Poor Jack. Frederick Marryat

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ mind if you passed the beer this way, for this long yarn has made my throat somewhat dry.”

      “When you’ve had your swig, old chap, you may as well tell us how the matter ended,” observed my father.

      “Why, it just ended in our losing the whale in the first place, and the boat with her gear in the second. We were picked up by the other boat, and there was no time to be lost, for the sharks were brought together by the scent of the whale’s blood; the whale sounded again, and we were obliged to cut the line, and return on board. But God bless you, messmate, I could tell you many a longer yarn than that, and mayhap I shall some day or another.”

      “Well, I hope you will,” replied my father; “but your fishing story has put me in mind of rather a curious fish, caught by a lad on board of a man-of-war: and suppose I finish what’s at the bottom of this here pot; send Jack for another, and when he comes back, I’ll tell you all about it.”

      “There’s nothing gives me more satisfaction,” replied Ben, “than to pass away the evening in a sober, quiet way, as we are doing now, telling and listening to long yarns. Ain’t you sleepy, Jack?”

      “Oh! no,” replied I, “not a bit. I’ll run for the porter; and don’t let father begin till I come back, Ben. The house will be shut up soon: shall I get more than a pot?”

      “Yes, Jack; but not more beer,” replied my father, putting some silver into my hand; “get one pot of beer, and a bottle of rum. We’ll have that by way of a nightcap, old boy.”

      I ran for the beer and liquor, and was soon back. My father and Ben refilled their pipes, and the former commenced as follows:—

      “When I was quarter-master on board of the Melpomene, we had an old chap for first lieutenant whose name was Fletcher. He was a kind-hearted man enough, as he never worried the ship’s company when there was no occasion; but, at the same time, he was what you call a great stickler for duty—made no allowances for neglect or disobedience of orders, although he would wink at any little skylarking, walking aft, shutting his eyes, and pretending not to see or hear it. His usual phrase was, ‘My man, you’ve got your duty to do, and I’ve got mine.’ And this he repeated fifty times a day; so at last he went by the name of ‘Old Duty.’ I think I see him now, walking up and down with his spy-glass under his left arm, and the hand of the other pushed into his breast, as if he were fumbling for a flea. His hat was always split and worn in the front, from constantly taking it off, instead of touching it, when he came on the quarter-deck; and, as soon as it was too far gone in front to raise the purchase off his head, he used to shift it end for end, bringing the back part in front, and then he would wear it, until, as the Yankees say, it was in ‘taterations altogether,’ and he was forced to bend a new one.

      “Now, we had a boy on board, who entered one day when the captain landed at Torquay to dine with a friend. His name was Jack Jervis: his father and his whole tribe had been fishermen for as long as could be remembered; and Jack himself had been drafted out of his cradle into a coble; and there he had continued day and night, from one year’s end to another, helping his father to fish—so, you see, it had become second nature to him; and, after he came on board, his liking for his former calling still remained with him, and he never was so happy as when his line was overboard, or when he was snooding a hook in some corner or another. He went by the name of Jack the Fisherman; and a smart, active, willing lad he was, sure enough.

      “Now, there was a little difficulty between Old Duty and Jack the Fisherman. Old Duty would not allow the lines to be overboard when the ship was in harbour; as he said it was untidy in appearance, and that there was always plenty of work, and no time for fishing. So Jack hadn’t pulled up his line ten or a dozen times before he was pulled up himself. ‘Whose line’s that?’ says Old Duty. ‘Mine, sir,’ says Jack, touching his hat. ‘I don’t allow fishing, young man,’ said the first lieutenant. ‘You understand me?—I don’t allow fishing. You’ve your duty to do, sir, and I’ve got mine.’

      “Jack, who had only been two or three days on board, and who, I believe, would never have entered, had he known that there would have been such a ‘weto,’ as the boatswain used to call it, looked quite astonished, and said—

      “ ‘What, mayn’t I fish, sir?’

      “ ‘No, my man, you must not fish without permission; and that I never give in harbour. If I catch you fishing again, you get two dozen at the gun, recollect that. You’ve got your duty to do, and I’ve got mine.’

      “Well, Jack could not give up his habit, so he used to fish at night, and all night long, out of the fore-chains; but it so happened that the ship’s corporal caught Jack in the middle watch, and reports him to the first lieutenant.

      “ ‘So, you’ve been fishing again, sir,’ says Old Duty. ‘No, sir,’ replied Jack, ‘not fishing—only laying night lines.’

      “ ‘Oh! that’s it,’ replied the first lieutenant; ‘only laying night lines! Pray, what’s the difference?’ ‘Please, sir,’ said Jack, touching his hat, ‘the difference is—that it’s not the same thing.’ ”

      “ ‘Well, sir, I see but one difference, and I’ll meet it accordingly. You’ve your duty to do, and I’ve got mine.’

      “The boys’ heads and ears having been pulled about and examined by the master-at-arms, they were dismissed; and Jack thought that he had got off—but he was mistaken.

      “After the hammocks had been piped down, and it was dark, the boys were ordered up by the master-at-arms; Jack was seized to the gun, and had his two dozen. ‘There, sir,’ said Old Duty, as they cast the seizings off, ‘if fishing at night is not fishing, punishment at night is not punishment. Now we’re quits. You’ve your duty to do, and I’ve got mine.’

      “I don’t think that Jack perceived any more difference in the two dozen at night-time than the first lieutenant did between day and night fishing; however, Jack did not fish for some time afterwards. But it so happened, that the first lieutenant was asked on shore to dine with the port-admiral; and, although he seldom left the ship, he could not refuse such a compliment, and so he went. As soon as it was dark, Jack thought his absence too good an opportunity not to have a fish; so he goes into the mizen-chains, and drops his line. Well, he fished (but I don’t know whether he caught any) till the boat was hailed in which the first lieutenant was coming on board, and then Jack thought it time to haul in his line; but, just at that moment, there was a jerk; and Jack, who knew that fish was at the bait, could not for the life of him pull up his line—for, you see, he was a fisherman heart and soul; so Jack trusted to Providence and the first lieutenant’s going down below as soon as he came on deck.

      “Now, you see, the ship was lying at the time ’cross the tide, the wind blowing against the current: the starboard side (being to leeward as to the wind, but to windward as to the tide) had been cleared away, and manned for the boat, and Jack made sure that the first lieutenant would pull to that side; but he was mistaken. Whether it was that the first lieutenant wished to have a look round the ship or not, I do not know, but he pulled across the bows, and went round the stern, passing the larboard side: as he passed, Jack shrunk under the lee of the deadeyes and lanyards, hoping he might not be seen; but the first lieutenant, having the clear horizon on the other side, perceived the line which Jack had half hauled up, and, having an eye like a cat, makes out Jack also.

      “ ‘I see you, sir—I see you, Mr. Jervis, fishing again, sir. Very well,’ cried the first lieutenant, from the stern-sheets of the boat, as he passed by. ‘You’ve your duty to do, and I’ve got mine.’ ‘That’s as good as two dozen to-morrow morning at muster,’ thought Jack, СКАЧАТЬ