Yes, I ought to have prepared for this, Horace. It would have been better for me to have taken regular exercise every day, even if I did get through a little less work. Still I am stronger than you think. I am only forty-four, and a man at forty-four ought to be able to do nearly as much as he ever could do.
Yes, father, if he had lived an active life and exercised his muscles. I have no doubt you are just as strong in many things as other men; I never remember your being ill for a day; but I am sure you are not fit for knocking about among the mountains. What I have been thinking of is this. If you approve of it I will go over to Exmouth this morning and see if William Martyn is there. He is likely to be at home if his vessel is in port. If he is not, I will get his father to recommend some one. There must be lots of young lieutenants on half-pay who would jump at the idea. First I should engage with Martyn if he is there, or go to the man whom his father recommended to me at Plymouth, and get him to buy for you a fast schooner or brig one that had either been an English privateer or a captured Frenchman would be about the thing arrange with him to be the captain and engage officers and crew, and get him to arm her with as many guns as she will carry. He would be able probably to put us into the best way of buying muskets. As such immense numbers of soldiers have been paid off, no doubt there have been great sales of muskets by government, and we might get them at a quarter the price we should have to pay for new ones. Of course we should take in ammunition in large quantities. All these mountaineers have no doubt got guns, and ammunition will be the thing most wanted of all. We could also pick up some cannon. No doubt they are to be bought for scrap iron. The Greeks will want them to arm their ships and batteries. In that way you see, father, you would have everything under your own hands. Nobody would know how many muskets you have got on board, and you could serve them out when or how they were required.
The same with money. We could cruise about and pop into quiet places, and send arms and ammunition up into the hills. Of course directly you got out there you would put the ship under the Greek flag, and by harassing the Turks at sea we might do a hundred times more good than we could by land. There would be no fatigue and no discomfort. You would always be comfortable on board, and could take Zaimes and Marco with you. We would take Tom Burdett as boatswain. He was boatswain in the navy, you know. If he goes I daresay Dick will also go with us.
That is an excellent plan, Horace. It seems to meet all the difficulties, and I was really feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being mixed up in all the confusion and excitement there will, no doubt, be at Athens. It is a most happy idea. We will not lose a moment about it. I like that young fellow Martyn, and I hope you will be able to get hold of him. Let him name his own terms. I have not the least idea whether the captain of a vessel of that sort is paid five pounds a week or twenty-five. Of course it will be dangerous service, and should be liberally paid for. Well, you had better pack up your bag directly we have finished breakfast. You may be away for a week or ten days.
I cant start to-day, father, surely.
No! why not, Horace?
Because, you know, you arranged we should both go over to dine at aunts.
Of course, Horace; I quite forgot that. It is very annoying, but I suppose it cant be helped.
Horace laughed. A day wont make much difference, father. I am sure aunt would be very vexed if we did not turn up. Do you mean to tell her anything about it?
Mr. Beveridge was silent for a minute. I dont think there is any occasion; do you, Horace? he said doubtfully. She might raise objections, you know; though that, of course, would make no difference; arguments are always to be avoided, and your aunt was always a very positive woman.
I think it is just as well to say nothing about it, Horace said with a slight smile, for he felt sure that his aunt would oppose the project tooth and nail if she were aware of it, and that she would be backed by the whole strength of his mothers family. He did not say this, but went on, It is a nuisance being asked a tremendous lot of questions about things, especially when you dont know much about them yourself. No, I think, father, we had better keep it quite quiet. It will be time enough to write a line to aunt and tell her that we are off, the last thing before we get up anchor.
I agree with you, Horace, so we will say nothing about this trip of ours. Well, as it seems you cant go to-day, you had better make your arrangements to catch the coach to-morrow morning. I will sign a dozen blank cheques, which you can fill up as required. Of course whoever accepts the post of captain will know all that will be wanted for the ship, and if he doesnt know himself about the arms and ammunition he may be able to introduce you to some officer who does. Will you take Marco with you?
No, I dont think so, father. I dont see that he would be any use, and having a man going about with you looks as if one was being taken care of.
Horace caught the coach and alighted at Exmouth, and hurried to the revenue officers house.
Is Mr. William Martyn in? he asked the servant who opened the door.
He is not in just at present, sir; I think he went down to the river.
How long has he been home? Horace asked, delighted at the news.
He only got in last week, sir; his ship got wrecked, and Mr. William turned up without any clothes, or anything except just what he stood up in.
Hurrah! Horace exclaimed, to the astonishment of the woman, and then without another word ran down to the wharfs. He soon saw the figure he was in search of talking to two or three old sailors.
Hullo, youngster! Martyn said in surprise, as Horace came up, where have you sprung from?
Off the top of the coach.
I suppose so. I have been having a bit of bad luck and lost my ship. We were wrecked off St. Catharines Point, at the back of the Isle of Wight, and there were only seven of us saved among a crew of thirty-five all told.
Yes, I heard from your servant you had been wrecked, Horace said. She didnt say that any lives had been lost; but I must have astonished her, now I think of it, for I said Hurrah! when she told me.
What did you say hurrah for? the mate asked gruffly.
Because I wanted to find you here, and was so pleased that you were not going to sail away again directly.
No, Will Martyn said gloomily, it is bad enough to have lost ones kit and everything, and now I shall have to look about for another berth, for I think the vessel was only partly insured, and as the owners only have one or two ships I expect it will hit them rather hard, and that they wont have another craft ready for some time, so it will be no use my waiting for that.
The sailors had moved away when Horace came up, so that he was able at once to open the subject of his visit to the mate.
Well, that was just what I was hoping when I heard that you were wrecked, Will, for I had come over on purpose to see if you were disengaged and disposed to take a new berth.
What! is your father going in for a big yacht instead of the Surf, Horace?
Well, not exactly, but something of that sort. You know I told you how enthusiastic he was about Greece and everything connected with it. Of course he is tremendously excited about this rising out there, and he is going to send out a lot of arms and ammunition. So we have talked it over and agreed that the best thing to do would be to buy a fast schooner or brig, fit her up as a privateer, fill her with arms and ammunition, and go out, hoist the Greek flag, and do what we can to help them against the Turks. Of course we thought at once of you to carry out the thing, and to act as captain. What do you say to it?
The very thing I should like, Horace; nothing could suit me better. Mind I am not giving any opinion as to whether it is a wise thing on the part of your father; that is his business. But as far as I am concerned I am your man.
My father said you were to name your own terms. He didnt know anything about what the pay should be, but he particularly said that as it would be a service of danger it ought to be paid for liberally.
Of course there will be danger, the mate said, but that adds to the pleasure of it. If I were a married man of course I should have to look at it in a different light; but as I aint, and have no idea of getting spliced, the danger does not trouble me. I have been getting eight pounds a month as third mate, and I should have got ten next voyage, as I was going second. As I shall be skipper on board this craft of yours, suppose we say twelve pounds a month.
My father expected to pay more than that a good deal, Horace said; and as everything will depend upon you it would not be at all fair to pay the same sort of pay as if you were merely sailing in a merchants ship. However, he will write to you about it. There will be a tremendous lot to do before we start, and we want to be off as soon as possible. There is a ship to buy and fit out, and officers to get, and a crew. Then we want to find out where we can buy muskets. It seemed to me that as government must have been selling great quantities, we should be able to get them pretty cheap.
I could find out all about that at the port where we fit out, Will Martyn said. As for cannon, they can be had almost for taking away. There are thousands and thousands of them to be had at every port. Five years ago every vessel went to sea armed. Now even the biggest craft only carry a gun or two for firing signals with, unless, of course, they are going to sail in Eastern waters. Well, this is a big job a different sort of order altogether to buying the Surf for you. I hope it will turn out as well.
Of course Plymouth will be the best port to go to.
I dont know. During the war certainly either that or Portsmouth would have been the best. Vessels were constantly coming in with prizes; but now, I should say either London or Liverpool would be the best for picking up the sort of craft we want. Still, as Plymouth is so much the nearest here, I should say we had best try there first. Then if we cant find what we want we will take a passage by coaster to Portsmouth, if the wind is favourable; if not, go by coach. But how are you off for money, because I am at dead low-water? I have got a few pounds owing to me, but I cant handle that till I get to London.
I have twenty pounds, Horace said. We didnt think, when I started, of going farther than Plymouth; but I have some blank cheques for paying for things.
Twenty pounds ought to be ample; but if we find at Plymouth we want more I can easily get one cashed for you. I know plenty of people there.
Well, when can you start, Will? My father is anxious not to lose a moment.
I can start in ten minutes if my father is at home. I should want to have just a short chat with him; but I can do that while they are getting the chaise ready. Our best plan would be to drive to Exeter and take the evening coach going through there. There is one comes through about six oclock. I have come down by it several times. It will take us into Plymouth by twelve oclock; so we should gain nothing if we started earlier.
Well, I will go to the inn, Horace said.
No; that you wont, Horace. You come round with me. I expect dinner is ready by this time. We generally dine at one. My father went out in the cutter to look after a wreck four or five miles along the coast, and he said he did not expect to be back till between two and three; so we settled to dine at three. There is the cutter coming up the river now.
But you would rather be with your father alone, Horace said.
Not a bit of it. I have got nothing private to say to him, except to get him to let me draw twenty pounds from his agent to get a fresh rig-out with. He would like to see you again, especially as I am going to sail with you, and he maybe able to put us up to a few wrinkles as to getting our powder on board, and so on. Of course I have been accustomed to seeing it got in from government powder hulks. We will just walk up to the house now if you dont mind, to tell the girl to put an extra knife and fork on the table, then we will go down and meet my father when he lands.
The servant looked with such strong disapprobation upon Horace when she opened the door that he burst into a fit of laughter. You are thinking about my saying hurrah when I heard Mr. Martyn was wrecked? he said. Well, I did not exactly mean that, only I was very glad, because I thought if he had not been wrecked he could not have shipped just at present, and I wanted him very badly.
Yes, I am off again, Hesba, the mate said. Going right away this afternoon. That is a bit of luck, isnt it? I have just come back to tell you to put another knife and fork upon the table, as Mr. Beveridge is going to dine with us; and if you have time to kill a fatted calf, or anything of that sort, do so.
Lor, Mr. William, you know very well there aint no fatted calf, and if there was it would take ever so long to kill it and get some meat cooked, if it was only cutlets.
Well, Martyn laughed, never mind the calf, Hesba; but if dinner is short run straight down to the butchers and get a good big tender steak, and look sharp about it, for my father will be here in a quarter of an hour.
As Horace had seen Captain Martyn (as he was by courtesy called, being in command of a revenue cutter, although only in fact a lieutenant) several times while fitting out the Surf the officer knew him as he saw him standing at the top of the stairs with his son.
Well, Master Beveridge, he said as he climbed up the stairs, I havent seen you since you sailed away in that little craft. I hear you did a brave deed in her, going out in that gale to rescue the crew of the Caledon. It is lucky you caught Will in. He was by this time ashore and shaking hands heartily with Horace.
He has come to take me away, father, Will said. Mr. Beveridge is going to get a fast craft to carry out arms and ammunition to the Greeks, and he has offered me the command.
I should not mind going myself, Will. I am sorry you are off so soon; but you are likely to see some stirring scenes over there. When are you going?
We are going to start directly we have had some dinner, father. We will order a chaise as we go along. We intend to catch the six-oclock coach at Exeter, so as to get to Plymouth to-night. I am going to see if we can pick up a likely craft there. If not, I shall try Portsmouth and Southampton, and if they wont do, London.
Well, that is sharp work, Will. But you have no kit to pack, so there is no difficulty about it. However, there is no time to be lost.
At a quarter to four the post-chaise was at the door, and Will Martyn and Horace started. The horses were good, and they were in plenty of time for the coach, and arrived duly in Plymouth. As soon as they had breakfasted next morning they started out and went first to the shipping office of a firm known to Will Martyn, and there got a list of ships lying for sale in the port.
What sort of craft are you looking for, Martyn? the shipping agent said. We have a dozen at least on our own books, and you may as well give us a turn before you look at any others.
I want a schooner or a brig I dont much care which it is of about a couple of hundred tons. She must be very fast and weatherly; the sort of craft that was used as a privateer in the war; or as a slaver; or something of that kind.