Directly she had furled sails, a boat went off from her to the admiral, and remained alongside for some time. We were thus left in doubt as to whether we were right. At length the boat, which had returned to the corvette, came pulling towards us.
Sinnet was watching her through a telescope.
“Why, I say, Paddy, I’m nearly certain I see old Nettleship in the stern-sheets, and Tom Pim alongside him,” he said.
“Then there can be no doubt that the corvette is the Soleil; but Nettleship hoped to get his promotion, and if so, he has been made one of her lieutenants,” I remarked.
“He hasn’t got on a lieutenant’s uniform, at all events,” said Sinnet, looking through the telescope.
In a short time the boat was alongside, and our doubts were solved, by seeing Tom Pim and Nettleship come on deck. They went aft at once, and reported themselves to Captain Macnamara. As soon as they were dismissed they joined us. They both gave a start of surprise at seeing me.
Tom grasped my hand and said, “Well, I am glad, Paddy, to find you safe aboard. We fully believed that the brig was lost in the hurricane, and never expected to set eyes on you again.”
Nettleship also greeted me warmly, though he looked somewhat down in the mouth. The cause of this soon came out.
“Why, Nettleship,” I said, “I thought you would have been made long before this.”
“It’s my ill-luck that I’m not, Paddy,” he answered. “I thought so too. I got highly complimented for bringing the prize into Port Royal, and I was then told to rejoin my ship as soon as possible; while the Soleil was commissioned, and a commander and two lieutenants, who had just come out from England with strong recommendations from the Admiralty, were appointed to her.”