"The despatch of the fleets to the Bosphorus was not a declaration of war, but a kind of a display of physique under the title of moral suasion, just as when two men peel to fight, Jack.
"Meanwhile, you see the people of our isle have been watching the manoeuvres of the big bully. To begin with, they didn't like the insolent arrogance of Menschikoff in Constantinople; but when news came that the Russians, with six line-o'-battle ships, had attacked a squadron of light Turkish vessels at anchor in the harbour of Sinope in the Black Sea, and utterly destroyed them and their crews—a holocaust, my boy, of between 4,000 and 5,000 men—then Britain cried 'Shame!"'
"It was time," said Jack.
"Yes; and we now brought our moral suasion to bear even on the boy Kaiser of Austria. Russia must evacuate the Danubian Principalities. This demand was made by united Britain and France in February of this year, Jack (1854). At this time it was supposed that the war would be one on the Danube. But the Kaiser moved 50,000 men up to the frontier, which the Czar had seized—showing plainly that she means to join the scrimmage if need be.
"Well, Jack, of course we can't tell what is doing now out there, but very likely they are all at it hammer and tongs, for in March the French and British declared war."
"Terrible, isn't it, sir?"
"Well, yes, in a manner of speaking," said bold Sturdy; "only, you see, war means promotion for you and me. As far as I am concerned, lad, promotion has been a jolly long time of coming, and I'm not going to say a word against the war now that I see my captaincy heaving in sight above the horizon, Meanwhile, Jack—blow, good wind, and waft us east; for whatever happens, I should, I must confess, like to see a little of the fighting and a bit of the fun."
* * * * *
Lieutenant Sturdy was in all respects a true sailor, and a warrior at that. It is, indeed, a blessing for our country that our navy—which is still the best in the world, though far inferior, indeed, to what it ought to be—is manned by thousands of hearts as brave as his.
Fear the British sailor does not know—even death has few terrors for him; because Jack is really a thinking man, and he counts his chances, and he knows, too, that he has only once to die.