Very good, Mr Muddle, replied the captain; its the first time that I have spoken to you on the subject, recollect that it will be the last.
The first time! replied the carpenter, who could not forget his philosophy; I beg your pardon, Captain Savageyou found just the same fault with me on this quarter-deck 27,672 years ago, and
If I did, Mr Muddle, interrupted the captain, very angrily, depend upon it that at the same time I ordered you to go aloft, and attend to your duty, instead of talking nonsense on the quarter-deck; and although, as you say, you and I cannot recollect it, if you did not obey that order instantaneously, I also put you in confinement, and obliged you to leave the ship as soon as she returned to port. Do you understand me, sir?
I rather think, sir, replied the carpenter, humbly touching his hat, and walking to the main rigging, that no such thing took place, for I went up immediately, as I do now; and, continued the carpenter, who was incurable, as he ascended the rigging, as I shall again in another 27,672 years.
That man is incorrigible with his confounded nonsense, observed the captain to the first lieutenant. Every mast in the ship would go over the side, provided he could get any one to listen to his ridiculous theory.
He is not a bad carpenter, sir, replied the first lieutenant.
He is not, rejoined the captain; but there is a time for all things.
Mr Simple, what are you about, sir?
I was listening to what you said, replied I, touching my hat.
I admire your candour, sir, replied he, but advise you to discontinue the practice. Walk over to leeward, sir, and attend to your duty.
When I was on the other side of the deck, I looked round, and saw the captain and first lieutenant both laughing.
Chapter Eighteen
I go away on service, am wounded and taken prisoner with OBrienDiamond cut diamond between the OBriensGet into comfortable quartersMy first interview with Celeste
And now I have to relate an event, which, young as I was at the time, will be found to have seriously affected me in after-life. How little do we know what to-morrow may bring forth! We had regained our station, and for some days had been standing off and on the coast, when one morning at daybreak, we found ourselves about four miles from the town of Cette, and a large convoy of vessels coming round a point. We made all sail in chase, and they anchored close in shore, under a battery, which we did not discover until it opened fire upon us. The shot struck the frigate two or three times, for the water was smooth, and the battery nearly level with it. The captain tacked the ship, and stood out again, until the boats were hoisted out, and all ready to pull on shore and storm the battery. OBrien, who was the officer commanding the first cutter on service, was in his boat, and I again obtained permission from him to smuggle myself into it.
We ran on shore, amidst the fire of the gun-boats which protected the convoy, by which we lost three men, and made for the battery, which we took without opposition, the French artillerymen running out as we ran in. The first lieutenant, who commanded, desired OBrien to remain with the first cutter, and after the armourer had spiked the guns, as officer of the boat he was to shove off immediately. OBrien and I remained in the battery with the armourer, the boats crew being ordered down to the boat, to keep her afloat, and ready to shove off at a moments warning. We had spiked all the guns but one, when all of a sudden a volley of musketry was poured upon us, which killed the armourer and wounded me in the leg, above the knee. I fell down by OBrien, who cried out, By the powers! here they are, and one gun not spiked. He jumped down, wrenched the hammer from the armourers hand, and seizing a nail from the bag, in a few moments he had spiked the gun. At this time I heard the tramping of the French soldiers advancing, when OBrien threw away the hammer, and lifting me upon his shoulders, cried, Come along, Peter, my boy, and made for the boat as fast as he could; but he was too late; he had not got half-way to the boat, before he was collared by two French soldiers, and dragged back into the battery. The French troops then advanced, and kept up a smart fire; our cutter escaped, and joined the other boat, who had captured the gun-boats and convoy with little opposition. Our large boats had carronades mounted in their bows, and soon returned the fire with round and grape, which drove the French troops back into the battery, where they remained, popping at our men under cover, until most of the vessels were taken out: those which they could not man were burnt. In the meantime, OBrien had been taken into the battery, with me on his back: but as soon as he was there, he laid me gently down, saying, Peter, my boy, as long as you were under my charge, Id carry you through thick and thin; but now that you are under the charge of these French beggars, why, let them carry you. Every man his own bundle, Peter, thats fair play; so if they think youre worth the carrying, let them bear the weight of ye.
As soon as our boats were clear of their musketry, the commanding officer of the French troops examined the guns in the battery, with the hope of reaching them, and was very much annoyed to find that every one of them was spiked. Hell look sharper than a magpie before he finds a clear touch-hole, I expect, said OBrien, as he watched the officer. And here I must observe, that OBrien showed great presence of mind in spiking the last gun; for had they had one gun to fire at our boats towing out the prizes, they must have done a great deal of mischief to them, and we should have lost a great many men; but in so doing, and in the attempt to save me, he sacrificed himself, and was taken prisoner. When the troops ceased firing, the commanding officer came up to OBrien, and looking at him, said, Officer? to which OBrien nodded his head. He then pointed to meOfficer? OBrien nodded his head again, at which the French troops laughed, as OBrien told me afterwards, because I was what they called an enfant, which means an infant. I was very stiff and faint, and could not walk. The officer who commanded the troops left a detachment in the battery, and prepared to return to Cette, from whence they came. OBrien walked, and I was carried on three muskets by six of the French soldiers,not a very pleasant conveyance at any time, but in my state excessively painful. However, I must say, that they were very kind to me, and put a great coat or something under my wounded leg, for I was in an agony, and fainted several times. At last they brought me some water to drink. O how delicious it was! In about an hour and a half, which appeared to me to be five days at the least, we arrived at the town of Cette, and I was taken up to the house of the officer who commanded the troops, and who had often looked at me as I was carried there from the battery, saying, Pauvre enfant
Frederick Marryat
Peter Simple
Chapter One
The great advantage of being the fool of the familyMy destiny is decided, and I am consigned to a stockbroker as part of his Majestys sea-stockUnfortunately for me Mr Handycock is a bear, and I get very little dinner
If I cannot narrate a life of adventurous and daring exploits, fortunately I have no heavy crimes to confess: and, if I do not rise in the estimation of the reader for acts of gallantry and devotion in my countrys cause, at least I may claim the merit of zealous and persevering continuance in my vocation. We are all of us variously gifted from Above, and he who is content to walk, instead of to run, on his allotted path through life, although he may not so rapidly attain the goal, has the advantage of not being out of breath upon his arrival.
As well as I can recollect and analyse my early propensities, I think that, had I been permitted to select my own profession, I should in all probability have bound myself apprentice to a tailor; for I always envied the comfortable seat which they appeared to enjoy upon the shopboard, and their elevated position, which enabled them to look down upon the constant succession of the idle or the busy, who passed in review before them in the main street of the country town, near to which I passed the first fourteen years of my existence.
But my father, who was a clergyman of the Church of England, and the youngest brother of a noble family, had a lucrative living, and a soul above buttons, if his son had not. It has been from time immemorial the heathenish custom to sacrifice the greatest fool of the family to the prosperity and naval superiority of the country, and, at the age of fourteen, I was selected as the victim. If the custom be judicious, I had no reason to complain. There was not one dissentient voice, when it was proposed before all the varieties of my aunts and cousins, invited to partake of our new-years festival. I was selected by general acclamation. Flattered by such an unanimous acknowledgment of my qualification, I felt a slight degree of military ardour, and a sort of vision of future grandeur passed before me, in the distant vista of which I perceived a coach with four horses, and a service of plate. But as my story is not a very short one, I must not dwell too long on its commencement. I shall therefore inform the reader, that my father, who lived in the north of England, did not think it right to fit me out at the country town, near to which we resided; but about a fortnight after the decision which I have referred to, he forwarded me to London, on the outside of the coach, with my best suit of bottle-green and six shirts. To prevent mistakes, I was booked in the way-bill, To be delivered to Mr Thomas Handycock, Number 14, Saint Clements Lanecarriage paid. My parting with the family was very affecting; my mother cried bitterly, for, like all mothers, she liked the greatest fool which she had presented to my father, better than all the rest; my sisters cried because my mother cried; Tom roared for a short time more loudly than all the rest, having been chastised by my father for breaking his fourth window in that week.
At last I tore myself away. I had blubbered till my eyes were so red and swollen, that the pupils were scarcely to be distinguished, and tears and dirt had veined my cheeks like the marble of the chimney-piece. My handkerchief was soaked through with wiping my eyes and blowing my nose, before the scene was over. My brother Tom, with a kindness which did honour to his heart, exchanged his for mine, saying, with fraternal regard, Here, Peter, take mine, its as dry as a bone. But my father would not wait for a second handkerchief to perform its duty. He led me away through the hall, when, having shaken hands with all the men, and kissed all the maids, who stood in a row with their aprons to their eyes, I quitted the paternal roof.
The coachman accompanied me to the stage. Having seen me securely wedged between two fat old women, and having put my parcel inside, he took his leave, and in a few minutes I was on my road to London.
I was too much depressed to take notice of any thing during my journey. When we arrived in London, they drove to the Blue Boar (in a street, the name of which I have forgotten). I had never seen or heard of such an animal, and certainly it did appear very formidable; its mouth was open and teeth very large.
The coachman threw his whip to the ostler, and the reins upon the horses back; he then dismounted, and calling to me, Now, young gentleman, Ise waiting, he put a ladder up for me to get down by; then turning to a porter, he said to him, Bill, you must take this here young gemman and that ere parcel to this here direction.Please to remember the coachman, sir. I replied that I certainly would, if he wished it, and walked off with the porter; the coachman observing as I went away, Well, he is a foolthats sartain. I arrived quite safe at St. Clements Lane, when the porter received a shilling for his trouble from the maid who let me in, and I was shown up into a parlour, where I found myself in company with Mrs Handycock.
Mrs Handycock was a little meagre woman, who did not speak very good English, and who appeared to me to employ the major part of her time in bawling out from the top of the stairs to the servants below. I never saw her either read a book or occupy herself with needlework, during the whole time I was in the house. She had a large grey parrot and I really cannot tell which screamed the worst of the twobut she was very civil and kind to me. Before I had been there ten minutes, she told me that she hadored sailorsthey were the defendiours and preserviours of their kings and countries, and that Mr Handycock would be home by four oclock, and then we should go to dinner.
As I was very anxious to see Mr Handycock, and very anxious to have my dinner, I was not sorry to hear the clock on the stairs strike four; when Mrs Handycock jumped up, and put her head over the banisters. Jemima, Jemima, its four oclock!
I hear it, marm, replied the cook; and she gave the frying-pan a twist, which made the hissing and the smell come flying up into the parlour, and made me more hungry than ever.
Rap, tap, tap! Theres your master, Jemima, screamed the lady. I hear him, marm, replied the cook. Run down, my dear, and let Mr Handycock in, said his wife. Hell be so surprised at seeing you open the door.
I ran down as Mrs Handycock desired me, and opened the street-door. Who the devil are you? in a gruff voice, cried Mr Handycock; a man about six feet high, dressed in blue cotton-net pantaloons and Hessian boots, with a black coat and waistcoat. I was a little rebuffed, I must own, but I replied that I was Mr Simple. And pray, Mr Simple, what would your grandfather say if he saw you now?
Law, Mr Handycock, said his wife, from the top of the stairs, how can you be so cross? I told him to open the door to surprise you.
And you have surprised me, replied he, with your cursed folly.
While Mr Handycock was rubbing his boots on the mat, I went upstairs, rather mortified, I must own, as my father had told me that Mr Handycock was his stock-broker, and would do all he could to make me comfortable. When I returned to the parlour, Mrs Handycock whispered to me, Never mind, my dear, its only because theres something wrong on Change. Mr Handycock is a bear just now. I thought so too, but made no answer, for Mr Handycock came upstairs.
Are you ready for your dinner, my dear? said the lady, almost trembling.
If the dinner is ready for me. I believe we usually dine at four, answered her husband gruffly.