“Maybe. I’m Jack Trawl. I’m not ashamed of my name,” said my brother.
“Jack Trawl!” exclaimed the man-of-war’s man; “then you belong to the Lapwing. We all thought you were lost with the rest of the boat’s crew.”
“No, I wasn’t; Miles Soper and I escaped. Now I look at you, ain’t you Bill Bolton?”
“The same,” was the answer. “Tell us how it all happened.”
Jack in a few words told his old shipmate what is already known to the reader. While he was speaking, who should come up but Miles Soper himself, come down to Portsmouth to look out for a berth, accompanied by Sam Coal. The long and the short of it was that they all three agreed to enter aboard the Thisbe, and did their best to persuade Jim to follow their example.
I had no notion of doing so myself, for I knew that it would break Mary’s heart to part with me again so soon, and I feared, indeed, that she would not like Jack’s going. Still, taking all things into consideration, he could not do better I thought—for having been so long at sea, he felt, as he said, like a fish out of water among so many fine folks.
Jim made no reply, but drawing me aside, said—
“Peter, I can’t bear the thoughts of leaving you, and yet I know you wouldn’t like to ship before the mast again; but if I stay ashore what am I to do? I’ve no fancy to spending my days in a wherry, and haven’t got one if I had. I’ve taken a liking to Jack, and you’ve many friends, and can do without me, so if you don’t say no I’ll ship with the rest.”
I need not repeat what I said to Jim. I was sure that it was the best thing he could do, and advised him accordingly.
“I’m with you, mates,” he said, in a husky tone, going back to the rest, and away they all went together, while I returned to Mr Gray’s.