Athelstane Ford Part 6

"That? Why that's Charlie Watson," he replied, mistaking my meaning.

"It's myself that ought to know, for I sailed under him against the Spaniards in '44, and a devil of a beating we gave them. Hooray!"

The cheer was taken up by the rest of the crew as they caught sight of this gallant seaman, who had been made Rear-Admiral of the Blue in his thirty-fifth year, and that without any influence at his back, but solely on account of his splendid services in the Spanish wars. Mr.

Wilding, who had come up on deck to receive the Admiral, looked round very sourly when he heard the cheer, but was ashamed to openly rebuke us.

"Nay, but who is the other beside him," I went on to ask, being strongly moved to interest by the sight of this gentleman. He appeared to be by some years junior to Mr. Watson, who was now somewhat over forty, but in spite of that, and of his treating the Admiral with much ceremony, there was that in the air of this officer which made an impression of authority, and which drew all eyes towards him as soon as they were arrived upon the quarterdeck.

Sullivan professed himself as ignorant as to the stranger's ident.i.ty as I was myself, nor was I near enough to hear what pa.s.sed when Admiral Watson presented him to Mr. Wilding and the other officers.

Nevertheless, I could see that they received him with extraordinary respect, even the captain seeming to brisk up and to put on a more manly carriage under this gentleman's eye.

After giving one or two keen glances round the deck, which set us all on the alert, the officer walked quickly forward, and the whole party following him, they went below, immediately after which the signal for weighing anchor was made to the squadron, and the crew was set to work putting on all sail. In the midst of which business the report ran round the s.h.i.+p, and reached me I know not from what lips, that the pa.s.senger we had received on board was no other than the famous Mr.

Robert Clive, who had just been created a lieutenant-colonel by the king, and whom we were carrying out to India to take up his government of Fort St. David in the Carnatic.

At this time, though Mr. Clive had not yet reached to that height of eminence which he afterwards attained, he was already known as one of the bravest Englishmen of his time, and I had heard from many quarters of his glorious exploits in the Indies. Although a civilian by profession, when the settlements of the East India Company in Madras were threatened with destruction by the French, he had exchanged his pen for a sword, and, with a mere handful of English and Sepoys, had captured and maintained the town of Arcot against a great army of the French and their allies, after which he had beaten them in many engagements, and in the end wrested the entire province of the Carnatic from their hands. Since then he had been in England, where he had stood for the Parliament, and, as it was thought, had given up all intentions of returning to Indostan. Now the news that we had him on board with us, and that he was on his way out, no doubt to drive the last remains of the French power from that quarter of the world, came on my ears like the summons of a trumpet, and went far to make me content with the accident that had thrown me in the way of the pressgang.

Mr. Griffiths, the lieutenant, who had continued to take some notice of me, for which I was not ungrateful, chanced to come by while I was full of these thoughts, and after confirming the news which I had heard, fell to talking with me about our cruise.

"You see I did you a good turn by bringing you off from that muddy fis.h.i.+ng-hole," he was pleased to observe presently. "Now you are likely to see some service, and, if luck serves, to bring home a good share of prize-money."

By this time I had called to mind the sailing of the _Fair Maid_, and the destination of that pa.s.senger of hers, to see whom once more I would have given all the prize-money in the world.

"Are we like to make the Hooghley river, do you think, sir, when we get out to the Indies?" I ventured to ask.

"That's as it may be," he answered, friendly enough. "All I can tell you--for I believe this to be no secret--is that our first port in those seas is Bombay. And further, since we cannot attack the French till war breaks out, I may give you to know that our first business is to root out certain pirates that infest that coast, and who have their headquarters at the citadel of Gheriah, in the Morattoes' country."

I turned silent at this, remembering how I had heard the name of Gheriah p.r.o.nounced between my cousin and Mr. Sims in the parlour of the "Three-decker", and feeling a dreadful apprehension that I was to meet with the privateers (as they called themselves) in circ.u.mstances which I had little desired.

Eleven months later--for we were beset by contrary winds all round the continent of Africa, and put in at divers places on the way--we came to an anchor in the harbour of Bombay. And there, riding at a mooring under the very walls of the fort, the first vessel that I saw was the _Fair Maid_ herself, looking as peaceful as if she had never fired a gun.

CHAPTER VI

_IN THE POWER OF THE ENEMY_

On our voyage outward one thing had occurred to me which, as it turned out afterwards, was to prove of very great consequence; this was my learning of the native Indian language.

Colonel Clive, who had never been at the pains to acquire it himself, had brought out in his train as secretary a Mr. Scrafton, who was well versed in the Indostanee, and who was obliging enough to offer to impart it to me, I having rendered him some services in the transcribing of his papers and accounts. Having much time on my hands on so long a voyage, I very thankfully accepted his proposal, though little then foreseeing the benefit I was to derive from it.

This connection between us brought me a good deal under the notice of Mr. Clive, who was several times pleased to address his conversation to me, and to inquire my name and what had brought me into that service.

When I told him I had run away from home he seemed not a little amused, though he affected to rebuke me.

"I perceive you are a young man of a reckless spirit," he observed, but whether in irony or not I could not tell. "And pray what do you intend to do when we get to the Indies?"

"Why, sir," I answered hardily, "as soon as war breaks out I mean to run away from the s.h.i.+p and enlist under your honour."

"The devil you do!" he cried, a smile showing itself on his stern face. "Mr. Scrafton, do you hear my little purser here? I have a mind to report your speech to Mr. Sanders."

But though he said this, I could see that he was not ill-pleased. And whether from that occasion or another, by the time our voyage was ended I was known all over the s.h.i.+p as Colonel Clive's purser. And how proud the t.i.tle made me I forbear to say, but I know that if Mr. Clive had ordered me to march into Delhi, and pluck the Great Mogul by the beard, I should have thought it a little thing to do.

The first thing I did after we had dropped our anchor was to beg for leave to go ash.o.r.e, which Mr. Sanders granted with some difficulty.

Mr. Griffiths was good enough to give me a place in the cutter, and as soon as we were landed I separated myself from the rest, and without staying to examine the curiosities of Bombay, which is a fine great city, built on an island, I procured a boatman to take me off privately to the _Fair Maid_.

The boatman I applied to was an Indian. He used me with wondrous civility, calling me Sahib, which is an oriental term of respect, and bowing before me to the very ground. When we were got into the boat, however, he proved but a poor oarsman, and indeed all the natives of that country seem but a feeble race, owing, no doubt, to their idolatrous religion, which forbids them to eat flesh.

We arrived at the stern of the _Fair Maid_ without accident, but to my surprise I could see n.o.body on the deck. Bidding the Indian wait for me I scrambled on board without hailing, and proceeded to examine the cabin. I found this likewise to be deserted, and was beginning to think the vessel was empty when, on turning to come out, I found myself face to face with a dark man in a turban, bearing a naked scymetar in his hand, who had crept in behind me.

"Who are you?" I demanded, addressing him in Indostanee.

But he shook his head, for, as I was to find out, the Morattoes, to which nation he belonged, speak a different dialect of their own.

While I was considering what to do with him, since his behaviour was very threatening, I was greatly relieved by seeing an Englishman come in after him, who proved, indeed, to be no other than my old acquaintance, Trickster Tim.

The sight of me gave him a great shock, and at first I believe he mistook me for a spirit from the other world, which perhaps was not strange, considering that he had last seen me on the other side of the globe, and lying very near to death's door.

I spoke him friendly, nothing doubting that he would be pleased to welcome a fellow-countryman.

"Well, Tim, how d'ye do, and how are all aboard the _Fair Maid_?"

As soon as he had heard my voice his apprehensions vanished. He gazed at me for a minute, as if undecided what to do, and then, putting on a smile, stepped forward and shook me by the hand.

"And how did you get here?" he asked. "We thought we had left you in Yarmouth."

Not thinking any concealment needful, I told him my story, which he listened to very attentively. At the end he spoke some words to the Morattoe, who went out of the cabin.

"Sit down and make yourself comfortable," he said to me. "Our men are all gone ash.o.r.e, but the captain will come off presently and be right glad to see you safe again."

"I can't stay long," I told him, "because I have only got leave for a couple of hours."

At this he smiled a little queerly, but pulled out a bottle of rum and some gla.s.ses, and prevailed on me to take a drink with him. We sat thus for some time, talking, and he told me that the s.h.i.+p had been out there for more than a month, having escaped some of the headwinds we had had to contend with.

"And what of Mrs. Rising?" I said at last, for I had been shy of putting this question to such a man. "I understand she took pa.s.sage with you."

He grinned at this, rather maliciously.

"I thought you'd come to that," he said. "I didn't suppose it was for love of your comrades that you had come on board so quickly. As for Mistress Marian, she's ash.o.r.e, and for her address I may refer you to the captain when he finds you here."

"The captain is rather slow in coming," I observed, getting on to my feet. "I think I must be going ash.o.r.e."

With that I walked out of the cabin, Trickster Tim following at my heels. When I got on to the deck, I stared about me in dismay. Not a sign could I see of my boatman.

"What's become of that fellow who brought me out?" I cried, turning to my companion.

The scoundrel laughed in my face.