“Land!” murmured little Fisher—who from his diminutive stature had acquired from his fellow-mids the sobriquet of “Six-foot”—“Land! it’s nothing but ‘land ho!’ What land is it, for gracious sake?” to Mr Carter, the master’s-mate, who happened to be standing near him.
“The Rocca Islands,” answered Carter. “The master says it’s a likely spot in which to find a pirate’s nest—just a group of some five-and-twenty rocks, they are not much larger, and one island about ten miles long and six wide, with reefs and shoals all round. Did you ever smell gunpowder, Six-foot?”
“Not yet,” answered little Fisher, “but you know this is only my second voyage?”
“And your first was from London to Margate, eh? Well, perhaps you’ll have a chance of smelling it before long.” And Carter walked away forward.
The little fellow flushed up crimson, and then went pale to the lips.
“Why, Six-foot, what’s the matter with you; you are not frightened, are you? Carter was only joking.”
“Was he?” said the boy, “I didn’t know. You asked me if I felt frightened, Ralph, I don’t know whether it was fright or not, but I felt very queer. You know I have never been in action yet, and I think it must be so dreadful to hear the shot crashing in through the ship’s sides, and to see strong men struck down maimed and bleeding, or perhaps killed outright, and I have a horrible feeling that when I see these things for the first time I shall turn sick and faint, and perhaps misbehave in some way. And I wouldn’t act like a coward for the world; my father is a very proud man, and I don’t think he would ever forgive me for bringing such disgrace on his name.”
I could understand the poor little fellow’s feelings perfectly, I thought, for had I not experienced something of the same kind myself? I cheered him up as well as I could; telling him that whenever the time came I felt sure he would behave perfectly well, and that with the firing of the first shot all trace of the peculiar and unpleasant sensations of which he spoke would pass completely away.
I was still talking with him when the skipper's steward came up to us with an invitation for both to dinner in the cabin. The subject was accordingly dropped, and we hurried away to dress.
We were just finishing our soup when Mr Vining, the third lieutenant, came down to say that two ships had just rounded the southernmost end of the large island, and were working their way in among the shoals towards a small shallow bay on the north, western side.