Lancelot took my advice. We stepped aft, followed by Dick and Martin.
“What have you to say, lads?” asked the captain, looking greatly astonished at our audacity.
We gave him the same account of ourselves that we had to the officer who had come on board the Charles.
“You are ready enough now to declare yourselves Roundheads,” answered the captain, “but you were found on board an enemy’s ship, and must be treated like the rest.”
“They are brave little fighting-cocks, Cavaliers to the backbone,” shouted one of the men from the group of prisoners, not wishing that we should receive more favour than themselves.
I had observed a young officer standing close to the captain. I looked at his countenance, and the thought flashed across me that I had seen him before.
“Captain Stayner,” he said, “allow me to say that I believe the account these young gentlemen give of themselves. I was at Lyme with my uncle, the admiral;” then turning to us he inquired our names.
“I thought so,” he said, putting out his hand; “I remember them all well. One is the son of Mr Kerridge, the mayor, who fought so bravely for the good cause; the father of the other, who served under my grandfather, was killed during the siege; and this one,” he added, taking Dick by the hand, “is the son of Mr Harvey, who expended his means in aiding in the defence of Lyme.”
While the young officer was speaking, I recognised him as the nephew of Colonel Blake. “I truly rejoice to see you,” he continued, turning to us, “for, putting into Lyme some weeks ago, I found your relatives and friends in great sorrow at your supposed loss. We will take the earliest opportunity of sending them news of your safety.”
Thus were our anxieties brought to an end. Instead of being treated as prisoners, we were received as guests by the officers, who insisted on supplying us with clothes and other necessaries, of which we stood much in want. Great was our surprise to hear that the admiral of the ships in sight astern was no other than Colonel Blake, who had been placed in command of the fleets of England by the Parliament in conjunction with Colonels Deane and Popham.