shall see, we shall see," said the good-hearted old sailor; "but come and take a glass of wine, Mr. Binnacle, and after you have told Mr. Lanyard all about the Midge, what she has, and wants, &c., get on board again, and keep near us for the evening.—I say, Mr. Steelpen," to his clerk, who was lounging about, "Come to the cabin, now, will you, and draw out Mr. Lanyard's instructions, as Mr. Garboard is still confined to his cot."
This was the second lieutenant, who had been ill for a week with fever.
The moment I knew Lanyard was going in the Midge, I determined to accompany him if possible, so I asked the commodore's leave—hinting, that my knowledge of the rivers might be of use. He laughed.
"Pilot, indeed—mind you don't evaporate in one of your pilotings, and then what shall I say to your friends, Master Benjamin?"
I pressed my suit.
"Why, my good boy, you had better not—take my word for it, if you carry on in this way, you will either get your head broken, or be caught by one of these infernal marsh fevers, which will be worse."
"No fear, Sir Oliver, I am a seasoned cask—do give me leave—I shall be back in a week."
"Well, well, as you please, my young master."
And it was at once so fixed.
Lanyard heard the order given, and instantly set about getting his kit arranged for his departure, although he seemed to think it would have been more pleasing in his excellent captain had he appeared to have consulted him a little on the subject; but to hear was to obey, and Dick was quite ready to move by the time he was sent for to receive his orders, when I adjourned to the cabin also, to say good by. Sir Oliver was sitting at his wine; and so soon as the steward had left us to ourselves, the knight rang the bell, the cord of which, ending in a handsome brass handle, hung within a foot of his head.
"Potter, send the first lieutenant here."
Sprawl was in immediate attendance.
"Glad to see you, Mr. Sprawl; sit down, and take wine."
After a pause—
"Do you think, if the breeze holds, that we shall make the land again before morning, Mr. Sprawl?"
"No, sir, for we have run thirty miles off since morning, and there is no appearance of any wind at present; but we should be able, notwithstanding, to beat up to it by noon to-morrow."
"Very well. Pray, Mr. Lanyard, how many men, counting the strangers, are there on board?"
"Thirty-three, sir, all told."
"And the gun she carries?"
"A long twelve, sir, with a six-inch howitzer affair fitted forward, for throwing grape."
"Do you think you could stow ten men more, comfortably?"
Dick had been on board of his new command before he came down, and had made such passing observations as the time permitted.
"Why, I daresay, for a few days we might, sir."
"Then send your purser, or whoever may be acting for him, aboard this evening."
The lieutenant made his bow, whipped off his glass, and went on deck to be off. It was getting dark fast—the wind had risen suddenly—the frigate had been carrying top-gallant sails up to the time I had gone below, but they were now handed, and the watch were in the act of taking a reef in the top-sails.
"Whereabouts is the felucca?" said I to the officer of the watch, the old gunner, who, in the absence of Mr. Garboard, the second lieutenant, who, as already stated, was sick and in his cot, had charge of the deck.
"Close to, sir," was the reply; but presently he continued, looking over the side, "Deuce take me, sir, if I can see her just at this present"——
"You don't? I say, quartermaster, do you see the small craft down to leeward there?"
"No, sir. I sees nothing of her; but she can't be far away, sir, as she was close to, within this last half hour."
By this time the night had fallen with a heavy dew and a thick haze. Presently we saw a small spark down to leeward.
"Ah," said the man again, "there she is; she is in chase of something, sir."
"What can they mean?" said Lanyard. "They know they cannot follow out their chase when I am on board here."
The riddle was soon read. Little Binnacle had returned on board, and, as it turned out, he was determined to have some fun, in the interregnum between the unshipping of poor Donovan and Lanyard's appointment.
"What is that abeam of us?" said Mr. Sprawl, who had now come on deck.—"Hand me up the night-glass, Jeremy."
He worked away with it for some time. At length Lanyard spoke.
"Why, Sprawl, will you have the kindness to fire a gun, and show a light at the mizen peak, as the felucca must be hereabouts?"
"True enough, Lanyard, she cannot be far off, but"——Here we saw another flash, and this time we heard the report of the cannon—"There," continued the first lieutenant—"there she is, sure enough; but how the devil can you expect her to come up to us, seeing she is cut off by that large craft there?" And he pointed a-beam of us, where, following the direction indicated, I soon saw a large vessel, standing under easy sail, on the same tack.
"Quartermaster," exclaimed Sprawl, "keep her away, and edge down towards that chap, will ye?"
The commodore was now on deck.
"I was on the point of reporting to you, sir, that the felucca was a good way off to leeward, apparently cut off by a strange sail, that is sculling along right between us," said David Doublepipe.
"Whereabouts," said the captain, "whereabouts is this strange sail? And why the deuce did the felucca not fire a gun?"
"She did, sir," answered the lieutenant, "but I could not divine what she would be at, as she did not make the night-signal."
"True enough," said Lanyard.—"I daresay all the signals and instructions, and every thing else, are locked up on board, sir. May I therefore request the favour of your standing down to her, or I don't see how we shall manage at all?"
The weather now cleared, and the fog rose, or blew past. Another flash down to leeward, in the direction of the felucca, and presently she burned a blue light, which cast a lurid wake on the rolling waters, cresting the sparkling waves with a wavering line of unearthly light. It lit up the little vessel and her white sail, and the whole horizon in her neighbourhood, with a blue ghostly glare, across which, as a bright background, we suddenly saw the tall spars, dark sails, and opake hull of a large polacre brig intervene, as she gradually slid along, rising and falling majestically on the midnight sea, between us and the tender.
"Ah ha!" said the commodore. "Why, Master Brail, your retreat is cut off, and all the honour and glory will be gathered by the Midges without you, for there the brig is bearing up—there, she has made us out, and if the little fellows don't get out of her way, she will run them down."
The black bank in the east now broke away, the newly risen moon shone out bright and suddenly, and we distinctly saw the polacre crowding all sail from us, with the gallant little Midge to leeward of him about half a mile, under easy sail, apparently waiting for him, and standing directly across the bows of his large antagonist, into which he once more fired his long gun, and then as he came down, he luffed up, and hove a capful of grape into him from his howitzer. The chase up to this time had not fired a shot, but continued to crowd all sail, the little fellow now sticking in his skirts like a bur.
The night began to lower again; the wind fell from a fine working breeze to nearly calm, and the rain soon began to descend in torrents. At length it became stark calm, and as dark as the shrouded moon would let it. But every now and then we could see a tiny flash in the south-east, that for a moment lit up the outline of the black sail of the felucca, making the sweeps and figures