“It doesn’t do to think of that sort of thing,” said Tom, not liking Archie’s tone.
“Now there you’re wrong. I believe that it is much wiser to think about it than to be taken unprepared,” replied Archie. “My Cousin Alick thinks very seriously, and no one can say that he is not as brave an officer as any man in the fleet. I tell you honestly that I have been saying my prayers, and asking God to help me to take Him at His word, and to trust to His plan of salvation—that is what I want you to do, Tom, also. I should be very miserable if I saw you killed and could not feel sure that you had gone to heaven. I should be unhappy in either case; but it would be ten times worse if I thought that I should not meet you again.”
“Do you really, Archie, think that I am so wicked that if I was to be killed I should not go to heaven?” said Tom.
“I only know what the Bible says about it, and I believe that,” answered Archie firmly. “Just obey God, and you’ll be all right, and it won’t make you a bit less brave than you are now.”
“I will,” said Tom; “still I hope that neither you nor I will be hit to-night, though the shot are falling pretty thickly about us.”
The moment after he had spoken, a loud cry was heard from one of the crew of the nearest gun, and the sound of a person falling heavily. They sprang to the spot, and found a seaman stretched on the deck. They tried to lift him up, but, inexperienced though they were, they both felt convinced that he was dead. Others, coming up, confirmed their opinion; the shot had struck his chest, and killed him in a moment.
Notwithstanding the heavy fire to which his ship was exposed, Jack continued at his post, firing away till the hour arrived at which he was directed to leave the harbour; and he and his French consort steamed away to rejoin the fleet. Tom was unusually serious during the following day.
“I say, Rogers, what’s the matter with you?” asked Billy Blueblazes.
“He didn’t quite like the fun we had last night,” observed Dicky Duff.
“I’ll tell you what, youngster,” said Tom, “you wouldn’t have thought it any fun if either of you had one of those Russian round-shot walking into you, as poor Norris had.”