Charlie Codmans Cruise 20
XX.
BILL STURDY'S STORY.
After pausing a moment to collect his ideas, Bill Sturdy commenced his
story.
"It was, mayhap, twelve years ago, or it might have been thirteen,
since I sailed from New York in the ship Peregrine, bound for Havana.
The Peregrine was quite a sizable ship, and I expected a pleasant
voyage, as the captain was a frank, good-humored looking man. So he was
when he was in his sober senses, but, unfortunately, this wasn't always
the case. However, he used to keep pretty straight when he was at home,
for if he had shown himself out it might have been hard for him to get
employment. If Jack gets drunk it's no serious damage to the ship, but
if the chief officer, to whom all look for commands, allows himself
to drink too much, especially when a storm threatens, it's a pretty
bad matter. You see, my lad, that when a captain is drunk, he does not
generally know it himself, and is apt to think that he is perfectly
able to manage the ship.
"Well, Captain Harvey, for that was his name, was an excellent seaman
when he was sober. He was a thorough sailor, and knew every rope in the
ship. But, as it happened, it would have been better if we had had a
captain who knew less and kept sober.
"Captain Harvey kept pretty straight at first, as I was saying, and we
men began to like him. He was a pleasant-spoken man, though he meant to
be obeyed when he gave an order. I liked him all the better, because
the captain I had gone with last was a different kind of man. It wasn't
always a word and a blow with Captain Lafarge, but oftentimes the blow
came first. Well, times seemed changed, and that was what I was saying
to a messmate of mine, who had sailed with me under the other captain,
when Captain Harvey came on deck. That was the third day out; his face
looked unusually red, and his eyes bloodshot. He staggered up to us,
gave me a blow side of the head, as he said, or rather hiccoughed, for
he couldn't speak very plain, 'Wh--what are you--hic--doing there, you
rascal?'
"Now, my lad, I'm not one to stand a blow very patiently; I'm rather
apt to resent it, and so I should this time, but as I looked up I saw
how matters stood, and that took away my anger. I liked Captain Harvey,
and I knew that when he was right he would never think of giving me
a blow without any cause, so I didn't do anything, but answered, as
respectful as I could,--
"'I hope I am doing my duty, Captain Harvey.'
"'You lie,' he stuttered again.
"I did not feel called upon to give any answer to this charge. It was
as well that I didn't, for he waited a minute and then left me.
"Well, this was the first that any of us knew of the captain's habits.
We were all sorry, even those that liked to drink themselves, for this
was the only fault we could detect in our chief officer, and it was a
pretty serious one, as it turned out. I told you, didn't I, that we
were bound for Havana?"
"Yes," said Charlie.
"Well, it sometimes happens that there are violent storms in those
latitudes, and the coast is dangerous to approach. Time passed, and
although Captain Harvey would have his blow-out now and then, yet there
had been no particular damage so far, perhaps because we had had pretty
quiet weather. Now, however, we had got into the region of gales, and
we all hoped the captain would keep sober.
"But that wasn't to be.
"One morning, I remember, we had a powerful gale. The ship was behaving
pretty well under it. She was a staunch craft when we started, and bade
fair to see a great many years' service. So, on the whole, we didn't
feel uneasy till the captain came on deck.
"We saw at once that he was drunk, a good deal drunk, and not fit to
take care of the ship. He staggered up to the mate, and asked him how
fast the ship was going.
"The mate reported, ten knots an hour.
"'Ten knots an hour!' repeated the captain, contemptuously. 'Is that
all? We must go faster.'
"'But, Captain Harvey,' said the mate, 'there is a violent gale. Do
you think it prudent to increase our speed?'
"'Prudent!' thundered the captain, 'do you think I would give the order
if I didn't think so? Not a word more, sir, but call all hands, and
make sail.'
"Nothing was to be done but to obey.
"Accordingly the reefs were let out of the topsails, the top gallant
sails set, and even the fore top-mast studding sail. Now, my lad,
although you are not much of a sailor, you can understand that it was
perfect madness to carry so much sail in such a tempest. I knew at once
what would happen, and prepared for the worst. There was a hen-coop
lying on deck, and I resolved, that if the worst should come to the
worst, I would spring for that.
"The worst did come to the worst. The ship pitched about like a mad
thing, and creaked and groaned as if she were a human being in the
greatest distress, and I can tell you the sailors looked black enough.
We felt that our lives were being risked, and all for the intemperance
of one man. That scene cured me of drinking grog. I haven't drank a
drop since."
"Did anything happen to the ship?"
"Yes, my lad, something did happen to the ship. A heavy sea struck her
amidships, and pitched her over upon her side. After we recovered,
we found that she was strained severely and leaking badly. Well,
the end of it was, that we had to abandon her. The rest of the crew
got on board the boats, but there wasn't fairly room, and they were
so overloaded that I thought it would be safer trusting to the old
hen-coop. They tried to get me on board the boats, but I had a kind of
suspicion that the boats wouldn't live. So I stuffed all my pockets
with biscuit, filled a tin measure with water, and trusted myself to
the hen-coop."
"Did the boats live?" inquired Charlie, with interest.
"Not a single one. They were never heard from again. No doubt they all
went down in the storm.
"Well, my lad, it wasn't the pleasantest thing pitching about on a
hen-coop on the wild sea, fifty miles, at least, from land. But my
hope was, that I should be seen by some vessel bound for Havana. In
that case I knew I would be safe. I had provision enough to last me
three days, and I could make my water last as long by being sparing of
it. I had to hold on to the hen-coop pretty tight, or I should have
been washed off by some of the heavy seas. Of course, I got completely
drenched by the salt water, and what was worse, the biscuit got
drenched too, which didn't improve its taste, I can tell you.
"So I tossed about for twenty-four hours. By this time the gale had
gone down, and the sea was more quiet. It was at this time that,
casting my eyes about to see if I could anywhere catch sight of a sail,
I descried one apparently making towards me."
"Wer'n't you delighted?"
"I was at first," said Bill, "but as she came nearer I tried not to
attract her notice."
"Why?" asked Charlie, in great surprise.
"Because, my lad, _I recognized in her the Red Rover, one of the most
noted pirates that cruised in those seas_."
XXI.
THE PIRATE SHIP.
"How did you know she was a pirate?" inquired Charlie.
"I suspected her in the first place, from her rakish look. All pirate
ships, you know, are made for speed. Besides, this particular ship had
been described to me by a messmate who had once been on board a ship
that was chased by her, though, luckily, before the pirate had a chance
to overhaul her, two other vessels came in sight, and frightened her
away.
"As soon as I made out the approaching vessel to be the Red Rover,
I repented bitterly the signs by which I had drawn her attention. I
ceased making signals, but it was too late. She had already seen me,
and a boat was filling with men to take me on board. Finding I could
not well help myself, I concluded to make the best of it, and not show
any objection to going with the boat's crew. So when they came near,
and hailed me, asking me who I was, I answered as heartily as I could,
'Bill Sturdy, of the good ship Peregrine, bound for Havana.'
"'And what's become of your ship?'
"'Gone to the bottom,' I answered.
"'How long since?'
"'About twenty-four hours.'
"'How did it happen?'
"In reply, I told all the circumstances, without reserve, for
concealment would have done no good.
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