mean as you were accustomed +to,--and everything is so nice. Oh, mother, I am sure we have every +reason to be grateful!" + +"We have indeed, George, and I even more than you, in the proofs you +have given me that my son is likely to turn out all that even I could +wish him." + +Bill's hour was a very long one. + +"You must not go out of an evening, Bill, to get out of our way," Mrs. +Andrews said when he returned, "else I shall think that I am in your +way. It was kind of you to think of it the first evening, and George +and I are glad to have had a long talk together, but in future I hope +you won't do it. You see there will be lots to do of an evening. There +will be your lessons and George's, for I hope now that he's settled he +will give up an hour or two every evening to study. Not Latin and +Greek, George," she added, smiling, seeing a look of something like +dismay in George's face, "that will be only a waste of time to you +now, but a study of such things as may be useful to you in your +present work and in your future life, and a steady course of reading +really good books by good authors. Then perhaps when you have both +done your work, you will take it by turns to read out loud while I do +my sewing. Then perhaps some day, who knows, if we get on very +flourishingly, after we have furnished our sitting room, we may be +able to indulge in the luxury of a piano again and have a little music +of an evening." + +"That will be jolly, mother. Why, it will be really like old times, +when you used to sing to me!" + +Mrs. Andrews' eyes filled with tears at the thought of the old times, +but she kept them back bravely, so as not to mar, even for a moment, +the happiness of this first evening. So they chatted till nine +o'clock, when they had supper. After it was over Mrs. Andrews left the +room for a minute and went upstairs and opened her box, and returned +with a Bible in her hand. + +"I think, boys," she said, "we ought to end this first happy evening +in our new home by thanking God together for his blessings." + +"I am sure we ought, mother," George said, and Bill's face expressed +his approval. + +So Mrs. Andrews read a chapter, and then they knelt and thanked God +for his blessings, and the custom thus begun was continued henceforth +in No. 8 Laburnum Villas. + +Hitherto George and his companion had found things much more pleasant +at the works than they had expected. They had, of course, had +principally to do with Bob Grimstone; still there were many other men +in the shop, and at times, when his bench was standing idle while some +slight alterations or adjustment of machinery were made, they were set +to work with others. Men are quick to see when boys are doing their +best, and, finding the lads intent upon their work and given neither +to idleness nor skylarking, they seldom had a sharp word addressed to +them. But after Mrs. Andrews had come home they found themselves +addressed in a warmer and more kindly manner by the men. Bob Grimstone +had told two or three of his mates of the sacrifices the boys had made +to save up money to make a home for the mother of one of them when she +came out of hospital. They were not less impressed than he had been, +and the story went the round of the workshops and even came to the +ears of the foreman, and there was not a man there but expressed +himself in warm terms of surprise and admiration that two lads should +for six months have stinted themselves of food in order to lay by half +their pay for such a purpose. + +"There's precious few would have done such a thing," one of the older +workmen said, "not one in a thousand; why, not one chap in a hundred, +even when he's going to be married, will stint himself like that to +make a home for the gal he is going to make his wife, so as to start +housekeeping out of debt; and as to doing it for a mother, where will +you find 'em? In course a man ought to do as much for his mother as +for the gal who is agoing to be his wife, seeing how much he owes her; +but how many does it, that's what I says, how many does it?" + +So after that the boys were surprised to find how many of the men, +when they met them at the gate, would give them a kindly nod or a +hearty, "Good-morning, young chaps!" + +A day or two after Mrs. Andrews had settled in Laburnum Villas she +went up to town and called upon a number of shops, asking for work. As +she was able to give an excellent reference to the firm for whom she +had worked at Croydon she succeeded before the end of the week in +obtaining millinery work for a firm in St. Paul's Churchyard, and as +she had excellent taste and was very quick at her needle she was soon +able to earn considerably more than she had done at Croydon. + +The three were equally determined that they would live as closely as +possible until the sitting-rooms were furnished, and by strict +management they kept within the boys' pay, Mrs. Andrews' earnings +being devoted to the grand purpose. The small articles were bought +first, and each week there was great congratulation and pleasure as +some new article was placed in the rooms. Then there was a pause for +some time, then came the chairs, then after an interval a table, and +lastly the carpet. This crowning glory was not attained until the end +of July. After this they moved solemnly into the sitting-room, +agreeing that the looking-glass, chiffonier, and sofa could be added +at a more gradual rate, and that the whole of Mrs. Andrews' earnings +need no longer be devoted. + +"Now, boys," Mrs. Andrews said on that memorable evening, "I want you +in future, when you come in, to change your working clothes before you +come in here to your teas. So long as we lived in the kitchen I have +let things go on, but I think there's something in the old saying, +'Company clothes, company manners,' and I think it is good when boys +come in that they should lay aside their heavy-nailed shoes and their +working clothes. Certainly such boots and clothes are apt to render +people clumsy in their movements, and the difference of walk which you +observe between men of different classes arises very greatly from the +clumsy, heavy boots which workingmen must wear." + +"But what does it matter, mother?" George urged, for it seemed to him +that it would be rather a trouble to change his clothes every day. +"These little things don't make any real difference to a man." + +"Not any vital difference, George, but a real difference for all +that. Manners make the man, you know! that is, they influence +strangers and people who only know him in connection with business. If +two men apply together for a place the chances are strongly in favor +of the man with the best manners getting it. Besides, my boy, I think +the observance of little courtesies of this kind make home pleasanter +and brighter. You see I always change my dress before tea, and I am +sure you prefer my sitting down to the table tidy and neat with a +fresh collar and cuffs, to my taking my place in my working dress with +odds and ends of threads and litter clinging to it." + +"Of course I do, mother, and I see what you mean now. Certainly I will +change my things in future. You don't mind, do you, Bill?" + +Bill would not have minded in the least any amount of trouble by which +he could give the slightest satisfaction to Mrs. Andrews, who had now +a place in his affections closely approximating to that which George +occupied. + +During the summer months the programme for the evening was not carried +out as arranged, for at the end of April Mrs. Andrews herself declared +that there must be a change. + +"The evenings are getting light enough now for a walk after tea, boys, +and you must therefore cut short our reading and studies till the days +close in again in the autumn. It would do you good to get out in the +air a bit." + +"But will you come with us, mother?" + +"No, George. Sometimes as evenings get longer we may make little +excursions together: go across the river to Greenwich and spend two or +three hours in the park, or take a steamer and go up the river to Kew; +but as a general thing you had better take your rambles together. I +have my front garden to look after, the vegetables are your work, you +know, and if I like I can go out and do whatever shopping I have to do +while you two are away." + +So the boys took to going out walks, which got longer and longer as +the evenings drew out, and when they were not disposed for a long +ramble they would go down to a disused wharf and sit there and watch +the barges drifting down the river or tacking backwards and forwards, +if there was a wind, with their great brown and yellow sails hauled +tautly in, and the great steamers dropping quietly down the river, and +the little busy tugs dragging great ships after them. There was an +endless source of amusement in wondering from what ports the various +craft had come or what was their destination. + +"What seems most wonderful to me, George," Bill said one day, "when +one looks at them big steamers----" + +"Those," George corrected. + +"Thank ye--at those big steamers, is to think that they can be tossed +about, and the sea go over them, as one reads about, just the same +way as the wave they make when they goes down----" + +"Go down, Bill." + +"Thank ye--go down the river, tosses the little boats about; it don't +seem possible that water can toss itself about so high as that, does +it?" + +"It does seem extraordinary, Bill; we know that it is so because there +are constantly wrecks; but looking at the water it does not seem +possible that it should rise up into waves large enough to knock one +of those great steamers in pieces. Some day, Bill, not this year, of +course, because the house isn't finished, but next year, I hope we +shall be able all of us to go down for a trip to the sea. I have seen +it stuck up you can go to Margate and back for three or four +shillings; and though Bob Grimstone says that isn't regular sea, it +would be enough to show us something of what it's like." + +The garden occupied a good deal of the boys' time. Bill's long +experience in the market had given him an interest in vegetables, and +he was always ready for an hour's work in the garden after tea. The +results of much labor and plenty of manure were not unsatisfactory, +and Mrs. Andrews was delighted with her regular supply of fresh +vegetables. Bill's anticipation, however, of the amount that could be +grown in a limited space were by no means fulfilled, and seeing the +small amount which could be daily gathered, and recalling the +countless piled-up wagons which he had been accustomed to see in +Covent Garden, he was continually expressing his astonishment at the +enormous quantity of ground which must be employed in keeping up the +supply of the market. + +They did not that year get the trip to Margate; but in the autumn, +after the great work of furnishing was finished, they did get several +long jaunts, once out to Epping Forest on an omnibus, once in a +steamer up to Kew, and several times across to Greenwich Park. Mrs. +Andrews found it a very happy summer, free from the wear of anxiety, +which, more even than the work, had brought on her long illness. She +grew stronger and better than she had ever expected to be again, and +those who had only known the pale, harassed-looking needlewoman of +Croydon would not have recognized her now; indeed, as George said +sometimes, his mother looked younger and younger every day. She had +married very young, and was still scarcely five-and-thirty, and +although she laughed and said that George was a foolish boy when he +said that people always took her for his sister, she really looked +some years younger than she was. Her step had regained its elasticity, +and there was a ring of gladness and happiness in her voice which was +very attractive, and even strangers sometimes looked round as they +passed the bright, pleasant-looking woman chatting gayly with the two +healthy, good-looking young fellows. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +AN ADVENTURE. + + +In August the annual outing, or, as it was called, the bean-feast, at +the works took place. Usually the men went in vans down into Epping +Forest; but this year it was determined that a steamer should be +engaged to take the whole party with their wives and families down to +Gravesend. They were to make an early start, and on arriving there all +were to do as they pleased until they assembled to dine in a pavilion +at one of the hotels. After this they were to go to the gardens and +amuse themselves there until the steamer started in the evening. The +party embarked at Blackwell at ten o'clock in the morning. George and +Bill got together up in the bow of the steamer, and were delighted +with their voyage down, their only regret being that Mrs. Andrews had +declined to accompany them, saying that she would far rather go with +them alone than with so large a party. + +"What shall we do, Bill?" George said, when they landed. "We are not +to dine till two, so we have two good hours before us. I vote we hire +a boat and go out. It will be ten times as jolly here as up in that +crowded river by London." + +This was said in reference to various short rows which they had had +in boats belonging to barges which had been sometimes lent them for +half an hour of an evening by a good-natured bargeman as they hung +about the wharves. + +"I suppose you can row, young chaps?" the waterman, whom they hired +the boat of, said. + +"Oh, yes, we can row!" George replied with the confidence of youth. + +"Mind the tide is running out strong," the waterman said. + +"All right, we will mind," George answered, scarce heeding his words; +and getting out the oars they pushed off. + +For some little time they rowed among the anchored vessels, both being +especially filled with delight at the yachts moored opposite the +clubhouses. These were new craft to them, and the beauty and neatness +of everything struck them with surprise and admiration. Tide had only +turned a short time before they got into their boat, and while keeping +near the shore they had no difficulty in rowing against it. + +Presently they determined to have a look at a fine East-Indiaman +moored well out in the stream a short distance below Gravesend. They +ceased rowing when they approached her, and sat idly on their oars +talking over the distant voyage on which she was probably about to +start, and the country she might visit, George was telling his +companion the ports she would touch if her destination was China, and +absorbed in their conversation they paid no attention to anything +else, until George gave a sudden exclamation. + +"Good gracious, Bill! Why, the ship is ever so far behind. It is two +miles, I should think, from the town. We must set to work or we shan't +be back in time for dinner." + +The boys' knowledge of the navigation of the Thames was not sufficient +to tell them that to row against tide it is necessary to keep close +inshore, and turning the boat's head they set to work to row back in +the middle of the river. Their knowledge of rowing was but slight, and +the mere operation of their oars took up all their attention. They +rowed away till their hands burned and the perspiration ran down their +faces. + +After half an hour of this George looked round, thinking that he ought +to be near to the vessel by this time. He uttered an exclamation of +surprise and dismay. Neither the ship nor Gravesend were visible. +Their puny efforts had availed nothing against the sweeping tide. They +had already, without knowing it, swept round the turn in the river, +and were now entering Sea Reach. + +"My goodness, Bill! what are we to do? Just look at that buoy; we are +going past it as fast as a horse could trot. Look what a width the +river is. What on earth are we to do?" + +"I have no idea," Bill replied. "Where shall we go to if we go on like +this?" + +"Right out to sea, I should think," George said. "I do not know how +far it is; but the river seems to get wider and wider in front." + +"Perhaps," Bill suggested, "the tide will turn again and take us +back." + +"Not it," George said. "It was against us, you know, all the way down, +and could only have turned a little while before we got in the boat. +Look at that line of barges sailing down on the right-hand side. I +vote we pull to them and ask the men what we had better do. Anyhow we +could row to the land and get out there and wait till tide turns. It +turned at about eleven, so that it will turn again somewhere about +five. The steamer is not to start till eight, so we shall be back in +plenty of time to catch it. We shall lose the dinner and the fun in +the gardens, but that can't be helped." + +"That don't make no odds," Bill said cheerfully; "this is a regular +venture, this is; but I say, shan't we have to pay a lot for the +boat?" + +"Yes," George assented mournfully; "but perhaps the man will let us +off cheap when he sees we couldn't help it. He looked a good-tempered +sort of chap. Come, let us set to work. Every minute it is taking us +further away." + +They set steadily to work. The boat was a large and heavy one, and +their progress was by no means rapid. + +"How thick it's getting!" George exclaimed suddenly. + +"Aint it just!" Bill assented. "My eye, George, I can't see the +barges!" + +Unobserved by them a fog had been steadily creeping up the river. They +were just at its edge when they made the discovery. Another two +minutes and it rolled thickly over them, and they could not see ten +yards away. They looked at each other in silent bewilderment. + +"What's to be done, George?" Bill said at length in awe-struck tones. + +"I don't know, Bill; I haven't an idea. It's no use rowing, that I +see, for we don't know which way the boat's head is pointing." + +"Well, it can't be helped," Bill said philosophically. "I am going to +have a pipe. Oh, I say, aint my hands blistered!" + +"All right, you can have your pipe, Bill, but keep your oar in your +hand to be ready to row." + +"What for?" Bill demanded. "I thought you said it warn't no use +rowing!" + +"No more it is, Bill; but we must look out for those big buoys. If the +tide were to sweep us against one of them we should capsize to a +certainty. That must have been a big steamer," he went on, as the boat +rolled suddenly. "It's lucky we were pretty well over towards the side +of the river, before the fog came on. Listen--there's another. I can +hear the beat of her engines. I have an idea, Bill!" he exclaimed +suddenly. "We know the steamers were passing to the left of us when +the fog came on. If we listen to their whistles and the sound of their +paddles, and then row to the right, we shall get to the bank at last." + +"Yes, that's a good idea," Bill agreed, laying down the pipe he had +just lighted. "There's a whistle over there." + +"Yes, and another the other way," George said, puzzled. "Why, how can +that be! Oh, I suppose one is coming up the river and one down, but +it's awfully confusing." + +It was so, but by dint of listening intently the boys gained some idea +of the proper direction; but they could only row a few strokes at a +time, being obliged to stop continually to listen for fresh guidance. + +Fortunately for them the fog lay low on the water, and the upper spars +of the steamers were above it, and men placed there were able to +direct those on deck as to their course. Had it not been for this the +steamers must all have anchored. As it was they proceeded slowly and +cautiously on their way, whistling freely to warn any small craft, +that might be hidden in the fog, of their coming. + +Half an hour's rowing and the boys gave a simultaneous exclamation. +The boat had quietly grounded on the edge of a mud flat. They could +not see the bank, and had no idea how far distant it was. Bill at once +offered to get overboard and reconnoiter, but George would not hear of +it. + +"You might not be able to find your way back, Bill, or you might sink +in the mud and not be able to get out again. No, we won't separate; +and, look here, we must keep the boat afloat just at the edge of the +mud. If we were to get left here we should not float again till tide +comes up to us, and that wouldn't be till about two hours before high +tide, and it won't be high, you know, until twelve o'clock at night." + +"I wish this fog would clear off!" Bill said, looking round at the +wall of white vapor which surrounded them. "It regular confuses a +chap. I say, I expect they are just sitting down to dinner at present. +I feel awfully hungry." + +"It's no use thinking about that, Bill. We shall be a good deal more +hungry before we are done; but I am so glad we have found the land and +stopped going out to sea that I don't mind being hungry." + +"But I say, George, if this fog keeps on how are we to find our way +back to Gravesend?" + +"The only way will be, Bill, to keep quite close to the edge of the +mud--just as close as the boat will swim. That way, you know, we must +come to Gravesend at last." + +"So we must. I didn't think of that. You have got a good head, George, +you have. I should never have thought about the way to find the bank +if it hadn't been for you, and might have gone on floating and +floating till we was starved." + +"This fog can't last forever, Bill." + +"No, but I have known them last a week in London." + +"Yes, but not in August, Bill." + +"No, not in August," Bill assented; "but you see these here fogs may +last just as long down here in August as they do in London in +November." + +"I don't think so, Bill. Anyhow it doesn't matter to us; we have got +the land for a guide, and I hope we shall be back in Gravesend before +it's quite dark." + +"But if we don't, George?" + +"Well, if we don't we must run her ashore before it gets too dark, and +wait till it is morning. We shall be all right if we keep quite cool +and use our senses. If we had something to eat I shouldn't mind a bit, +except that mother will be getting anxious about us. It's a regular +adventure, and we shall have something to talk about for a long time. +Look out, Bill, we must push her further off--she's getting aground!" + +For an hour they sat and chatted. + +"Hullo! what's that?" Bill exclaimed at last. "That's the rattle of a +chain. I expect it's a barge anchoring somewhere near. Listen; I can +hear voices. I vote we hollo." + +George lifted up his voice in a lusty shout. The shout was repeated +not very far off, and was followed by the shout of "Who are you?" + +"We have drifted down from Gravesend and lost our way," George +shouted back. "We will come on board if you will let us." + +"All right!" the voice replied; "I will go on shouting and you row to +my voice." + +It was but a hundred yards, and then a voice close at hand said +sharply: + +"Row bow hard or you will be across the chain." + +Bill rowed hard, and George, looking round, saw that they were close +to the bows of a barge. Half a dozen more strokes and they were +alongside. Bill seized a hand-rope and sprang onto the barge, and the +boat was soon towing astern. + +"Well, young men, however did you manage to get here?" one of the +bargemen asked. "It's lucky for you you weren't taken out to sea with +the tide." + +George related the history of their voyage and how they had managed to +reach the shore. + +"Well, you are good-plucked uns anyhow," the man said; "aint they, +Jack? Most chaps your age would just have sat in the boat and howled, +and a good many longshoremen too. You have done the best thing you +could under the circumstances." + +"Where are we?" George asked. + +"You are on board the _Sarah and Jane_ topsail barge, that's where you +are, about three parts down Sea Reach. We know our way pretty well +even in a fog, but we agreed it was no use trying to find the Swashway +with it as thick as this, so we brought up." + +"Where is the Swashway?" George asked. + +"The Swashway is a channel where the barges go when they are making +for Sheerness. It's well buoyed out and easy enough to follow with the +help of Sheerness lights on a dark night; but these fogs are worse +than anything. It aint no use groping about for the buoy when you +can't see ten yards ahead, and you might find yourself high and dry on +the mud and have to wait till next tide. Mayhap this fog will clear +off before evening, and we shall be able to work in; and now I expect +you two young uns would like some grub. Come below." + +The two boys joyfully followed into the little cabin, and were soon +satisfying their hunger on bread and cold meat. The bargee drew a jug +of water from the breaker and placed it before them. + +"The fire has gone out," he said, "or I would give yer a cup of +tea--that's our tipple; we don't keep spirits on board the _Sarah and +Jane_. I like a drop on shore, but it aint stuff to have on a barge, +where you wants your senses handy at all times. And now what are you +thinking of doing?" he asked when the boys had finished. + +"What we had made up our minds to do was to lie where we were at the +edge of the mud till tide turned, and then to keep as close to the +shore as we could until we got back to Gravesend. The steamer we came +by does not go back till late, and we thought we should be back by +that time." + +"No, you wouldn't," the man said. "Out in the middle of the stream you +would be back in two hours easy, but not close inshore. The tide +don't help you much there, and half your time you are in eddies and +back-currents. No, you wouldn't be back in Gravesend by eight noway." + +"Then what would you advise us to do?" + +"Well, just at present I won't give no advice at all. We will see how +things are going after a bit. Now let's take a look round." + +So saying he climbed the ladder to the deck, followed by the boys. The +white fog still shut the boat in like a curtain. + +"What do you think of it, Jack?" + +"Don't know," the other replied. "Thought just now there was a puff of +air coming down the river. I wish it would, or we shan't make +Sheerness to-night, much less Rochester. Yes, that's a puff sure +enough. You are in luck, young uns. Like enough in half an hour there +will be a brisk wind blowing, driving all this fog out to sea before +it." + +Another and another puff came, and tiny ripples swept across the +oil-like face of the water. + +"It's a-coming, sure enough," the bargeman said. "I'd bet a pot of +beer as the fog will have lifted in a quarter of an hour." + +Stronger and stronger came the puffs of wind. + +The fog seemed as if stirred by an invisible hand. It was no longer a +dull, uniform whitish-gray; dark shadows seemed to flit across it, and +sometimes the view of the water extended here and there. + +"There's the shore!" Bill exclaimed suddenly, but ere George could +turn round to look it was gone again. + +"I shall have the anchor up directly, lads. Now I tell you what will +be the best thing for you if the wind holds, as I expect it will. We +shall be at Sheerness in little over an hour--that will make it four +o'clock," he added, consulting his watch, "and the young flood will be +coming up soon afterwards, and I shall go up with the first of it to +Rochester. We shall get there maybe somewhere about seven o'clock. Now +the best thing I can do for you is to tow that ere boat up to +Rochester with me, and you can get a train there that will take you up +to town in goodish time." + +"You are very kind," George said; "but what are we to do about the +boat?" + +"I shall be going back to-morrow night, or more likely next morning, +and I will take her along and hand her over to her rightful owner at +Gravesend." + +"James Kitson." + +"Yes, I know him." + +"But how about paying for it?" George said. "I am afraid he will +expect a great deal of money, for it has been away all the time, and +we have only got six shillings between us." + +"You will want that to get up to town. Never mind about the boat. I +will put that square for you. I will tell Kitson as how you have been +shipwrecked, and he will think himself precious lucky in getting the +boat without being damaged. If I take the trouble to tow it up to +Rochester and back, he needn't grumble about getting no fare." + +"I would rather pay something," George said; "though, you see, we +can't afford to pay much." + +"Well, then, you send him a post-office order for five bob. I will +tell him you are going to send him that, and he will thank his stars +he has got so well out of it. If you had drifted out to sea, as he +expects you have by this time, and the boat didn't get smashed by a +steamer, you would likely enough have been taken off by one of them; +but the captain wouldn't have troubled himself about that old tub. I +looks upon Kitson as being in luck this job, so don't you worry about +him. There, the mist's driving off fast. We will up with the kedge." + +The boys lent a hand at the windlass, and the anchor was soon hanging +from the bow. Then the brail of the mainsail was loosed, and the great +sail shaken out. The foresail was hoisted, and in a few minutes the +_Sarah and Jane_ was running before a brisk wind down Sea Reach. + +The fog had rolled off now, and it was clear astern, though a thick +bank still hung over the river ahead, but this was rapidly melting +away; and the bargeman, who told them his name was Will Atkins, +pointed out a large building low down on the water ahead. + +"That's Sheerness Fort," he said. "You can lend Jack a hand to get up +the topsail. The wind is rising every minute, and we shall soon be +bowling along hand over hand." + +Both ahead and astern of them were a line of barges, which had, like +the _Sarah and Jane_, anchored when the fog was thickest, and were, +like her, making their way to Sheerness. The wind was blowing briskly +now, and the barge made her way through the water at a rate which +surprised the boys. + +"I had no idea that barges sailed so fast," George said. + +"There are not many craft can beat them," Atkins replied. "With a +breeze so strong that they can only just carry their topsails, they +will hold their own with pretty nigh anything afloat. There are mighty +few yachts can keep alongside us when we are doing our best." + +As Atkins had predicted, in little over an hour they brought up just +inside the mouth of the Medway, and dropped the anchor to wait till +the tide turned to help them up to Rochester. At six o'clock they were +again under way. The wind had fortunately veered round somewhat to the +north of west, and they were able for the most part to lay their +course, so that soon after seven they were abreast of the dockyard, +and a few minutes later dropped anchor off Rochester. + +"Jump into the boat, boys," the good-natured bargeman said; "I will +put you ashore at once. There is the station close to the end of the +bridge." + +With many very hearty thanks for his kindness the lads jumped ashore +and hurried up to the station. They found that there would be a train +in half an hour, and by nine o'clock they arrived in town. + +Before they had landed the bargeman had scrawled on a piece of paper, +"Your boat was picked up by the _Sarah and Jane_. Will bring her back +on return trip. No damage done. William Atkins." This he had handed to +the boys, and they now got an envelope and directed it to "James +Kitson, Waterman, Gravesend," and posted it, and then set out to walk +home. + +"It's not been the sort of day we expected," George said; "but it's +been good fun, hasn't it?" + +"Grand!" Bill agreed. "But I didn't think so when we were in the +middle of that fog listening to them whistles and trying to find out +the way. I didn't say much, George, but I felt downright funky." + +"I didn't like it either, Bill. There was such a horribly lonely +feeling, lost in the fog there; but it was all right as soon as we +touched the mouth, and got an idea where we were. I was worrying most +about mother getting anxious if we did not get back to-night, and a +little about what we should have to pay for the boat. It was lucky +that bargeman took the matter in his hands for us. I expect we should +have had to pay over a pound. He was an awfully good fellow, wasn't +he?" + +"I should just think he was," Bill said. "He was a good un, and no +mistake. It aint cost us so very much either, considering." + +"That it hasn't, Bill. Two and threepence apiece railway fare, that's +four and sixpence, and five bob we are to send down for the boat, nine +shillings and sixpence. Well, we should have paid two shillings for +the boat anyhow, and I expect we should have spent another shilling +apiece in things at the gardens, perhaps more; that would make four +shillings anyhow, so we have only spent about five shillings more than +we calculated. And haven't we got a lot to talk about! It's been a +regular adventure." + +"It has," Bill said doubtfully; "but I don't think I want many more of +them kind of adventures. It's all right now, you know, but it wasn't +jolly at the time. I always thought as adventures was jolly; but that +didn't seem to me to have no jolliness about it, not when we was out +there. It's all very well to hear tell of shipwrecks and fights with +savages, but I expect there aint no larks about it at the time. I +suppose you will send that five bob off to-morrow, and get it off your +mind?" + +"No. Atkins said we had better not send it for another three or four +days. The man will have got his boat back all right then, and the five +bob would come upon him unexpectedly. He was going to tell Kitson that +he had arranged with us that was what we were to pay, as we couldn't +afford more; but he will never expect to get it, so when it comes he +will be only too glad to receive it." + +They were met at the door of the house by Bob Grimstone, who was just +coming out. + +"Why, what have you boys been up to?" he said angrily. "I have been +wondering all day what has become of you, and the missis has done +nothing but worry and fidget. It's regular spoilt the day. What have +you been up to? I haven't seen you since we got ashore at Gravesend, +and I have just come round to ask your mother if she has heard of +you." + +"I am very sorry, Bob, but it wasn't our fault, at least it was not +altogether our fault. We went for a row, and the tide took us down, +and then the fog came on and we got lost." + +"I expected better of you," Grimstone said angrily. "Foggy, indeed! +I've been anxious and worried all day. I did think as you warn't like +other boys, but could be trusted, and then you go and play such a +prank as this. Well, go in; your mother is in a nice taking about +you." + +"My dear mother," George said as he ran in, "I am so sorry you have +been uneasy about us, awfully sorry; but really it hasn't been our +fault altogether." + +"Never mind that now, George," Mrs. Andrews said, throwing her arms +round his neck. "Fortunately I did not know anything about it till Mr. +Grimstone came in a few minutes ago. I had been expecting you in for +some little time, but I supposed the steamer was late, and I was not +at all uneasy till Mr. Grimstone came in and said that he had not +seen either of you since the steamer got to Gravesend, and that you +had not come back with the rest. Is Bill with you?" + +"Yes, mother; he is at the door talking to Bob." + +"Ask Mr. Grimstone to come in again," Mrs. Andrews said. "He has been +most kind, and he had promised to go down to Gravesend by the first +train in the morning if you did not come home to-night, and to make +inquiries about you there. He tried to cheer me up by saying that as +you were together nothing could very well happen to you and that +probably you had only got into some boyish scrape--perhaps, he +suggested, only gone out into the country and had helped yourselves to +some apples, and had so got locked up." + +Bob, however, would not come in again, but went off saying he would +hear all about it in the morning, but would go off to tell his wife at +once that they had returned safely, for "that she was in such a worry +as never was." + +Hearing that the boys had had nothing to eat since two o'clock, Mrs. +Andrews at once laid the table for supper; and when they had finished +it listened to George's account of their adventure. + +"You had a very narrow escape, boys," she said when they had finished. +"You might have been swept out to sea, or run down by a steamer in the +fog. I hope to-night that you will neither of you forget to thank God +for his protection through the danger you have run; and I do hope, my +dear boys, that you will be more careful in future." + +The next evening, after work was over, George went in to Bob +Grimstone's and told them all that had happened. When the story was +told, Bob agreed that after all it was not altogether their fault, and +that, indeed, they had, in some respects, justified his opinion of +them. Mrs. Grimstone, however, was not so easily pacified. They had +come back, she said; but it was more than likely that they wouldn't +have come back at all, but might have been drifting out far at sea, +perhaps cutting each other's throats and eating each other alive, +which was, as the good woman said, what she had heard happened when +boats were lost at sea. + +Two days later they sent off the money to the waterman, and received +in reply a letter from him saying that the boat had been brought +safely back by the _Sarah and Jane_ and that he was glad to get the +five shillings. + +"Bill Atkins told me as you said you would send it; but knowing what +boys is, I say fair as I didn't expect to see the color of your money. +It aint everyone as would have paid up when they got safe away, and I +consider as you have behaved handsome." + +They had heard from Atkins of the wharf off which the _Sarah and Jane_ +might generally be found moored, between her cruises, and after one or +two ineffectual attempts they one day found the barge there when they +rowed up to the spot. She had but just returned from a trip to +Rochester and Bill Atkins was still on board. He was very glad to see +the boys, but they had great difficulty in persuading him to accept a +pound of tobacco which their mother had sent off to him with her +compliments as a token of gratitude for his kindness to them. + +"Well, young chaps, I didn't look for nothing of the sort, but seeing +as your mother has got it for me it wouldn't be manners to say no. +Well, look here, any time as you are disposed for a sail down to +Rochester and back you're free of the _Sarah and Jane_, and heartily +glad shall I be to have you with me." + +The boys thanked him for the offer, but said as they were still at +work there was but small chance of their being able to accept it, but +that they should be glad to come and have a chat with him sometimes +when he was in the Pool. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +FIRE! + + +One Saturday evening early in October the boys had been for a long +walk down among the marshes. They had told Mrs. Andrews they would be +late, and it was past eight o'clock when they came along past the +works. + +"We shan't get home at this hour again for some time, I expect," +George said, "for they say that we are going to begin to work overtime +on Monday, and that the orders are so heavy that it will very likely +have to be kept up all through the winter." + +"I am glad it didn't begin earlier," Bill replied; "it would have been +horrid if we had lost all our walks while the weather was fine. How +dark the place looks how it's shut up, and how quiet and still it is +after the rattle we are accustomed to!" + +"Stop a moment," George said, putting his hand on his arm. + +"What is it, George?" + +"I don't know. It seemed to me, for a moment, as if I saw the big +stack clearly and then it was dark again." + +"How could that be, George?" + +"I don't know; it looked to me as if it was a reflection of light +from one of the windows at the back there. There it is again." + +"Yes, I saw it," Bill agreed. "What can it be?" + +"I don't know, Bill; let's run around to the back. There might +be--it's awful to think of--but there might be a fire." + +The boys ran down a narrow lane by the side of the works onto a piece +of waste ground behind. + +"Look, Bill, look at the glare in the molding-room. There must be +fire. Here, help to put this bit of old timber against the wall." + +The piece of wood was placed into position, the two lads climbed up it +onto the wall, and dropped into the yard within. Just as they did so +there was a clatter of falling glass, followed by a glare of light as +a body of flame burst out from one of the windows. + +"Let's ring the dinner-bell, Bill; that will call people's attention, +and then we must do the best we can." + +They ran along until they reached the front gate, and then, seizing +the bell-rope, rang it violently. + +In a minute or two there was a clatter of feet outside, and shouts of +"What's the matter?" + +"There is a fire in the molding-room," George shouted; "run for the +engines, someone, and break the gate open. Now come on, Bill." + +The two boys ran towards that part of the building where the flames +had been seen, broke a window, and climbed in. There was an almost +stifling smell of burning wood and at a door at the end of the +planing-room they could see a light flame flickering through the +cracks of the door leading into the molding-room, which was next to +it. + +"Quick, Bill, screw that leather pipe onto the hydrant. We must stop +it from getting through here till the engines come." + +The hydrant communicated with the great tank at the top of the +building, and as soon as the hose was screwed on and Bill stood with +the nozzle directed towards the burning door, George turned the cock +and volumes of water flew out. + +The first result seemed disastrous. The door was already nearly burned +through, and, as the powerful jet flew against it, it seemed to +crumble away and a mass of flame darted out from the molding-room. The +joists and timbers supporting the floor above the planing-room would +have caught at once, but the boys deluged them with water, as also the +framework of the door, and then, throwing the stream of water into the +blazing workshop, they kept down the flames near the door. The smoke +was stifling. + +"We shall be choked, George!" Bill gasped. + +"Lie down, Bill. I have heard the air is always better near the +ground." + +This they found to be the case, and they were still able to direct the +jet of water. But three or four minutes had elapsed when the outer +door of the planing-house was unlocked and Bob Grimstone and several +other men rushed in, but were at once driven back by the smoke. George +had recognized Grimstone's voice, and shouted: + +"This way, Bob, the fire hasn't got through yet. Come and lend a hand, +for it's gaining on us in spite of the water. You can breathe if you +kneel down." + +Grimstone, with two or three of the men, crawled in and joined the +boys. + +"What! is it you, George? How on earth did you get here?" Bob +exclaimed. + +"We saw a light as we were passing, and got in from behind. When we +saw what it was we rang the alarm-bell, and then came on here to do +what we could till help came." + +"You are good-plucked, you are," Grimstone said admiringly; "but I am +afraid it's not much good." + +"You take the hose, Bob, and keep the rafters drenched there. Bill and +I will crawl forward and clear the shavings out of the way if we can. +They have caught half a dozen times already." + +The two boys crawled forward, and although the heat was tremendous +they managed to clear away the shavings for a considerable distance. +The smoke and heat were so great that they were obliged to crawl back +into the outer air, where for a while they lay almost insensible. +There were crowds of men in the yard now, but most of them were round +at the back, powerless to aid at present, and only watching the +flames as they roared through the whole of the windows of the +molding-room. + +Men were hurrying past with buckets of water, and one of them, seeing +the condition of the boys, dashed some over their heads and faces, and +they presently staggered to their feet. It was now a quarter of an +hour since they had first given the alarm, and they were just about to +re-enter the planing-shop to rejoin Bill when they met him and his +comrades coming out. + +"All the water's gone," he said; "if the engines aint here in a minute +or two it will be too late." + +But just at that moment there was a cheer outside, and immediately +afterwards a fire-engine dashed through the gate. Grimstone ran up to +the firemen as they leaped off. + +"The great thing," he said, "is to prevent it spreading from that shop +into this. We have been keeping it back till now, but the tank has +just run dry." + +While the other firemen were fitting the hose to the fire-plug just +outside the gates one of them made his way into the planing-room to +ascertain the exact position of affairs. + +"Quick, lads," he said; "there's no time to be lost; the fire is +making its way through. Another five minutes and we should have been +too late to save any of this block. Is there any communication through +the upper floors?" he asked Grimstone. + +"Yes, there is a door on each floor," + +"Have you got any empty sacks about the place?" + +"Yes, there is a pile of them in there." + +The fireman gave instructions to one of his comrades, while he himself +made his way into the planing-room with the hose; the other got out +the sacks, and assisted by Grimstone and some of the hands drenched +them with water, and then proceeding to the door on the first floor +piled them against it. + +"It is hot already," he said as he laid his hand upon it. "Now, do you +men bring me buckets of water. Keep the sacks drenched till another +engine comes up." + +George and Bill, finding they could be of no more use, made their way +out to the back and joined the crowd watching the flames, which had +already spread to the first floor. They were, however, with the rest +of the lookers-on, speedily turned out of the yard by the police, who, +having now arrived in sufficient strength, proceeded at once to clear +the premises of all save a score or two of men who were engaged in +assisting the firemen. + +As the boys went out through the front gate another engine dashed up +at full speed, dropping lighted cinders on its way. + +"Hurray!" Bill said; "this is a steamer. I expect they will do now." + +Then the boys made their way round again to the back, and by means of +the pieces of timber established themselves on the wall, where they +were soon joined by a number of others, and watched the struggle with +the flames. + +In half an hour six engines were on the spot; but even this force had +no visible effect upon the flames in that portion of the building in +which they had taken possession, and the firemen turned the whole of +their efforts to prevent it from spreading. + +The party wall dividing it from the main building was a very strong +one; but so hot had it become that the floor boards touching it were +over and over again in flames. + +A score of men with saws and axes cut away the flooring adjoining the +doors on the first and second stories. The planing-room was +fortunately not boarded. While a portion of the fire brigade worked +unceasingly in preventing the spread of the flames in this direction, +the rest turned their attention to the great wood piles, which were +repeatedly ignited by the fragments of burning wood. + +Presently the roof fell in, and the flames shot up high into the air, +but grand as the sight was, the boys did not wait any longer looking +on. Their faces smarted severely from the heat to which they had been +exposed; their hands had been a good deal burned by the shavings; +their hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were singed, and the eyeballs +ached with the glare. + +"I will run home now, Bill; mother will likely enough hear of the +fire, and as we said we should be back soon after eight she will be +getting anxious." + +"I will go and tell her it's all right; you stop and see the end of it +here." + +But this George would not hear of. + +"Very well, then, I will go with you. I must get some grease or +something to put on my face and hands; they are smarting awfully." + +Mrs. Andrews gave an exclamation of surprise and alarm as the boys +entered. The irritation of the wood smoke had so much inflamed their +eyes that they could scarcely see out of them, and their faces looked +like pieces of raw beef. + +"Whatever has happened, boys?" she exclaimed. + +"There's a great fire at Penrose's, mother; it broke out just as we +were passing, so we stopped to help for a bit, and then came home to +tell you, thinking that you might be anxious." + +"A fire at the works!" Mrs. Andrews exclaimed; "that is dreadful. +Dreadful for Mr. Penrose, and for all of you who work there; more, +perhaps, for you than for him, for no doubt he is insured, and you may +be out of work for months. Thank God I have plenty of work, so I dare +say we shall be able to tide it over." + +"It is not all burned, mother; only the molding-shop and the floors +above it are on fire at present, and as there are six fire-engines at +work, and they keep on arriving every minute, I hope they will save +the rest; and now, mother, what can we do to our faces and hands, they +are smarting awfully?" + +"Dear me, George, are you burnt? I thought you were only dreadfully +hot." + +"We feel hot, mother, just as if our faces were being roasted." + +"I will get some oil, that will be the best thing," Mrs. Andrews said, +hurrying away to the kitchen, and coming back with a piece of +cotton-wool, and some olive-oil in a cup. + +"You are burned, George. Why, child, your hair is all singed, and your +eyebrows and eyelashes. Why, what have you been doing to yourselves? +There could have been no occasion to put your heads into the flames +like that. Why, your hands are worse still; they are quite blistered. +I had better wrap them up in cotton-wool." + +"It's the inside that's the worst, mother; perhaps if you put a bit of +cotton-wool there and tie it round the back it will do; we can't go +out with our hands all swaddled round like that. And now, please, +directly you have done we want to go down again to see the fire. Just +you go up to the road corner, mother. It's a grand sight, I can tell +you." + +"We will have tea first," Mrs. Andrews said decidedly; "everything has +been ready except pouring the water in since eight o'clock, and it's a +quarter past nine now. After we have done I will put on my bonnet and +walk down with you as near as I can get. I am not going to lose you +out of my sight again." + +So after their meal they went down together, but could not get +anywhere near the works, all the approaches now being guarded by the +police. It was a grand sight, but the worst was over, and there was a +general feeling of confidence in the crowd that it would spread no +further. A dozen engines were at work now. Some of the firemen were on +the roof, some on the stacks of timber, which looked red-hot from the +deep glow from the fire. The flames were intermittent now, sometimes +leaping up high above the shell of the burned-out buildings, then +dying down again. + +"Thank God it's no worse!" Mrs. Andrews said fervently. "It would have +been a bad winter for a great many down here if the fire had spread; +as it is, not a quarter of the buildings are burned." + +"No, nothing like that, mother; not above a tenth, I should say. It's +lucky that there was a strong wall between that and the next shops, or +it must all have gone. I have heard them say that part was added on +five or six years ago, so that the wall at the end of the planing-shop +was an outside wall before; that accounts for its being so thick." + +After looking on for about half an hour they went back home. But +neither of the boys got much sleep that night, the excitement they had +gone through and the pain of their burns keeping them wide awake till +nearly morning. As Mrs. Andrews heard no movement in their +rooms--whereas they were usually up and about almost as early on +Sundays as on other days, being unable to sleep after their usual +hour for rising--she did not disturb them. George was the first to +awake, and looking out of the window felt sure by the light that it +was later than usual. He put his head out of the door and shouted: + +"Bill, are you up?" There was no answer. "Mother, are you up; what +o'clock is it?" + +"Up! hours ago, George. Why, it's past eleven!" + +George gave an exclamation of astonishment and rushed into Bill's +room. The latter had woke at his shout. + +"It's past eleven, Bill, and mother has been up for hours;" and he +dashed off again to his room to dress. It was but a few minutes before +they came downstairs just at the same moment. + +"Why didn't you wake us, mother?" + +"Because I thought it better to let you sleep on, George. I guessed +that your burns had kept you awake for some time." + +"That they did. I thought I was never going to get to sleep," George +said; and Bill gave a similar account of himself. "Still, mother, a +short night does no harm for once, and you haven't been able to get to +church." + +"It does not matter for once, George. What figures you both are!" + +"We are figures," George said ruefully. "I hardly knew myself when I +looked in the glass. My eyes are almost shut up, and the skin is +peeling off my nose, and my hair is all rough and scrubby; and Bill +looks as bad as I do. You are a figure, Bill!" and George burst into a +fit of laughter. + +"He's no worse than you, George; but come along, breakfast is +waiting." + +"You haven't waited breakfast for us, I hope, mother?" + +"I made myself a cup of tea the first thing, boys, and had a slice of +bread and butter, for I thought you might not be down for some time; +but I am quite ready to join you; we have got fish. I put them down +directly you called." + +"Well, I am glad you are not starving, mother; and I am glad too you +didn't have your regular breakfast. It would have been horrid to sit +down on Sunday morning without you, when it's the only regular +breakfast we get in the week." + +Just as they had finished their meal there was a knock at the door. It +was Bob Grimstone. Bill opened the door. + +"Well, how are you to-day, lad? I thought I would just come round and +see. You look pretty badly burned; and so do you, George," he added, +as he followed Bill into the sitting room. + +"Good-day, Mrs. Andrews." + +"Good-morning, Mr. Grimstone," Mrs. Andrews said. Since her coming the +Grimstones had several times come in on Sunday afternoon to Laburnum +Villas. Mrs. Andrews would, indeed, have wished them to come in more +frequently, for she felt much indebted to them for their kindness to +George, and, moreover, liked them for themselves, for both were good +specimens of their class. + +"I see you were busy last night too, Mr. Grimstone; your face looks +scorched; but you did not manage to get yourself burned as these silly +boys did. What a blessing it is for us all that the fire did not +spread!" + +"Well, Mrs. Andrews, I don't think those two lads can have told you +what they did, for if they had you would hardly call them silly boys." + +Mrs. Andrews looked surprised. + +"They told me they lent a hand to put out the fire--I think those were +George's words--but they did not tell me anything else." + +"They saved the building, ma'am. If it hadn't been for them there +would not have been a stick or stone of Penrose's standing now; the +shops and the wood piles would all have gone, and we should all have +been idle for six months to come; there is no doubt about that at +all." + +"Why, how was that, Mr. Grimstone? How was it they did more than +anyone else?" + +"In the first place they discovered it, ma'am, and rung the +alarm-bell; it mightn't have been found out for another five minutes, +and five minutes would have been enough for the fire. In the next +place, when they had given the alarm they did the only thing that +could have saved the place: they got into the planing-shop and turned +on the hose there, and fought the fire from spreading through the +door till we got in seven or eight minutes later. It was all we could +do to stop it then; but if they hadn't done what they did the +planing-shop would have been alight from end to end, and the floors +above it too, before the first engine arrived, and then nothing could +have saved the whole lot. I can tell you, Mrs. Andrews, that there +isn't a man on the works, nor the wife of a man, who doesn't feel that +they owe these two lads their living through the winter. I don't know +what Mr. Penrose will say about it, but I know what we all feel." + +"Why, George," Mrs. Andrews said, while her eyes were filled with +happy tears at the praises of her son, "why did you not tell me about +it?" + +"Why, mother, there was not anything to tell," George said, "and Bob +has made a great fuss about nothing. As I told you, we saw a light as +we came along and when we went round behind and got on the wall we saw +the place was on fire, so we rang the alarm-bell, and then turned on +the hose and flooded the place with water till Bob and some more came +to help us." + +"It sounds very simple, Mrs. Andrews, but I can tell you it wasn't so. +When we opened the door of the planing-shop it was so full of smoke +that it didn't seem as if anyone could breathe there for a minute, and +as we could see the glare of the flames at the other end we thought +the place was gone. We should have gone out and waited for the engines +if we hadn't heard the boys sing out that they were there; and even +though we knelt down and crawled in, as they shouted to us to do, we +were pretty nearly stifled. When we took the hose they crawled forward +and got the shavings cleared away; that was how they burned their +hands, I expect; and I hear they tumbled down insensible when they got +out. Now, ma'am, they may make light of it, but if ever two young +chaps behaved like heroes they did, and you have every right to be +proud of them--I say of them, because although Bill's no son of yours +I know he is what you and your boy have made him. He was telling me +about it one day." + +"Will work go on to-morrow as usual, Bob?" George asked, in order to +change the subject. + +"In some of the shops it will, no doubt," Bob said; "but in our shop +and the floors above it it will take a day or two to clear up. I saw +the foreman just now, and he tells me that a strong gang of carpenters +will be put on, for both the floors are burned away at the end of the +wall and pretty near twenty feet of the roof are charred. Two +surveyors are coming down this afternoon to examine the wall and say +whether it is safe. The walls of the shops that are burned out must +come down, of course. The surveyor says that if the wall at the end of +the planing-room looks pretty strong they will build up another wall +against it as soon as it gets cold enough and the rubbish is cleared +away for men to work; that will make a strong job of it, and there +won't be any loss of time. Of course if the old one has to come down +there can't be much work done in the shops till it's finished. The +governor got down about ten o'clock last night. A messenger went up to +him almost directly after the fire broke out, but he was out at +dinner, and by the time he got down here all danger of it spreading +was over. He had a talk with the foreman and arranged about the wall +with him. He is as anxious as we are that there should be no delay, +for there are some heavy orders in, and, of course, he doesn't want +them taken anywhere else." + +"Will you look at their hands, Mr. Grimstone. I don't know much about +it, but they seem to be badly burned." + +"That they are, ma'am," Mr. Grimstone said when he had examined them; +"pretty nigh raw. If I might give an opinion, I should say as the +doctor had better see them; they are precious painful, aint they, +George?" + +"They do feel as if they were on fire, Bob, but I don't see any use in +a doctor. I don't suppose he can do more than mother has." + +"Perhaps not, George, but he had better see them for all that; he may +give you some cooling lotion for them, and I can tell you burns on the +hand are apt to be serious matters, for the muscles of the fingers may +get stiffened. I have known two or three cases like that. You had +better go at once to Dr. Maxwell; he always attends if there are any +accidents at the works. You know the house, George; it is about +halfway between this and the works." + +"Yes, you had better go at once, boys," Mrs. Andrews said; "there, put +on your hats and be off." + +"I will walk with them. I must be off anyway, for the missis will be +waiting dinner for me." + +"Are we to pay, mother?" + +"No, not till you have done, George. I dare say you will have to have +your hands dressed several times." + +"There won't be any occasion to pay him, Mrs. Andrews. The firm always +pays the doctor in case of accidents, and you may be very sure that in +this case they will be only too glad." + +"Well, in any case, George," Mrs. Andrews said, "you can tell the +doctor that you will pay when he says that you need not come to him +again. If Mr. Penrose hears about it and chooses to pay I should not +think of refusing, as you have been burned in his service; but +certainly I should not assume that he will do so." + +"Shall I go in with you, boys?" Bob asked when they reached the door. +"I know the doctor; he attended me two years ago when I pretty nigh +had my finger taken off by one of the cutters." + +"Yes, please, Bob, I wish you would." + +They were shown into the surgery, where the doctor soon joined them. + +"I've brought these two young chaps for you to look at their hands, +Dr. Maxwell. They got them burnt last night at the fire. Mrs. +Andrews, the mother of this lad, wished me to say that she would pay +the charges when you have done with them; but as if it hadn't been for +them the works would have been burnt down as sure as you are standing +there, I expect the firm will take the matter in their own hands." + +"Yes, they are nasty burns," the doctor said, examining the boys' +hands. "Can you open and shut them, boy?" + +"I think I could if tried, sir," George said, "but I shouldn't like to +try, for if I move my fingers at all it hurts them awfully." + +"I see you have had oil and cotton-wool on your hands." + +"Yes." + +"The best thing you can do, boys, is to put on some soothing +poultices. Tell your mother to get some linseed and mix it with +olive-oil. I will give you a bottle of laudanum. Let her put about +twenty drops of that into the oil before she mixes it with the +linseed. Every four or five hours change the poultices. I think you +will find that will relieve the pain a good deal. I see your faces are +scorched too. You can do nothing better than keep them moistened with +sweet-oil. I should advise you to keep as quiet as possible for three +or four days." + +"But we shall want to get to work, sir," George said. + +"Nonsense! You will be very lucky if you can use your hands in +another fortnight. I will send in the usual certificate to the works." + +"Will you tell the foreman, Bob," George said when they left the +doctor's, "how it is we can't come to work? You tell him we wanted to, +and that we hope to come back as soon as our hands are all right; +because, you see, the men and boys at the shops which have been burnt +down will be all out of work, and it would be awful if we found our +places filled up when we went to work again." + +"Don't you be afraid, George; there is no fear of your being out of +work after what you have done." + +"Well, what did the doctor say?" was Mrs. Andrews' first question when +they returned home. + +"He didn't say much, mother, except that we must not think of going to +work for a fortnight anyhow, and we are to have poultices made with +linseed mixed with oil, and twenty drops of laudanum from this bottle, +and it must be put on fresh every three or four hours. I am afraid it +will be an awful trouble." + +"The trouble won't matter," Mrs. Andrews said brightly. "Did he say +you were to go to bed?" + +"No, mother; but we were to keep as quiet as we could." + +"Then in that case, George, I think you had better go to bed." + +"No; I am sure we had better not," George said. "I should toss and +fidget about there horridly. The best thing will be for us to sit +here, and then we shall be all together. And if you talk to us, and +perhaps read to us, we shan't feel it half so much. What are you going +to do, mother?" he asked five minutes afterwards, as Mrs. Andrews came +down with her bonnet on. + +"I am going to get some linseed, George, of course. I haven't got any +in the house." + +"But it's Sunday, mother, and the shops will be shut." + +"I shall get it at the chemist's, George. They will always supply +things that are needed even on Sunday. People are ill on Sunday as +well as any other day, you know. I shan't be gone more than a quarter +of an hour. You must keep very quiet till I come back." + +The boys found a good deal of relief from the effect of the poultices, +and were very much better after a good night's rest. At ten o'clock +the next morning, as Mrs. Andrews was sitting at her work, with the +boys both on the hearthrug in front of the fire, there was a knock at +the door. It was a loud double knock, quite unlike the ordinary +summons of the baker's boy, who was the only regular caller. The boys +jumped up in surprise. + +"Who can that be, mother?" + +"We shall soon see," Mrs. Andrews said quietly. + +She was not surprised, on opening the door, to see a gentleman +standing there, whom, by the description the boys had given of him, +she guessed to be their employer. A little girl was standing by his +side. + +"Is this Mrs. Andrews?" the gentleman asked. + +"I am Mrs. Andrews," the lady answered quietly. + +"My name is Penrose. I have called with my daughter to inquire after +the two lads--one of them your son, I believe--who so gallantly saved +my place from being burned down on Saturday evening. I only heard +about it late yesterday evening, when I came down to arrange about +some matters with the foreman. He did not know the facts of the case +on Saturday night, but had learned them yesterday, and there can be no +doubt whatever, from what he says, that had it not been for the +presence of mind and bravery of these two lads nothing could have +saved the entire works and all the wood piles from destruction. I told +my daughter this morning, and she insisted on coming down with me. You +know she is already indebted to your son for saving a locket which we +both greatly valued." + +"Will you walk in, sir?" and Mrs. Andrews showed them into the sitting +room. + +Mr. Penrose had been somewhat surprised by Mrs. Andrews' manner, +although the foreman, in telling him of the boys' conduct, had also +stated what he knew about them. + +"They are out-of-the-way sort of boys, sir," he said. "There was quite +a talk about them in the shops in the spring. They lodged with +Grimstone, and it seems that after they had been here at work five +months Andrews' mother, who had been ill, was coming to them, and they +got Grimstone to take a house for them, and it turned out that ever +since they had been at work here they had been putting by half their +wages to furnish a place for her, so they must have lived on about +five shillings a week each and got clothes for themselves out of it. +Now, sir, boys as would do that aint ordinary boys, and there was +quite a talk among the men about it. I hear from Grimstone that Mrs. +Andrews is a superior sort of person, he says quite a lady. She does +work, I believe, for some London shop." + +Mr. Penrose, therefore, was prepared to find the boys in a more +comfortable abode than usual, and their mother what the foreman called +a superior sort of woman; but he perceived at once by her address that +Grimstone's estimate had been a correct one, and that she was indeed a +lady. The prettiness of the little sitting room, with its comfortable +furniture, its snowy curtains and pretty belongings, heightened this +feeling. + +"I have come to see you, boys," he said, "and to tell you how indebted +I feel to you for your exertions on Saturday. There is no doubt that +had it not been for you the place would have been entirely burned. It +was fully insured, but it would have been a serious matter for me, as +I should have lost four or five months' work, and it would have been +still more serious for the men to have been thrown out of employment +at this time of the year, so we all feel very much indebted to you. I +hope you are not much burned." + +"Oh, no, sir! our hands are burned a bit, but they will be all right +in a few days. Bill and I are very glad, sir, that we happened to be +passing, and were able to give the alarm and do something to stop the +flames till the others came up; but we don't feel that it was anything +out of the way. It was just a piece of fun and excitement to us." + +"They didn't say anything about it, Mr. Penrose, when they came home, +and it was only when one of the men came in next day to ask after them +that I heard that they had really been of use." + +"It is all very well to say so, lads," Mr. Penrose replied; "but there +is no doubt you showed a great deal of courage, as well as presence of +mind, and you may be sure that I shall not forget it. And now, Mrs. +Andrews," he said, turning round to her, "I feel rather in a false +position. I came round to see the lads, who, when I last saw them, +were not in very flourishing circumstances, and I was going to make +them a present for the service they had done me, and my daughter has +brought them a basket with some wine, jelly, and other things such as +are good for sick boys. Finding them as I find them, in your care and +in such a home, you see I feel a difficulty about it altogether." + +"Thank you, sir," Mrs. Andrews said, "for the kindness of your +intention; but my boys--for although one is in no way related to me I +feel towards him as if he were my own--would not like to take money +for doing their duty towards their employer." + +"No, indeed!" George and Bill exclaimed simultaneously. + +"As you see, sir, thanks to the work you were good enough to give the +boys and to my needle,"--and she glanced towards the articles on the +table,--"we are very comfortable; but I am sure the boys will be very +glad to accept the things which your daughter has been so kind as to +bring down for them, and will feel very much obliged for her +thoughtfulness." + +"That is right," Mr. Penrose said, relieved. "Nelly, you may as well +leave the basket as it is. I am sure you don't want to carry it back +again?" + +"No, papa," Nelly said; and indeed even the empty basket would have +been more than the child could well have carried. It had come on the +top of the carriage to the railway-station, and a porter had +accompanied Mr. Penrose with it to Laburnum Villas. + +"You would have hardly known your young friend. Would you, Nelly?" + +"I don't think I should," she said, shaking her head. "He looks +dreadfully burned, and his hair is all funny and frizzled." + +"It will soon grow again," George said, smiling. "The doctor says our +faces will be all right when the skin is peeled off. Thank you very +much, Miss Penrose, for all the nice things. It was a fortunate day +indeed for us when I caught that boy stealing your locket." + +"And it was a fortunate day for us too," Mr. Penrose responded. "Now, +Mrs. Andrews, we will say good-by. You will not mind my calling again +to see how the boys are getting on?" + +"It will be very kind of you, sir, and we shall be glad to see you," +Mrs. Andrews replied; "but I hope in a few days they will both be out +of the doctor's hands." + +"I can't shake hands with you," Mr. Penrose said, patting the boys on +the shoulder, "but I hope next time I see you to be able to do so. +Good-morning, Mrs. Andrews." + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +SAVED! + + +"Now let us have a look at the basket, mother," George said as Mrs. +Andrews returned into the room after seeing her two visitors off. +"It's very kind of him, isn't it? and I am glad he didn't offer us +money; that would have been horrid, wouldn't it?" + +"I am glad he did not, too, George. Mr. Penrose is evidently a +gentleman of delicacy and refinement of feeling, and he saw that he +would give pain if he did so." + +"You see it too, don't you, Bill?" George asked. "You know you thought +I was a fool not to take money when he offered it for getting back the +locket; but you see it in the same way now, don't you?" + +"Yes; I shouldn't have liked to take money," Bill said. "I sees----" + +"See," Mrs. Andrews corrected. + +"Thank you. I see things different--differently," he corrected +himself, seeing that George was about to speak, "to what I did then." + +"Now, mother," George said, "let us open the basket; it's almost as +big as a clothes-basket, isn't it?" + +The cover was lifted and the contents, which had after much thought +been settled by Nelly herself, were disclosed. There were two bottles +of port-wine, a large mold of jelly, a great cake, two dozen oranges, +some apples, a box of preserved fruit, some almonds and raisins, two +packets of Everton toffee, a dozen mince-pies, and four pots of +black-currant jelly, on the cover of one of which was written in a +sprawling hand, "Two teaspoonfuls stirred up in a tumbler of water for +a drink at night." + +"This will make a grand feast, mother; what a jolly collection, isn't +it? I think Miss Penrose must have chosen it herself, don't you?" + +"It certainly looks like it, George," Mrs. Andrews replied, smiling. +"I do not think any grownup person would have chosen mince-pies and +toffee as appropriate for sick boys." + +"Yes; but she must have known we were not badly burned, mother; and +besides, you see, she put in currant-jelly to make drinks, and there +are the oranges too. I vote that we have an orange and some toffee at +once, Bill." + +"I have tasted oranges," Bill said, "lots of them in the market, but I +never tasted toffee." + +"It's first-rate, I can tell you." + +"Why, they look like bits of tin," Bill said as the packet was opened. + +George burst into a laugh. + +"That's tin-foil, that's only to wrap it up; you peel that off, Bill, +and you will find the toffee inside. Now, mother, you have a glass of +wine and a piece of cake." + +"I will have a piece of cake, George; but I am not going to open the +wine. We will put that by in case of illness or of any very +extraordinary occasion." + +"I am glad the other things won't keep, mother, or I expect you would +be wanting to put them all away. Isn't this toffee good, Bill?" + +"First-rate," Bill agreed. "What is it made of?" + +"Sugar and butter melted together over the fire." + +"You are like two children," Mrs. Andrews laughed, "instead of boys +getting on for sixteen years old. Now I must clear this table again +and get to work; I promised these four bonnets should be sent in +to-morrow morning, and there's lots to be done to them yet." + +It was three weeks before the boys were able to go to work again. The +foreman came round on Saturdays with their wages. Mr. Penrose called +again; this time they were out, but he chatted for some time with Mrs. +Andrews. + +"I don't wish to pry into your affairs, Mrs. Andrews," he said, after +asking about the boys; "but I have a motive for asking if your son +has, as I suppose he has, from his way of speaking, had a fair +education." + +"He was at school up to the age of twelve," Mrs. Andrews said quietly; +"circumstances at that time obliged me to remove him; but I have +since done what I could myself towards continuing his education, and +he still works regularly of an evening." + +"Why I ask, Mrs. Andrews, was that I should like in time to place him +in the counting-house. I say in time, because I think it will be +better for him for the next two or three years to continue to work in +the shops. I will have him moved from shop to shop so as to learn +thoroughly the various branches of the business. That is what I should +do had I a son of my own to bring into the business. It will make him +more valuable afterwards, and fit him to take a good position either +in my shops or in any similar business should an opening occur." + +"I am greatly obliged to you, sir," Mrs. Andrews said gratefully; +"though I say it myself, a better boy never lived." + +"I am sure he is by what I have heard of him, and I shall be only too +glad, after the service he has rendered me, to do everything in my +power to push him forward. His friend, I hear, has not had the same +advantages. At the time I first saw him he looked a regular young +arab." + +"So he was, sir; but he is a fine young fellow. He was very kind to my +boy when he was alone in London, and gave up his former life to be +with him. George taught him to read before I came here, and he has +worked hard ever since. No one could be nicer in the house than he is, +and had I been his own mother he could not be more dutiful or anxious +to please. Indeed I may say that I am indebted for my home here as +much to him as to my own boy." + +"I am glad to hear you say so, Mrs. Andrews, for of course I should +wish to do something for him too. At any rate, I will give him, like +your son, every opportunity of learning the business, and he will in +time be fit for a position of foreman of a shop--by no means a bad one +for a lad who has had such a beginning as he has had. After that, of +course, it must depend upon himself. I think, if you will allow me to +suggest, it would be as well that you should not tell them the nature +of our conversation. Of course it is for you to decide; but, however +steady boys they are, it might make them a little less able to get on +well with their associates in a shop if they know that they are going +to be advanced." + +"I don't think it would make any difference to them, sir; but at the +same time I do think it would be as well not to tell them." + +One day Bill was out by himself as the men were coming out of the +shop, and he stopped to speak to Bob Grimstone. + +"Oh! I am glad to find you without George," Bob said; "'cause I want +to talk to you. Look here! the men in all the shops have made a +subscription to give you and George a present. Everyone feels that +it's your doing that we have not got to idle all this winter, and when +someone started the idea there wasn't a man in the two shops that +didn't agree with him. I am the treasurer, I am, and it's come to +just thirty pounds. Now I don't know what you two boys would like, +whether you would like it in money, or whether you would like it in +something else, so I thought I would ask you first. I thought you +would know what George would like, seeing what friends you are, and +then you know it would come as a surprise to him. Now, what do you +say?" + +"Its very kind of you," Bill said. "I am sure George would like +anything better than money, and so should I." + +"Well, you think it over, Bill, and let me know in a day or two. We +were thinking of a watch for each of you, with an inscription, saying +it was presented to you by your shopmates for having saved the +factory, and so kept them at work for months just at the beginning of +winter. That's what seemed to me that you would like; but if there is +anything you would like better, just you say so. You come down here +to-morrow or next day, when you have thought it over, and give me an +answer. Of course you can consult George if you think best." + +Bill met Bob Grimstone on the following day. + +"I have thought it over," he said, "and I know what George and me +would like better than any possible thing you could get." + +"Well, what is it, Bill?" + +"Well, what we have set our minds on, and what we were going to save +up our money to get, was a piano for George's mother. I heard her say +that we could get a very nice one for about thirty pounds, and it +would be splendid if you were all to give it her." + +"Very well, Bill, then a piano it shall be. I know a chap as works at +Kirkman's, and I expect he will be able to give us a good one for the +money." + +Accordingly on the Saturday afternoon before the boys were going to +work again, Mrs. Andrews and George were astonished at seeing a cart +stop before the house, and the foreman, Bob Grimstone, and four other +men coming up to the door. + +Bill ran and opened the door, and the men entered. He had been +apprised of the time that they might be expected, and at once showed +them in. + +"Mrs. Andrews," the foreman said, "I and my mates here are a +deputation from the hands employed in the shop, and we have come to +offer you a little sort of testimonial of what we feel we owe your son +and Bill Smith for putting out the fire and saving the shops. If it +hadn't been for them it would have been a bad winter for us all. So +after thinking it over and finding out what form of testimonial the +lads would like best, we have got you a piano, which we hope you may +live long to play on and enjoy. We had proposed to give them a watch +each; but we found that they would rather that it took the form of a +piano." + +"Oh, how good and kind of you all!" Mrs. Andrews said, much affected. +"I shall indeed be proud of your gift, both for itself and for the +kind feeling towards my boys which it expresses." + +"Then, ma'am, with your permission we will just bring it in;" and the +deputation retired to assist with the piano. + +"Oh, boys, how could you do it without telling me!" Mrs. Andrews +exclaimed. + +George had hitherto stood speechless with surprise. + +"But I didn't know anything about it, mother. I don't know what they +mean by saying that we would rather have it than watches. Of course we +would, a hundred times; but I don't know how they knew it." + +"Then it must have been your kind thought, Bill." + +"It wasn't no kind thought, Mrs. Andrews, but they spoke to me about +it, and I knew that a piano was what we should like better than +anything else, and I didn't say anything about it, because Bob +Grimstone thought that it would be nicer to be a surprise to George as +well as to you." + +"You are right, old boy," George said, shaking Bill by the hand; "why, +there never was such a good idea; it is splendid, mother, isn't it?" + +The men now appeared at the door with the piano. This was at once +placed in the position which had long ago been decided upon as the +best place for the piano when it should come. Mrs. Andrews opened it, +and there on the front was a silver plate with the inscription: + +"To Mrs. Andrews from the Employees at Messrs. Penrose & Co., in token +of their gratitude to George Andrews and William Smith for their +courage and presence of mind, by which the factory was saved from +being destroyed by fire on Saturday the 23d of October, 1857." + +The tears which stood in Mrs. Andrews' eyes rendered it difficult for +her to read the inscription. + +"I thank you, indeed," she said. "Now, perhaps you would like to hear +its tones." So saying she sat down and played "Home, Sweet Home." "It +has a charming touch," she said as she rose, "and, you see, the air +was an appropriate one, for your gift will serve to make home even +sweeter than before. Give, please, my grateful thanks, and those of my +boys, to all who have subscribed." + +The inhabitants of No. 8 Laburnum Villas had long been a subject of +considerable discussion and interest to their neighbors, for the +appearance of the boys as they came home of an evening in their +working clothes seemed altogether incongruous with that of their +mother and with the neatness and prettiness of the villa, and was, +indeed, considered derogatory to the respectability of Laburnum Villas +in general. Upon this evening they were still further mystified at +hearing the notes of a female voice of great power and sweetness, +accompanied by a piano, played evidently by an accomplished musician, +issuing from the house. As to the boys, they thought that, next only +to that of the home-coming of Mrs. Andrews, never was such a happy +evening spent in the world. + +I do not think that in all London there was a household that enjoyed +that winter more than did the inmates of No. 8 Laburnum Villas. Their +total earnings were about thirty-five shillings a week, much less than +that of many a mechanic, but ample for them not only to live, but to +live in comfort and even refinement. No stranger, who had looked into +the pretty drawing room in the evening, would have dreamed that the +lady at the piano worked as a milliner for her living, or that the +lads were boys in a manufactory. + +When spring came they began to plan various trips and excursions which +could be taken on bank holidays or during the long summer evenings, +when an event happened which, for a time, cut short all their plans. +The word had been passed round the shops the first thing in the +morning that Mr. Penrose was coming down with a party of ladies and +gentlemen to go over the works, and that things were to be made as +tidy as possible. + +Accordingly there was a general clearing up, and vast quantities of +shavings and sawdust were swept up from the floors, although when the +machines had run again for a few hours no one would have thought that +a broom had been seen in the place for weeks. + +George was now in a shop where a number of machines were at work +grooving, mortising, and performing other work to prepare the wood for +builders' purposes. The party arrived just as work had recommenced +after dinner. + +There were ten or twelve gentlemen and as many ladies. Nelly Penrose, +with two girls about her own age, accompanied the party. They stopped +for a time in each shop while Mr. Penrose explained the nature of the +work and the various points of the machinery. + +They had passed through most of the other rooms before they entered +that in which George was engaged, and the young girls, taking but +little interest in the details of the machinery, wandered somewhat +away from the rest of the party, chatting among themselves. George had +his eye upon them, and was wishing that Mr. Penrose would turn round +and speak to them, for they were moving about carelessly and not +paying sufficient heed to the machinery. + +Suddenly he threw down his work and darted forward with a shout; but +he was too late, a revolving-band had caught Nelly Penrose's dress. In +an instant she was dragged forward and in another moment would have +been whirled into the middle of the machinery. + +There was a violent scream, followed by a sudden crash and a harsh +grating sound, and then the whole of the machinery on that side of the +room came to a standstill. For a moment no one knew what had +happened. Mr. Penrose and some of his friends rushed forward to raise +Nelly. Her hand was held fast between the band and the pulley, and the +band had to be cut to relieve it. + +"What an escape! what an escape!" Mr. Penrose murmured, as he lifted +her. "Another second and nothing could have saved her. But what +stopped the machinery?" and for the first time he looked round the +shop. There was a little group of men a few yards away, and, having +handed Nelly, who was crying bitterly, for her hand was much bruised, +to one of the ladies, he stepped towards them. The foreman came +forward to meet him. + +"I think, sir, you had better get the ladies out of the shop. I am +afraid young Andrews is badly hurt." + +"How is it? What is the matter?" Mr. Penrose asked. + +"I think, sir, he saw the danger your daughter was in, and shoved his +foot in between two of the cog-wheels." + +"You don't say so!" Mr. Penrose exclaimed, as he pushed forward among +the men. + +Two of them were supporting George Andrews, who, as pale as death, lay +in their arms. One of his feet was jammed in between two of the +cog-wheels. He was scarcely conscious. + +"Good Heavens," Mr. Penrose exclaimed in a low tone, "his foot must be +completely crushed! Have you thrown off the driving belt, Williams?" + +"Yes, sir, I did that first thing." + +"That's right; now work away for your lives, lads." This was said to +two men who had already seized spanners and were unscrewing the bolts +of the bearings in order to enable the upper shafting to be lifted and +the cog-wheel removed. Then Mr. Penrose returned to his friends. + +"Pray leave the shop," he said, "and go down into the office. There's +been a bad accident; a noble young fellow has sacrificed himself to +save Nelly's life, and is, I fear, terribly hurt. Williams, send off a +man instantly for the surgeon. Let him jump into one of the cabs he +will find waiting at the gate, and tell the man to drive as hard as he +can go. If Dr. Maxwell is not at home let him fetch someone else." + +George had indeed sacrificed himself to save Nelly Penrose. When he +saw the band catch her dress he had looked round for an instant for +something with which to stop the machinery, but there was nothing at +hand, and without an instant's hesitation he had thrust his foot +between the cog-wheels. He had on very heavy, thickly nailed working +boots, and the iron-bound sole threw the cogs out of gear and bent the +shaft, thereby stopping the machinery. George felt a dull, sickening +pain, which seemed to numb and paralyze him all over, and he +remembered little more until, on the shafting being removed, his foot +was extricated and he was laid gently down on a heap of shavings. The +first thing he realized when he was conscious was that someone was +pouring some liquid, which half-choked him, down his throat. + +When he opened his eyes, Mr. Penrose, kneeling beside him, was +supporting his head, while on the other side knelt Bill Smith, the +tears streaming down his cheeks and struggling to suppress his sobs. + +"What is it, Bill? What's the matter?" Then the remembrance of what +had passed flashed upon him. + +"Is she safe; was I in time?" + +"Quite safe, my dear boy. Thank God, your noble sacrifice was not in +vain," Mr. Penrose answered with quivering lips, for he too had the +greatest difficulty in restraining his emotion. + +"Am I badly hurt, sir?" George asked after a pause, "because, if so, +will you please send home for mother? I don't feel in any pain, but I +feel strange and weak." + +"It is your foot, my boy. I fear that it is badly crushed, but +otherwise you are unhurt. Your boot threw the machinery out of gear." + +In ten minutes the doctor arrived. He had already been informed of the +nature of the accident. + +"Is it any use trying to cut the boot off?" Mr. Penrose asked in a low +voice as Dr. Maxwell stooped over George's leg. + +"Not the slightest," the doctor answered in the same tone. "The foot +is crushed to a pulp. It must come off at the ankle. Nothing can save +it. He had better be taken home at once. You had best send to Guy's +and get an operating surgeon for him. I would rather it were done by +someone whose hand is more used than mine to this sort of work." + +"I am a governor of Guy's," Mr. Penrose said, "and will send off at +once for one of their best men. You are not afraid of the case, I +hope, Dr. Maxwell?" + +"Not of the local injury," Dr. Maxwell replied; "but the shock to the +system of such a smash is very severe. However, he has youth, +strength, and a good constitution, so we must hope for the best. The +chances are all in his favor. We are thinking of taking you home, my +boy," he went on, speaking aloud to George. "Are you in any great +pain?" + +"I am not in any pain, sir; only I feel awfully cold, and, please, +will someone go on before and tell mother. Bill had better not go; he +would frighten her to death and make her think it was much worse than +it is." + +"I will go myself," Mr. Penrose replied. "I will prepare her for your +coming." + +"Drink some more of this brandy," the doctor said; "that will warm you +and give you strength for your journey." + +There was a stretcher always kept at the works in case of emergency, +and George was placed on this and covered with some rugs. Four of the +men raised it onto their shoulders and set out, Mr. Penrose at once +driving on to prepare Mrs. Andrews. + +Bill followed the procession heart-broken. When it neared home he +fell behind and wandered away, not being able to bring himself to +witness the grief of Mrs. Andrews. For hours he wandered about, +sitting down in waste places and crying as if his heart would break. +"If it had been me it wouldn't have mattered," he kept on +exclaiming--"wouldn't have mattered a bit. It wouldn't have been no +odds one way or the other. There, we have always been together in the +shops till this week, and now when we get separated this is what comes +of it. Here am I, walking about all right, and George all crushed up, +and his mother breaking her heart. Why, I would rather a hundred times +that they had smashed me up all over than have gone and hurt George +like that!" + +It was dark before he made his way back, and, entering at the back +door, took off his boots, and was about to creep upstairs when Mrs. +Andrews came out of the kitchen. + +"Oh, Mrs. Andrews!" he exclaimed, and the tears again burst from him. + +"Do not cry, Bill; George is in God's hands, and the doctors have +every hope that he will recover. They are upstairs with him now, with +a nurse whom Mr. Penrose has fetched down from the hospital. He will +have to lose his foot, poor boy," she added with a sob that she could +not repress, "but we should feel very thankful that it is no worse +after such an accident as that. The doctor says that his thick boots +saved him. If it hadn't been for that his whole leg would have been +drawn into the machinery, and then nothing could have saved him. Now I +must go upstairs, as I only came down for some hot water." + +"May I go up to him, Mrs. Andrews?" + +"I think, my boy, you had better stop down here for the present for +both your sakes. I will let you know when you can go up to him." + +So Bill crouched before the fire and waited. He heard movements +upstairs and wondered what they were doing and why they didn't keep +quiet, and when he would be allowed to go up. Once or twice the nurse +came down for hot water, but Bill did not speak to her; but in half an +hour Mrs. Andrews herself returned, looking, Bill thought, even paler +than before. + +"I have just slipped down to tell you, my boy, that it's all over. +They gave him chloroform, and have taken his foot off." + +"And didn't it hurt it awful?" Bill asked in an awed voice. + +"Not in the least. He knew nothing about it, and the first thing he +asked when he came to was when they were going to begin. They will be +going away directly, and then you can come up and sit quietly in his +room if you like. The doctors say he will probably drop asleep." + +Bill was obliged to go outside again and wrestle with himself before +he felt that he was fit to go up into George's room. It was a long +struggle, and had George caught his muttered remonstrances to himself +he would have felt that Bill had suffered a bad relapse into his +former method of talking. It came out in jerks between his sobs. + +"Come, none of that now. Aint yer ashamed of yerself, a-howling and +a-blubbering like a gal! Call yerself a man!--you are a babby, that's +what you are. Now, dry up, and let's have no more of it." + +But it was a long time before he again mastered himself; then he went +to the scullery and held his head under the tap till the water took +away his breath, then polished his face till it shone, and then went +and sat quietly down till Mrs. Andrews came in and told him that he +could go upstairs to George. He went up to the bedside and took +George's hand, but he could not trust himself to speak. + +"Well, Bill, old boy," George said cheerily, but in a somewhat lower +voice than usual, "this is a sudden go, isn't it?" + +Bill nodded. He was still speechless. + +"Don't you take it to heart, Bill," George said, feeling that the lad +was shaking from head to foot. "It won't make much odds, you know. I +shall soon be about again all right. I expect they will be able to put +on an artificial foot, and I shall be stumping about as well as ever, +though I shouldn't be much good at a race." + +"I wish it had been me," Bill broke out. "I would have jammed my head +in between them wheels cheerful, that I would, rather than you should +have gone and done it." + +"Fortunately there was no time," George said with a smile. "Don't you +fret yourself, Bill; one can get on well enough without a foot, and it +didn't hurt me a bit coming off. No, nor the squeeze either, not +regular hurting; it was just a sort of scrunch, and then I didn't feel +anything more. Why, I have often hurt myself ten times as much at play +and thought nothing of it. I expect it looked much worse to you than +it felt to me." + +"We will talk of it another time," Bill said huskily. "Your mother +said I wasn't to talk, and I wasn't to let you talk, but just to sit +down here quiet, and you are to try to go off to sleep." So saying he +sat down by the bedside. George asked one or two more questions, but +Bill only shook his head. Presently George closed his eyes, and a +short time afterwards his quiet regular breathing showed that he was +asleep. + +The next six weeks passed pleasantly enough to George. Every day +hampers containing flowers and various niceties in the way of food +were sent down by Mr. Penrose, and that gentleman himself very +frequently called in for a chat with him. As soon as the wound had +healed an instrument-maker came down from town to measure him for an +artificial foot, but before he was able to wear this he could get +about on crutches. + +The first day that he was downstairs Mr. Penrose brought Nelly down +to see him. The child looked pale and awed as he came in. + +"My little girl has asked me to thank you for her, George," Mr. +Penrose said as she advanced timidly and placed her hand in his. "I +have not said much to you about my own feelings and I won't say much +about hers; but you can understand what we both feel. Why, my boy, it +was a good Providence, indeed, which threw you in my way! I thought so +when you saved the mill from destruction. I feel it tenfold more now +that you have saved my child. The ways of God are, indeed, strange. +Who would have thought that all this could have sprung from that boy +snatching the locket from Helen as we came out of the theater! And now +about the future, George. I owe you a great debt, infinitely greater +than I can ever repay; but what I can do I will. In the future I shall +regard you as my son, and I hope that you will look to me as to a +father. I have been talking to your mother, and she says that she +thinks your tastes lie altogether in the direction of engineering. Is +that so?" + +"Yes, sir. I have often thought I would rather be an engineer than +anything else, but I don't like----" + +"Never mind what you like and what you don't like," Mr. Penrose said +quietly. "You belong to me now, you know and must do as you are told. +What I propose is this, that you shall go to a good school for +another three years, and I will then apprentice you to a first-class +engineer, either mechanical or civil as you may then prefer, and when +you have learned your business I will take good care that you are +pushed on. What do you say to that?" + +"I think it is too much altogether," George said. + +"Never mind about that," Mr. Penrose said, "that is my business. If +that is the only objection we can imagine it settled. There is another +thing. I know how attached you are to your friend Bill, and I am +indebted to him, too, for the part he played at the fire, so I +propose, if he is willing, to put him to a good middle-class school +for a bit. In the course of a couple of years he will get a sufficient +education to get on fairly with, and then I propose, according as you +may choose to be a civil or mechanical engineer, to place him with a +mason or smith; then by the time that you are ready to start in +business he will be ready to take a place under you, so that you may +again work together." + +"Oh, thank you, sir!" George exclaimed, even more pleased at the news +relating to Bill than at his own good fortune, great as was the +delight which the prospect opened by Mr. Penrose's offer caused him. + +As soon as George could be moved, Mr. Penrose sent him with his mother +and Bill down to the seaside. Here George rapidly regained strength, +and when, after a stay there of two months, he returned to town, he +was able to walk so well with his artificial foot that his loss would +not have been noticed by a stranger. + +The arrangements settled by Mr. Penrose were all in due time carried +out. George went for three years to a good school, and was then +apprenticed to one of the leading civil engineers. With him he +remained five years and then went out for him to survey a railroad +about to be constructed in Brazil, and remained there as one of the +staff who superintended its construction. Bill, who was now a clever +young mason, accompanied him, and through George's interest with the +contractor obtained the sub-contract for the masonry of some of the +bridges and culverts. + +This was ten years ago, and George Andrews is now one of the most +rising engineers of the day, and whatever business he undertakes his +friend Bill is still his right-hand man. Mr. Penrose has been in all +respects as good as his word, and has been ready to assist George with +his personal influence in all his undertakings, and in all respects +has treated him as a son, while Nelly has regarded him with the +affection of a sister. + +Both George and Bill have been married some years, and Mrs. Andrews +the elder is one of the proudest and happiest of mothers. She still +lives with her son at the earnest request of his wife, who is often +left alone during George's frequent absence abroad on professional +duties. As for Bill, he has not even yet got over his wonder at his +own good fortune, and ever blesses the day when he first met George in +Covent Garden. + + + + +DO YOUR DUTY. + + +Early in the month of March, 1801, an old sailor was sitting on a +bench gazing over the stretch of sea which lies between Hayling Island +and the Isle of Wight. The prospect was a lively one, for in those +days ships of war were constantly running in and out, and great +convoys of merchantmen sailed under the protection of our cruisers; +and the traffic between Spithead and Portsmouth resembled that of a +much frequented road. + +Peter Langley had been a boatswain in the king's service, and had +settled down in his old age on a pension, and lived in a small cottage +near the western extremity of Hayling Island. Here he could see what +was going on at Spithead, and when he needed a talk with his old +"chums" could get into his boat, which was lying hauled up on the +sand, and with a good wind arrive in an hour at the Hard. He was +sitting at present on a portion of a wreck thrown up by a very high +tide on the sandy slope, when his meditations were disturbed by a +light step behind him, and a lad in a sailor's dress, some fifteen +years of age, with a bright honest face, came running down behind him. + +"Hallo, dad!" + +"Hallo, my boy! Bless me, who'd ha' thought o' seeing you!" and the +old man clasped the boy in his arms in a way that showed the close +relationship between the two. "I didn't expect you for another week." + +"No! we've made a quick passage of it," the boy said; "fine wind all +the way up, with a gale or two in the right quarter. We only arrived +in the river on Monday, and as soon as we were fairly in dock I got +leave to run down to see you." + +"What were you in such a hurry for?" the old sailor said. "It's the +duty of every hand to stop by the ship till she's cleared out." + +"I have always stayed before till the crew were paid off; but no +sooner had we cast anchor than one of the owners came on board, and +told the captain that another cargo was ready, that the ship was to be +unloaded with all speed, and to take in cargo and sail again in a +fortnight at the utmost, as a fleet was on the point of sailing for +the West Indies under a strong convoy." + +"A fortnight! That's sharp work," the old sailor said. "And the goods +will have to be bundled out and in again with double speed. I know +what it will be. You will be going out with the paint all wet, and +those lubbers the stevedores will rub it off as fast as it's put on. +Well, a few days at sea will shake all down into its place. But how +did you get leave?" + +"I am rather a favorite with the first officer," the lad said. "The +men who desired to leave were to be discharged at once and a fresh +gang taken on board, so I asked him directly the news came round if I +might have four days away. He agreed at once, and I came down by the +night coach; and here I am for eight-and-forty hours." + +"It's a short stay," the old sailor said, "after more than a year +away, but we mustn't waste the time in regretting it. You've grown, +Harry, and are getting on fast. In another couple of years you'll be +fit to join a king's ship. I suppose you've got over your silly idea +about sticking to the merchant service. It's all very well to learn +your business there as a boy, and I grant that in some things a +merchantman is a better school than a king's ship. They have fewer +hands, and each man has to do more and to learn to think for himself. +Still, after all, there's no place like a saucy frigate for excitement +and happiness." + +"I don't know, dad," the boy said. "I have been learning a little +navigation. The first officer has been very kind to me, and I hope in +the course of two or three years to pass and get a berth as a third +mate. Still, I should like three or four years on board a man-of-war." + +"I should think so," the old sailor said, "for a man ought to do his +duty to his country." + +"But there are plenty of men to do their duty to their country," the +boy said. + +"Not a bit of it!" the sailor exclaimed. "There's a great difficulty +in finding hands for the navy. Everyone wants to throw their duty upon +everyone else. They all hanker after the higher wages and loafing life +on board a merchantman, and hate to keep themselves smart and clean as +they must do in a king's ship. If I had my way, every tar should serve +at least five years of his life on board a man-of-war. It is above all +things essential, Harry, that you should do your duty." + +"I am ready to do my duty, dad," the boy said, "when the time comes. I +do it now to the best of my power, and I have in my pocket a letter +from the first officer to you. He told you when you went down with me +to see me off on my last voyage that he would keep an eye upon me, and +he has done so." + +"That's right," the old man said. "As you say, Harry, a man may do his +duty anywhere; still, for all that, it is part of his duty, if he be a +sailor, to help his majesty, for a time at least, against his enemies. +Look at me. Why, I served man and boy for nigh fifty years, and was in +action one way and another over a hundred times, and here I am now +with a snug little pension, and as comfortable as his gracious majesty +himself. What can you want more than that?" + +"I don't know that I can want more," the boy said, "in its way, at +least; but there are other ways in the merchant service. I might +command a ship by the time I am thirty, and be my own master instead +of being a mere part of a machine. I have heard the balls flying too," +he said, laughing. + +"What! did you have a brush with Mounseer?" the old tar said, greatly +interested. + +"Yes; we had a bit of a fight with a large privateer off the coast of +Spain. Fortunately the old bark carries a long eighteen, as well as +her twelves, and when the Frenchman found that we could play at long +bowls as well as himself he soon drew off, but not before we had +drilled a few holes in his sails and knocked away a bit of his +bulwarks." + +"Were you hit, Harry?" + +"Yes, two or three shots hulled her, but they did little damage beyond +knocking away a few of the fittings and frightening the lady +passengers. We had a strong crew, and a good many were sorry that the +skipper did not hide his teeth and let the Frenchman come close before +he opened fire. We should like to have towed him up the river with our +flag over the tricolor." + +"There, you see, Harry," the old sailor said, "you were just as ready +to fight as if you had been on a man-of-war; and while in a sailing +ship you only get a chance if one of these privateers happens to see +you, in a king's ship you go looking about for an enemy, and when you +see one the chances are he is bigger, instead of smaller, than +yourself." + +"Ah! well, dad, we shall never quite agree on it, I expect," the boy +said; "but for all that, I do mean to serve for a few years in a +man-of-war. I expect that we may have a chance of seeing some +fighting in the West Indies. There are, they say, several French +cruisers in that direction, and although we shall have a considerable +convoy the Frenchmen generally have the legs of our ships. I believe +that some of the vessels of the convoy are taking out troops, and that +we are going to have a slap at some of the French islands. Has there +been any news here since I went?" + +"Nothing beyond a few rows with the smugglers. The revenue officers +have a busy time here. There's no such place for smuggling on the +coast as between Portsmouth and Chichester. These creeks are just the +places for smugglers, and there's so much traffic in the Channel that +a solitary lugger does not attract the attention of the coastguard as +it does where the sea's more empty. However, I don't trouble myself +one way or the other about it. I may know a good deal of the +smuggling, or I may not, but it's no business of mine. If it were my +duty to lend a hand to the coast-guard, I should do it; but as it +isn't, I have no ill-will to the smugglers, and am content enough to +get my spirits cheap." + +"But, dad, surely it's your duty to prevent the king being cheated?" +Harry said with a smile. + +"If the king himself were going to touch the money," the old sailor +said sturdily, "I would lend a hand to see that he got it, but there's +no saying where this money would have gone. Besides, if the spirits +hadn't been run, they would not have been brought over here at all, +so after all the revenue is none the worse for the smuggling." + +The boy laughed. "You can cheat yourself, dad, when you like, but you +know as well as I do that smuggling's dishonest, and that those who +smuggle cheat the revenue." + +"Ah, well!" the sailor said, "it may be so, but I don't clearly see +that it's my duty to give information in the matter. If I did feel as +it were going to be my duty, I should let all my neighbors know it, +and take mighty good care that they didn't say anything within earshot +of me, that I might feel called on to repeat. And now, let's go up to +the cottage and see the old woman." + +"I looked in there for a moment," Harry said, "as I passed. Mother +looks as hale and hearty as she did when I left, and so do you, dad." + +"Yes, we have nothing to complain of," the old man said. "I have been +so thoroughly seasoned with salt water that it would take a long time +for me to decay." + +When they got up to the cottage they found that Jane Langley had got +breakfast prepared. Rashers of bacon were smoking on the table, and a +large tankard of beer stood by, for in those days the use of tea had +not become general in this country. + +"Have you heard, mother," Peter Langley said, "that the boy is to +leave us again in forty-eight hours?" + +"No, indeed," the old woman said; "but this is hard news. I had hoped +that you would be with us for a bit, my boy, for we're getting on fast +in life, and may not be here when you return." + +"Oh, mother! we will not think of such a thing as that," Harry said. +"Father was just saying that he's so seasoned that even time cannot +make much of such a tough morsel; and you seem as hearty as he is." + +"Aye, boy," Peter said, "that be true, but when old oak does come +down, he generally falls sudden. However, we won't make our first meal +sad by talking of what might be." + +Gayly during the meal they chatted over the incidents of Harry's +voyage to India and back. It was his second trip. The lad had had a +much better education than most boys in his rank of life at that time, +the boatswain having placed him at the age of ten in charge of a +schoolmaster at Portsmouth. When Harry had reached that age Peter had +retired from the service, and had settled down at Hayling, but for two +years longer he had kept Harry at school. Then he had apprenticed him +to a firm of shipowners in London, and one of the officers under whom +Peter had served had spoken to the heads of the firm, so that the boy +was put in a ship commanded by a kind and considerate officer, and to +whose charge he was specially recommended. Thus he had not forgotten +what he had learned at school, as is too often the case with lads in +his position. His skipper had seen that he not only kept up what he +knew, but that he studied for an hour or so each day such subjects as +would be useful to him in his career. + +After breakfast the pair again went out onto the sandhills, Peter, as +usual, carrying a huge telescope with him, with which he was in the +habit of surveying every ship as she rounded the west of the island +and came running in through the channel to Portsmouth. Most of the +men-of-war he knew in an instant, and the others he could make a +shrewd guess at. Generally when alone with Harry he was full of talk +of the sea, of good advice as to the lad's future bearing, and of +suggestions and hints as to the best course to be adopted in various +emergencies. But to-day he appeared unusually thoughtful, and smoked +his pipe, and looked out in silence over the sea, scarcely even +lifting his telescope to his eye. + +"I've been thinking, Harry," he said at last, "that as you are going +away again, and, as the old woman says, you may not find us both here +when you come back, it is right that I should tell you a little more +about yourself. I once told you, years ago, that you were not my son, +and that I would give you more particulars some day." + +The lad looked anxiously up at the old sailor. It was a matter which +he had often thought over in his mind, for although he loved the +honest tar and his good wife as much as he could have done his natural +parents, still, since he had known that he was their adopted son only, +he had naturally wondered much as to who his parents were, and what +was their condition in life. + +"I thought it as well," the old sailor began, "not to tell you this +here yarn until you were getting on. Boys' heads get upset with a +little breeze, especially if they have no ballast, and though it isn't +likely now that you will ever get any clew as to your birth, and it +will make no difference whether it was a duke or a ship's caulker who +was your father, still it's right that you should know the facts, as +no one can say when they start on a voyage in life what craft they may +fall aboard before they've done. It may be, Harry, that as you intends +to stick to the merchant service--saving, of course, that little time +you mean to serve on board a king's ship--you may rise to be a +skipper, and perhaps an owner. It may be, boy, that as a skipper you +may fall in love with some taut craft sailing in your convoy. I've +seen such things before now, and then the fact that you might be, for +aught you know, the son of a marquis instead of being that of a +boatswain, might score in your favor. Women have curious notions, and +though, for my part, I can't see that it makes much difference where +the keel of a craft was laid as long as it's sound and well-built, +there are those who thinks different. + +"Well, to tell you the yarn. It were nigh fourteen years ago that I +was boatswain aboard the _Alert_ frigate, as taut a craft as ever +sailed. We had a smart captain and as good a crew as you'd want to +see. We were cruising in the West Indies, and had for months been, +off and on, in chase of a craft that had done much damage there. She +carried a black flag, and her skipper was said to be the biggest +villain that ever even commanded a pirate. Scarce a week passed but +some ship was missing. It mattered little to him whether she sailed +under the English, the French, or the Spanish flag; all was fish to +him. Many and many a vessel sailed laden that never reached Europe. +Sometimes a few charred timbers would be thrown up on the shore of the +islands, showing that the ship to which they belonged had been taken +and burned before she had gone many days on her way. Often and often +had the pirate been chased. She was bark-rigged, which was in itself a +very unusual thing with pirates--indeed, I never knew of one before. +But she had been, I believe, a merchantman captured by the pirate, and +was such a beauty that he hoisted his flag on her, and handed his own +schooner over to his mate. Somehow or other he had altered her +ballast, and maybe lengthened her a bit, for those pirates have a +rendezvous in some of the islands, where they are so strong that they +can, if need be, build a ship of their own. Anyhow, she was the +fastest ship of her class that ever was seen on those seas, and though +our cruisers had over and over again chased her, she laughed at them, +and would for a whole day keep just out of reach of their bow-chasers +with half her sails set, while the cruisers were staggering under +every rag they could put on their masts. Then when she was tired of +that game she would hoist her full canvas and leave the king's vessel +behind as if she was standing still. Once or twice she nearly got +caught by cruisers coming up in different directions, but each time +she managed to slip away without ever having a rope or stay started by +a shot. We in the _Alert_ had been on her footsteps a dozen times, but +had had no more luck than the rest of them, and the mere name of the +_Seamew_ was sufficient to put any one of us into a passion. There +wasn't one of the ship's company, from the captain down to the +powder-monkey, who wouldn't have cheerfully given a year's pay to get +alongside the _Seamew_. The _Alert_ carried thirty-two guns, and our +crew was stronger than usual in a vessel of that size, for there was a +good deal of boat service, and it was considered that at any moment +'Yellow Jack' might lay a good many hands up--or down, as the case may +be. Well, one night we were at anchor in Porto Rico, and the first +lieutenant had strolled up with two of the middies to the top of a +hill just before the sun went down. He had taken a glass with him. +Just as the night was falling, a middy on our quarter-deck, who was +looking at the shore with a glass, said to the second lieutenant, who +was on watch: + +"'Look, sir; here comes Mr. Jones with Keen and Hobart down that hill +as if he were running a race. He isn't likely to be racing the +middies. What can he be after?' + +"'No,' the second lieutenant said, with a smile; 'Mr. Jones is hardly +likely to be racing the middies'; which, indeed, was true enough, for +the first lieutenant was as stiff as a ramrod--a good officer, but as +strict a martinet as ever I sailed under. + +"The second lieutenant took the glasses, and saw that, whatever the +reason might be, it was as the midshipman had said. The news that Mr. +Jones was coming down the hill, running as if Old Nick was after him, +soon spread, and there was quite an excitement on the quarter-deck as +to what could be the matter. + +"Ten minutes afterwards the gig was seen coming off to the ship, and +it was evident, by the way the spray was flying and the oars bending, +that the men were pulling as if for life or death. By this time the +news had spread through the ship, and the captain himself was on the +quarter-deck. + +"'Give me the speaking-trumpet,' he said, and as the boat came within +call he shouted, 'What's the matter, Mr. Jones? Is anything wrong?' + +"'I've sighted,' the lieutenant said, standing up and making a trumpet +with his two hands, 'two craft together round the point of the island +some fifteen miles at sea. They're low down on the sea-line, but by +their look I think that one is the _Seamew_ and the other a +merchantman she has captured.' + +"Not a moment was lost. The captain gave the orders sharp and quick. +The men, who were all standing about, were in a minute clustering on +the yards, and never was canvas got on a ship faster than it was on +the _Alert_ that evening. Before the boat was fairly run up to the +davits the anchor was at the cat-head, and the _Alert's_ bows were +pointing seawards. Five minutes afterwards, with every stitch of +canvas set, we were running out of the harbor. The first lieutenant +had taken the bearings pretty accurately, and as there was a brisk +evening breeze blowing we spun along at a famous rate. By this time it +was dark, and we had every hope that we might come upon the pirate +before she had finished transferring the cargo of her prize under her +own hatches. Not a light was shown, and as the moon was not up we +hoped to get within gunshot before being seen, as the pirate, seeing +no craft within sight before the sun went down, would not suspect that +the _Alert_ could be on his traces. We had to sail close to the wind +till we were round the point of the island, and then to run nearly +before it towards the spot where the vessels had been seen. In two +hours from the time of starting we reckoned that we must be getting +close to them if they still remained hove-to. + +"All of a sudden, some two miles ahead, a point or two off the +starboard bow, a great flame shot up. Every moment it grew and grew +until we could see a large ship in flames, while another lay about a +quarter of a mile distant. Three or four boats were pulling from the +ship in flames towards the other, and as this was a bark we had no +doubt that we had caught the _Seamew_ at her villainous work. The +pirate was lying between us and the burning merchantman, so that while +her spars stood out clear and distinct against the glare of light we +must have been invisible to her. The word was passed quickly forward +for the men to go to quarters. Every gun was double-shotted and run +out, and then, all being ready for the fight, the men stripped to +their waists, cutlasses and boarding-pikes ready to hand, we waited +with breathless anxiety. We were already within range of our +bow-chasers, and as yet there was no sign that the pirate was +conscious of our presence. The boats were now near him, and no doubt +those on board were looking rather in their direction than to +windward. Rapidly the _Alert_ tore through the water, the sail +trimmers were all ready to take in her light canvas at a moment's +notice. The officers clustered on the quarter-deck, and the men stood +by their guns with every eye strained at the pirate. Nearer and nearer +we came, and our hopes rose higher and higher. We were within a mile +now, when suddenly a great movement was seen on board the pirate. The +breeze was steady, and the sea quiet, and loud words of command could +be heard shouted as a swarm of men ran up the rattlins. It was clear +we were seen. There was no further need of concealment, and the +captain gave word for the bow-chasers to open. Quickly as the pirate +got her canvas spread--and I do think that sharp as we had been on +board the _Alert_, the _Seamew_ was even quicker in getting under +canvas--we were scarce a quarter of a mile from her when she got +fairly under way. Up to this moment not a gun had spoken save the two +bow-chasers, as the captain would not yaw her until the last moment +Then round she came and poured a broadside into the _Seamew_. Orders +had been given to fire high, and every man was on his mettle. The +maintop-mast of the _Seamew_ fell, snapped at the cap; the peak +halyards of the mizzen were shot away, and a number of holes were +drilled through her sails. A loud cheer broke from our men. Fast as +the _Seamew_ was she was sufficiently crippled now to prevent her +getting away, and at last she was to show whether she could fight as +well as run, and I must say for her she did. + +"She carried but twenty guns against our thirty-two, but they were of +far heavier metal, and after ten minutes the _Alert_ was as much +bruised and battered as if she had been fighting a Frenchman of equal +size for an hour. However, we had not been idle, and as our shot had +been principally directed against the enemy's rigging, as our great +object was to cripple her and so prevent her from getting away, she +was by this time a mere wreck above, although her sides were scarcely +touched; whereas two of our ports had been knocked into one, and some +thirty of our men had been struck down either by shot or by splinters. +Pouring a last broadside into her, the captain ordered the _Alert_ to +be brought alongside the _Seamew_. There was no need to call upon the +boarders to be ready. Every man was prepared, and as the vessels came +alongside our men rushed to the assault. But the crew of the _Seamew_ +were as eager to board us as we were them, and upon the very bulwarks +a desperate combat ensued. Strong as we were, the _Seamew_ carried +fully as many hands, and as they were fighting with halters round +their necks it's little wonder that they fought so well. + +"I've been in a good many fights, but never did I see one like that. +Each man hacked, and hewed, and wielded his boarding-pike as if the +whole fight depended upon his single exertions. Gradually the men +whose places were at the guns on the starboard side left their places +and joined in the fight, while those on the port side continued to +pour a fire of grape into the enemy. It was near half an hour before +we got a fair footing on the pirate's deck, and then steadily and +gradually we fought our way forward. But it was another half-hour +after the pirate captain and all his officers had been killed, and +fully half the crew cut down, that the rest surrendered. + +"On board the _Alert_ we had fully one-third of our complement killed +or wounded. Mr. Jones had been shot through the head; the second and +third lieutenants were both badly wounded, and the captain himself had +had his jaw broken by a pistol fired in his face. I got this scar on +my cheek, which spoiled my beauty for the rest of my life, but as I +had been over thirty years married to the old woman that made but +little difference. Never were a crew more glorious than we were that +night. Even the wounded felt that the victory had been cheaply +purchased. We had captured the scourge of these seas, which had for +ten years laughed at all the fastest cruisers of our navy, and we felt +as proud as if we had captured a French first-rate. + +"All hands were at work next day in repairing damages. I was up aloft +seeing to the fitting of fresh gear to the topgallant-mast when I saw +something floating at sea which took my attention. It seemed to me +like a box, and an empty one, for it floated high on the water. Its +lid seemed to be open, and I thought once or twice that I saw +something inside. I slid down to the quarter-deck and reported what I +had seen. The third lieutenant, who was doing duty with his arm in a +sling, was not disposed to take the men off their work to lower a +boat; but as I pointed out that the box might have belonged to the +merchantman which had been burned overnight, and that it might afford +some clew as to the name of the ship, he consented, and with four +hands I was soon rowing towards the box. + +"I don't know what I had expected to see, but I was never more +surprised than when, getting there, I found that it was a trunk, and +that in it, sitting up, was a child about eighteen months old. That +was you, Harry. In the bottom of the trunk were a locket with a +woman's likeness in it, a curious Indian bangle, and a few other +articles of jewelry. How you got there we never knew, but the +supposition was that when the pirate was overhauling the merchantman, +and her true nature was ascertained, some mother, knowing the fate +that awaited all on board, had put you in an open trunk, had thrown in +what ornaments she had about her, and had dropped the trunk overboard, +in hopes that it might drift away and be picked up by some passing +ship. It was a wild venture, with a thousand to one against its +success, but the Lord had watched over it, and there you were as snug +and comfortable as if you had been laying in your own cot, though, by +the way, you were squalling as loud as a litter of kittens, and I +expect had missed your breakfast considerably. You were sitting up, +and it was lucky that you were backward of your age, for, although by +your size we guessed you to be eighteen months, you were still unable +to walk. If you had been as active as some chaps of that age you would +have scrambled onto your feet, and no doubt capsized your boat. + +"Well, we brought you on board, and there was a great talk as to what +was to be done with you; but as I was your discoverer I claimed you as +a lawful prize, and I thought you would amuse the old woman while I +was at sea, and perhaps be a comfort to me when I got laid up in +ordinary, as indeed you have been. So that's all I know, Harry. Every +inquiry was made, but we never heard of any ship which exactly +answered to the description. You see, beyond the fact that she was a +square-rigged ship we could say but little about her. The ornaments +found in the box seemed to show that she had come from the East +Indies, but of course that could not be, for what would she be doing +there? But at any rate the person who put you into the trunk, and who +was no doubt your mother, had been to the East Indies, or at least had +been given those ornaments by someone who had, for there was no doubt +where they were turned out. + +"Well, on board the _Alert_ everyone got promoted. There was enough +valuable property found on board the _Seamew_ to give us a handsome +sum all round, and it was my share of the prize-money that enabled me +to buy this little cottage, and went no small way towards paying for +your schooling and board. As no one else claimed you, and your friends +could not be heard of, no one disputed my right to your guardianship; +and so, my boy, here you have been cruising about the world as Harry +Langley ever since." + +The old sailor was silent, and Harry was some time before he spoke. + +"Well, dad, you may not have been my real father, but no one could +have been a better father to me than you have, and as it isn't likely +now that I shall ever hit upon a clew which could lead me to discover +who I am, I shall continue to regard you as my real father. Still, as +you say, it may perhaps in life be some advantage to me to be able to +claim that I am the son of a marquis;" and he laughed merrily. They +talked the matter over for some time, and then Harry changed the +subject. + +"Are all our friends well?" Harry asked. + +"All except poor Tom Hardy. He slipped his cable six months since, and +his wife, poor old soul, is gone to some friends near Winchester." + +"Who's living in the cottage?" + +"Black Jack has taken it." + +"What! has he moved from his old place, then?" + +"No, it is said that he's taken it for a Frenchy, who comes down off +and on. They say he's in the smuggling business with Black Jack, and +that he disposes of the silks and wines that are brought over in the +_Lucy_, and that Jack trades over in France with his friends. The +lieutenant at the coast-guard station has his eye upon him, and I +believe that some day they will catch Black Jack as he runs his cargo; +but he's a slippery customer. It would be a good day for Hayling if +they could do so, for he and his crew do a lot of harm to the place. +They look more like men who have belonged to the _Seamew_ I was +talking to you about than honest English fishermen." + +"It is a curious thing, dad, that the Frenchman should be coming +backwards and forwards here, and I wonder that the revenue people +don't inquire into it." + +"I don't suppose that they know very much about it, Harry. He comes +off and on, generally arriving at night, and leaving a few hours +afterwards. I hear about these things because everyone knows that old +Peter Langley is not the chap to put his nose into other people's +business. I don't like these goings on, I must say, and consider they +will end badly. However, it is no business of ours, lad. We get our +brandy cheap in Hayling--nowhere cheaper, I should say--and that, +after all, is the matter that concerns us most. The wind's rising +fast; I think we're in for a gale." + +It was as Peter said. The clouds were rising fast behind the island, +the waves were breaking with a short, sharp sound upon the beach, +white heads were beginning to show themselves out at sea, the fishing +craft were running in towards Portsmouth under reefed sails, the +men-of-war at Spithead could be seen sending down their topmasts, and +everything betokened that it would be a nasty night. + +"What time must you leave, Harry?" + +"I shall go off at three to-morrow morning; shall cross the ferry, and +catch the coach as it goes along at eight. I promised that I would be +back on the following morning, and I would not fail in keeping my +appointment, for as the captain has been so good I should be sorry +that he should think that I had broken my word." + +In the course of the day Harry went over to the village and saw many +of his boy friends. Bill Simpkins, however, his great chum, happened +to be away, but his parents said that he would be back at nine in the +evening. He had gone over to Winchester to see a brother who was in a +regiment quartered there. Accordingly, soon after nine o'clock Harry +said to his father that he would just walk over to have a chat with +his friend, and be back in an hour or so. + +"Thou had best stop at home and go to bed at once," Jane Langley said; +"if thou hast to start at three o'clock, it were time thou wert in bed +now." + +"I am accustomed to short nights," Harry said, laughing, "and I shall +be able to sleep long to-morrow." + +Putting on his hat, he nodded to the old couple, and went off at a run +into the darkness. + +The road was a wide one, and but little frequented, and the grass grew +thick over a considerable portion of the sides, therefore as he ran +along with a light, springy tread the sound of his footsteps was +deadened. As he came along by the cottage of which he had been +speaking to Peter Langley he heard the sound of voices within. Being +curious to see what this mysterious Frenchman was like, Harry paused, +lightly lifted the latch of the gate, and entered the little garden. +He had intended to peep in at the window, and having satisfied his +curiosity to be off; but just as he reached the door the latter opened +suddenly, and Harry had only time to draw back behind the little porch +before two men came out. In one Harry recognized by his voice the +smuggler Black Jack; the other was by his halting English evidently +the foreigner. They stopped for a moment, looking out into the night. + +"I tell you," the smuggler said, "it's going to be a storm, and no +mistake. The _Lucy_ is a tight craft, and has weathered gales when +many a bigger ship has gone down. Still, I don't like running out into +it without necessity." + +"Necezity," said the Frenchman. "I sould have sought zat ze earning of +five hundred pounds was as urgent a necezity as was wanted." + +"Aye, the money will be handy enough," the smuggler said, "though one +does put one's head into the noose to earn it. However, the sum is +bigger than usual, and, as you say, the affair is important." + +"Bah!" the Frenchman said, "what does it matter about ze nooze? It +hasn't got over your zick neck or my zin one, and till it does we +needn't trouble about it. I tell you zis is ze most important dispatch +we have ever sent, and if it gets safe to hand zey cannot grudge us +double pay. I have ridden from London wizout stopping, and have killed +a horse worth fifty of your guineas. However, zat matters not. Zis +letter should fetch us ze money to pay for a dozen horses and a dozen +of your _Lucys_." + +"All right!" the smuggler said; "in an hour we will be off. Letters +like that in your pocket are best not kept on hand. You are sure that +the _Chasse Maree_ will put out to meet us in such weather as we are +likely to have?" + +"She will put out if a hurricane's blowing," the Frenchman said. "Zey +know ze importance of ze news, which is expected, and which I am +bringing zem. _Mon Dieu!_ what sums have been paid to get ze news +zat's in zis little dispatch!" + +"Do you know what it is?" the smuggler said. + +"Not for certain," the Frenchman replied, "but I believe it is ze +orders zat are to be sent to ze British fleet, and zat zey are about +to strike a great blow zomewhere." + +"Well," the smuggler said, "I will go round and tell the boys. I +warned them to be in readiness, and I will send them straight down to +the beach. In a quarter of an hour I will return for you." + +While this conversation had been going on Harry had been standing +against the porch, the sides of which were filled with latticework +over which a creeper grew. He had been frightened at the importance of +the secret that he was hearing, and had been rapidly meditating in his +mind how this all-portant information which was about to be conveyed +to the enemy could be stopped. He had made up his mind that the +instant the smuggler moved out he would make his way down to the +village, tell the tale to half a dozen men, and have the Frenchman +seized. He saw at once that it would be difficult, for the smuggler +and his gang were not men to be attacked with impunity, and the +fishers of the village would hesitate in taking part in such a +struggle merely on the information of a boy. However, Harry saw that +it was the only chance. + +In his anxiety to stand close to the lattice and so hide himself from +the view of the two men who were standing on the little garden-path in +front, he pressed too hard against it. The woodwork was rotten with +age, and suddenly with a crash it gave way. + +With an oath the smuggler turned round, and he and the Frenchman +dashed to the spot, and in an instant had collared the lad. In a +moment he was dragged into the room. + +"We must cut his throat, mounseer," the smuggler said, with a terrible +imprecation. "The scoundrel has heard what we've said, and our lives +won't be worth a minute's purchase if he were to be let free. Stand by +and I'll knock out his brains;" and he seized a heavy poker from the +side of the hearth. + +"No, no," the Frenchman said, "don't let us have blood. Zere might be +inquiries, and zese sings will sometimes be found. Better take him to +sea wis you in ze _Lucy_, and hand him over to ze _Chasse Maree_. Zey +will take care zat he does not come back again." + +"I will take care myself," the smuggler said. "I'm not going to risk +my neck on the chance of his blabbing. It's better, as you say, to +have no blood, but as soon as the _Lucy's_ at sea overboard he goes." + +"We can talk of it," the Frenchman said. "I'm wis you zat he must be +silenced, but it may be better--my plan zan yours. Zis boy belongs, I +suppose, to ze village?" + +"Yes," the smuggler said, "I know him by sight. He's the son of an +old man-of-war's man who lives half a mile away." + +"Well, you see, some of your men might some day, if they quarreled wis +you, or in zeir drink, drop some words which might lead to inquiries. +Better put him on board ze _Chasse Maree_. I will see ze matter is +settled." + +Harry had spoken no word from the time he was grasped. He felt in an +instant that his life was forfeited, and was surprised that he had not +been instantly killed. He had not raised his voice to hallo, for he +knew that no cottagers were near, and was sure that an attempt to give +the alarm would insure his instant death. To struggle would have been +useless. He was unarmed, and although a stout lad, was but a child in +the grasp of a powerful man like the smuggler. He saw, too, that on +the instant the Frenchman had drawn a dagger from his breast, and +though more quiet than the smuggler he felt by the tone of his voice +that he was as determined as his colleague that his silence should be +secured by death. + +In another minute he was bound and thrown into a corner. The Frenchman +then took his seat near him, assuring him in a low tone that he would +at his first movement plant his dagger in his heart. The smuggler +strolled off to summon his crew, and for a quarter of an hour silence +reigned in the cottage. + +"You are one fool," the Frenchman said at last, as if he had been +thinking the matter over--"one meddlesome fool. Why you want to listen +at people's doors and learn zeir secrets? I don't want to kill you, +but what are we to do? You make us kill you. You push your own head +into ze trap. Zat is ze way wis boys. Zey are forever meddling in +affairs zat concern zem not, and zen we have ze trouble to kill zem. I +would give a hundred pounds if zis had not happened; but what can I +do? It is my life against yours, and alzough I am sorry to have to do +it--_parbleu!_ my life is of much more value zan zat of a fishing boy. +Bah! you are one meddlesome fool." + +So exasperated was the Frenchman at the trouble which the prying of +this lad had brought upon him that he got up and angrily gave him a +kick. A few minutes later the smuggler returned. + +"The men have all gone down to the boat," he said briefly. "Come +along, mounseer. Bring that tin case with you, and those pistols." + +"Zere is no fear zat I forget ze tin case," the Frenchman said. "As to +ze pistols--zey are not of much use. However, I will take zem;" and he +thrust them into the pockets of his coat. + +The smuggler stooped, picked up Harry, threw him onto a sail which he +had laid on the ground, wrapped this round him, and then cast him over +his shoulder. + +"I'm not likely to meet anyone on my way to the boat," he said, "but +should I do so I'm taking the mainsail of the _Lucy_ down to her." + +In another minute Harry heard the door slam, and then he felt himself +being carried steadily along, his weight being as nothing to the +smuggler. Not a word was spoken between the two men on their way down +to the shore. Presently Harry felt by the deadened sound of the +footsteps, and by the more uneven motion, that he was being carried +over the sandy slopes down to the edge of the sea, and through the +canvas he could hear the loud roar of the waves, which were now +breaking violently. + +Presently he was flung roughly down on the sands. A minute later he +was lifted by the head and feet, and swung into a boat. Not a word was +spoken as it was shoved off through the breakers, and after ten +minutes' hard rowing he felt a shock, and knew that they were +alongside of the _Lucy_. He was hauled up on deck. He heard a few +words of command, and then felt the vessel was on her way. A minute or +two later the covering was unloosed. His cords were cut, and the +smuggler said to him, "You can't get away now, and may as well make +yourself handy for the present. Give a haul on that rope." + +The _Lucy_ was, in fact, short-handed, two of the six men who composed +her crew being absent. She was a lugger of some twenty-five tons' +burden, built something like an ordinary fishing-boat, but longer and +lower, and was, in fact, used for fishing when her crew were not +engaged upon other adventures. She was a remarkably fast craft, and +had more than once showed her heels with success when chased by the +revenue cutters. She owed her immunity from capture, however, chiefly +to her appearance, as from her size and build she generally passed +unsuspected as an innocent fisherman. + +The storm increased in violence, and the little lugger, although a +good sea-boat, had difficulty in making her way almost in the teeth of +the gale. She was bound, Harry gained from a word or two dropped by +the captain, for the mouth of the Loire, off which she was to be met +by the _Chasse Maree_. Long before morning the coast of England was +out of sight, and the lugger was struggling down Channel bravely +holding her way in the sou'westerly gale. + +"Will she be zere true to her time?" the Frenchman asked the smuggler. + +"Aye, she will do it," Black Jack said, "if the wind holds as at +present. Two o'clock in the morning is the time named, and if your +people are as punctual as I shall be, the five hundred pounds will be +gained. There's one thing--in such a gale as is blowing to-day none of +our cruisers who may be off the coast are likely to trouble themselves +about a boat like ours. They may wonder what we are doing at sea, but +are scarcely likely to chase us." + +Once or twice in the course of the day large vessels were seen in the +distance, which Harry knew, by the cut of their sails, to be English +cruisers. All were, however, lying-to under the smallest canvas, and +Harry knew that any assistance from them was out of the question. +Towards evening the gale moderated, but the sea was still very high. +During the day Harry had turned over in his mind every possible plan +by which he might destroy the tin case which contained, as he knew, +such important documents. From what he had gathered he learned that +the success of some great undertaking upon which the British fleet +were about to embark would be marred if these papers were to find +their way into the hands of the French authorities. His own life he +regarded as absolutely forfeited, for he was sure that no sooner was +he fairly on board the French _Chasse Maree_ than he would, at the +orders of the French spy, be thrown overboard, and that his life had +been so preserved, not from any feeling of mercy, but in order that +his death might be accomplished with less risk to those whose safety +demanded it. + +He was determined, if opportunity presented, to seize the little case +and to leap overboard with it. The French spy never for one moment put +it down. It was a small tin case, with a handle at the top, and some +eight inches long by three inches wide, and the same deep. Sometimes +the Frenchman put it in his pocket, beyond which it projected, but +even then he took the precaution always to keep his hand upon it. +During the day Harry was constantly employed in work on board the +lugger, hauling at ropes and acting as if he were one of the regular +crew. He had shared in the meals with the men, but beyond a curse now +and then not a word had been addressed to him by any on board. The +night came on; the wind was still going down, but the sea was very +heavy. From the occasional rifts in the clouds the stars could be seen +shining brightly, and once or twice the moon broke through and spread +a light over the angry sea. As time went on the smuggler became +anxious, and kept a keen lookout ahead. + +"It is past two," he exclaimed presently to the Frenchman, "and we are +nearly off the mouth of the river. When the moon shone out just now I +thought I caught sight of a vessel coming out, and I believe to +windward an English cruiser is lying. However, I will get ready the +lanterns." + +The next time the moon came out a vessel was clearly seen. The +smuggler raised the lantern above the bulwarks, held it there for half +a minute, and then lowered it. This he repeated three times. A moment +later a similar signal was made on the bows of the vessel. + +"That's her," the smuggler exclaimed exultingly, "and the five hundred +pounds is as good as in my pocket!" + +As he spoke a bright flash was seen to windward. + +"Confound it!" the smuggler said, "that cruiser has caught sight of +the Frenchman. However, we shall be on board in plenty of time, and +whether she gets safe to shore or not matters not much to me. I shall +have done my part of the work, and you, mounseer, will give me the +order for payment on London." + +"It's done, my friend," the Frenchman said; "you've done your work +well. Here's the order." + +By this time the French craft was within a distance of a quarter of a +mile, running down at a great pace under her reefed sails. + +"It'll be no easy matter to get on board," the smuggler said, "for the +sea is running tremendously. They will have to throw a rope, and you +will have to catch it, mounseer, and jump overboard. I suppose your +dispatch-box is water-tight?" + +"And the boy?" the Frenchman asked. + +"Let them throw another rope," the smuggler said, "and you can haul +him on board too. It won't make much matter whether I slip the noose +round his body or his neck. The last will be the easiest plan perhaps, +for then, if he happens not to be alive when you pull him out, it +would be an accident; and even if anyone chooses to peach, they can't +swear that it was purposely done." + +Harry was standing near, and heard the words. He was close to the helm +at the time, and watched with intense anxiety as the _Chasse Maree_ +ran rapidly down to them. It was clear that what had to be done must +be done quickly, for another flash came up from the cruiser; and +although in the din of the wind and the toss of the waves it could not +be seen where her shot had fallen, the brightness of the flash showed +that she had come up since the last shot was discharged. The _Chasse +Maree_ ran down, and as she came her captain stood upon the bulwarks +and shouted at the top of his voice "Keep her steady, and as I run +past I will throw a rope." + +"Throw two," Black Jack shouted. "There are two to come on board." + +The course taken by the _Chasse Maree_ would bring her along at a +distance of some ten yards from the side of the lugger. At the moment +a squall came, and the lugger's head turned a little towards the +approaching craft. When she was just upon them Harry saw that his one +chance of escape had come. With a sudden rush he knocked the man at +the helm from his footing, and put the tiller up hard. The lugger paid +off instantly. Black Jack, with an oath, turned round and sprang at +Harry. The lad leaped beneath his uplifted hand, sprang at the +Frenchman, who was standing with his back to him, and snatching the +tin box from his hand leaped overboard. + +Momentary as had been his hold upon the tiller it had been sufficient. +The vessel had paid off from the wind, and before the helmsman could +regain his feet, or Black Jack could seize the tiller, she lay across +the course of the _Chasse Maree_; and in another moment the French +craft plunged down upon her, and with a crash the _Lucy_ sank under +her bows, and went down with all on board. + +As Harry sank beneath the waves he heard a shout of dismay from those +on board the _Lucy_. When he came up a minute later he saw the _Chasse +Maree_ plowing her way from him, but no sign of the _Lucy_ was to be +seen. Harry was a good swimmer, and fortunately the dispatch-box which +he grasped was water-tight, and buttoning it within his jacket he felt +that it kept his head easily above the water. He swam as well as he +could away from the spot where the Lucy had disappeared, for he knew +that if Black Jack or the Frenchman had escaped being run down and +should see him, his death was certain--not indeed that his chances +were in any case good, but with the natural hopefulness of boyhood he +clung to life, and resolved to make a fight for it as long as +possible. Had it not been for the dispatch-box he must have speedily +succumbed, for in so heavy a sea it was difficult in the extreme to +swim. However, after a short time he turned his back to the wind, and +suffered himself quietly to drift. + +Hour passed after hour, and at last, to his intense delight, morning +began to break. He saw on his right the low shores of the French +coast, and looking round beheld seaward the British cruiser which had +fired at the _Chasse Maree_. She was running quietly along the coast, +and was evidently on guard at the mouth of the river. The sea had now +gone down much, and the sun rose bright in an almost cloudless sky. + +Invigorated by the sight of the vessel Harry at once swam towards her. +She was farther out by a mile than the spot where he was swimming, and +was some two miles astern of him. She was sailing but slowly, and he +hoped that by the time she came along he would be able to get within +a distance whence he might be seen. His fear was that she might run +back before she reached the spot where she would be nearer to him. + +With all his strength he swam steadily out, keeping his eye fixed +steadily on the ship. Still she came onward, and was within half a +mile when she was abreast of him. Then raising himself as high as he +could from the water, he shouted at the top of his voice. Again and +again he splashed with his hands to make as much spray and commotion +as possible in order to attract attention. His heart almost stood +still with joy as he heard an answering hail, and a moment later he +saw the vessel come round into the wind, and lay there with her sails +back. Then a boat was lowered, and five minutes later he was hauled +in, his senses almost leaving him now that the time for exertion had +passed. It was not until he had been lifted onto the deck of the +_Viper_, and brandy had been poured down his throat, that he was able +to speak. As soon as he was sufficiently recovered he was sent for to +the captain's cabin. + +"And who are you, boy, and whence do you come?" the captain asked. "Do +you belong to the _Chasse Maree_, which we chased in the night?" + +The officer spoke in French, supposing that Harry had fallen overboard +from that craft. + +"I am English, sir," Harry said, "and escaped from a lugger which was +run down by the French craft just as you were firing at her." + +"I thought," exclaimed the captain, "that my eyes had not been wrong. +I was sure that I saw a small fishing-boat close to the _Chasse +Maree_. We lost sight of her when a cloud came over the moon, and +thought we must have been mistaken. How came you there in an English +fishing-boat?" + +Harry modestly told the story, and produced the dispatch-box. + +"This is important news indeed," the officer said, "and your conduct +has been in every way most gallant. What is your name, lad?" + +"Harry Langley," he replied. "I am an apprentice on board the Indiaman +_Dundas Castle_, and was to have sailed this week in the convoy for +the West Indies." + +"You will not be able to do that now," the captain said. "This is most +important. However, the steward will take charge of you, and I will +talk to you again presently." + +The steward was called, and was told to put Harry into a cot slung for +him, and to give him a bowl of warm soup; and in a few minutes the lad +was asleep. + +The _Viper_ shortly afterwards hauled her wind, and ran down to a +consort who was keeping watch with her over the mouth of the Loire. +The captain repaired on board the other ship, whose commander was his +senior officer, and a consultation was held between them, after which +the _Viper_ was again got under sail and shaped her course for +Portsmouth. + +The wind was fair, and the next morning the _Viper_ passed through +the Needles, and soon afterwards anchored at Spithead. Here a large +number of men-of-war and frigates were at anchor, and above two of the +largest floated the flags of admirals. The _Viper_ had made her signal +as she came in sight of the fleet, and a reply was instantly run up +from the masthead of the admiral's ship, directing the captain to come +on board immediately the anchor was dropped. The moment this was done +the captain's gig was lowered, and calling to Harry to follow him the +captain took his seat in the stern-sheets, and rowed for the admiral's +ship. Directing the lad to remain on deck, the captain at once entered +the admiral's cabin, and a few minutes later the admiral's orderly +summoned Harry to enter. + +Admiral Sir Hyde Parker had evidently had a breakfast party, for a +number of naval officers, including Admiral Nelson and most of the +captains of the men-of-war, were seated round the table. The admiral +turned to Harry. + +"So you are the lad who has brought this box of dispatches?" + +"Yes, sir," Harry said modestly. + +"Tell us your story over again," the admiral said. "It's a strange +one." + +Harry again repeated the account of his adventures from the time of +leaving his father's cottage. When he had done Admiral Nelson +exclaimed: + +"Very well, my lad. You could not have acted with more presence of +mind had you been a captain of the fleet. You showed great bravery +and did your duty nobly." + +"There wasn't much bravery, sir," Harry said modestly, "for I knew +that they were going to kill me anyhow, so that it made no difference. +But I was determined, if possible, that the dispatches should be +destroyed." + +The admiral smiled. He was not accustomed to hear his dicta even so +slightly questioned by a lad. + +"You are an apprentice in the merchant service, Captain Skinner tells +me," Sir Hyde Parker said, "and have been two years at sea." + +"Yes, sir," Harry said. + +"Would you like to be on the quarter-deck of one of his majesty's +vessels, instead of that of a merchantman?" + +Harry's eyes glistened at the question. + +"I should indeed, sir," he said. + +"Then you shall be, my boy," the admiral answered. "Have any of you +gentlemen a vacancy in the midshipmen's berth? If not, I'll have him +ranked as a supernumerary on board my ship." + +"I am short of a midshipman, Sir Hyde," one of the captains said. +"Poor little De Lisle fell overboard the night before last as we came +round from Plymouth. He was about the size of this lad, and I'll +arrange for him to have his togs. I like his look, and I should be +glad to have him with me. I am sure he will be a credit to the +service." + +"That's settled, then," the admiral said. "You are now, sir," he said, +turning to Harry again, "an officer in his majesty's service, and, as +Captain Ball remarks, I am sure you will do credit to the service. A +lad who does his duty when death is staring him in the face, and +without a hope that the act of devotion will ever be known or +recognized, is sure to make a brave and worthy officer." + +Harry's new captain wrote a few words on a piece of paper, and said to +the admiral's servant, "Will you tell the midshipman of my gig to come +here?" + +A minute afterwards the midshipman entered. The captain gave him the +slip of paper and said, "Take this young gentleman on board the ship +with you at once, and present him to Mr. Francis, and with him give +this note. He will be your shipmate in future. See that he's made +comfortable." + +The midshipman then beckoned to Harry to follow him, gazing askance, +and with no slight astonishment in his face, at the appearance of his +new messmate. Harry's attire, indeed, was not in accordance with the +received ideas of that of a midshipman freshly joining a ship. His +clothes were all so much shrunk that his ankles showed below his +trousers, and his wrists below his coat-sleeves. Without a word the +midshipman took his place in the stern-sheets, and beckoned Harry to +sit beside him. + +"Where have you sprung from?" he said shortly. + +"I hail last from the admiral's cabin," Harry said with a laugh. +"Before that from his majesty's ship _Viper_, and before that from the +sea." + +"You look like the sea," said the midshipman. "But what have you been +doing? Have you served before?" + +"Not in a king's ship," Harry said; "I have only just been appointed." + +The midshipman was too surprised at Harry's appearance to question him +further. He felt that there was some mystery in the affair, and that +it would be better for him to wait until he saw the footing upon which +Harry was placed. He had little doubt from the fact of his appointment +being made under such circumstances that there must be something at +once singular and noteworthy about it. + +Upon reaching the ship Harry's new messmate at once led him up to the +first lieutenant, and presented the captain's note. The lieutenant +opened it and glanced at the contents. They were brief: + +"Harry Langley has been appointed midshipman on board the _Caesar_, and +has been promoted by Sir Hyde Parker himself. He has performed a most +gallant action, and one of the greatest importance. Make him at home +at once, and let him have poor De Lisle's kit. I will arrange about +it." + +The senior midshipman was at once sent for by Mr. Francis, and Harry +handed over to him. The first lieutenant intimated to him briefly the +contents of the captain's letter, telling the midshipman to make him +as comfortable as possible. + +Harry was led below to the cockpit, where his arrival was greeted with +a storm of questions, as his appearance on the quarter-deck had +naturally excited a great deal of observation. The midshipman who had +come with him could, of course, furnish no information, and beyond the +brief fact mentioned by the captain and repeated by the first +lieutenant, his new conductor could say no more. + +"Just wait," the midshipman said, "till he's got into his new clothes +and looks presentable. He's in my charge, and I am to make him +comfortable. As he has been put on the quarter-deck by Sir Hyde +himself you may be sure he has done something out of the way." + +In a few minutes Harry was rigged out in full midshipman's dress, and +being a very good-looking and gentlemanly lad, his appearance +favorably impressed his new messmates, who had at first been disposed +to resent the intrusion among themselves of a youngster whose +appearance was at least the reverse of reputable. + +"Now," said one of the passed mates, "this meeting will resolve itself +into a committee. Let everyone who can, sit down; and let those who +can't, stand quiet. I am the president of the court. Now, prisoner at +the bar," he said, "what is your name?" + +"Harry Langley." + +"And how came you here?" + +"I was brought in the captain's gig." + +"No equivocation, prisoner. I mean what brought you onto the +quarter-deck?" + +"I had the good luck," Harry said, "to prevent a very important +dispatch falling into the hands of the French." + +"The deuce you had!" the president said; "and how was that? That is to +say," he said, "if there's no secret about it?" + +"None at all," Harry said, "the matter was very simple;" and for the +second time that morning he told the story. + +When he had done there was a general exclamation of approval among +those present, and the midshipmen crowded round him, shaking his hand, +patting him on the back, and declaring that he was a trump. + +"The prisoner is acquitted," the president said, "and is received as a +worthy member of this noble body. Boy!" + +"Yes, sir." + +"Go to the purser and ask him to send in two bottles of rum for this +honorable mess to drink the health of a new comrade." + +Presently the boy returned. + +"The purser says, sir, who is going to pay for the rum?" + +There was a roar of laughter among the middies, for the master's mate, +who had acted as president, was notoriously in the purser's books to +the full amount of his credit. However, a midshipman, who happened +that morning to have received a remittance, undertook to stand the +liquor to the mess, and Harry's health was drunk with all honors. + +"I suppose," one of the midshipmen said, "that the contents of the +dispatch were with reference to the point to which we are all bound. I +wonder where it can be?" + +Here an animated discussion arose as to the various points against +which the attack of the fleet, now rapidly assembling at Spithead, +might be directed. So far no whisper of its probable course had been +made public, and it was believed indeed that even the captains of the +fleet were ignorant of its object. + +Upon the following day Harry at once obtained leave to go on shore for +twenty-four hours. Immediately he reached the Head he chartered a +wherry, and was on the point of sailing when he heard a well-known +voice among a group of sailors standing near him. + +"I can't make head or tail of it," Peter Langley said. "My boy left me +merely to go down to the village, and was to have returned the first +thing in the morning to join his ship in London. Well, he never came +back no more. What he did with himself, unless he sailed in a +smuggling lugger which put out an hour or two afterwards, I can't make +out. The boy would never have shipped in that craft willingly, and I +can see no reason why he should have gone otherwise. He didn't cross +the ferry, and I can't help suspecting there was some foul play. When +Black Jack returns I will have it out of him if I kill him for it. He +has a strong party there, and I want half a dozen good tight hands to +come with me to Hayling. He will probably be back in a couple of days, +and if we tackle him directly he lands we may find out something about +him. Who will go with me?" + +Half a dozen voices exclaimed that they were willing to assist their +old mate, when suddenly Harry stepped in among them, saying, "There's +no occasion for that. I can tell them all about him." + +Peter Langley stepped backwards in his astonishment, and stared +open-mouthed at Harry. + +"Dash my buttons!" he exclaimed; "why, if it isn't Harry himself, and +in a midshipman's rig. What means this, my boy?" + +"It means, father, that I am a midshipman on board his majesty's ship +_Caesar_." + +Peter stood for a moment as one stupefied with astonishment, and then +threw his tarpaulin high in the air with a shout of delight. It fell +into the water, and the tide carried it away; Peter gave it no further +thought, but, seizing Harry's hand, wrung it with enthusiastic +delight. + +"This is news indeed, my boy," he said. "To think of seeing you on the +quarter-deck, and that so soon!" + +It was some minutes before Harry could shake himself free from his +friends, all of whom were old chums of the boatswain, and had known +him in his childhood. Drawing Peter aside at last he took him to a +quiet hotel, and there, to the intense astonishment of the veteran, he +related to him the circumstances which had led to his elevation. The +old sailor was alternately filled with wrath and admiration, and it +was only the consideration that beyond doubt Black Jack and the +Frenchman had both perished in the _Lucy_ that restrained him from +instantly rushing off to take vengeance upon them. + +An hour later the pair took a wherry and sailed to Hayling, where the +joy of Peter was rivaled by that of Harry's foster-mother. That +evening Peter went out and so copiously ordered grog for all the +seafaring population in honor of the event that the village was a +scene of rejoicing and festivity such as was unknown in its quiet +annals. + +The next day Harry rejoined his ship, and commenced his regular duties +as a midshipman on board. + +A week later the whole of the ships destined to take part in it had +arrived. The "Blue Peter" was hoisted at the ship's head, and on a gun +firing from the admiral's ship the anchors were weighed, and the fleet +soon left Spithead behind them. It consisted of eighteen sail of the +line, with a number of frigates and gunboats. The expedition was +commanded by Sir Hyde Parker, with Admiral Nelson second in command. +Contrary to the general expedition they sailed eastward instead of +passing through the Solent, and, coasting along the south of England, +passed through the Straits of Dover and stood out into the North Sea. + +Harry had had an interview with his captain four days after he had +joined. The latter told him that the dispatch-box which he had taken +had been sent up to London, and that its contents proved to be of the +highest importance, and that the Lords of the Admiralty had themselves +written to the admiral expressing their extreme satisfaction at the +capture, saying that the whole of their plans would have been +disconcerted had the papers fallen into the hands of the enemy. They +were pleased to express their strong approval of the conduct of Harry +Langley, and gave their assurance that when the time came his claim +for promotion should not be ignored. + +"So, my lad," the captain said, "you may be sure that when you have +passed your cadetship you will get your epaulette without loss of +time, and if you are steady and well conducted you may look out for a +brilliant position. It is not many lads who enter the navy under such +favorable conditions. I should advise you to study hard in order to +fit yourself for command when the time should come. From what you tell +me your education has not been neglected, and I have no doubt you know +as much as the majority of my midshipmen as to books. But books are +not all. An officer in his majesty's service should be a gentleman. +That you are that in manner, I am happy to see. But it is desirable +also that an officer should be able in all society to hold his own in +point of general knowledge with other gentlemen. Midshipmen, as a +class, are too much given to shirking their studies, and to think that +if an officer can handle and fight a ship it is all that is required. +It may be all that is absolutely necessary, but you will find that the +men who have most made their mark are all something more than rough +sailors. I need say nothing to you as to the necessity of at all times +and hazards doing your duty. That is a lesson that you have clearly +already learned." + +As the fleet still kept east, expectation rose higher and higher as to +the object of the expedition. Some supposed that a dash was to be made +on Holland. Others conceived that the object of the expedition must be +one of the North German or Russian forts, and the latter were +confirmed in their ideas when one fine morning the fleet were found to +be entering the Sound. Instead of passing through, however, the fleet +anchored here, out of gunshot of the forts of Copenhagen; and great +was the astonishment of the officers and men alike of the fleet when +it became known that an ultimatum had been sent on shore, and that the +Danes (who had been regarded as a neutral power) were called upon at +once to surrender their fleet to the English. + +Upon the face of facts known to the world at large, this was indeed a +most monstrous breach of justice and right. The Danes had taken no +part in the great struggle which had been going on, and their +sympathies were generally supposed to be with the English rather than +the French. Thus, for a fleet to appear before the capital of Denmark, +and to summon its king to surrender his fleet, appeared a high-handed +act of brute force. + +In fact, however, the English government had learned that negotiations +had been proceeding between the Danish government and the French; and +that a great scheme had been agreed upon, by which the Danes should +join the French at a given moment, and the united fleets being +augmented by ships of other powers, a sudden attack would be made upon +England. Had this secret confederation not been interfered with, the +position of England would have been seriously threatened. The fleet +which the allies would have been able to put onto the scene would have +greatly exceeded that which England could have mustered to defend her +coast, and although peace nominally prevailed between England and +Denmark the English ministry considered itself justified--and +posterity has agreed in the verdict--in taking time by the forelock, +and striking a blow before their seeming ally had time to throw off +the mask and to join in the projected attack upon them. + +It was the news of this secret resolve on the part of the cabinet +that, having in some way been obtained by a heavy bribe from a +subordinate in the admiralty, was being carried over in cipher to +France in the _Lucy_, and had it reached its destination the Danes +would have been warned in time, and the enterprise undertaken by +Parker and Nelson would have been impossible, for the forts of +Copenhagen, aided by the fleet in the harbor, were too strong to have +been attacked had they been thoroughly prepared for the strife. As all +these matters were unknown to the officers of the fleet, great was the +astonishment when the captains of the ships assembled in the admiral's +cabin, and each received orders as to the position which his vessel +was to take up, and the part it was to bear in the contest. This being +settled, the captains returned to their respective ships. + +Several days were spent in negotiations, but as the Danes finally +refused compliance with the English demands the long-looked-for signal +was hoisted and the fleet stood in through the Sound. It was a fine +sight as the leading squadron, consisting of twelve line-of-battle +ships and a number of frigates under Admiral Nelson, steered on +through the Sound, followed at a short distance by Sir Hyde Parker +with the rest of the fleet. The Danish forts on the Sound cannonaded +them, but their fire was very ineffectual, and the fleet without +replying steered on until they had attained the position intended for +them. The Danes were prepared for action. Their fleet of thirteen +men-of-war and a number of frigates, supported by floating batteries +mounting seventy heavy guns, was moored in a line four miles long in +front of the town, and was further supported by the forts on shore. + +This great force was to be engaged by the squadron of Admiral Nelson +alone, as that of Sir Hyde Parker remained outside menacing the +formidable Crown Batteries and preventing these from adding their fire +to that of the fleet and other shore batteries upon Nelson's squadron. + +The _Caesar_, the leading ship of the fleet, had been directed to sail +right past the line of ships and to operate against a detached fort +standing on a spit of land on the right flank of the Danish position. +This fort mounted many guns, much superior to those of the Caesar in +weight, but the crew were in high spirits at the prospect of a fight, +little as they understood the cause for which they were engaged. +Stripping to the waist, they clustered round the guns, each officer at +his post, Harry, with two other midshipmen, being upon the +quarter-deck near the captain to carry orders from him as might be +required to different parts of the ship. As the _Caesar_ passed along +the line of ships to take up her position she was saluted by a storm +of fire from the Danish vessels, to which she made no reply. She +suffered, however, but little injury, although shot and shell whistled +between the masts and struck the water on all sides of her, several +striking the hull with a dull, crashing sound, while her sails were +pierced with holes. Harry felt that he was rather pale, and was +disgusted with himself at the feeling of discomfort which he +experienced. But there is nothing that tries the nerves more than +standing the fire of an enemy before it is time to set to work to +reply. As soon as orders were given for the _Caesar's_ fire to be +opened, directly the guns could be brought to bear, and the roar of +her cannon answered those of the fort, the feeling of uneasiness on +Harry's part disappeared, and was succeeded by that of the excitement +of battle. The din was prodigious. Along the whole line the British +fleet was engaged, and the boom of the heavy guns of the ships, forts, +and batteries, and the rattle of musketry from the tops of the ships, +kept up a deep roar like that of incessant thunder. + +"The water is very shallow, sir," the first lieutenant reported to the +captain. "There are but two fathoms under her foot. The wind, too, is +dropping so much that we have scarcely steerage-way, and the current +is sweeping us along fast." + +"Prepare to anchor, Mr. Francis," the captain said. + +He had scarcely spoken, however, when there was a slight shivering +sensation in the ship, and it was known by all on board that she was +aground, and that on a falling tide. While the starboard guns were +kept at work the men were called off from those of the port side, +boats were lowered and hawsers were got out, and every effort was made +to tow the ship off the shoal. The sailors pulled hard in spite of the +storm of shot and shell which fell round them from the fort and the +nearest Danish ships. But the _Caesar_ was fast. Calling the men on +board again, the captain requested the first lieutenant to go aloft +and see what was going on in other parts of the line. He returned with +the news that four or five other ships were plainly aground, and that +things appeared to be going badly. In the meantime the _Caesar_ was +suffering heavily. The fire of the fort was well directed, and the +gunners, working their pieces under comparative shelter, were able to +pour their fire steadily into the _Caesar_, while a floating battery +and two frigates also kept up an incessant fire. + +The number of killed and wounded was already large, but as only the +guns of the starboard side could be worked the fire was kept up with +unabated zeal, and the fort bore many signs of the accuracy of the +fire. The parapet was in many places shot away and several of the guns +put out of action. But the _Caesar_ was clearly overmatched, and the +captain hastily wrote a note to the admiral, stating that the ship was +aground and was altogether overmatched, and begging that another +vessel might be dispatched to his aid, if one could be spared, in +order to partially relieve her of the enemy's fire. + +"Here, Mr. Langley, take the gig and row off to the flagship +instantly." + +Harry obeyed orders. Through the storm of shot and shell which was +flying, striking up the water in all directions, he made his way to +the admirals ship, which was lying nearly a mile away. + +Admiral Nelson opened the note and read it through. + +"Tell Captain Ball," he said, "that I haven't a ship to spare. +Several are aground, and all hard pressed. He must do the best he can. +Ah! you are the lad whom I saw in Sir Hyde Parker's cabin, are you +not?" + +"Yes, sir." + +The Admiral nodded in token of approval, and Harry prepared to leave. +Suddenly a thought struck him, and running into the captain's cabin he +asked the steward for a small tablecloth. + +"What on earth d'you want it for?" he exclaimed. + +"Never mind. Give it me at once." + +Seizing the tablecloth he ran down into the boat. As they returned +towards the _Caesar_ they could see how hardly matters were going with +her. One of her masts was down. Her sides were battered and torn, and +several of her port-holes were knocked into one. Still her fire +continued unabated, but it was clear that she could not much longer +resist. + +"Do you think she must haul down her flag?" Harry said to the coxswain +of the boat. + +"Aye, aye, sir," the coxswain said. "Wood and iron can't stand such a +pounding as that much longer. Most captains would have hauled down the +flag long before this, and even our skipper can't stand out much +longer. There won't be a man alive to fight her." + +"Will you do as I order?" Harry said. + +"Aye, sir," the coxswain said in surprise, "I will do what you like;" +for the story of the conduct by which Harry had gained his +midshipman's promotion had been repeated through the ship, and the men +were all proud of the lad who had behaved so pluckily. + +"At least," Harry said, "it may do good, and it can't do harm. Where's +the boat-hook? Fasten this tablecloth to it and pull for the fort." + +The coxswain gave an exclamation of surprise, but did as Harry told +him, and with the white flag flying the boat pulled straight towards +the fort. As he was seen to do so the fire of the latter, which had +been directed towards the boat, ceased, although the duel between the +battery and the _Caesar_ continued with unabated vigor. Harry steered +direct to the steps on the sea face and mounted to the interior of the +fort, where, on saying that he brought a message from the captain, he +was at once conducted to the commandant. + +"I am come, sir," Harry said, "from the captain to beg of you to +surrender at once. Your guns have been nobly fought, but two more +ships are coming down to engage with you, and the captain would fain +save further effusion of life. You have done all that brave men could +do, but the fight everywhere goes against you, and further resistance +is vain. In a quarter of an hour a fire will be centered upon your +guns that will mean annihilation, and the captain therefore begs you +to spare the brave men under your orders from further sacrifice." + +Taken by surprise by this sudden demand, which was fortunately at the +moment backed up by two ships of the squadron which had hitherto taken +no part in the action being seen sailing in, the governor, after a +hasty consultation with his officers, resolved to surrender, and two +minutes afterwards the Danish flag was hauled down in the fort and the +white flag run up. One of the Danish officers was directed to return +with Harry to the ship to notify the captain of the surrender of the +fort. + +The astonishment of Captain Ball at seeing the course of his boat +suddenly altered, a white flag hoisted, and the gig proceeding direct +to the fort, had been extreme, and he could only suppose that Harry +had received some orders direct from the admiral and that a general +cessation of hostilities was ordered. His surprise became astonishment +when he saw the Danish flag disappear and the white flag hoisted in +its place; and a shout of relief and exultation echoed from stem to +stern of the _Caesar_, for all had felt that the conflict was hopeless +and that in a few minutes the _Caesar_ must strike her flag. All sorts +of conjectures were rife as to the sudden and unexpected surrender of +the fort, and expectation was at its highest when the gig was seen +rowing out again with a Danish officer by the side of the midshipman. + +On reaching the ship's side Harry ascended the ladder with the Danish +officer, and advancing to Captain Ball said: + +"This officer, sir, has, in compliance with the summons which I took +to the commander of the fort in your name, come off to surrender." + +The Danish officer advanced and handed his sword to the captain, +saying: + +"In the name of the commander of the fort I surrender." + +The captain handed him back his sword, and ordering Harry to follow +him at once entered his cabin. His astonishment was unbounded when the +latter informed him what he had done, with many apologies for having +taken the matter into his own hands. + +"I saw," he said, "that the _Caesar_ was being knocked to pieces, and +the coxswain told me that it was impossible she could much longer +resist. I therefore thought that I could do no harm by calling upon +the governor to surrender, and that it was possible that I might +succeed, as you see that I have." + +"You certainly have saved the _Caesar_," Captain Ball said warmly, "and +we are all indeed indebted to you. It was a piece of astounding +impudence indeed for a midshipman to convey a message with which his +captain had not charged him; but success in the present case a +thousand times condones the offense. You have indeed done well, young +sir, and I and the ship's company are vastly indebted to you. I will +report the matter to the admiral." + +A hundred men speedily took their places in the boats. Lieutenant +Francis was sent ashore to take possession, and a few minutes later +the British flag was flying upon the fort. + +Ordering Harry to accompany him, Captain Ball at once took his place +in his gig and rowed to the flagship. The battle was still raging, and +to the practiced eye there was no doubt that the English fleet was +suffering very severely. Captain Ball mounted the quarter-deck, and +saluting the admiral reported that the fort with which he was engaged +had struck, but that the _Caesar_ being aground was unable to render +any assistance to the general attack. + +"A good many of us are aground, Ball," Admiral Nelson said, "but I +congratulate you on having caused the fort to haul down its colors. +Several of the Danish men-of-war have struck, but we cannot take +possession, and fresh boat-loads of men came off from shore, and their +fire has reopened. Our position is an unpleasant one. Sir Hyde Parker +has signaled to me to draw off, but so far I have paid no attention. I +fear that we shall have to haul off and leave some four or five ships +to the enemy." + +"The fact is," Captain Ball said, "it wasn't I who made the fort haul +down its flag, but this midshipman of mine." + +"Ha!" said the admiral, glancing at Harry, who, at Captain Ball's +order, had left the boat and was standing a short distance off. "How +on earth did he do that?" + +"When you told him, sir, that you could give us no aid he took upon +himself, instead of returning to the ship, to row straight to the +fort with one of your tablecloths fastened to the boat-hook, and +summoned the commander in my name to surrender at once so as to save +all further effusion of life, seeing that more ships were bearing down +and that he had done all that a brave man could, and should now think +of the lives of his troops." + +"An impudent little rascal!" the admiral exclaimed. "Midshipmen were +impudent enough in my days, but this boy beats everything. However, +his idea was an excellent one, and, by Jupiter! I will adopt it +myself. A man should never be above learning, and we are in such a +sore strait that one catches at a straw." + +So saying, the admiral, calling to his own captain, entered his cabin, +and at once indited a letter to the King of Denmark begging him to +surrender in order to save the blood of his subjects, expressing +admiration at the way in which they had fought, and saying that they +had done all that was possible to save honor, and might now surrender +with a full consciousness of having done their duty. This missive was +at once dispatched to shore, and the admiral awaited with anxiety its +result. + +A half-hour elapsed, the firing continuing with unabated fury. + +"By Jove, Ball," the admiral suddenly exclaimed, "there's the white +flag!" and a tremendous cheer broke along the whole of the British +ships as the flag of truce waved over the principal fort of +Copenhagen. Instantly the fire on both sides ceased. Boats passed +between the shore and the flagship with the proposals for surrender +and conditions. Nelson insisted that the Danish fleet should be +surrendered, in so firm and decisive a tone as to convince the king +that he had it in his power completely to destroy the town, and had +only so far desisted from motives of humanity. At length, to the +intense relief of the admiral and his principal officers, who knew how +sore the strait was, and to the delight of the sailors, the +negotiations were completed, and the victory of Copenhagen won. + +"Where's that boy?" the admiral asked. + +"That boy" was unfortunately no longer on the quarter-deck. One of the +last shots fired from the Danish fleet had struck him above the knee, +carrying away his leg. He had at once been carried down to the +cockpit, and was attended to by the surgeons of the flagship. In the +excitement of an action men take but little heed of what is happening +around them, and the fall of the young midshipman was unnoticed by his +captain. Now, however, that the battle was over, Captain Ball looked +round for his midshipman, and was filled with sorrow upon hearing what +had happened. He hurried below to the wounded boy, whose leg had +already been amputated, above the point at which the ball had severed +it, by the surgeon. + +"The white flag has been hoisted, my lad," he said, "and Copenhagen +has been captured, and to you more than to anyone is this great +victory due. I am sorry, indeed, that you should have been shot." + +Harry smiled faintly. + +"It is the fortune of war, sir. My career in the navy has not been a +long one. It is but a fortnight since I got my commission, and now I +am leaving it altogether." + +"Leaving the navy, perhaps," the captain said cheerfully, "but not +leaving life, I hope. I trust there's a long one before you; but +Admiral Nelson will, I am sure, be as grieved as I am that the career +of a young officer, who promised to rise to the highest honors of his +profession and be a credit and glory to his country, has been cut +short." + +A short time later the admiral himself came down and shook hands with +the boy, and thanked him for his services, and cheered him up by +telling him that he would take care that his presence of mind and +courage should be known. + +For some days Harry lay between life and death, but by the time that +the ship sailed into Portsmouth harbor the doctors had considerable +hope that he would pull round. He was carried at once to the Naval +Hospital, and a few hours later Peter Langley was by his bedside. His +captain frequently came to see him, and upon one occasion came while +his foster-father was sitting by his bedside. + +"Ah, Peter, is it you?" he said. "Your son told me that you had served +his majesty; but I didn't recognize the name as that of my old +boatswain on board the _Cleopatra_." + +"I am glad to see your honor," Peter said; "but I wish it had been on +any other occasion. However, I think that the lad will not slip his +wind this time; but he's fretting that his career on blue water is at +an end." + +"It is sad that it should be so," Captain Ball said; "but there are +many men who may live to a good age and will have done less for their +country than this lad in the short time he was at sea. First, he +prevented the dispatch, which would have warned the enemy of what was +coming, from reaching them; and, in the second place, his sharpness +and readiness saved no small portion of Admiral Nelson's fleet, and +converted what threatened to be a defeat into a victory. You must be +proud of your son, old salt." + +"Has not the boy told you, sir, that he's not my son?" the boatswain +said. + +"No, indeed!" Captain Ball exclaimed, surprised; "on the contrary, he +spoke of you as his father." + +In a few words Peter Langley related the circumstances of the finding +of Harry when a baby. Captain Ball was silent for a while, and then +said, "Do you know, Peter, that I have been greatly struck by the +resemblance of that lad to an old friend and school-fellow of mine, a +Mr. Harper? They are as like as two peas--that is, he is exactly what +my friend was at his age. My friend never was married; but I remember +hearing a good many years ago--I should say some fifteen years ago, +which would be about in accordance with this lad's age--that he had +lost a sister at sea. The ship she was in was supposed to have +foundered, and was never heard of again. She was the wife of the +captain, and was taking her first voyage with him. Of course it may be +a mere coincidence; still the likeness is so strong that it would be +worth while making some inquiries. Have you anything by which the +child can be identified?" + +"There are some trinkets, sir, of Indian workmanship for the most +part, and a locket. I will bring them over to your honor to-morrow if +you will let me." + +"Do so," Captain Ball said; "I am going up to London to-morrow, and +shall see my friend. Don't speak to the boy about it, for it's a +thousand to one against its being more than a coincidence. Still I +hope sincerely for his sake that it may be so." + +The next evening Captain Ball went up by coach to London, and the +following day called upon his friend, who was a rich retired +East-Indian director. He told the story as Peter had told it to him. + +"The dates answer," he said; "and, curiously, although the ship was +lost in the West Indies, it's likely enough that the ornaments of my +poor sister would have been Indian, as I was in the habit of often +sending her home things from Calcutta." + +"I have them with me," Captain Ball said, and produced the little +packet which Peter had given him. + +The old gentleman glanced at the ornaments, and then, taking the +locket, pressed the spring. He gave a cry as he saw the portrait +within it, and exclaimed, "Yes, that's the likeness of my sister as +she was when I last saw her! What an extraordinary discovery! Where is +the lad of whom you have been speaking? for surely he is my nephew, +the son of my sister Mary and Jack Peters." + +Captain Ball then related the story of Harry's doings from the time he +had known him, and the old gentleman was greatly moved at the tale of +bravery. The very next day he went down to Portsmouth with Captain +Ball, and Harry, to his astonishment, found himself claimed as nephew +by the friend of his captain. + +When Harry was well enough to be moved he went up to London with his +uncle, and a fortnight later received an official letter directing him +to attend at the Board of Admiralty. + +Donning his midshipman uniform he proceeded thither in his uncle's +carriage, and walked with crutches--for his wound was not as yet +sufficiently healed to allow him to wear an artificial leg--to the +board-room. Here were assembled the first lord and his colleagues. +Admiral Nelson was also present, and at once greeted him kindly. + +A seat was placed for him, and the first lord then addressed him. "Mr. +Peters, Admiral Nelson has brought to our notice the clever stratagem +by which, on your own initiation and without instruction, you obtained +the surrender of the Danish fort, and saved the _Caesar_ at a time when +she was aground and altogether overmatched. Admiral Nelson has also +been good enough to say that it was the success which attended your +action which suggested to him the course that he took which brought +the battle to a happy termination. Thus we cannot but feel that the +victory which has been won is in no small degree due to you. Moreover, +we are mindful that it was your bravery and quickness which prevented +the news of the intended sailing of the fleet from reaching the +Continent, in which case the attack could not have been carried out. +Under such extraordinary and exceptional circumstances we feel that an +extraordinary and exceptional acknowledgment is due to you. We all +feel very deep regret that the loss of your leg will render you unfit +for active service at sea, and has deprived his majesty of the loss of +so meritorious and most promising a young officer. We are about, +therefore, to take a course altogether without precedent. You will be +continued on the full-pay list all your life, you will at once be +promoted to the rank of lieutenant, three years hence to that of +commander, and again in another three years to the rank of post +captain. The board are glad to hear from Captain Ball that you are in +good hands, and wish you every good fortune in life." + +Harry was so overcome with pleasure that he could only stammer a word +or two of thanks, and the first lord, his colleagues, and Admiral +Nelson having warmly shaken hands with him, he was taken back to the +carriage, still in a state of bewilderment at the honor which had been +bestowed upon him. + +There is little more to tell. Having no other relations his uncle +adopted him as his heir, and the only further connection that Harry +had with the sea was that when he was twenty-one he possessed the +fastest and best-equipped yacht which sailed out of an English port. +Later on he sat in Parliament, married, and to the end of his life +declared that, after all, the luckiest point in his career was the +cutting off of his leg by the last shot fired by the Danish batteries, +for that, had this not happened, he should never have known who he +was, would never have met the wife whom he dearly loved, and would +have passed his life as a miserable bachelor. Peter Langley, when not +at sea with Harry in his yacht, lived in a snug cottage at Southsea, +and had never reason to the end of his life to regret the time when he +sighted the floating box from the tops of the _Alert_. + + + + +SURLY JOE. + + +"You wonder why I am called Surly Joe, sir? No, as you say, I hope I +don't deserve the title now; but I did once, and a name like that +sticks to a man for life. Well, sir, the fish are not biting at +present, and I don't mind if I tell you how I got it." + +The speaker was a boatman, a man some fifty years old, broad and +weather-beaten; he had but one arm. I had been spending a month's +well-earned holiday at Scarborough, and had been making the most of +it, sailing or fishing every day. Upon my first arrival I had gone out +with the one-armed boatman, and as he was a cheery companion, and his +boat, the _Grateful Mary_, was the best and fastest on the strand, I +had stuck to him throughout. The boatmen at our watering-places soon +learn when a visitor fixes upon a particular boat, and cease to +importune him with offers of a sail; consequently it became an +understood thing after a day or two that I was private property, and +as soon as I was seen making my way across the wet, soppy sand, which +is the one drawback to the pleasure of Scarborough, a shout would at +once be raised for Surly Joe. The name seemed a singularly +inappropriate one; but it was not until the very day before I was +returning to town that I made any remark on the subject. By this time +we had become great allies; for what with a bathe in the morning +early, a sail before lunch, and a fishing expedition afterwards, I had +almost lived on board the _Grateful Mary_. The day had been too clear +and bright for fishing; the curly-headed, barefooted boy who assisted +Joe had grown tired of watching us catch nothing, and had fallen +asleep in the bow of the boat; and the motion, as the boat rose and +fell gently on the swell, was so eminently provocative of sleep that I +had nodded once or twice as I sat with my eyes fixed on my line. Then +the happy idea had occurred to me to remark that I wondered why my +companion was called by a nickname which seemed so singularly +inappropriate. Joe's offer to tell me how he obtained it woke me at +once. I refilled my pipe,--an invariable custom, I observe, with +smokers when they are sitting down to listen to a story,--passed my +pouch to Joe, who followed my example; and when we had "lighted up" +Joe began: + +"Well, sir, it's about twelve years ago. I was a strong, active chap +then--not that I aint strong now, for I can shove a boat over the +sandbar with any man on the shore--but I aint as active as I were. I +warn't called Surly Joe then, and I had my two arms like other men. My +nickname then was Curly; 'cause, you see, my hair won't lay straight +on my head, not when it gets as wet as seaweed. I owned my own boat, +and the boys that worked with me warn't strangers, like Dick there, +but they were my own flesh and blood. I was mighty proud of the two +boys: fine straight tough-built lads was they, and as good-plucked uns +as any on the shore. I had lost their mother ten years, maybe, before +that, and I never thought of giving them another. One of 'em was about +twelve, just the size of Dick there; the other was a year older. Full +of tricks and mischief they was, but good boys, sir, and could handle +the boat nigh as well as I could. There was one thing they couldn't +do, sir--they couldn't swim. I used to tell 'em they ought to learn; +but there, you see, I can't swim myself, and out of all the men and +boys on this shore I don't suppose one in twenty on 'em can swim. Rum, +aint it, sir? All their lives in the water or on the water, seeing all +these visitors as comes here either swimming or learning to swim, and +yet they won't try. They talks about instinks; I don't believe in +instinks, else everybody who's got to pass his life on the water would +learn to swim, instead of being just the boys as never does learn. +That year, sir, I was doing well. There was a gentleman and his wife +and darter used to use my boat regular; morning and afternoon they'd +go out for a sail whenever it warn't too rough for the boat to put +out. I don't think the old gentleman and lady cared so much for it; +but they was just wrapped up in the girl, who was a pale, quiet sort +o' girl, who had come down to the sea for her health. She was +wonderful fond of the sea, and a deal o' good it did her; she warn't +like the same creature after she had been here two months. + +"It was a roughish sort of afternoon, with squalls from the east, but +not too rough to go out: they was to go out at four o'clock, and they +came down punctual; but the gentleman says, when he gets down: + +"'We have just got a telegram, Joe, to say as a friend is coming down +by the five-o'clock train, and we must be at the station to meet her, +she being an invalid; but I don't want Mary to lose her sail, so will +trust her with you.' + +"'You'll take great care of her, Joe, and bring her back safe,' the +mother says, half laughing like; but I could see she were a little +anxious about lettin' her go alone, which had never happened before. + +"'I'll take care of her, ma'am,' I says; 'you may take your oath I'll +bring her back if I comes back myself.' + +"'Good-by, mamma,' the girl says as she steps on the plank; 'don't you +fidget: you know you can trust Joe; and I'll be back at half-past six +to dinner.' + +"Well, sir, as we pushed off I felt somehow responsible like, and +although I'd told the boys before that one reef would be enough, I +made 'em put in another before I hoisted the sail. There warn't many +boats out, for there was more sea on than most visitors care to face; +but once fairly outside we went along through it splendid. When we got +within a mile of Fley, I asks her if we should turn, or go on for a +bit farther. + +"'We shall go back as quick as we've come, shan't we, Joe?' + +"'Just about the same, miss; the wind's straight on the shore.' + +"'We haven't been out twenty minutes,' she says, looking at her watch; +'I'd rather go a bit farther.' + +"Well, sir, we ran till we were off the brig. The wind was freshening, +and the gusts coming down strong; it was backing round rather to the +north too, and the sea was getting up. + +"'I a'most think, miss, we'd better run into Filey,' I says; 'and you +could go across by the coach.' + +"'But there's no danger, is there, Joe?' + +"'No, miss, there aint no danger; but we shall get a ducking before we +get back; there's rain in that squall to windward.' + +"'Oh, I don't care a bit for rain, Joe; and the coach won't get in +till half-past seven, and mamma would be in a dreadful fright. Oh, I'd +so much rather go on!' + +"I did not say no more, but I put her about, and in another few +minutes the squall was down upon us. The rain came against us as if it +wanted to knock holes in the boat, and the wind just howled again. A +sharper squall I don't know as ever I was put in. It was so black you +couldn't have seen two boats' length. I eased off the sheet, and put +the helm up; but something went wrong, and--I don't know rightly how +it was, sir. I've thought it over hundreds and hundreds of times, and +I can't reason it out in any sort of form. But the 'sponsibility of +that young gal weighed on me, I expect, and I must somehow ha' lost my +head--I don't know, I can't account for it; but there it was, and in +less time than it takes me to tell you we were all in the water. +Whatever I'd ha' been before, I was cool enough now. I threw one arm +round the gal, as I felt her going, and with the other I caught hold +of the side of the boat. We was under water for a moment, and then I +made shift to get hold of the rudder as she floated bottom upwards. +The boys had stuck to her too, but they couldn't get hold of the keel; +for you know how deep them boats are forward, drawing nigh a foot of +water there more than they does astern. However, after a bit, they +managed to get down to'rds the stern, and get a hand on the keel about +halfway along. They couldn't come no nigher, because, as you know, the +keel of them boats only runs halfway along. 'Hould on, lads!' I +shouted; 'hould on for your lives! They'll have seen us from the +cliff, and 'll have a lugger out here for us in no time.' + +"I said so to cheer them up; but I knew in my heart that a lugger, to +get out with that wind on, would have to run right into t'other side +o' the bay before she could get room enough to weather the brig. The +girl hadn't spoken a word since the squall struck us, except that she +gave a little short cry as the boat went over; and when we came up she +got her hands on the rudder, and held on there as well as she could +with my help. The squall did not last five minutes; and when it +cleared off I could look round and judge of our chances. They weren't +good. There was a party of people on the cliff, and another on the +brig, who were making their way out as far as they could on the brig, +for it were about half-tide. They must have seen us go over as we went +into the squall, for as we lifted I could see over the brig, and there +was a man galloping on horseback along the sands to'rds Filey as hard +as he could go. We were, maybe, a quarter of a mile off the brig, and +I saw that we should drift down on it before a boat could beat out of +the bay and get round to us. The sea was breaking on it, as it always +does break if there's ever so little wind from the east, and the spray +was flying up fifty feet in places where the waves hit the face of the +rock. There aint a worse place on all the coast than this, running as +it do nigh a mile out from the head, and bare at low water. The waves +broke over the boat heavy, and I had as much as I could do to hold on +by one hand to the rudder, which swung backwards and forwards with +every wave. As to the boys, I knew they couldn't hold on if they +couldn't get onto the bottom of the boat; so I shouted to 'em to try +to climb up. But they couldn't do it, sir; they'd tried already, over +and over again. It would ha' been easy enough in calm water; but with +the boat rolling and such waves going over her, and knocking them back +again when they'd half got up, it was too much for 'em. If I'd ha' +been free I could have got 'em up by working round to the side +opposite 'em, and given them a hand to haul them up; but as it was, +with only one hand free, it took me all my time to hold on where I +was. The girl saw it too, for she turned her face round to me, and +spoke for the first time. + +"'Let me go, please,' says she, 'and help your boys.' + +"'I can't do it,' said I. 'I've got to hold you till we're both +drowned together.' + +"I spoke short and hard, sir; for, if you'll believe me, I was +actually beginning to hate that gal. There was my own two boys +a-struggling for their lives, and I couldn't lend a hand to help 'em, +because I was hampered by that white-faced thing. She saw it in my +face, for she gave a sort of little cry, and said: + +"'Oh, do--do let me go!' + +"I didn't answer a word, but held on all the harder. Presently +Bill--he was my youngest boy--sang out: + +"'Father, can't you get round and lend us a hand to get up? I can't +hold on much longer.' + +"'I can't help you, Bill,' says I. 'I've given my promise to take this +young woman back, and I must keep my word. Her life's more precious to +her father than yours is to me, no doubt, and she's got to be saved.' + +"It was cruel of me, sir, and altogether unjust, and I knew it was +when I said it, but I couldn't help it. I felt as if I had a devil in +me. I was just mad with sorrow and hopelessness, and yet each word +seemed to come as cold and hard from me as if it was frozen. For a +moment she didn't move, and then, all of a sudden like, she gave a +twist out of my arms and went straight down. I grabbed at her, and +just got hold of her cloak and pulled her up again. She never moved +after that, but just lay quiet on my arm as if she was dead. Her head +was back, half in, half out of the water; and it was only by the tears +that run down sometimes through her eyelids, and by a little sob in +her breast, that I knew that she was sensible. + +"Presently Bill says, 'Good-by, father. God bless you!' and then he +let go his hold and went down. Five minutes afterwards, maybe, though +it seemed a week to me, Jack did the same. + +"There we was--the girl and I--alone. + +"I think now, sir, looking back upon it, as I was mad then. I felt +somehow as that the gal had drowned my two boys; and the devil kept +whispering to me to beat her white face in, and then to go with her to +the bottom. I should ha' done it too, but my promise kept me back. I +had sworn she should get safe to shore if I could, and it seemed to me +that included the promise that I would do my best for us both to get +there. I was getting weak now, and sometimes I seemed to wander, and +my thoughts got mixed up, and I talked to the boys as if they could +hear me. Once or twice my hold had slipped, and I had hard work enough +to get hold again. I was sensible enough to know as it couldn't last +much longer, and, talking as in my sleep, I had told the boys I would +be with 'em in a minute or two, when a sound of shouting quite close +roused me up sudden. + +"Then I saw we had drifted close to the brig. Some men had climbed +along, taking hold hand-in-hand when they passed across places where +the sea was already breaking over, and bringing with them the rope +which, as I afterwards heard, the man on horseback had brought back +from Filey. It was a brave deed on their part, sir, for the tide was +rising fast. When they saw I lifted my head and could hear them they +shouted that they would throw me the rope, and that I must leave go of +the boat, which would have smashed us to pieces, as I knew, if she had +struck the rocks with us. Where they were standing the rock was full +six feet above the sea; but a little farther it shelved down, and each +wave ran three feet deep across the brig. They asked me could I swim; +and when I shook my head, for I was too far gone to speak now, one of +'em jumped in with the end of the rope. He twisted it round the two of +us, and shouted to his friends to pull. It was time, for we weren't +much above a boat's length from the brig. Three of the chaps as had +the rope run down to the low part of the rock and pulled together, +while another two kept hold of the end of the rope and kept on the +rock, so as to prevent us all being washed across the brig together. I +don't remember much more about it. I let go the boat, sank down at +once, as if the girl and I had been lead, felt a tug of the rope, and +then, just as the water seemed choking me, a great smash, and I +remember nothing else. When I came to my right senses again I was in a +bed at Filey. I had had a bad knock on the head, and my right arm, +which had been round the girl, was just splintered. They took it off +that night. The first thing as they told me when I came round was that +the gal was safe. I don't know whether I was glad or sorry to hear it. +I was glad, because I had kept my promise and brought her back alive. +I was sorry, because I hated her like pison. Why should she have been +saved when my two boys was drowned? She was well-plucked, was that +gal, for she had never quite lost her senses; and the moment she had +got warm in bed with hot blankets, and suchlike she wanted to get dry +clothes and to go straight on to Scarborough in a carriage. However, +the doctor would not hear of it, and she wrote a little letter saying +as she was all right; and a man galloped off with it on horseback, and +got there just as they had got a carriage to the door to drive over to +Filey to ask if there was any news there about the boat. They came +over and slept there, and she went back with them next day. I heard +all this afterwards, for I was off my head, what with the blow I had +got and one thing and another, before I had been there an hour. And I +raved and cussed at the girl, they tell me, so that they wouldn't let +her father in to see me. + +"It was nigh a fortnight before I came to myself, to find my arm gone, +and then I was another month before I was out of bed. They came over +to Filey when I was sensible, and I hear they had got the best doctor +over from Scarborough to see me, and paid everything for me till I was +well, but I wouldn't see them when they came. I was quite as bitter +against her as I had been when I was in the sea drowning; and I was so +fierce when they talked of coming in that the doctor told them it +would make me bad again if they came. So they went up to London, and +when I could get about they sent me a letter, the gal herself and her +father and mother, thanking me, I suppose; but I don't know, for I +just tore 'em into pieces without reading them. Then a lawyer of the +town here came to me and said he'd 'struction to buy me a new boat, +and to buy a 'nuity for me. I told him his 'nuity couldn't bring my +boys back again, and that I warn't going to take blood-money; and as +to the boat, I'd knock a hole in her and sink her if she came. A year +after that lawyer came to me again, and said he'd more 'structions; +and I told him though I'd only one arm left I was man enough still to +knock his head off his shoulders, and that I'd do it if he came to me +with his 'structions or anything else. + +"By this time I'd settled down to work on the shore, and had got the +name of Surly Joe. Rightly enough, too. I had one of them planks with +wheels that people use to get in and out of the boats; and as the +boatmen on the shore was all good to me, being sorry for my loss, and +so telling my story to people as went out with them, I got enough to +live on comfortable, only there was nothing comfortable about me. I +wouldn't speak a word, good or bad, to a soul for days together, +unless it was to swear at anyone as tried to talk to me. I hated +everyone, and myself wuss nor all. I was always cussing the rocks that +didn't kill me, and wondering how many years I'd got to go on at this +work before my turn came. Fortunately I'd never cared for drink; but +sometimes I'd find my thoughts too hard for me, and I'd go and drink +glass after glass till I tumbled under the table. + +"At first my old mates tried to get me round, and made offers to me to +take a share in their boats, or to make one in a fishing voyage; but I +would not hear them, and in time they dropped off one by one, and left +me to myself, and for six years there wasn't a surlier, +wuss-conditioned, lonelier chap, not in all England, than I was. Well, +sir, one day--it was just at the beginning of the season, but was too +rough a day for sailing--I was a-sitting down on the steps of a +machine doing nothing, just wondering and wondering why things was as +they was, when two little gals cum up. One was, maybe, five, and the +other a year younger. I didn't notice as they'd just cum away from the +side of a lady and gentleman. I never did notice nothing that didn't +just concern me; but I did see that they had a nurse not far off. The +biggest girl had great big eyes, dark and soft, and she looked up into +my face, and held out a broken wooden spade and a bit of string, and +says she, 'Sailor-man, please mend our spade.' I was struck all of a +heap like; for though I had been mighty fond of little children in the +old days, and was still always careful of lifting them into boats, my +name and my black looks had been enough, and none of them had spoken +to me for years. I felt quite strange like when that child spoke out +to me, a'most like what I've read Robinson Crusoe, he as was wrecked +on the island, felt when he saw the mark of a foot. + +"I goes to hold out my hand, and then I draws it back, and says, +gruff, 'Don't you see I aint got but one hand? Go to your nurse.' + +"I expected to see her run right off; but she didn't, but stood as +quiet as may be, with her eyes looking up into my face. + +"'Nurse can't mend spade; break again when Nina digs. Nina will hold +spade together, sailor-man tie it up strong.' + +"I didn't answer at once; but I saw her lip quiver, and it was plain +she had been crying just before; so I put my hand into my pocket and +brings out a bit of string, for the stuff she'd got in her hand was +of no account; and I says, in a strange sort of voice, as I hardly +knew as my own, 'All right, missy, I'll tie it.' + +"So she held the broken pieces together, and I ties 'em up with the +aid of my hand and my teeth, and makes a strong, ship-shape job of it. +I did it sitting on the bottom step, with a child standing on each +side watching me. When I had done it the eldest took it, and felt it. + +"'That is nice and strong,' she said; 'thank you. Annie, say thank +you.' + +"'T'ank you,' she said; and, with a little pat on my arm as a good-by, +the little ones trotted away to a nurse sitting some little distance +off. + +"It may seem a little thing to you, sir, just a half-minute's talk to +a child; but it warn't a little thing to me. It seemed regularly to +upset me like; and I sat there thinking it over and wondering what was +come over me, till an hour afterwards they went past me with their +nurse; and the little things ran up to me and said, 'The spade's quite +good now--good-by, sailor-man!' and went on again. So I shook it off +and went to my work; for as the tide rose the wind dropped, and a few +boats went out; and thinking what a fool I was, was gruffer and +surlier than ever. + +"Next morning I was lending a mate a hand painting a boat, when I saw +the two children coming along the sand again, and I wondered to +myself whether they would know me again, or think any more of me, and +though I wanted them to do so I turned my back to the way they was +coming, and went on with my painting. Somehow I felt wonderful glad +when I heard their little feet come, pattering along the sand, and +they sang out: + +"'Good-morning, sailor-man!' + +"'Good-morning!' says I, short-like, as if I didn't want no talk; and +I goes on with my work without turning round. + +"Just then one of the men at the boats hails me. + +"'Joe, there's a party coming down.' + +"'I'm busy,' shouts I back; 'shove the plank out yourself.' + +"The children stopped quiet by me for a minute or two, watching me at +work, and then the eldest says: + +"'May we get inside the boat, Joe? we've never been inside a boat, and +we do want to so much.' + +"'My hand is all covered with paint,' says I, making a fight with +myself against giving in. + +"Then the little one said: + +"'Oo stoop down, Joe; sissy and me take hold round oor neck; then oo +stand up and we det in.' + +"Well, sir, the touch of their little arms and those soft little faces +against my cheeks as they got in fairly knocked me over, and it was +some time before I could see what I was doing. + +"Once in, they never stopped talking. They asked about everything, and +I had to answer them; and as I got accustomed to it the words came +freer, till I was talking away with them as if I had known 'em all my +life. Once I asked them didn't their papa and mamma ever take 'em out +for a sail, and they shook their heads and said mammy hated the sea, +and said it was a cruel sea; by which I judged as she must have lost +someone dear to her by it. + +"Well, sir, I must cut a long story short. Those children used to come +every day down to talk with me, and I got to look for it regular; and +if it was a wet day and they couldn't come I'd be regular put out by +it; and I got to getting apples and cakes in my pockets for them. +After a fortnight I took to carrying them across the wet sands and +putting them on the stand as I wheeled it out and back with people to +the boats. I didn't do it till they'd asked their mother, and brought +back the message that she knew she could trust them with me. + +"All this time it never once struck me as strange that their nurse +should sit with a baby-brother of theirs at a distance, and let them +play with me by the hour together, without calling them away, for I +wondered so much at myself, and to find myself telling stories to 'em +just as I'd do with children who came out sailing with me in the old +time, and in knowing as I was so wrapped up in 'em that I couldn't +wonder at anything else. Natural like, I changed a good deal in other +respects, and I got to give a good-morning to mates as I had scarce +spoken with for years; and the moment the children turned down onto +the sands there'd be sure to be a shout of 'There's your little +ladies, Joe.' + +"I don't know why my mates should ha' been pleased to see me coming +round, for I had made myself onpleasant enough on the shore; but +they'd made 'lowances for me, and they met me as kindly as if I'd cum +back from a vyage. They did it just quiet like, and would just say, +natural, 'Lend us a hand here, Joe, boy,' or 'Give us a shoulder over +the bank, Joe,' and ask me what I thought o' the weather. It was a +hard day for me when, after staying nigh two months, the little ladies +came to say good-by. It warn't as bad as might have been, though, for +they were going to stay with some friends near York, and were to come +back again in a fortnight before they went back to London. But they +kissed me, and cried, and gave me a pipe and a lot o' 'bacca, and I +was to think of them whenever I smoked it, and they would be sure to +think of me, for they loved me very much. + +"That very afternoon, sir, as I was standing by my stage, Jim +Saunders--he'd been mate with me before I owned a boat of my own--says +out loud: + +"'Lor', here's my party a-coming down, and I've jammed my hand so as I +can't hoist a sail. Who'll come out and lend me a hand?' + +"Well, everyone says they were busy, and couldn't come; but I believe +now as the whole thing was a got-up plan to get me afloat again; and +then Jim turns to me as if a sudden idea had struck him. + +"'Come, Joe, lend us a hand for the sake o' old times; come along, old +chap.' + +"I was taken aback like, and could only say something about my stage; +but half a dozen chaps volunteers to look after my stage, and afore I +scarce knew what I was after I was bundled aboard the boat; and as the +party got in I'm blest if I don't think as every chap on the shore +runs in to help shove her off, and a score of hands was held out just +to give me a shake as we started. + +"I don't think I was much good on that vyage, for I went and sat up in +the bow, with my back to the others, and my eyes fixed far ahead. + +"I needn't tell you, sir, when I'd once broken the ice I went regular +to the sea again, and handed my stage over to a poor fellow who had +lost his craft and a leg the winter before. + +"One day when I came in from a sail I saw two little figures upon the +sands, and it needed no word from anyone to tell me my little ladies +had come back. They jumped and clapped their hands when they saw me, +and would have run across the water to meet me hadn't I shouted to +them to wait just a minute till I should be with them. + +"'We've been waiting a long time, Joe. Where have you been?' + +"'I've been out sailing, missy.' + +"'Joe, don't you know it's wicked to tell stories? You told us you +should never go on sea any more.' + +"'No more I didn't think I should, missy; and I don't suppose I ever +should if I hadn't met you, though you won't understand that. However, +I've give up the stage, and have taken to the sea again.' + +"'I'm glad of that, Joe,' the eldest said, 'and mamma will be glad +too.' + +"'Why should mamma be glad, little one?' I asked. + +"'Mamma will be glad,' she said positively. 'I know she will be glad +when I tells her.' + +"We'd sat down by this time, and I began to talk to them about their +mamma. Mamma very good, very kind, very pretty, they both agreed; and +then they went on telling me about their home in London, and their +carriage and amusements. Presently they stopped, and I could see the +eldest wanted to say something particular, for she puckered up her +forehead as she always did when she was very serious; and then she +said, with her hands folded before her, almost as if she was saying a +lesson: + +"'Mamma very happy woman. She's got two little girls and baby-brother, +and papa love her so much; but there's one thing keeps her from being +quite happy.' + +"'Is there, missy?' I asked. 'She ought to be happy with all these +things. What is it?' + +"'Mamma once had someone do a great thing for her. If it hadn't been +for him Nina and sissy and little baby-brother could never have been +born, and papa would never have had dear mamma to love; but it cost +the man who did it a great deal--all he cared for; and now he won't +let mamma and papa and us love him and help him; and it makes mamma +unhappy when she thinks of it.' + +"Here she had evidently finished what she had heard her mamma say, for +her forehead got smooth again, and she began to fill my pockets with +sand. + +"'It don't sound likely, missy, that doesn't,' I says. 'It don't stand +to reason nohow. You can't have understood what mamma said.' + +"'Mamma said it over and over again, lots of time,' Nina said. 'Nina +quite sure she said right.' + +"We didn't say no more about it then, though after the children had +gone I wondered to myself how a chap could go on so foolish as that. +Well, sir, three days after come round from Whitby this very boat, the +_Grateful Mary_. She was sent care of Joe Denton; and as that was me, +I had her hauled up on the beach till I should hear whose she was. +Several visitors that had been out with me had said, promiscuous like, +that they should like to have a boat of their own, and I supposed they +had bought her at Whitby and sent her down, though why they should +have sent her to my care I couldn't quite see. + +"Two days afterwards them children come down, and says: + +"'We want you to go through the town to the other cliff with us, Joe.' + +"'I can't,' says I. 'I'm all right talking to you here, missies; but I +shouldn't be a credit to you in the town, and your pa wouldn't be +best pleased if he was to see you walking about in the streets with a +boatman.' + +"'Papa said we might ask you, Joe.' + +"I shook my head, and the little ladies ran off to their nurse, who +come back with them and says: + +"'Master told me to say he should be pertickler glad if you would go +with the young ladies.' + +"'Oh, very well,' I says; 'if their pa don't object, and they wishes +it, I'd go with 'em anywheres. You wait here a quarter of an hour, +while I goes and cleans myself, and I'll go with you.' + +"When I comes back the youngest takes my hand, and the oldest holds by +my jacket, and we goes up into High Street, and across to the other +cliff. We goes along till we comes to a pretty little cottage looking +over the sea. There was a garden in front, new planted with flowers. + +"'Are you sure you are going right?' says I, when they turned in. + +"They nodded, and ran up to the door and turned the handle. + +"'Come in, Joe,' they said; and they dragged me into a parlor, where a +lady and gentleman was sitting. + +"The gentleman got up. + +"'My little girls have spoken so much to me about you, Joe, that I +feel that we know each other already.' + +"'Yes, sir, surely,' says I. + +"'Well, Joe, do you know that I owe you a great deal as to these +little girls?' + +"'Bless you, sir, it's I as owe a great deal to the little missies; +they have made a changed man of me, they have; you ask anyone on the +shore.' + +"'I hope they have, Joe; for had they not got round your heart, and +led you to your better self, I could never have done what I have done, +for you would have rendered it useless.' + +"I didn't say nothing, sir, for I could make neither head nor tail of +what he was saying, and, I dessay, looked as surprised as might be. +Then he takes a step forward, and he puts a hand on my shoulder, and +says he: + +"'Joe, have you never guessed who these little girls were?' + +"I looked first at the children, and then at him, and then at the +lady, who had a veil down, but was wiping her eyes underneath it. I +was downright flummuxed. + +"'I see you haven't,' the gentleman went on. 'Well, Joe, it is time +you should know now. I owe to you all that is dear to me in this +world, and our one unhappiness has been that you would not hear us, +that you had lost everything and would not let us do anything to +lighten your blow.' + +"Still, sir, I couldn't make out what he meant, and began to think +that I was mad, or that he was. Then the lady stood up and threw back +her veil, and come up in front of me with the tears a-running down +her face; and I fell back a step, and sits down suddenly in a chair, +for, sure enough, it was that gal. Different to what I had seen her +last, healthy-looking and well--older, in course; a woman now, and the +mother of my little ladies. + +"She stood before me, sir, with her hands out before her, pleading +like. + +"'Don't hate me any more, Joe. Let my children stand between us. I +know what you have suffered, and, in all my happiness, the thought of +your loneliness has been a trouble, as my husband will tell you. I so +often thought of you--a broken, lonely man. I have talked to the +children of you till they loved the man that saved their mother's +life. I cannot give you what you have lost, Joe--no one can do that; +but you may make us happy in making you comfortable. At least, if you +cannot help hating me, let the love I know you bear my children weigh +with you.' + +"As she spoke the children were hanging on me; and when she stopped +the little one said: + +"'Oh, Joe, oo must be dood; oo mustn't hate mamma, and make her cry!' + +"Well, sir, I know as I need tell you more about it. You can imagine +how I quite broke down, like a great baby, and called myself every +kind of name, saying only that I thought, and I a'most think so now, +that I had been somehow mad from the moment the squall struck the +_Kate_ till the time I first met the little girls. + +"When I thought o' that, and how I'd cut that poor gal to her drowning +heart with my words, I could ha' knelt to her if she'd ha' let me. At +last, when I was quiet, she explained that this cottage and its +furniture and the _Grateful Mary_ was all for me; and we'd a great +fight over it, and I only gave in when at last she says that if I +didn't do as she wanted she'd never come down to Scarborough with the +little ladies no more; but that if I 'greed they'd come down regular +every year, and that the little girls should go out sailing with me +regular in the _Grateful Mary_. + +"Well, sir, there was no arguing against that, was there? So here I +am; and next week I expect Miss Mary that was, with her husband, who's +a Parliament man, as she was engaged to be married to at the time of +the upset, and my little ladies, who is getting quite big girls too. +And if you hadn't been going away I'd ha' sailed round the castle +tower, and I'd ha' pointed out the cottage to you. Yes, sir, I see +what you are going to ask. I found it lonely there; and I found the +widow of a old mate of mine who seemed to think as how she could make +me comfortable; and comfortable I am, sir--no words could say how +comfortable I am; and do you know, sir, I'm blest if there aint a Joe +up there at this identical time, only he's a very little one, and has +got both arms. So you see, sir, I have got about as little right as +has any chap in this mortial world to the name of Surly Joe." + + + + +A FISH-WIFE'S DREAM. + + +Falmouth is not a fashionable watering-place. Capitalists and +speculative builders have somehow left it alone, and, except for its +great hotel, standing in a position, as far as I know, unrivaled, +there have been comparatively few additions to it in the last quarter +of a century. Were I a yachtsman I should make Falmouth my +headquarters: blow high, blow low, there are shelter and plenty of +sailing room, while in fine weather there is a glorious coast along +which to cruise--something very different from the flat shores from +Southampton to Brighton. It is some six years since that I was lying +in the harbor, having sailed round in a friend's yacht from Cowes. +Upon the day after we had come in my friend went into Truro, and I +landed, strolled up, and sat down on a bench high on the seaward face +of the hill that shelters the inner harbor. + +An old coastguardsman came along. I offered him tobacco, and in five +minutes we were in full talk. + +"I suppose those are the pilchard boats far out there?" + +"Aye, that's the pilchard fleet." + +"Do they do well generally?" + +"Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't; it's an uncertain fish the +pilchard, and it's a rough life is fishing on this coast. There aint a +good harbor not this side of the Lizard; and if they're caught in a +gale from the southeast it goes hard with them. With a southwester +they can run back here." + +"Were you ever a fisherman yourself?" + +"Aye, I began life at it; I went a-fishing as a boy well-nigh fifty +year back, but I got a sickener of it, and tramped to Plymouth and +shipped in a frigate there, and served all my time in queen's ships." + +"Did you get sick of fishing because of the hardships of the life, or +from any particular circumstance?" + +"I got wrecked on the Scillys. There was fifty boats lost that night, +and scarce a hand was saved. I shouldn't have been saved myself if it +had not been for a dream of mother's." + +"That's curious," I said. "Would you mind telling me about it?" + +The old sailor did not speak for a minute or two; and then, after a +sharp puff at his pipe, he told me the following story, of which I +have but slightly altered the wording: + +I lived with mother at Tregannock. It's a bit of a village now, as it +was then. My father had been washed overboard and drowned two years +before. I was his only son. The boat I sailed in was mother's, and +four men and myself worked her in shares. I was twenty-one, or maybe +twenty-two, years old then. It was one day early in October. We had +had a bad season, and times were hard. We'd agreed to start at eight +o'clock in the morning. I was up at five, and went down to the boats +to see as everything was ready. When I got back mother had made +breakfast; and when we sat down I saw that the old woman had been +crying, and looked altogether queer like. + +"My boy," says she, "I want you not to go out this trip." + +"Not go out!" said I; "not go out, mother! Why? What's happened? Your +share and mine didn't come to three pounds last month, and it would be +a talk if I didn't go out in the _Jane_. Why, what is it?" + +"My boy," says she, "I've had a dream as how you was drowned." + +"Drowned!" said I; "I'm not going to be drowned, mother." + +But what she said made me feel creepy like, for us Cornishmen goes a +good deal on dreams and tokens; and sure enough mother had dreamed +father was going to be drowned before he started on that last trip of +his. + +"That's not all, Will," she said. "I dreamed of you in bed, and a chap +was leaning over you cutting your throat." + +I didn't care much for going on with my breakfast after that; but in a +minute or two I plucks up and says: + +"Well, mother, you're wrong, anyhow; for if I be drowned no one has no +call to cut my throat." + +"I didn't see you downright drowned in my dream," she said. "You was +in the sea--a terribly rough sea--at night, and the waves were +breaking down on you." + +"I can't help going, mother," I says, after a bit. "It's a fine day, +and it's our boat. All the lads and girls in the village would laugh +at me if I stayed at home." + +"That's just what your father said; and he went to his death." + +And my mother, as she says this, puts her apron over her head and +began to cry again. I'd more than half a mind to give way; but you +know what young chaps are. The thought of what the girls of the place +would say about my being afraid to go was too much for me. + +At last, when mother saw I was bent on going, she got up and said: + +"Well, Will, if my prayers can't keep you back, will you do something +else I ask you?" + +"I will, mother," said I--"anything but stay back." + +She went off without a word into her bedroom, and she came back with +something in her arms. + +"Look here, Will, I made this for your father, and he wouldn't have +it; now I ask you to take it, and put it on if a storm comes on. You +see, you can put it on under your dreadnaught coat, and no one will +be any the wiser." + +The thing she brought in was two flat Dutch spirit-bottles, sewn +between two pieces of canvas. It had got strings sewed on for tying +round the body, and put on as she did to show me how, one bottle each +side of the chest, it lay pretty flat. + +"Now, Will, these bottles will keep you up for hours. A gentleman who +was staying in the village before you was born was talking about +wrecks, and he said that a couple of empty bottles, well corked, would +keep up a fair swimmer for hours. So I made it; but no words could get +your father to try it, though he was willing enough to say that it +would probably keep him afloat. You'll try it, won't you, Will?" + +I didn't much like taking it, but I thought there wasn't much chance +of a storm, and that if I put it under my coat and hid it away down in +the forecastle, no one would see it; and so to please her I said I'd +take it, and that if a bad storm came on I would slip it on. + +"I will put a wineglass of brandy into one of the bottles," mother +said. "It may be useful to you; who can say?" + +I got the life-preserver, as you call it nowadays, on board without +its being seen, and stowed it away in my locker. I felt glad now I'd +got it, for mother's dream had made me feel uneasy; and on my way down +old Dick Tremaine said to me: + +"I don't like the look of the sky, lad." + +"No!" says I; "why, it looks fine enough." + +"Too fine, lad. I tell ye, boy, I don't like the look of it. I think +we're going to have a bad blow." + +I told the others what he had said; but they didn't heed much. Two +boats had come in that morning with a fine catch, and after the bad +time we'd been having it would have taken a lot to keep them in after +that. + +We thought no more about it after we had once started. The wind was +light and puffy; but we had great luck, and were too busy to watch the +weather. What wind there was, was northerly; but towards sunset it +dropped suddenly, and as the sails flapped we looked round at the sky. + +"I fear old Dick was right, lads," Jabez Harper, who was skipper, +said, "and I wish we had taken more heed to his words. That's about as +wild a sunset as may be; and look how that drift is nearing our boat." + +Even I, who was the youngest of them, was old enough to read the signs +of a storm--the heavy bank of dark clouds, the pale-yellow broken +light, the horse-tails high up in the sky, and the small broken +irregular masses of cloud that hurried across them. Instinctively we +looked round towards the coast. It was fully fifteen miles away, and +we were to the east of it. The great change in the appearance of the +sky had taken place in the last half-hour; previous to that time there +had been nothing which would have struck any but a man grown old upon +the coast like Dick Tremaine. + +"Reef the mainsail," Jabez said, "and the foresail too; take in the +mizzen. Like enough it will come with a squall, and we'd best be as +snug as may be. What do you say? shall we throw over some of the +fish?" + +It was a hard thing to agree to; but every minute the sky was +changing. The scud was flying thicker and faster overhead, and the +land was lost in a black cloud that seemed to touch the water. + +"We needn't throw 'em all out," Jabez said; "if we get rid of half +she'll be about in her best trim; and she's as good a sea-boat as +there is on the coast. Come, lads, don't look at it." + +It was, as he said, no use looking at it, and in five minutes half our +catch of the day was overboard. The _Jane_ was a half-decked boat, +yawl-rigged; she wasn't built in our parts, but had been brought round +from somewhere east by a gentleman as a fishing-craft. He had used her +for two years, and had got tired of the sport, and my father had +bought her of him. She wasn't the sort of boat generally used about +here, but we all liked her, and swore by her. + +"It will be a tremendous blow for the first few minutes, I reckon," +Jabez said after a while. "Lower down her sails altogether; get her +head to it with a sweep. I'll take the helm; Harry, you stand ready to +hoist the foresail a few feet; and, Will, you and John stand by the +hoists of the mainsail. We must show enough to keep her laying-to as +long as we can. You'd best get your coats out and put 'em on, and +batten down the hatch." + +I let the others go down first, and when they came up I went in, tied +the life-belt round me, and put on my oilskin. I fetched out a bottle +of hollands from my locker, and then came out and fastened the hatch. + +"Here comes the first puff," Jabez said. + +I stowed away the bottle among some ropes for our future use, and took +hold of the throat halyard. + +"Here it comes," Jabez said, as a white line appeared under the cloud +of mist and darkness ahead, and then with a roar it was upon us. + +I have been at sea, man and boy, for forty years, and I never remember +in these latitudes such a squall as that. For a few minutes I could +scarcely see or breathe. The spray flew in sheets over us, and the +wind roared so that you wouldn't have heard a sixty-eight-pounder ten +yards off. At first I thought we were going down bodily. It was lucky +we had taken every stitch of canvas off her, for, as she spun round, +the force of the wind against the masts and rigging all but capsized +her. In five minutes the first burst was over, and we were running +before it under our close-reefed foresail only. There was no occasion +for us to stand by the halyards now, and we all gathered in the stern, +and crouched down in the well. Although the sun had only gone down +half an hour it was pitch-dark, except that the white foam round us +gave a sort of dim light that made the sky look all the blacker. The +sea got up in less time than it takes in telling, and we were soon +obliged to hoist the foresail a bit higher to prevent the waves from +coming in over the stern. For three hours we tore on before the gale, +and then it lulled almost as suddenly as it had come on. There had +scarcely been a word spoken between us during this time. I was half +asleep in spite of the showers of spray. Jim Hackers, who was always +smoking, puffed away steadily; Jabez was steering still, and the +others were quite quiet. With the sudden lull we were all on our feet. + +"Is it all over, Jabez?" I asked. + +"It's only begun," he said. "I scarce remember such a gale as this +since I was a boy. Pass that bottle of yours round, Will; we shall be +busy again directly. One of you take the helm; I'm stiff with the wet. +We shall have it round from the south in a few minutes." + +There was scarce a breath of wind now, and she rolled so I thought she +would have turned turtle. + +"Get out a sweep," Jabez said, "and bring her head round." + +We had scarcely done so ere the first squall from behind struck us, +and in five minutes we were running back as fast as we had come. The +wind was at first south, but settled round to southeast. We got up a +little more sail now, and made a shift to keep her to the west, for +with this wind we should have been ashore long before morning if we +had run straight before it. The sea had been heavy--it was tremendous +now; and, light and seaworthy as the _Jane_ was, we had to keep baling +as the sea broke into her. Over and over again I thought that it was +all over with us as the great waves towered above our stern, but they +slipped under us as we went driving on at twelve or fourteen knots an +hour. I stood up by the side of Jabez, and asked him what he thought +of it. + +"I can't keep her off the wind," he said; "we must run, and by +midnight we shall be among the Scillys. Then it's a toss-up." + +Jabez's calculations could not have been far out, for it was just +midnight, as far as I could tell, when we saw a flash right ahead. + +"That's a ship on one of the Scillys," Jabez said. "I wish I knew +which it was." + +He tried to bring her a little more up into the wind, but she nearly +lay over onto her beam-ends, and Jabez let her go ahead again. We saw +one more flash, and then a broad faint light. The ship was burning a +blue light. She was not a mile ahead now, and we could see she was a +large vessel. I had often been to the Scillys before, and knew them as +well as I did our coast, but I could not see the land. It was as Jabez +had said--a toss-up. If we just missed one of them we might manage to +bring up under its lee; but if we ran dead into one or other of them +the _Jane_ would break up like an egg-shell. + +We were rapidly running down upon the wreck when the glare of a fire +on shore shone up. It was a great blaze, and we could faintly see the +land and a white cottage some hundred yards from the shore. + +"I know it," Jabez shouted; "we are close to the end of the island; we +may miss it yet. Hoist the mainsail a bit." + +I leapt up with another to seize the halyards, when a great wave +struck us; she gave a roll, and the next moment I was in the water. + +After the first wild efforts I felt calm like. I knew the shore was +but half a mile ahead, and that the wind would set me dead upon it. I +loosened my tarpaulin coat and shook it off, and I found that with +mother's belt I could keep easily enough afloat, though I was half +drowned with the waves as they swept in from behind me. My mother's +dream cheered me up, for, according to that, it did not seem as I was +to be drowned, whatever was to come afterwards. I drifted past the +wreck within a hundred yards or so. They were still burning blue +lights; but the sea made a clean sweep over her, and I saw that in a +very few minutes she would go to pieces. Many times as the seas broke +over me I quite gave up hope of reaching shore; but I was a fair +swimmer, and the bottles buoyed me up, and I struggled on. + +I could see the fire on shore, but the surf that broke against the +rocks showed a certain death if I made for it, and I tried hard to +work to the left, where I could see no breaking surf. It seemed to me +that the fire was built close to the end of the island. As I came +close I found that this was so. I drifted past the point of land not +fifty feet off, where the waves were sending their spray a hundred +feet up; then I made a great struggle, and got in under the lee of the +point. There was a little bay with a shelving shore, and here I made a +shift to land. Five minutes to rest, and then I made my way towards +the fire. There was no one there, and I went to the edge of the rocks. +Here four or five men with ropes were standing, trying to secure some +of the casks, chests, and wreckage from the ship. The surf was full of +floating objects, but nothing could stand the shock of a crash against +those rocks. The water was deep alongside, and the waves, as they +struck, flew up in spray, which made standing almost impossible. + +The men came round me when they saw me. There was no hearing one speak +in the noise of the storm; so I made signs I had landed behind the +point, and that if they came with their ropes to the point they might +get something as it floated past. They went off, and I sat down by the +fire, wrung my clothes as well as I could,--I thought nothing of the +wet, for one is wet through half the time in a fishing-boat,--took off +mother's belt, and found one of the bottles had broke as I got ashore; +but luckily it was the one which was quite empty. I got the cork out +of the other, and had a drink of brandy, and then felt pretty right +again. I had good hopes the boat was all right, for she would get +round the point easy, and Jabez would bring her up under the lee of +the island. I thought I would go and see if I could help the others, +and perhaps save someone drifting from the wreck; but I did not think +there was very much chance, for she lay some little distance to the +right, and I hardly thought a swimmer could keep off the shore. + +Just as I was going to move I saw two of them coming back. They had a +body between them, and they put it down a little distance from the +fire. I was on the other side, and they had forgotten all about me. +They stooped over the figure, and I could not see what they were +doing. I got up and went over, and they gave a start when they saw me. +"Is he alive?" says I. "Dunno," one of 'em growled; and I could see +pretty well that if I had not been there it would have gone hard with +the chap. He was a foreign, Jewish-looking fellow, and had around him +one of the ship's life-buoys. There were lots of rings on his fingers, +and he had a belt round his waist that looked pretty well stuffed out. +I put my hand to his heart, and found he still breathed; and then I +poured a few drops of brandy which remained in my bottle down his +throat. + +While I was doing this the two men had talked to each other aside. +"He's alive, all right," says I. "That's a good job," one of 'em said; +but I knew he didn't think so. "We'll carry him up to our cottage. +You'll be all the better for a sleep; it must be past two o'clock by +this time." + +They took the chap up, and carried him to the cottage, and put him on +a bed. He was moaning a little, and between us we undressed him and +got him into bed. "I doubt he'll come round," I said. + +"I don't believe he will. Will you have a drink of whisky?" + +I was mighty glad to do so, and then, throwing off my wet clothes, I +got into the other bed, for there were two in the room. + +The men said they were going down again to see what they could get. +They left the whisky bottle on the table, and as soon as I was alone I +jumped out and poured a little into the other chap's teeth, so as to +give him as good a chance as I could; but I didn't much think he'd get +round, and then I got into bed and shut my eyes. I was just going off, +when, with a sudden jump, I sat straight up. Mother's dream came right +across me. I was out of bed in a moment, and looked at the door. There +was no bolt, so I put a couple of chairs against it. Then I took my +clasp-knife out of my pocket and opened it. I gave the other chap a +shake, but there was no sense in him, and I got into bed again. I +thought to myself they would never risk a fight when they saw me armed +and ready. But I soon found that I couldn't keep awake; so I got up +and dressed in my wet clothes, and went to the door. I found it was +fastened on the outside. I soon opened the window and got out, but +before I did that I rolled up some clothes and put 'em in the bed, and +made a sort of likeness of a man there. The poor fellow in bed was +lying very still now, and I felt pretty sure that he would not live +till morning. The candle was a fresh one when they had first lighted +it, and I left it burning. + +When I had got out I shut the window, and went away fifty yards or so, +where I could hear them come back. Presently I heard some footsteps +coming from the opposite direction. Then I heard a voice I knew say, +"There is the fire; we shall soon know whether the poor lad has got +ashore." + +"Here am I, Jabez," I said. "Hush!" as he and the other were going to +break into a shout of welcome, "hush! Some wreckers are coming up +directly to cut my throat and that of another chap in that cottage." + +In a word or two I told them all about it; and they agreed to wait +with me and see the end of it. Jabez had brought the _Jane_ up under +the lee of the island, and, leaving two of the men on board, had come +on shore in the cobble with the other to look for me, but with very +faint hopes of finding me. + +"You had best get hold of something to fight with, if you mean to take +these fellows, Jabez." + +"A good lump of rock is as good a weapon as another," Jabez said. + +Our plan was soon arranged, and half an hour later we heard footsteps +coming up from the shore again. Two men passed us, went into the +cottage, and shut the door. Jabez and I made round to the window, +where we could see in, and John Redpath stood at the door. He was to +open it and rush in when he heard us shout. We stood a little back, +but we could see well into the room. Presently we saw the door open +very quietly, little by little. A hand came through and moved the +chairs, and then it opened wide. Then the two men entered. One, a big +fellow, had a knife in his hand, and drew towards the bed, where, as +it seemed, I was sleeping, with my head covered up by the clothes. The +other had no knife in his hand, and came towards the other bed. + +"Get ready, lad," Jabez said to me. + +The big fellow raised his knife and plunged it down into the figure, +throwing his weight onto it at the same moment, while the smaller man +snatched the pillow from under the other's head and clapped it over +his face, and threw his weight on it. As they did so we pushed the +casement open and leapt in. I seized the smaller man, who was +suffocating the other chap, and before he could draw his knife I had +him on the ground and my knee on his chest. The big fellow had leapt +up. He gave a howl of rage as Jabez rushed at him, and stood at bay +with his knife. Jabez stopped, however, and threw his lump of rock, as +big as a baby's head, right into his stomach. It just tumbled him over +like a cannon-shot. John burst in through the door, and we had 'em +both tied tightly before five minutes was over. Then we lit a big fire +in the kitchen, and with warm clothes and some hot whisky and water +we got the foreign chap pretty well round. + +In the morning I went off and found a village on the other side of the +island. I woke them up and told my story, and, to do 'em justice, +though there were some who would have shielded the fellows we had +caught, the best part were on our side. Some of 'em told me there had +been suspicion upon these men, and that they bore a bad name. There +was no magistrate in the island, and no one objected when I said we +would take them across to Penzance and give them in charge there. + +So we did; and they were tried and got transportation for life for +attempting to murder the foreign chap, who, it turned out, was a +Brazilian Jew, with diamonds. He offered us all sorts of presents, but +we would have none; but that's neither here nor there. + +So you see, master, mother's dream saved me from drowning and from +having my throat cut. I gave up fishing after that and went into the +queen's service. Mother sold the boat, and went to live with a sister +of hers at Truro. The Scilly Islands have changed since those times, +and you'll meet as much kindness there if you're wrecked as you will +anywhere else; but they were a rough lot in those days, and I had a +pretty close shave of it, hadn't I? + + + + +Boys' Own Library. + + + BOUND IN CLOTH. + + Large Type, Fine Book Paper. Illustrated. Printed Wrappers. + + A selection of the Best Books for Boys, by the most popular + Authors. + + Handsome Cloth Binding. Covers Stamped in Inks and Gold. + + THESE BOOKS ARE ALL COPYRIGHTED. + + Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. + +#Horatio Alger, Jr.# + + Adventures of a Telegraph Boy. + Dean Dunham. + Erie Train Boy. + Five Hundred Dollar Check. + From Canal Boy to President. + From Farm Boy to Senator. + Mark Stanton. + Ned Newton. + New York Boy. + Tom Brace. + Tom Tracy. + Walter Griffith. + Young Acrobat. + +#C. B. Ashley.# + + Gilbert, the Trapper + +#Annie Ashmore.# + + Smuggler's Cave, The. + +#Capt. Ralph Bonehill.# + + Neka, the Boy Conjurer. + Tour of the Zero Club. + +#Walter F. Burns.# + + In the Sunk Lands. + +#Frank H. Converse.# + + Gold of Flat Top Mountain. + Happy-Go-Lucky Jack. + Heir to a Million. + In Search of an Unknown Race. + In Southern Seas. + Mystery of a Diamond. + That Treasure. + Voyage to the Gold Coast. + +#Harry Collingwood.# + + Pirate Island. + +#George H. Coomer.# + + Boys In the Forecastle. + Old Man of the Mountain. + +#William Dalton.# + + Tiger Prince. + War Tiger. + White Elephant. + +#Edward S. Ellis.# + + Arthur Helmuth. + Check Number 2134. + From Tent to White House. + Golden Rock. + Land of Mystery. + On the Trail of Geronimo. + Perils of the Jungle. + White Mustang. + +#George Manville Fenn.# + + Commodore Junk. + Dingo Boys. + Golden Magnet. + Grand Chaco. + Weathercock. + +#Ensign Clarke Fitch, U. S. N.# + + Bound for Annapolis. + Cliff, the Naval Cadet. + Cruise of the Training Ship. + From Port to Port. + Strange Cruise, A. + +#William Murray Graydon.# + + Butcher of Cawnpore, The. + Camp In the Snow, The. + Campaigning with Braddock. + Cryptogram, The. + From Lake to Wilderness. + In Barracks and Wigwam. + In Fort and Prison. + Jungles and Traitors. + Rajah's Fortress, The. + White King of Africa, The. + With Boer and Britisher. + +#Lieut. Frederick Garrison, U. S. A.# + + Cadet's Honor, A. + Off for West Point. + On Guard. + West Point Treasure, A. + West Point Rivals, The. + +#Headon Hill.# + + Spectre Gold. + +#Henry Harrison Lewis.# + + Centerboard Jim. + Ensign Merrill. + King of the Island. + Midshipman Merrill. + Sword and Pen. + Valley of Mystery, The. + Yankee Boys In Japan. + +#Lieut. Lionel Lounsberry.# + + Cadet Kit Carey. + Capt. Carey. + Kit Carey's Protege. + Lieut. Carey's Luck. + Out with Commodore Decatur. + Randy, the Pilot. + Tom Truxton's Ocean Trip. + Tom Truxton's School Days. + Treasure of the Golden Crater. + Won at West Point. + +#Victor St. Clair.# + + Cast Away in the Jungle. + Comrades Under Castro. + For Home and Honor. + From Switch to Lever. + Little Snap, the Postboy. + Zig-Zag, the Boy Conjuror. + Zip, the Acrobat. + +#Arthur M. Winfield.# + + Mark Dale's Stage Venture. + Young Bank Clerk, The. + Young Bridge Tender, The. + +#Matthew White, Jr.# + + Adventures of a Young Athlete. + Eric Dane. + Guy Hammersley. + My Mysterious Fortune. + Tour of a Private Car. + Young Editor, The. + +#Gayle Winterton.# + + Young Actor, The. + +#Ernest A. Young.# + + Boats, Bats and Bicycles. + + + + +Splendid Books for Girls. + + + HANDSOMELY BOUND IN CLOTH, ILLUSTRATED. + + Price, 60 Cents Each, Postpaid. + +#EVELYN RAYMOND'S delightful stories:# + + #Breakneck Farm.# + + The trials and triumphs of Faith Merriman and her brothers, on + an old abandoned country place. + + #Jessica Trent.# + + Her Adventures on a Ranch. + + #Jessica, the Heiress.# + + This is Evelyn Raymond's new book, just published. A Charming + Story. + +#KATE TANNATT WOODS:# + + #A Fair Maid of Marblehead.# + + A book to please both young and old. + + + THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY, New York. + + + + +BOYS' OWN LIBRARY + + + Bound in Cloth. + Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid. + +#Brooks McCormick.# + + Giant Islanders, The. + How He Won. + Nature's Young Noblemen. + Rival Battalions. + +#Walter Morris.# + + Bob Porter at Lakeview Academy. + +#Stanley Norris.# + + Phil, the Showman. + Young Showman's Rivals, The. + Young Showman's Pluck, The. + Young Showman's Triumph, The. + +#Lieut. James K. Orton.# + + Beach Boy Joe. + Last Chance Mine. + Secret Chart, The. + Tom Havens with the White Squadron. + +#James Otis.# + + Chased Through Norway. + Inland Waterways. + Reuben Green's Adventures at Yale. + Unprovoked Mutiny, An. + Wheeling for Fortune. + +#Gilbert Patten.# + + Boy Boomers. + Boy Cattle King. + Boy from the West. + Don Kirk's Mine. + Jud and Joe. + +#St. George Rathborne.# + + Canoe and Camp Fire. + Chums of the Prairie. + Gulf Cruisers, The. + Paddling Under Palmettos. + Rival Canoe Boys. + Shifting Winds. + Sunset Ranch. + Young Range Riders. + +#Arthur Sewell.# + + Gay Dashleigh's Academy Days. + +#Capt. David Southwick.# + + Jack Wheeler. + +#Burt L. Standish.# + + Frank Merriwell's Bravery. + Frank Merriwell Down South. + Frank Merriwell's School Days. + Frank Merriwell's Chums. + Frank Merriwell's Foes. + Frank Merriwell's Trip West. + + + + +The New "Henty" Series. + + + With large INLAID PANEL IN THREE COLORS on each book. The + Illustrations are reproductions of paintings representing + scenes in the Stories. The elegant cover design is done in + Inks and Gold, on a fine quality of Cloth. These books are all + by G. A. Henty. Illustrated. Printed Wrappers. + + AMONG MALAY PIRATES. A Story of Adventure and Peril. + BONNIE PRINCE CHARLIE. A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. + BOY KNIGHT, THE. A Tale of the Crusades. + BRAVEST OF THE BRAVE, THE. With Peterborough in Spain. + BY ENGLAND'S AID; or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604). + BY PIKE AND DYKE. A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. + BY RIGHT OF CONQUEST; or, With Cortez in Mexico. + BY SHEER PLUCK. A Tale of the Ashanti War. + CAPTAIN BAYLEY'S HEIR. A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. + CAT OF BUBASTES, THE. A Story of Ancient Egypt. + CORNET OF HORSE, THE. A Tale of Marlborough's Wars. + DRAGON AND THE RAVEN; or, The Days of King Alfred. + FACING DEATH. A Tale of the Coal Mines. + FINAL RECKONING, A. A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. + FOR NAME AND FAME; or, Through Afghan Passes. + FOR THE TEMPLE. A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. + FRIENDS, THOUGH DIVIDED. A Tale of the Civil War in England. + GOLDEN CANON, THE. A Tale of Gold Hunting in Mexico. + IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE. A Story of Wallace and Bruce. + IN THE REIGN OF TERROR. Adventures of a Westminster Boy. + IN TIMES OF PERIL. A Tale of India. + JACK ARCHER. A Tale of the Crimea. + LION OF ST. MARK, THE. A Story of Venice in the 14th Century. + LION OF THE NORTH, THE. A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and Wars of + Religion. + LOST HEIR, THE. A Tale of Kidnapping in India. + MAORI AND SETTLER. A Story of the New Zealand War. + ONE OF THE 28TH. A Tale of Waterloo. + ORANGE AND GREEN. A Tale of the Boyne and Limerick. + OUT ON THE PAMPAS. A Tale of South America. + ST. GEORGE FOR ENGLAND. A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. + STURDY AND STRONG; or, How George Andrews Made his Way. + THROUGH THE FRAY. A Story of the Luddite Riots. + TRUE TO THE OLD FLAG. A Tale of the American War of Independence. + UNDER DRAKE'S FLAG. A Tale of the Spanish Main. + WITH CLIVE IN INDIA; or, The Beginnings of an Empire. + WITH LEE IN VIRGINIA. A Story of the American Civil War. + WITH WOLFE IN CANADA; or, The Winning of a Continent. + YOUNG BUGLERS, THE. A Tale of the Peninsular War. + YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN, THE. A Story of the Times of Hannibal. + YOUNG COLONISTS, THE. A Story of War in South Africa. + YOUNG FRANC-TIREURS. A Tale of the Franco-Prussian War. + YOUNG MIDSHIPMAN, THE. A Tale of the Siege of Alexandria. + + _Any of the above books will be sent postpaid, upon receipt of + price, 50 cents._ + + THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY, New York. + + + + +Boys' Popular Library. + + + BOUND IN CLOTH. + + An excellent series of books for boys by such popular authors + as Optic, Kingston and other well-known writers. + + These books are Bound in Cloth, with very attractive cover + designs stamped in colors. The are all well printed from large + type, on good paper. Printed wrappers. + + Price, 50 Cents Each, Postpaid. + +#Walter Aimwell.# + + Jerry. + Whistler. + +#Horatio Alger, Jr.# + + Brave and Bold. + Only an Irish Boy. + Paul, the Peddler. + Phil, the Fiddler. + Slow and Sure. + Strive and Succeed. + Strong and Steady. + Tom, the Bootblack. + Try and Trust. + +#Z. R. Bennett.# + + Young Vagabond, A. + +#Daniel Defoe.# + + Robinson Crusoe. + +#John De Morgan.# + + Always on Duty. + +#Richard Dowling.# + + Catmur's Cave. + +#George Manville Fenn.# + + In the Wilds of New Mexico. + +#Blanche Willis Howard.# + + Battle and a Boy, A. + +#W. H. G. Kingston.# + + Dick Cheveley. + From Powder Monkey to Admiral. + Hendricks, the Hunter. + Mark Seaworth's Voyage on the Indian Ocean. + Peter Trawl. + Peter, the Whaler. + Shore and Ocean. + The Midshipman, Marmaduke Merry. + +#Leon Lewis.# + + Diamond Seekers of Brazil. + Kit Carson's Last Trail. + Silver Ship, The. + Young Castaways, The. + +#Montleau & Wyse.# + + Swiss Family Robinson. + +#Alfred Oldfellow.# + + Joe Nichols. + Uncle Nat. + Way to Success. + +#Oliver Optic# + + All Aboard (Sequel to "Boat Club"). + Boat Club, The. + Little by Little. + Now or Never. + Try Again. + +#Capt. Mayne Reid.# + + Boy Tar, The. + Cliff Climber, The. + Lone Ranch, The. + Ran Away to Sea. + +#Gordon Stables.# + + Cruise of the Snowbird. + Life at Sea. + Wild Adventures 'Round the Pole. + Young Explorer, The. + +#Jefferys Taylor.# + + Boy Crusoes, The. + +#A Wolvertonian.# + + Three Years at Wolverton. + +#Ernest A. Young.# + + Toss Up for Luck. + + + THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY, New York. + + + + +Girls' Popular Library. + + + ELEGANTLY BOUND IN CLOTH. + + LARGE TYPE. GOOD PAPER. Printed Wrappers. Very attractive + cover design stamped in colors. Just the books that girls + delight to read--and can read with profit as well as pleasure. + Note the list of Authors--all well-known writers of the best + books for girls. + + Price, 50 Cents Each, Postpaid. + +#Walter Aimwell.# + + Ella. + Jessie. + Marcus. + +#Mary D. Brine.# + + Echoes from Story Land. + Stories Grandma Told. + +#Alice Carey.# + + Clovernook Children. + Clovernook Tales. Vol. I. + Clovernook Tales. Vol. II. + +#Rosa Nouchette Carey.# + + Averil. + Our Bessie. + +#Cousin Virginia.# + + Cricket's Friends, The. + Dolls' Club, The. + 3 Vols. in 1. + Jo's Doll. + Katy's Christmas. + Patty's Pranks. + +#Lewis Carroll.# + + Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. + Through the Looking-Glass. + +#Maria S. Cummins.# + + Lamplighter, The. + +#Mary A. Denison.# + + Barbara's Triumphs. + Frenchman's Ward, The. + Guardian's Trust, The. + +#Maria Edgeworth.# + + Simple Susan. + +#Juliana Horatia Ewing.# + + Flat-Iron for a Farthing, A. + Great Emergency, A. + Jackanapes. + Jan of the Windmill. + Six to Sixteen. + We and the World. + +#Julia Goddard.# + + Fairy Tales In Other Lands. + +#Virginia F. Townsend.# + + Amy Deane. + While it Was Morning. + + + THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY. New York. + + + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: All apparent printer's errors retained. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Sturdy and Strong, by G. A. 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