Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs Part 9

"I have done that already, doctor," answered the captain, in a weak voice. "Who has the watch, Owen?"

"The third mate, sir," he answered.

"I will see the first and second mates then, as soon as they have finished their observations. Go and call them, Owen," said the captain.

Owen hurried on deck. The second mate, with the a.s.sistance of the third, had just taken a satisfactory observation.

Owen told Mr Grey that the captain wished to see him, but Mr Sc.o.o.nes had not made his appearance on deck. Owen found him in his berth, and gave him the captain's message.

"Dying, is he? That's the lot of all men," observed the mate in an indifferent tone.

Owen saw that, although not tipsy, he had been drinking, but hoped that the captain's last words would have a good effect. He therefore said--

"Come, sir, quickly, or I fear that Captain Aggett may be dead before you get to him."

Unwilling to be absent longer than possible, he then hastened back to the cabin. The second mate was with the captain, who was weaker than before, although perfectly composed. He had been bidding Mr Grey farewell, and had been sending a few parting words to the officers and crew. The first mate soon appeared.

"I wish to say good-bye, Mr Sc.o.o.nes," said the captain. "I am anxious about one point, and you will pardon me if I tell you what it is. I know you to be a first-rate seaman; you are one of those who never order a man to do what you are not ready to do yourself; but you are not a good navigator, for I have several times found that you have made mistakes in your calculations. I wish, therefore, when you take command of this s.h.i.+p that you should trust to Mr Grey's and Owen Hartley's calculations. Owen has had the advantage of a careful training, so that you have no cause to be jealous of him."

"They may be the best calculators in the world for what I care,"

answered the first mate, roughly; "but I will back Jonas Sc.o.o.nes to take a s.h.i.+p round the world with any man alive, so do not trouble yourself on that point, Captain Aggett. You and I have never had a tiff while we have sailed together, and I do not want to have one now, so I'll say no more about the matter."

This unsatisfactory answer evidently pained the captain, but he was too weak to reply. He put out his hand.

"I wish you would listen to reason," he said. "The consequences may be serious if you do not."

The first mate turned away, for he was not a man who liked to be at a death-bed; it made him think of what might happen to himself.

The captain being anxious to know the exact position of the s.h.i.+p, the second mate went into the main cabin to make his calculations.

Owen and the doctor remained with the captain. He did not rally, and just before daybreak, as he himself believed would be the case, he breathed his last.

The doctor, as was his duty, reported the event to the first mate.

"We shall see who is going to be captain now," exclaimed the latter--"Mr Grey, that youngster, or I. From the way Captain Aggett talked, one would have supposed that he fancied young Hartley was as well able to take charge of the s.h.i.+p as a man who has been to sea all his life. The youngster will soon find out his mistake."

Owen knew that Mr Sc.o.o.nes had now the power to treat him in any way he might please--to confine him to his cabin, or even to put him in irons; at all events, that his own position in the s.h.i.+p would be greatly altered. Scarcely, indeed, had the captain's body been committed to its ocean grave than Mr Sc.o.o.nes turned him out of the cabin and made him take up his berth with the apprentices amids.h.i.+ps. Owen bore his change of circ.u.mstances without complaining. He considered that there would be no use in expostulating with Mr Sc.o.o.nes; indeed, that by so doing he might make matters worse.

The first mate, or rather the captain, for so he insisted on being called, ordered him about as he did the other apprentices, and made him perform the roughest style of work.

"You want to be a sailor, my lad, and I never knew one who did not dip his hand in the tar bucket, and you will now have to put yours in very often," he exclaimed. He then ordered Owen to black down some of the rigging.

It was a seaman's duty, and Owen was ready to perform it. Mr Sc.o.o.nes, seeing that he obeyed willingly, was resolved to try him yet further, and ordered him aft to sweep out the cabin and to wait upon him at table. The doctor, who was a kind man, on discovering this, advised Owen to decline obeying the order.

"He now commands the s.h.i.+p, and as long as he does not direct me to do anything which will injure any one, I am bound, I consider, to obey,"

answered Owen. "It is not pleasant, but I do not thus really disgrace myself."

Owen had been accustomed to take an observation with the captain and mates. As soon as he appeared, Mr Sc.o.o.nes ordered him off the p.o.o.p, exclaiming, in an angry tone--

"We don't want any boys fresh from school here with their new-fangled notions. If I see that s.e.xtant again I will break it to pieces. The mates and I can look after the navigation of the s.h.i.+p, I expect, without your a.s.sistance."

Owen went below and stowed away his s.e.xtant, which was one given him by Captain Aggett, and which he highly prized. The other officers were indignant at the way in which Owen was treated, and no one was more so than Nat Midge. He almost cried with rage when Owen came below and told him what had occurred.

"I don't care for what he says," observed Owen, "but I am vexed at not being allowed to improve myself in navigation. I hope that we may get a new captain when we reach Batavia."

"I am sure so do I," said Nat. "If it were not for you, I'd run from the s.h.i.+p. I should not like to leave you, and I wish you would come with me."

Owen laughed. "I do not think we should improve matters by that," he said. "It would only be like falling out of the frying pan into the fire."

"I could not be worse off than I am on board this s.h.i.+p, for I have led a dog's life ever since our kind captain died," answered Nat. "It was bad enough before, but I have been far worse treated since by the first mate and some of the men."

Owen endeavoured to comfort Nat. "When things get to the worst they are sure to change for the better," he remarked. He ultimately persuaded Nat to bear patiently any ill-treatment he might receive.

Several days pa.s.sed by without any event of importance occurring, Owen all the time performing sailor boy's duty. The second and third mates'

observations did not agree with those of the new commander, who, insisting that he was right, would not attend to theirs, but kept the s.h.i.+p on the course he had marked out. The weather had been tolerably fine since the first gale, but signs of a change now appeared. Mr Sc.o.o.nes, however, declared that the wind would not be down upon them for some hours to come, and kept all the canvas standing as before.

Suddenly the wind dropped, and the sails flapped loudly against the masts. It was Mr Grey's watch; he had just relieved the third mate.

Casting his eye to the northward, he shouted--

"All hands on deck; shorten sail! Be smart, my lads, or we shall have the masts whipped over the sides."

The crew who were on deck flew aloft; the watch below came tumbling up and hastened to join the rest, some laying out on the fore and main-topsail yards, while others handed the royals and topgallant sails.

Owen, with the other boys, lay out on the mizen-topsail yard.

"What's all this about?" exclaimed Mr Sc.o.o.nes, who had been in his cabin. His face was flushed and manner excited. "Why don't you wait until I order you to shorten sail?" he added, turning to the second mate.

"Because there would not have been time to save the s.h.i.+p's masts and spars," answered Mr Grey, in a firmer tone than he had hitherto a.s.sumed.

"Shake out the reefs and make sail again," shouted the captain.

"Go on, and carry out the orders I gave you!" cried Mr Grey. "While I remain second officer of this s.h.i.+p, I will not stand by and let her come to harm if I can help it."

"Mutiny! mutiny!" shouted Mr Sc.o.o.nes; but the men, who saw as clearly as the second mate the importance of shortening sail, continued their work. Even the boys, although holding him in dread, instigated by Owen and Nat, remained aloft, until they had handed the mizen-royal and topgallant sail, and close reefed the topsail. Sc.o.o.nes, completely beside himself, was hurrying off the deck, apparently for the purpose, from the words he let drop, of getting his pistols, when a long thin line of hissing foam was seen rus.h.i.+ng across the ocean.

"Down, my lads, down, quick," cried the mate.

The boys rapidly descended from the mizen-yard. Then the voice of the hurricane was heard, and a fierce wind struck the s.h.i.+p. In an instant she heeled over, and the close reefed mizen-topsail was blown from the bolt ropes. The helm being put up, she, however, righted, and away she flew before the hissing and foaming sea, which now rose up on either side as if eager to overwhelm her.

"We must furl the main-topsail," exclaimed Mr Grey, as soon as the yards were squared.

Scarcely were the words uttered, than with a clap like thunder the sail was blown away, and flying out in tatters was quickly whisked round and round the yard. Whatever had been the intentions of the first mate, he now returned perfectly sobered, and taking the command, issued every subsequent order with coolness. He did not however, condescend to praise Mr Grey, by whose promptness the s.h.i.+p had been saved.

For two days the s.h.i.+p ran on under a close reefed fore topsail. The fore-yard had been so well fished that it stood the immense strain put upon it, although most of the crew expected every instant to see it go.

Once more the wind moderating, the sorely battered "Druid" hauled up again on her course. The sky, however, was obscured, and the weather thick, and no observation could be taken. Mr Grey had carefully kept the reckoning, and knew, as he believed, more or less, her position; but he found, on comparing notes, that the calculations made by Mr Sc.o.o.nes placed her at a considerable distance from where he supposed she was; he was therefore eagerly looking out for a glimpse of the sun by day or a star by night to ascertain which was correct. The wind was again favourable, and for some days they had been making good progress.

It was night, and the s.h.i.+p was running along with a pretty stiff breeze and a moderate sea under whole topsails and topgallant sails. Mr Sc.o.o.nes, although acting as captain, found it necessary to keep his watch, in which Owen and Nat remained as before. The sky was cloudy, and as there was no moon it was very dark. A good look-out was kept forward, although the keenest pair of eyes could not have pierced the gloom many fathoms ahead. Mr Sc.o.o.nes paced the deck, every now and then, shouting to the men forward. Some care seemed to oppress him. He might not have had the full confidence in his own reckoning which he professed to have. Still, as the proud s.h.i.+p went scudding on across the broad ocean, no one would have supposed that danger was near.

Owen was on the quarter-deck, when a startling cry came from forward.