Chapter LIX
The dead man attends at the auction of his own effects, and bids the sale to stop—One more than was wanted—Peter steps into his shoes again—Captain Hawkins takes a friendly interest in Peter's papers— Riga Balsam sternly refused to be admitted for the relief of the ship's company.
As soon as the sails were furled, I thanked the master of the vessel for his kindness, and requested the boat. He ordered it to be manned, saying, "How glad your captain will be to see you!" I doubted that. We shook hands, and I pulled to the Rattlesnake, which lay about two cables' length astern of us. I had put on a jacket, when I left the brig on service, and coming in a merchantman's boat, no attention was paid to me; indeed, owing to circumstances, no one was on the look-out, and I ascended the side unperceived. The men and officers were on the quarter-deck, attending the sale of dead men's effects before the mast; and every eye was fixed upon six pair of nankeen trousers exposed by the purser's steward which I recognized as my own. "Nine shillings for six pair of nankeen trousers," cried the purser's steward.
"Come, my men, they're worth more than that," observed the captain, who appeared to be very facetious. "It's better to be in his trousers than in his shoes." This brutal remark created a silence for a moment. "Well, then, steward, let them go. One would think that pulling on his trousers would make you as afraid as he was," continued the captain, laughing.
"Shame!" was cried out by one or two of the officers, and I recognised
Swinburne's voice as one.
"More likely if they put on yours," cried I, in a loud, indignant tone.
Everybody started, and turned round; Captain Hawkins staggered to a carronade: "I beg to report myself as having rejoined my ship, sir," continued I.
"Hurrah, my lads! three cheers for Mr Simple!" said Swinburne.
The men gave them with emphasis. The captain looked at me, and without saying a word, hastily retreated to his cabin. I perceived, as he went down, that he had his arm in a sling. I thanked the men for their kind feeling towards me, shook hands with Thompson and Webster, who warmly congratulated me, and then with old Swinburne, (who nearly wrung my arm off, and gave my shoulder such pain as to make me cry out,) and with the others who extended theirs. I desired the sale of my effects to be stopped; fortunately for me, it had but just begun, and the articles were all returned. Thompson had informed the captain that he knew my father's address, and would take charge of my clothes, and send them home, but the captain would not allow him.
In a few minutes, I received a letter from the captain, desiring me to acquaint him in writing, for the information of the senior officer, in what manner I had escaped. I went down below, when I found one very melancholy face, that of the passed midshipman of the Acasta, who had received an acting order in my place. When I went to my desk, I found two important articles missing; one, my private letter-book, and the other, the journal which I kept of what passed, and from which this narrative has been compiled. I inquired of my messmates, who stated that the desk had not been looked into by any one but the captain, who, of course, must have possessed himself of those important documents.
I wrote a letter containing a short narrative of what had happened, and, at the same time, another on service to the captain, requesting that he would deliver up my property, the private journal, and letter-book in his possession. The captain, as soon as he received my letters, sent up word for his boat to be manned. As soon as it was manned, I reported it, and then begged to know whether he intended to comply with my request. He answered that he should not, and then went on deck, and quitted the brig to pull on board of the senior officer. I therefore determined immediately to write to the captain of the Acasta, acquainting him with the conduct of Captain Hawkins, and requesting his interference. This I did immediately, and the boat that had brought me on board not having left the brig, I sent the letter by it, requesting them to put it into the hands of one of the officers. The letter was received previous to Captain Hawkins' visit being over, and the Captain of the Acasta put it into his hands, inquiring if the statement were correct. Captain Hawkins replied that it was true that he had detained these papers, as there was so much mutiny and disaffection in them, and that he should not return them to me.
"That I cannot permit," replied the captain of the Acasta, who was aware of the character of Captain Hawkins; "if, by mistake, you have been put in possession of any of Mr Simple's secrets, you are bound in honour not to make use of them; neither can you retain property not your own." But Captain Hawkins was determined, and refused to give them to me.
"Well, then, Captain Hawkins," replied the captain of the Acasta, "you will oblige me by remaining on my quarter-deck till I come out of the cabin."
The captain of the Acasta then wrote an order, directing Captain Hawkins immediately to deliver up to him the papers of mine in his possession; and coming out of the cabin, put it into Captain Hawkins' hands, saying, "Now, sir, here is a written order from your superior officer. Disobey it, if you dare. If you do, I will put you under arrest, and try you by a court-martial. I can only regret, that any captain in His Majesty's service should be forced in this way to do his duty as a gentleman and a man of honour."
Captain Hawkins bit his lip at the order, and the cutting remarks accompanying it. "Your boat is manned, sir," said the captain of the Acasta, in a severe tone. Captain Hawkins came on board, sealed up the books, and sent them to the captain of the Acasta, who re-directed them to me, on His Majesty's service, and returned them by the same boat. The public may therefore thank the captain of the Acasta for the memoirs which they are now reading.
From my messmates I gained the following intelligence of what had passed after I had quitted the brig. The fire of the praam had cut them up severely, and Captain Hawkins had been struck in the arm with a piece of the hammock-rail, which had been shot away shortly after I left. Although the skin only was razed, he thought proper to consider himself badly wounded; and giving up the command to Mr Webster, the second lieutenant, had retreated below, where he remained until the action was over. When Mr Webster reported the return of the boats, with the capture of the gun-boat, and my supposed death, he was so delighted, that he quite forgot his wound, and ran on deck, rubbing his hands as he walked up and down. At last, he recollected himself, went down into his cabin, and came up again with his arm in a sling.
The next morning he went on board of the Acasta, and made his report to the senior officer, bringing back with him the disappointed passed-midshipman as my successor. He had also stated on the quarter-deck, that if I had not been killed, he intended to have tried me by a court-martial, and have turned me out of the service; that he had quite enough charges to ruin me, for he had been collecting them ever since I had been under his command; and that now he would make that old scoundrel of a gunner repent his intimacy with me. All this was confided to the surgeon, who, as I before observed, was very much of a courtier; but the surgeon had repeated it to Thompson, the master, who now gave me the information. There was one advantage in all this, which was that I knew exactly the position in which I stood, and what I had to expect.
During the short time that we remained in port, I took care that Riga balsam should not be allowed to come alongside, and the men were all sober. We received orders from the captain of the Acasta to join the admiral, who was off the Texel in pursuance of directions he had received from the Admiralty to despatch one of the squadron, and we were selected, from the dislike which he had taken to Captain Hawkins.