The Two Admirals (44 page)

Bluewater listened with intense interest, for here was proof how
completely two of his captains, at least, would be at his own command,
and how little they would be likely, for a time, at least, to dispute
any of his orders. He thought of Sir Reginald, and of the rapture with
which
he
would have received this trait of nautical character.

"There are people who set their hearts on the result, notwithstanding,"
carelessly observed the rear-admiral; "and some who see their fortunes
marred or promoted, by the success or downfall of the parties. They
think de Vervillin is out on some errand connected with this rising in
the north."

"Well, I don't see what
he
has got to do with the matter at all; for,
I don't suppose that King Louis is such a fool as to expect to be king
of England as well as king of France!"

"The dignity would be too much for one pair of shoulders to bear. As
well might one admiral wish to command all the divisions of his own
fleet, though they were fifty leagues asunder."

"Or one captain two ships; or what is more to the purpose, sir, one ship
to keep two captains. We'll drink to discipline, if you've no objection,
sir. 'Tis the soul of order and quiet, ashore or afloat. For my part, I
want no
co-equal
—I believe that's the cant word they use on such
occasions—but I want no co-equal, in the Cæsar, and I am unwilling to
have one in the house at Greenwich; though Mrs. Stowel thinks
differently. Here's my ship; she's in her place in the line; it's my
business to see she is fit for any service that a first-class two-decker
can undertake, and that duty I endeavour to perform; and I make no doubt
it is all the better performed because there's no wife or co-equal
aboard here.
Where
the ship is to
go
, and
what
she is to
do
, are
other matters, which I take from general orders, special orders, or
signals. Let them act up to this principle in London, and we should hear
no more of disturbances, north or south."

"Certainly, Stowel, your doctrine would make a quiet nation, as well as
a quiet ship. I hope you do me the justice to think there is no co-equal
in my commands!"

"That there is not, sir—and I have the honour to drink your
health—that there is not. When we were in the Calypso together, I had
the advantage; and I must say that I never had a youngster under me who
ever did his duty more cheerfully. Since that day we've shifted places;
end for end, as one might say; and I endeavour to pay you, in your own
coin. There is no man whose orders I obey more willingly or more to my
own advantage; always excepting those of Admiral Oakes, who, being
commander-in-chief, overlays us all with his anchor. We must dowse our
peaks to his signals, though we
can
maintain, without mutinying, that
the Cæsar is as good a boat on or off a wind, as the Plantagenet, the
best day Sir Jarvy ever saw."

"There is no manner of doubt of that. You have all the notions of a true
sailor, I find, Stowel; obey orders before all other things. I am
curious to know how our captains, generally, stand affected to this
claim which the Pretender has set up to the throne."

"Can't tell you, on my soul, sir; though I fancy few of them give
themselves any great anxiety in the matter. When the wind is fair we can
run off large, and when it is foul we must haul upon a bowline, let who
will reign. I was a youngster under Queen Anne, and she was a Stuart, I
believe; and I have served under the German family ever since; and to be
frank with you, Admiral Bluewater, I see but little difference in the
duty, the pay, or the rations. My maxim is to obey orders, and then I
know the blame will fall on them that give them, if any thing goes
wrong."

"We have many Scotchmen in the fleet, Stowel," observed the
rear-admiral, in a musing manner, like one who rather thought aloud than
spoke. "Several of the captains are from the north of Tweed."

"Ay, sir, one is pretty certain of meeting gentlemen from that part of
the island, in almost all situations in life. I never have understood
that Scotland had much of a navy in ancient times, and yet the moment
old England has to pay for it, the lairds are willing enough to send
their children to sea."

"Nevertheless it must be owned that they make gallant and useful
officers, Stowel."

"No doubt they do, sir; but gallant and useful men are not scarce
anywhere. You and I are too old and too experienced, Admiral Bluewater,
to put any faith in the notion that courage belongs to any particular
part of the world, or usefulness either. I never fought a Frenchman yet
that I thought a coward; and, in my judgment, there are brave men enough
in England, to command all her ships, and to fight them too."

"Let this be so, Stowel, still we must take things as they come. What do
you think of the night?"

"Dirty enough before morning, I should think, sir, though it is a little
out of rule, that it does not rain with this wind, already. The next
time we come-to, Admiral Bluewater, I intend to anchor with a shorter
scope of cable than we have been doing lately; for, I begin to think
there is no use in wetting so many yarns in the summer months. They tell
me the York brings up always on forty fathoms."

"That's a short range, I should think, for a heavy ship. But here is a
visiter."

The sentinel opened the cabin-door, and Lord Geoffrey, with his cap
fastened to his head by a pocket-handkerchief, and his face red with
exposure to the wind, entered the cabin.

"Well," said Bluewater, quietly; "what is the report from aloft?"

"The Dover is running down athwart our forefoot, and nearing us fast,
sir," returned the midshipman. "The York is close on our weather-beam,
edging in to her station; but I can make out nothing ahead of us, though
I was on the yard twenty minutes."

"Did you look well on the weather-beam, and thence forward to the
lee-bow?"

"I did, sir; if any light is in view, better eyes than mine must find
it."

Stowel looked from one to the other, as this short conversation was
held; but, as soon as there was a pause, he put in a word in behalf of
the ship.

"You've been up forward, my lord?" he said.

"Yes, I have, Captain Stowel."

"And did you think of seeing how the heel of the top-gallant-mast stood
it, in this sea? Bluff tells me 'tis too loose to be fit for very heavy
weather."

"I did not, sir. I was sent aloft to look out for the ships of the
commander-in-chief's division, and didn't think of the heel of the
top-gallant-mast's being too loose, at all."

"Ay, that's the way with all the youngsters, now-a-days. In my time, or
even in
yours
, Admiral Bluewater, we never put our feet on a ratlin,
but hands and eyes were at work, until we reached the halting place,
even though it should be the truck. That is the manner to know what a
ship is made of!"

"I kept my hands and eyes at work, too, Captain Stowel; but it was to
hold on well, and to look out well."

"That will never do—that will never do, if you wish to make yourself a
sailor. Begin with your own ship first; learn all about
her
, then,
when you get to be an admiral, as your father's son, my lord, will be
certain to become, it will be time enough to be inquiring about the rest
of the fleet."

"You forget, Captain Stowel—"

"That will do, Lord Geoffrey," Bluewater soothingly interposed, for he
knew that the Captain preached no more than he literally practised; "if
I
am satisfied with your report, no one else has a right to complain.
Desire Sir Wycherly Wychecombe to meet me on deck, where we will now go,
Stowel, and take a look at the weather for ourselves."

"With all my heart, Admiral Bluewater, though I'll just drink the First
Lord's health before we quit this excellent liquor. That youngster has
stuff in him, in spite of his nobility, and by fetching him up, with
round turns, occasionally, I hope to make a man of him, yet."

"If he do not grow into that character, physically and morally, within
the next few years, sir, he will be the first person of his family who
has ever failed of it."

As Bluewater said this, he and the captain left his cabin, and ascended
to the quarter-deck. Here Stowel stopped to hold a consultation with his
first lieutenant, while the admiral went up the poop-ladder, and joined
Cornet. The last had nothing new to communicate, and as he was permitted
to go below, he was desired to send Wycherly up to the poop, where the
young man would be expected by the rear-admiral.

Some little time elapsed before the Virginian could be found; no sooner
was this effected, however, than he joined Bluewater. They had a private
conversation of fully half an hour, pacing the poop the whole time, and
then Cornet was summoned back, again, to his usual station. The latter
immediately received an order to acquaint Captain Stowel the
rear-admiral desired that the Cæsar might be hove-to, and to make a
signal for the Druid 36, to come under the flag-ship's lee, and back her
main-top-sail. No sooner did this order reach the quarter-deck than the
watch was sent to the braces, and the main-yard was rounded in, until
the portion of sail that was still set lay against the mast. This
deadened the way of the huge body, which rose and fell heavily in the
seas, as they washed under her, scarcely large enough to lift the
burthen it imposed upon them. Just at this instant, the signal was made.

The sudden check to the movement of the Cæsar brought the Dublin booming
up in the darkness, when putting her helm up, that ship surged slowly
past to leeward, resembling a black mountain moving by in the gloom. She
was hailed and directed to heave-to, also, as soon as far enough ahead.
The Elizabeth followed, clearing the flag-ship by merely twenty fathoms,
and receiving a similar order. The Druid had been on the admiral's
weather-quarter, but she now came gliding down, with the wind abeam,
taking room to back her top-sail under the Cæsar's lee-bow. By this time
a cutter was in the water, rising six or eight feet up the black side of
the ship, and sinking as low apparently beneath her bottom. Next,
Wycherly reported himself ready to proceed.

"You will not forget, sir," said Bluewater, "any part of my commission;
but inform the commander-in-chief of the
whole
. It may be important
that we understand each other fully. You will also hand him this letter
which I have hastily written while the boat was getting ready."

"I think I understand your wishes, sir;—at least, I
hope
so;—and I
will endeavour to execute them."

"God bless you, Sir Wycherly Wychecombe," added Bluewater, with emotion.
"We may never meet again; we sailors carry uncertain lives; and we may
be said to carry them in our hands."

Wycherly took his leave of the admiral, and he ran down the poop-ladder
to descend into the boat. Twice he paused on the quarter-deck, however,
in the manner of one who felt disposed to return and ask some
explanation; but each time he moved on, decided to proceed.

It needed all the agility of our young sailor to get safely into the
boat. This done, the oars fell and the cutter was driven swiftly away to
leeward. In a few minutes, it shot beneath the lee of the frigate, and
discharged its freight. Wycherly could not have been three minutes on
the deck of the Druid, ere her yards were braced up, and her top-sail
filled with a heavy flap. This caused her to draw slowly ahead. Five
minutes later, however, a white cloud was seen dimly fluttering over her
hull, and the reefed main-sail was distended to the wind. The effect was
so instantaneous that the frigate seemed to glide away from the
flag-ship, and in a quarter of an hour, under her three top-sails
double-reefed, and her courses, she was a mile distant on her
weather-bow. Those who watched her movements without understanding them,
observed that she lowered her light, and appeared to detach herself from
the rest of the division.

It was some time before the Cæsar's boat was enabled to pull up against
the tide, wind, and sea. When this hard task was successfully
accomplished, the ship filled, passed the Dublin and Elizabeth, and
resumed her place in the line.

Bluewater paced the poop an hour longer, having dismissed his
signal-officer and the quarter-masters to their hammocks. Even Stowel
had turned in, nor did Mr. Bluff deem it necessary to remain on deck any
longer. At the end of the hour, the rear-admiral bethought him of
retiring too. Before he quitted the poop, however, he stood at the
weather-ladder, holding on to the mizzen-rigging, and gazing at the
scene.

The wind had increased, as had the sea, but it was not yet a gale. The
York had long before hauled up in her station, a cable's length ahead of
the Cæsar, and was standing on, under the same canvass as the flag-ship,
looking stately and black. The Dover was just shooting into her berth,
under the standing sailing-orders, at the same distance ahead of the
York; visible, but much less distinct and imposing. The sloop and the
cutter were running along, under the lee of the heavy snips, a quarter
of a mile distant, each vessel keeping her relative position, by close
attention to her canvass. Further than this, nothing was in sight. The
sea had that wild mixture of brightness and gloom, which belongs to the
element when much agitated in a dark night, while the heavens were murky
and threatening.

Within the ship, all was still. Here and there a lantern threw its
wavering light around, but the shadows of the masts and guns, and other
objects, rendered this relief to the night trifling. The lieutenant of
the watch paced the weather side of the quarter-deck, silent but
attentive. Occasionally he hailed the look-outs, and admonished them to
be vigilant, also, and at each turn he glanced upward to see how the
top-sail stood. Four or five old and thoughtful seamen walked the waist
and forecastle, but most of the watch were stowed between the guns, or
in the best places they could find, under the lee of the bulwarks,
catching cat's naps. This was an indulgence denied the young gentlemen,
of whom one was on the forecastle, leaning against the mast, dreaming of
home, one in the waist, supporting the nettings, and one walking the
lee-side of the quarter-deck, his eyes shut, his thoughts confused, and
his footing uncertain. As Bluewater stepped on the quarter-deck-ladder,
to descend to his own cabin, the youngster hit his foot against an
eye-bolt, and fetched way plump up against his superior. Bluewater
caught the lad in his arms, and saved him from a fall, setting him
fairly on his feet before he let him go.