“I am surprised at your conduct to young Hartley,” he said. “I have myself observed it, and I should have supposed, now that I have thought fit to place him on the quarter-deck, that you would have welcomed him as a messmate. He is gentlemanly and well-informed, and I have no doubt that he is, as he states, a gentleman by birth.”
“Pretenders often assume good manners when they have an object in doing so,” answered Ashurst, in a scornful tone; “he appeared as a ship’s boy, and I treated him as such, and made him do his duty.”
“You may have bullied others, but you have shown a special ill-feeling towards this lad,” answered Mr Leigh, feeling annoyed at the manner in which the midshipman spoke. “In future I beg that you will treat him as an equal.”
“An equal, indeed! Do you forget, Mr Leigh, that I am the son of a nobleman, and that he is or was till a few minutes ago, merely a ship’s boy!” exclaimed the midshipman, in a voice which made Mr Leigh almost smile.
“Had you said that in your berth, you would have been laughed at by all your messmates,” observed Mr Leigh, “Come, come, I cannot listen to such nonsense. While you remain on board the prize, treat him as I desire, and when we rejoin the ‘Sylvia’ Captain Stanhope will see to it.” Ashurst walked away, muttering something which Mr Leigh did not hear. All day long the weather continued the same as before, and night came on without any signs of an abatement of the gale. The British crew were well-nigh worn-out. Although the Frenchmen were now compelled to labour at the pumps, the English took a spell. They had, besides, to watch the prisoners, and be always on deck ready to let go the anchor and make sail. Not until morning did the wind begin to fall, although the sea appeared as heavy as ever. It burst forth again and blew with greater fury than before. Suddenly the cry arose—
“The cable has parted!”
“Let go the best bower,” cried Lieutenant Leigh.
In an instant the stoppers were cut, and the cable ran at a rapid rate, setting the hawse hole on fire. The danger had been seen, and men stood ready with buckets of water to heave over it. The cable ran out to its full range.
“Does the anchor hold, Stewart?” asked the lieutenant.
“Yes, sir, it holds,” answered the master’s mate.