“Hush,” said Frank, “we don’t want anything reported to them when they return; you know what some of these stewards are. Let us go and have a smoke and a yarn on the poop, where we can sit now without fear of being made to feel as if we were stowaways.”
And up they went, sat in the skipper’s long chair and on the skylight settee, and talked until the bumping of the dinghy bringing the mate against the accommodation-ladder roused them from their long discussion of all things they knew anything about.
As they stood at the gangway to receive him, he said in quite a different tone from any they had ever before heard from him, “Good evening, gentlemen, glad to see you keeping such a good look-out. Come into the saloon, I’ve got some news for you.”
They followed him with thumping hearts, wondering if their hopes were to be realised. As soon as they were seated, the mate said cheerfully, “The captain has just received the news that he has fallen heir to a great estate, which requires his attention at home as soon as he can get there, so he has resigned. And as the owners apparently think it isn’t fair to the skipper of the barque Coomallie, which is lying higher up the river here, to promote me to this big ship over his head, I am exchanging with him to-morrow. I believe he is considered a very smart man. It’s a pity, Wilson, that you hadn’t got your mate’s ticket, or you might have gone on here. As it is, the mate of the Coomallie is coming here, and I shall have to get a new one. That’s all, good night.” And turning abruptly from them he went into his cabin.
Wilson and Frank stared at each other for a few moments in almost stupid amazement, like men suddenly stricken imbecile; then, actuated by a common impulse, they both turned and made for the deck outside, which having reached, Wilson whispered hoarsely, “Frank, it can’t possibly be true. Surely no such miracle has happened to save you and me from destruction.”
Frank, who by this time had regained his composure, answered quietly, “I believe it is true. I’ve felt in my very bones lately that I was going to be set free from this man. My only fear was whether I did right in coming with him at all, since I knew what he was before we started. But I felt that I couldn’t be far wrong if I did my duty, and I certainly never imagined that any man could be so evil-minded and cruel as he has turned out to be. I can only say, as I have had occasion to say before, ‘Thank God for deliverance.’”
“And I’ll say ‘Amen’ to that with all my soul,” rejoined Wilson. “It means new life to me, for there can’t be such another brute in the world of sailors as this one; or if there is, it’s against all laws of chance that we should get him here.”
Yes, it was true. Morning brought Captain Forrest and the new commander, Captain Sharpe, on board, when all hands were called aft and informed of the change by Captain Forrest in a cold, contemptuous fashion. He took no note of the palpable movement of relief which ran through the entire ship’s company as the splendid news of his going entered their minds, but he could not help seeing the earnest look of pleased appreciation on every face when his successor stepped forward at the close of his little speech and said, “Well, my men, you’ve got a new skipper in me, and I hope and believe that we shall pull well together. It shan’t be my fault if we don’t, for I am proud to be appointed to so splendid a ship and such a good crew as you appear to be.”
He stopped abruptly, having apparently no more to say, and a spontaneous joyous cheer went up from all of them. A cheer wherein was mingled immense relief and glad anticipation of better days in store. Captain Sharpe then went up to Wilson and Frank, and shaking hands heartily said, “I am very pleased to know you both, and especially you, young Brown. I know your friend Captain Burns in Lytham, and heard all about your wonderful work in bringing home the Woden; I’m proud to have you on board my ship.”
Poor Frank was speechless, unable to say a word in reply, for a lump came up into his throat and nearly choked him. It was not necessary, however, for him to speak, for the captain patted him kindly upon the shoulder and passed on to say a cordial word to the apprentices, all of whose faces lighted up as he spoke to them. He was like a beam of sunshine breaking through the lowering clouds of a dark and gloomy day.