fixed his foot on a rung as in a stirrup, and started upward. He proceeded confidently, his stick tucked through one of the large buttonholes of his coat. And when he was near the top, the petty officer beckoned me over. He grabbed at the ladder and held it tor me as I mounted —then up I went.
Though I had farther to go to reach the top, I found it not near so hard going up as it had been coming down. Life on the deck above seemed to have returned to normal. Seamen crowded the rail and called out in rowdy style to those in the little boats that circled behind me beyond the pinnace —from which they were answered in kind:
“Hey, you, Jolly Jack Tar, I’ve enough spirits to keep you drunk a week, or a month, or aear! ” Another voice: “Rum or gin or beer!”
“And a woman to share it with,” piped a husky soprano, “who’ll bring you good cheer!”
“Just look at these bubs, ” cried a fourth.” You’ll hold them ever so dear!”
Thus they rhymed their pitches and were answered rudely from the deck with catcalls and whistles. It was Covent Garden on the Thames! Indeed, I had no notion of the commerce carried on around and about the great ships anchored in the river. (It continues thus, or so I am told, unto this day, reader.)
When at last I reached the rail, there was none to help me over, so intent was that gang of seamen on the hucksters below. Yet I threw a leg over and came down light upon the deck with what I reckoned to be good shipboard style.
There were sounds of music from a lively fiddle, raucous singing, and the clop-clop-clop of dancing from below. Through a large open space in the deck I spied men and women carrying on in most outlandish fashion, cutting figures among the tethered cannon. In no wise had I expected such merriment aboard a warship. The admiral had done nothing to dampen their fun.
Where was he? Where was Sir John? Not below, surely. I surveyed the level whereon I had dropped and saw no trace of them there, none but common seamen and a few marines. Yet there was a deck above this one to the rear of the ship — “aft, ‘ as I was to learn soon enough was how one said it rightly. There was a narrow stair (“ladder “) leading upward. I hied over to it at good speed and hopped up to the top. My way was barred at that point by another whom I would have called a boy, though he may have been ayear older than me. He wore a uniform that was certainly not seaman’s dress, yet was not quite that of an officer’s. I was not sure, in other words, just who he was, nor what authority he had. However, I was sure that Sir John, Sir Robert, and another whom I took to be the acting captain stood together only a bit beyond him. I wanted past this bothersome boy.
“Here, you, “said he to me, “get down where you belong. Such as you is not allowed up here unless summoned — as you should well know.”
Not merely his words but his manner, as well, were most arrogant. I sought to explain just who I was and why I should be allowed to join those I had come with. He gave no ear whatever to what I said, but simply thrust out his chin and continued bullying at me in a low and threatening tone of voice:
“A landsman, are you? Just pressed into service? Call me Mr. Boone and be sure that I shall make life aboard ship hell for you if you do not get belovvdecks damned quick.”
“But you do not understand” said I.” I am not one of your crew. If you would but listen to —”
“Must I thrash you on the spot? I’ll have you cobbed. I’ll … I’ll…”
Then he signaled his intent by setting his jaw and raising his two open hands before him. Just as he leaped at me across the three feet that separated us, I jumped neatly to m’ left, leaving an empty spot where I had been and a free passage down the narrow stairs—which he took, headfirst, then heels over head, tumbling quite uncontrollably to the bottom, where he lay in a moaning heap.
Though I found it difficult to feel great
Though I had farther to go to reach the top, I found it not near so hard going up as it had been coming down. Life on the deck above seemed to have returned to normal. Seamen crowded the rail and called out in rowdy style to those in the little boats that circled behind me beyond the pinnace —from which they were answered in kind:
“Hey, you, Jolly Jack Tar, I’ve enough spirits to keep you drunk a week, or a month, or aear! ” Another voice: “Rum or gin or beer!”
“And a woman to share it with,” piped a husky soprano, “who’ll bring you good cheer!”
“Just look at these bubs, ” cried a fourth.” You’ll hold them ever so dear!”
Thus they rhymed their pitches and were answered rudely from the deck with catcalls and whistles. It was Covent Garden on the Thames! Indeed, I had no notion of the commerce carried on around and about the great ships anchored in the river. (It continues thus, or so I am told, unto this day, reader.)
When at last I reached the rail, there was none to help me over, so intent was that gang of seamen on the hucksters below. Yet I threw a leg over and came down light upon the deck with what I reckoned to be good shipboard style.
There were sounds of music from a lively fiddle, raucous singing, and the clop-clop-clop of dancing from below. Through a large open space in the deck I spied men and women carrying on in most outlandish fashion, cutting figures among the tethered cannon. In no wise had I expected such merriment aboard a warship. The admiral had done nothing to dampen their fun.
Where was he? Where was Sir John? Not below, surely. I surveyed the level whereon I had dropped and saw no trace of them there, none but common seamen and a few marines. Yet there was a deck above this one to the rear of the ship — “aft, ‘ as I was to learn soon enough was how one said it rightly. There was a narrow stair (“ladder “) leading upward. I hied over to it at good speed and hopped up to the top. My way was barred at that point by another whom I would have called a boy, though he may have been ayear older than me. He wore a uniform that was certainly not seaman’s dress, yet was not quite that of an officer’s. I was not sure, in other words, just who he was, nor what authority he had. However, I was sure that Sir John, Sir Robert, and another whom I took to be the acting captain stood together only a bit beyond him. I wanted past this bothersome boy.
“Here, you, “said he to me, “get down where you belong. Such as you is not allowed up here unless summoned — as you should well know.”
Not merely his words but his manner, as well, were most arrogant. I sought to explain just who I was and why I should be allowed to join those I had come with. He gave no ear whatever to what I said, but simply thrust out his chin and continued bullying at me in a low and threatening tone of voice:
“A landsman, are you? Just pressed into service? Call me Mr. Boone and be sure that I shall make life aboard ship hell for you if you do not get belovvdecks damned quick.”
“But you do not understand” said I.” I am not one of your crew. If you would but listen to —”
“Must I thrash you on the spot? I’ll have you cobbed. I’ll … I’ll…”
Then he signaled his intent by setting his jaw and raising his two open hands before him. Just as he leaped at me across the three feet that separated us, I jumped neatly to m’ left, leaving an empty spot where I had been and a free passage down the narrow stairs—which he took, headfirst, then heels over head, tumbling quite uncontrollably to the bottom, where he lay in a moaning heap.
Though I found it difficult to feel great
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