early in the month of march, 1801, an old sailor was sitting on a bench gazing over the stretch of sea which lies between hayling island and the isle of wight. the prospect was a lively one, for in those days ships of war were constantly running in and out, and great convoys of merchantmen sailed under the protection of our cruisers; and the traffic between spithead and portsmouth resembled that of a much frequented road.

peter langley had been a boatswain in the king's service, and had settled down in his old age on a pension, and lived in a small cottage near the western extremity of hayling island. here he could see what was going on at spithead, and when he needed a talk with his old "chums" could get into his boat, which was lying hauled up on the sand, and with a good wind arrive in an hour at the hard. he was sitting at present on a portion of a wreck thrown up by a very high tide on the sandy slope, when his meditations were disturbed by a light step behind him, and a lad in a sailor's dress, some fifteen years of age, with a bright honest face, came running down behind him.

"hallo, dad!"[pg 166]

"hallo, my boy! bless me, who'd ha' thought o' seeing you!" and the old man clasped the boy in his arms in a way that showed the close relationship between the two. "i didn't expect you for another week."

"no! we've made a quick passage of it," the boy said; "fine wind all the way up, with a gale or two in the right quarter. we only arrived in the river on monday, and as soon as we were fairly in dock i got leave to run down to see you."

"what were you in such a hurry for?" the old sailor said. "it's the duty of every hand to stop by the ship till she's cleared out."

"i have always stayed before till the crew were paid off; but no sooner had we cast anchor than one of the owners came on board, and told the captain that another cargo was ready, that the ship was to be unloaded with all speed, and to take in cargo and sail again in a fortnight at the utmost, as a fleet was on the point of sailing for the west indies under a strong convoy."

"a fortnight! that's sharp work," the old sailor said. "and the goods will have to be bundled out and in again with double speed. i know what it will be. you will be going out with the paint all wet, and those lubbers the stevedores will rub it off as fast as it's put on. well, a few days at sea will shake all down into its place. but how did you get leave?"

"i am rather a favorite with the first officer," the[pg 167] lad said. "the men who desired to leave were to be discharged at once and a fresh gang taken on board, so i asked him directly the news came round if i might have four days away. he agreed at once, and i came down by the night coach; and here i am for eight-and-forty hours."

"it's a short stay," the old sailor said, "after more than a year away, but we mustn't waste the time in regretting it. you've grown, harry, and are getting on fast. in another couple of years you'll be fit to join a king's ship. i suppose you've got over your silly idea about sticking to the merchant service. it's all very well to learn your business there as a boy, and i grant that in some things a merchantman is a better school than a king's ship. they have fewer hands, and each man has to do more and to learn to think for himself. still, after all, there's no place like a saucy frigate for excitement and happiness."

"i don't know, dad," the boy said. "i have been learning a little navigation. the first officer has been very kind to me, and i hope in the course of two or three years to pass and get a berth as a third mate. still, i should like three or four years on board a man-of-war."

"i should think so," the old sailor said, "for a man ought to do his duty to his country."

"but there are plenty of men to do their duty to their country," the boy said.

"not a bit of it!" the sailor exclaimed. "there's[pg 168] a great difficulty in finding hands for the navy. everyone wants to throw their duty upon everyone else. they all hanker after the higher wages and loafing life on board a merchantman, and hate to keep themselves smart and clean as they must do in a king's ship. if i had my way, every tar should serve at least five years of his life on board a man-of-war. it is above all things essential, harry, that you should do your duty."

"i am ready to do my duty, dad," the boy said, "when the time comes. i do it now to the best of my power, and i have in my pocket a letter from the first officer to you. he told you when you went down with me to see me off on my last voyage that he would keep an eye upon me, and he has done so."

"that's right," the old man said. "as you say, harry, a man may do his duty anywhere; still, for all that, it is part of his duty, if he be a sailor, to help his majesty, for a time at least, against his enemies. look at me. why, i served man and boy for nigh fifty years, and was in action one way and another over a hundred times, and here i am now with a snug little pension, and as comfortable as his gracious majesty himself. what can you want more than that?"

"i don't know that i can want more," the boy said, "in its way, at least; but there are other ways in the merchant service. i might command a ship by the time i am thirty, and be my own master in[pg 169]stead of being a mere part of a machine. i have heard the balls flying too," he said, laughing.

"what! did you have a brush with mounseer?" the old tar said, greatly interested.

"yes; we had a bit of a fight with a large privateer off the coast of spain. fortunately the old bark carries a long eighteen, as well as her twelves, and when the frenchman found that we could play at long bowls as well as himself he soon drew off, but not before we had drilled a few holes in his sails and knocked away a bit of his bulwarks."

"were you hit, harry?"

"yes, two or three shots hulled her, but they did little damage beyond knocking away a few of the fittings and frightening the lady passengers. we had a strong crew, and a good many were sorry that the skipper did not hide his teeth and let the frenchman come close before he opened fire. we should like to have towed him up the river with our flag over the tricolor."

"there, you see, harry," the old sailor said, "you were just as ready to fight as if you had been on a man-of-war; and while in a sailing ship you only get a chance if one of these privateers happens to see you, in a king's ship you go looking about for an enemy, and when you see one the chances are he is bigger, instead of smaller, than yourself."

"ah! well, dad, we shall never quite agree on it, i expect," the boy said; "but for all that, i do mean to serve for a few years in a man-of-war. i expect[pg 170] that we may have a chance of seeing some fighting in the west indies. there are, they say, several french cruisers in that direction, and although we shall have a considerable convoy the frenchmen generally have the legs of our ships. i believe that some of the vessels of the convoy are taking out troops, and that we are going to have a slap at some of the french islands. has there been any news here since i went?"

"nothing beyond a few rows with the smugglers. the revenue officers have a busy time here. there's no such place for smuggling on the coast as between portsmouth and chichester. these creeks are just the places for smugglers, and there's so much traffic in the channel that a solitary lugger does not attract the attention of the coastguard as it does where the sea's more empty. however, i don't trouble myself one way or the other about it. i may know a good deal of the smuggling, or i may not, but it's no business of mine. if it were my duty to lend a hand to the coast-guard, i should do it; but as it isn't, i have no ill-will to the smugglers, and am content enough to get my spirits cheap."

"but, dad, surely it's your duty to prevent the king being cheated?" harry said with a smile.

"if the king himself were going to touch the money," the old sailor said sturdily, "i would lend a hand to see that he got it, but there's no saying where this money would have gone. besides, if the spirits hadn't been run, they would not have been[pg 171] brought over here at all, so after all the revenue is none the worse for the smuggling."

the boy laughed. "you can cheat yourself, dad, when you like, but you know as well as i do that smuggling's dishonest, and that those who smuggle cheat the revenue."

"ah, well!" the sailor said, "it may be so, but i don't clearly see that it's my duty to give information in the matter. if i did feel as it were going to be my duty, i should let all my neighbors know it, and take mighty good care that they didn't say anything within earshot of me, that i might feel called on to repeat. and now, let's go up to the cottage and see the old woman."

"i looked in there for a moment," harry said, "as i passed. mother looks as hale and hearty as she did when i left, and so do you, dad."

"yes, we have nothing to complain of," the old man said. "i have been so thoroughly seasoned with salt water that it would take a long time for me to decay."

when they got up to the cottage they found that jane langley had got breakfast prepared. rashers of bacon were smoking on the table, and a large tankard of beer stood by, for in those days the use of tea had not become general in this country.

"have you heard, mother," peter langley said, "that the boy is to leave us again in forty-eight hours?"

"no, indeed," the old woman said; "but this is[pg 172] hard news. i had hoped that you would be with us for a bit, my boy, for we're getting on fast in life, and may not be here when you return."

"oh, mother! we will not think of such a thing as that," harry said. "father was just saying that he's so seasoned that even time cannot make much of such a tough morsel; and you seem as hearty as he is."

"aye, boy," peter said, "that be true, but when old oak does come down, he generally falls sudden. however, we won't make our first meal sad by talking of what might be."

gayly during the meal they chatted over the incidents of harry's voyage to india and back. it was his second trip. the lad had had a much better education than most boys in his rank of life at that time, the boatswain having placed him at the age of ten in charge of a schoolmaster at portsmouth. when harry had reached that age peter had retired from the service, and had settled down at hayling, but for two years longer he had kept harry at school. then he had apprenticed him to a firm of shipowners in london, and one of the officers under whom peter had served had spoken to the heads of the firm, so that the boy was put in a ship commanded by a kind and considerate officer, and to whose charge he was specially recommended. thus he had not forgotten what he had learned at school, as is too often the case with lads in his position. his skipper had seen that he not only kept up what[pg 173] he knew, but that he studied for an hour or so each day such subjects as would be useful to him in his career.

after breakfast the pair again went out onto the sandhills, peter, as usual, carrying a huge telescope with him, with which he was in the habit of surveying every ship as she rounded the west of the island and came running in through the channel to portsmouth. most of the men-of-war he knew in an instant, and the others he could make a shrewd guess at. generally when alone with harry he was full of talk of the sea, of good advice as to the lad's future bearing, and of suggestions and hints as to the best course to be adopted in various emergencies. but to-day he appeared unusually thoughtful, and smoked his pipe, and looked out in silence over the sea, scarcely even lifting his telescope to his eye.

"i've been thinking, harry," he said at last, "that as you are going away again, and, as the old woman says, you may not find us both here when you come back, it is right that i should tell you a little more about yourself. i once told you, years ago, that you were not my son, and that i would give you more particulars some day."

the lad looked anxiously up at the old sailor. it was a matter which he had often thought over in his mind, for although he loved the honest tar and his good wife as much as he could have done his natural parents, still, since he had known that he was their adopted son only, he had naturally won[pg 174]dered much as to who his parents were, and what was their condition in life.

"i thought it as well," the old sailor began, "not to tell you this here yarn until you were getting on. boys' heads get upset with a little breeze, especially if they have no ballast, and though it isn't likely now that you will ever get any clew as to your birth, and it will make no difference whether it was a duke or a ship's caulker who was your father, still it's right that you should know the facts, as no one can say when they start on a voyage in life what craft they may fall aboard before they've done. it may be, harry, that as you intends to stick to the merchant service—saving, of course, that little time you mean to serve on board a king's ship—you may rise to be a skipper, and perhaps an owner. it may be, boy, that as a skipper you may fall in love with some taut craft sailing in your convoy. i've seen such things before now, and then the fact that you might be, for aught you know, the son of a marquis instead of being that of a boatswain, might score in your favor. women have curious notions, and though, for my part, i can't see that it makes much difference where the keel of a craft was laid as long as it's sound and well-built, there are those who thinks different.

"well, to tell you the yarn. it were nigh fourteen years ago that i was boatswain aboard the alert frigate, as taut a craft as ever sailed. we had a smart captain and as good a crew as you'd want to see. we were cruising in the west[pg 175] indies, and had for months been, off and on, in chase of a craft that had done much damage there. she carried a black flag, and her skipper was said to be the biggest villain that ever even commanded a pirate. scarce a week passed but some ship was missing. it mattered little to him whether she sailed under the english, the french, or the spanish flag; all was fish to him. many and many a vessel sailed laden that never reached europe. sometimes a few charred timbers would be thrown up on the shore of the islands, showing that the ship to which they belonged had been taken and burned before she had gone many days on her way. often and often had the pirate been chased. she was bark-rigged, which was in itself a very unusual thing with pirates—indeed, i never knew of one before. but she had been, i believe, a merchantman captured by the pirate, and was such a beauty that he hoisted his flag on her, and handed his own schooner over to his mate. somehow or other he had altered her ballast, and maybe lengthened her a bit, for those pirates have a rendezvous in some of the islands, where they are so strong that they can, if need be, build a ship of their own. anyhow, she was the fastest ship of her class that ever was seen on those seas, and though our cruisers had over and over again chased her, she laughed at them, and would for a whole day keep just out of reach of their bow-chasers with half her sails set, while the cruisers were staggering under[pg 176] every rag they could put on their masts. then when she was tired of that game she would hoist her full canvas and leave the king's vessel behind as if she was standing still. once or twice she nearly got caught by cruisers coming up in different directions, but each time she managed to slip away without ever having a rope or stay started by a shot. we in the alert had been on her footsteps a dozen times, but had had no more luck than the rest of them, and the mere name of the seamew was sufficient to put any one of us into a passion. there wasn't one of the ship's company, from the captain down to the powder-monkey, who wouldn't have cheerfully given a year's pay to get alongside the seamew. the alert carried thirty-two guns, and our crew was stronger than usual in a vessel of that size, for there was a good deal of boat service, and it was considered that at any moment 'yellow jack' might lay a good many hands up—or down, as the case may be. well, one night we were at anchor in porto rico, and the first lieutenant had strolled up with two of the middies to the top of a hill just before the sun went down. he had taken a glass with him. just as the night was falling, a middy on our quarter-deck, who was looking at the shore with a glass, said to the second lieutenant, who was on watch:

"'look, sir; here comes mr. jones with keen and hobart down that hill as if he were running a race. he isn't likely to be racing the middies. what can he be after?'[pg 177]

"'no,' the second lieutenant said, with a smile; 'mr. jones is hardly likely to be racing the middies'; which, indeed, was true enough, for the first lieutenant was as stiff as a ramrod—a good officer, but as strict a martinet as ever i sailed under.

"the second lieutenant took the glasses, and saw that, whatever the reason might be, it was as the midshipman had said. the news that mr. jones was coming down the hill, running as if old nick was after him, soon spread, and there was quite an excitement on the quarter-deck as to what could be the matter.

"ten minutes afterwards the gig was seen coming off to the ship, and it was evident, by the way the spray was flying and the oars bending, that the men were pulling as if for life or death. by this time the news had spread through the ship, and the captain himself was on the quarter-deck.

"'give me the speaking-trumpet,' he said, and as the boat came within call he shouted, 'what's the matter, mr. jones? is anything wrong?'

"'i've sighted,' the lieutenant said, standing up and making a trumpet with his two hands, 'two craft together round the point of the island some fifteen miles at sea. they're low down on the sea-line, but by their look i think that one is the seamew and the other a merchantman she has captured.'

"not a moment was lost. the captain gave the orders sharp and quick. the men, who were all standing about, were in a minute clustering on the[pg 178] yards, and never was canvas got on a ship faster than it was on the alert that evening. before the boat was fairly run up to the davits the anchor was at the cat-head, and the alert's bows were pointing seawards. five minutes afterwards, with every stitch of canvas set, we were running out of the harbor. the first lieutenant had taken the bearings pretty accurately, and as there was a brisk evening breeze blowing we spun along at a famous rate. by this time it was dark, and we had every hope that we might come upon the pirate before she had finished transferring the cargo of her prize under her own hatches. not a light was shown, and as the moon was not up we hoped to get within gunshot before being seen, as the pirate, seeing no craft within sight before the sun went down, would not suspect that the alert could be on his traces. we had to sail close to the wind till we were round the point of the island, and then to run nearly before it towards the spot where the vessels had been seen. in two hours from the time of starting we reckoned that we must be getting close to them if they still remained hove-to.

"all of a sudden, some two miles ahead, a point or two off the starboard bow, a great flame shot up. every moment it grew and grew until we could see a large ship in flames, while another lay about a quarter of a mile distant. three or four boats were pulling from the ship in flames towards the other, and as this was a bark we had no doubt that we had[pg 179] caught the seamew at her villainous work. the pirate was lying between us and the burning merchantman, so that while her spars stood out clear and distinct against the glare of light we must have been invisible to her. the word was passed quickly forward for the men to go to quarters. every gun was double-shotted and run out, and then, all being ready for the fight, the men stripped to their waists, cutlasses and boarding-pikes ready to hand, we waited with breathless anxiety. we were already within range of our bow-chasers, and as yet there was no sign that the pirate was conscious of our presence. the boats were now near him, and no doubt those on board were looking rather in their direction than to windward. rapidly the alert tore through the water, the sail trimmers were all ready to take in her light canvas at a moment's notice. the officers clustered on the quarter-deck, and the men stood by their guns with every eye strained at the pirate. nearer and nearer we came, and our hopes rose higher and higher. we were within a mile now, when suddenly a great movement was seen on board the pirate. the breeze was steady, and the sea quiet, and loud words of command could be heard shouted as a swarm of men ran up the rattlins. it was clear we were seen. there was no further need of concealment, and the captain gave word for the bow-chasers to open. quickly as the pirate got her canvas spread—and i do think that sharp as we had been on board the alert, the sea[pg 180]mew was even quicker in getting under canvas—we were scarce a quarter of a mile from her when she got fairly under way. up to this moment not a gun had spoken save the two bow-chasers, as the captain would not yaw her until the last moment then round she came and poured a broadside into the seamew. orders had been given to fire high, and every man was on his mettle. the maintop-mast of the seamew fell, snapped at the cap; the peak halyards of the mizzen were shot away, and a number of holes were drilled through her sails. a loud cheer broke from our men. fast as the seamew was she was sufficiently crippled now to prevent her getting away, and at last she was to show whether she could fight as well as run, and i must say for her she did.

"she carried but twenty guns against our thirty-two, but they were of far heavier metal, and after ten minutes the alert was as much bruised and battered as if she had been fighting a frenchman of equal size for an hour. however, we had not been idle, and as our shot had been principally directed against the enemy's rigging, as our great object was to cripple her and so prevent her from getting away, she was by this time a mere wreck above, although her sides were scarcely touched; whereas two of our ports had been knocked into one, and some thirty of our men had been struck down either by shot or by splinters. pouring a last broadside into her, the captain ordered the alert to be brought alongside[pg 181] the seamew. there was no need to call upon the boarders to be ready. every man was prepared, and as the vessels came alongside our men rushed to the assault. but the crew of the seamew were as eager to board us as we were them, and upon the very bulwarks a desperate combat ensued. strong as we were, the seamew carried fully as many hands, and as they were fighting with halters round their necks it's little wonder that they fought so well.

"i've been in a good many fights, but never did i see one like that. each man hacked, and hewed, and wielded his boarding-pike as if the whole fight depended upon his single exertions. gradually the men whose places were at the guns on the starboard side left their places and joined in the fight, while those on the port side continued to pour a fire of grape into the enemy. it was near half an hour before we got a fair footing on the pirate's deck, and then steadily and gradually we fought our way forward. but it was another half-hour after the pirate captain and all his officers had been killed, and fully half the crew cut down, that the rest surrendered.

"on board the alert we had fully one-third of our complement killed or wounded. mr. jones had been shot through the head; the second and third lieutenants were both badly wounded, and the captain himself had had his jaw broken by a pistol fired in his face. i got this scar on my cheek, which spoiled my beauty for the rest of my life, but as i[pg 182] had been over thirty years married to the old woman that made but little difference. never were a crew more glorious than we were that night. even the wounded felt that the victory had been cheaply purchased. we had captured the scourge of these seas, which had for ten years laughed at all the fastest cruisers of our navy, and we felt as proud as if we had captured a french first-rate.

"all hands were at work next day in repairing damages. i was up aloft seeing to the fitting of fresh gear to the topgallant-mast when i saw something floating at sea which took my attention. it seemed to me like a box, and an empty one, for it floated high on the water. its lid seemed to be open, and i thought once or twice that i saw something inside. i slid down to the quarter-deck and reported what i had seen. the third lieutenant, who was doing duty with his arm in a sling, was not disposed to take the men off their work to lower a boat; but as i pointed out that the box might have belonged to the merchantman which had been burned overnight, and that it might afford some clew as to the name of the ship, he consented, and with four hands i was soon rowing towards the box.

"i don't know what i had expected to see, but i was never more surprised than when, getting there, i found that it was a trunk, and that in it, sitting up, was a child about eighteen months old. that was you, harry. in the bottom of the trunk were a locket with a woman's likeness in it, a curious in[pg 183]dian bangle, and a few other articles of jewelry. how you got there we never knew, but the supposition was that when the pirate was overhauling the merchantman, and her true nature was ascertained, some mother, knowing the fate that awaited all on board, had put you in an open trunk, had thrown in what ornaments she had about her, and had dropped the trunk overboard, in hopes that it might drift away and be picked up by some passing ship. it was a wild venture, with a thousand to one against its success, but the lord had watched over it, and there you were as snug and comfortable as if you had been laying in your own cot, though, by the way, you were squalling as loud as a litter of kittens, and i expect had missed your breakfast considerably. you were sitting up, and it was lucky that you were backward of your age, for, although by your size we guessed you to be eighteen months, you were still unable to walk. if you had been as active as some chaps of that age you would have scrambled onto your feet, and no doubt capsized your boat.

"well, we brought you on board, and there was a great talk as to what was to be done with you; but as i was your discoverer i claimed you as a lawful prize, and i thought you would amuse the old woman while i was at sea, and perhaps be a comfort to me when i got laid up in ordinary, as indeed you have been. so that's all i know, harry. every inquiry was made, but we never heard of any ship which exactly answered to the description. you[pg 184] see, beyond the fact that she was a square-rigged ship we could say but little about her. the ornaments found in the box seemed to show that she had come from the east indies, but of course that could not be, for what would she be doing there? but at any rate the person who put you into the trunk, and who was no doubt your mother, had been to the east indies, or at least had been given those ornaments by someone who had, for there was no doubt where they were turned out.

"well, on board the alert everyone got promoted. there was enough valuable property found on board the seamew to give us a handsome sum all round, and it was my share of the prize-money that enabled me to buy this little cottage, and went no small way towards paying for your schooling and board. as no one else claimed you, and your friends could not be heard of, no one disputed my right to your guardianship; and so, my boy, here you have been cruising about the world as harry langley ever since."

the old sailor was silent, and harry was some time before he spoke.

"well, dad, you may not have been my real father, but no one could have been a better father to me than you have, and as it isn't likely now that i shall ever hit upon a clew which could lead me to discover who i am, i shall continue to regard you as my real father. still, as you say, it may perhaps in life be some advantage to me to be able to claim that i am the son of a marquis;" and he laughed merrily.[pg 185] they talked the matter over for some time, and then harry changed the subject.

"are all our friends well?" harry asked.

"all except poor tom hardy. he slipped his cable six months since, and his wife, poor old soul, is gone to some friends near winchester."

"who's living in the cottage?"

"black jack has taken it."

"what! has he moved from his old place, then?"

"no, it is said that he's taken it for a frenchy, who comes down off and on. they say he's in the smuggling business with black jack, and that he disposes of the silks and wines that are brought over in the lucy, and that jack trades over in france with his friends. the lieutenant at the coast-guard station has his eye upon him, and i believe that some day they will catch black jack as he runs his cargo; but he's a slippery customer. it would be a good day for hayling if they could do so, for he and his crew do a lot of harm to the place. they look more like men who have belonged to the seamew i was talking to you about than honest english fishermen."

"it is a curious thing, dad, that the frenchman should be coming backwards and forwards here, and i wonder that the revenue people don't inquire into it."

"i don't suppose that they know very much about it, harry. he comes off and on, generally arriving at night, and leaving a few hours afterwards. i hear about these things because everyone knows that old[pg 186] peter langley is not the chap to put his nose into other people's business. i don't like these goings on, i must say, and consider they will end badly. however, it is no business of ours, lad. we get our brandy cheap in hayling—nowhere cheaper, i should say—and that, after all, is the matter that concerns us most. the wind's rising fast; i think we're in for a gale."

it was as peter said. the clouds were rising fast behind the island, the waves were breaking with a short, sharp sound upon the beach, white heads were beginning to show themselves out at sea, the fishing craft were running in towards portsmouth under reefed sails, the men-of-war at spithead could be seen sending down their topmasts, and everything betokened that it would be a nasty night.

"what time must you leave, harry?"

"i shall go off at three to-morrow morning; shall cross the ferry, and catch the coach as it goes along at eight. i promised that i would be back on the following morning, and i would not fail in keeping my appointment, for as the captain has been so good i should be sorry that he should think that i had broken my word."

in the course of the day harry went over to the village and saw many of his boy friends. bill simpkins, however, his great chum, happened to be away, but his parents said that he would be back at nine in the evening. he had gone over to winchester to see a brother who was in a regiment quar[pg 187]tered there. accordingly, soon after nine o'clock harry said to his father that he would just walk over to have a chat with his friend, and be back in an hour or so.

"thou had best stop at home and go to bed at once," jane langley said; "if thou hast to start at three o'clock, it were time thou wert in bed now."

"i am accustomed to short nights," harry said, laughing, "and i shall be able to sleep long to-morrow."

putting on his hat, he nodded to the old couple, and went off at a run into the darkness.

the road was a wide one, and but little frequented, and the grass grew thick over a considerable portion of the sides, therefore as he ran along with a light, springy tread the sound of his footsteps was deadened. as he came along by the cottage of which he had been speaking to peter langley he heard the sound of voices within. being curious to see what this mysterious frenchman was like, harry paused, lightly lifted the latch of the gate, and entered the little garden. he had intended to peep in at the window, and having satisfied his curiosity to be off; but just as he reached the door the latter opened suddenly, and harry had only time to draw back behind the little porch before two men came out. in one harry recognized by his voice the smuggler black jack; the other was by his halting english evidently the foreigner. they stopped for a moment, looking out into the night.[pg 188]

"i tell you," the smuggler said, "it's going to be a storm, and no mistake. the lucy is a tight craft, and has weathered gales when many a bigger ship has gone down. still, i don't like running out into it without necessity."

"necezity," said the frenchman. "i sould have sought zat ze earning of five hundred pounds was as urgent a necezity as was wanted."

"aye, the money will be handy enough," the smuggler said, "though one does put one's head into the noose to earn it. however, the sum is bigger than usual, and, as you say, the affair is important."

"bah!" the frenchman said, "what does it matter about ze nooze? it hasn't got over your zick neck or my zin one, and till it does we needn't trouble about it. i tell you zis is ze most important dispatch we have ever sent, and if it gets safe to hand zey cannot grudge us double pay. i have ridden from london wizout stopping, and have killed a horse worth fifty of your guineas. however, zat matters not. zis letter should fetch us ze money to pay for a dozen horses and a dozen of your lucys."

"all right!" the smuggler said; "in an hour we will be off. letters like that in your pocket are best not kept on hand. you are sure that the chasse marée will put out to meet us in such weather as we are likely to have?"

"she will put out if a hurricane's blowing," the frenchman said. "zey know ze importance of ze[pg 189] news, which is expected, and which i am bringing zem. mon dieu! what sums have been paid to get ze news zat's in zis little dispatch!"

"do you know what it is?" the smuggler said.

"not for certain," the frenchman replied, "but i believe it is ze orders zat are to be sent to ze british fleet, and zat zey are about to strike a great blow zomewhere."

"well," the smuggler said, "i will go round and tell the boys. i warned them to be in readiness, and i will send them straight down to the beach. in a quarter of an hour i will return for you."

while this conversation had been going on harry had been standing against the porch, the sides of which were filled with latticework over which a creeper grew. he had been frightened at the importance of the secret that he was hearing, and had been rapidly meditating in his mind how this all-portant information which was about to be conveyed to the enemy could be stopped. he had made up his mind that the instant the smuggler moved out he would make his way down to the village, tell the tale to half a dozen men, and have the frenchman seized. he saw at once that it would be difficult, for the smuggler and his gang were not men to be attacked with impunity, and the fishers of the village would hesitate in taking part in such a struggle merely on the information of a boy. however, harry saw that it was the only chance.

in his anxiety to stand close to the lattice and so[pg 190] hide himself from the view of the two men who were standing on the little garden-path in front, he pressed too hard against it. the woodwork was rotten with age, and suddenly with a crash it gave way.

with an oath the smuggler turned round, and he and the frenchman dashed to the spot, and in an instant had collared the lad. in a moment he was dragged into the room.

"we must cut his throat, mounseer," the smuggler said, with a terrible imprecation. "the scoundrel has heard what we've said, and our lives won't be worth a minute's purchase if he were to be let free. stand by and i'll knock out his brains;" and he seized a heavy poker from the side of the hearth.

"no, no," the frenchman said, "don't let us have blood. zere might be inquiries, and zese sings will sometimes be found. better take him to sea wis you in ze lucy, and hand him over to ze chasse marée. zey will take care zat he does not come back again."

"i will take care myself," the smuggler said. "i'm not going to risk my neck on the chance of his blabbing. it's better, as you say, to have no blood, but as soon as the lucy's at sea overboard he goes."

"we can talk of it," the frenchman said. "i'm wis you zat he must be silenced, but it may be better—my plan zan yours. zis boy belongs, i suppose, to ze village?"

"yes," the smuggler said, "i know him by sight.[pg 191] he's the son of an old man-of-war's man who lives half a mile away."

"well, you see, some of your men might some day, if they quarreled wis you, or in zeir drink, drop some words which might lead to inquiries. better put him on board ze chasse marée. i will see ze matter is settled."

harry had spoken no word from the time he was grasped. he felt in an instant that his life was forfeited, and was surprised that he had not been instantly killed. he had not raised his voice to hallo, for he knew that no cottagers were near, and was sure that an attempt to give the alarm would insure his instant death. to struggle would have been useless. he was unarmed, and although a stout lad, was but a child in the grasp of a powerful man like the smuggler. he saw, too, that on the instant the frenchman had drawn a dagger from his breast, and though more quiet than the smuggler he felt by the tone of his voice that he was as determined as his colleague that his silence should be secured by death.

in another minute he was bound and thrown into a corner. the frenchman then took his seat near him, assuring him in a low tone that he would at his first movement plant his dagger in his heart. the smuggler strolled off to summon his crew, and for a quarter of an hour silence reigned in the cottage.

"you are one fool," the frenchman said at last, as if he had been thinking the matter over—"one meddlesome fool. why you want to listen at[pg 192] people's doors and learn zeir secrets? i don't want to kill you, but what are we to do? you make us kill you. you push your own head into ze trap. zat is ze way wis boys. zey are forever meddling in affairs zat concern zem not, and zen we have ze trouble to kill zem. i would give a hundred pounds if zis had not happened; but what can i do? it is my life against yours, and alzough i am sorry to have to do it—parbleu! my life is of much more value zan zat of a fishing boy. bah! you are one meddlesome fool."

so exasperated was the frenchman at the trouble which the prying of this lad had brought upon him that he got up and angrily gave him a kick. a few minutes later the smuggler returned.

"the men have all gone down to the boat," he said briefly. "come along, mounseer. bring that tin case with you, and those pistols."

"zere is no fear zat i forget ze tin case," the frenchman said. "as to ze pistols—zey are not of much use. however, i will take zem;" and he thrust them into the pockets of his coat.

the smuggler stooped, picked up harry, threw him onto a sail which he had laid on the ground, wrapped this round him, and then cast him over his shoulder.

"i'm not likely to meet anyone on my way to the boat," he said, "but should i do so i'm taking the mainsail of the lucy down to her."

in another minute harry heard the door slam,[pg 193] and then he felt himself being carried steadily along, his weight being as nothing to the smuggler. not a word was spoken between the two men on their way down to the shore. presently harry felt by the deadened sound of the footsteps, and by the more uneven motion, that he was being carried over the sandy slopes down to the edge of the sea, and through the canvas he could hear the loud roar of the waves, which were now breaking violently.

presently he was flung roughly down on the sands. a minute later he was lifted by the head and feet, and swung into a boat. not a word was spoken as it was shoved off through the breakers, and after ten minutes' hard rowing he felt a shock, and knew that they were alongside of the lucy. he was hauled up on deck. he heard a few words of command, and then felt the vessel was on her way. a minute or two later the covering was unloosed. his cords were cut, and the smuggler said to him, "you can't get away now, and may as well make yourself handy for the present. give a haul on that rope."

the lucy was, in fact, short-handed, two of the six men who composed her crew being absent. she was a lugger of some twenty-five tons' burden, built something like an ordinary fishing-boat, but longer and lower, and was, in fact, used for fishing when her crew were not engaged upon other adventures. she was a remarkably fast craft, and had more than once showed her heels with success when[pg 194] chased by the revenue cutters. she owed her immunity from capture, however, chiefly to her appearance, as from her size and build she generally passed unsuspected as an innocent fisherman.

the storm increased in violence, and the little lugger, although a good sea-boat, had difficulty in making her way almost in the teeth of the gale. she was bound, harry gained from a word or two dropped by the captain, for the mouth of the loire, off which she was to be met by the chasse marée. long before morning the coast of england was out of sight, and the lugger was struggling down channel bravely holding her way in the sou'westerly gale.

"will she be zere true to her time?" the frenchman asked the smuggler.

"aye, she will do it," black jack said, "if the wind holds as at present. two o'clock in the morning is the time named, and if your people are as punctual as i shall be, the five hundred pounds will be gained. there's one thing—in such a gale as is blowing to-day none of our cruisers who may be off the coast are likely to trouble themselves about a boat like ours. they may wonder what we are doing at sea, but are scarcely likely to chase us."

once or twice in the course of the day large vessels were seen in the distance, which harry knew, by the cut of their sails, to be english cruisers. all were, however, lying-to under the smallest canvas, and harry knew that any assistance from them was out of the question. towards evening the gale[pg 195] moderated, but the sea was still very high. during the day harry had turned over in his mind every possible plan by which he might destroy the tin case which contained, as he knew, such important documents. from what he had gathered he learned that the success of some great undertaking upon which the british fleet were about to embark would be marred if these papers were to find their way into the hands of the french authorities. his own life he regarded as absolutely forfeited, for he was sure that no sooner was he fairly on board the french chasse marée than he would, at the orders of the french spy, be thrown overboard, and that his life had been so preserved, not from any feeling of mercy, but in order that his death might be accomplished with less risk to those whose safety demanded it.

he was determined, if opportunity presented, to seize the little case and to leap overboard with it. the french spy never for one moment put it down. it was a small tin case, with a handle at the top, and some eight inches long by three inches wide, and the same deep. sometimes the frenchman put it in his pocket, beyond which it projected, but even then he took the precaution always to keep his hand upon it. during the day harry was constantly employed in work on board the lugger, hauling at ropes and acting as if he were one of the regular crew. he had shared in the meals with the men, but beyond a curse now and then not a word had been addressed[pg 196] to him by any on board. the night came on; the wind was still going down, but the sea was very heavy. from the occasional rifts in the clouds the stars could be seen shining brightly, and once or twice the moon broke through and spread a light over the angry sea. as time went on the smuggler became anxious, and kept a keen lookout ahead.

"it is past two," he exclaimed presently to the frenchman, "and we are nearly off the mouth of the river. when the moon shone out just now i thought i caught sight of a vessel coming out, and i believe to windward an english cruiser is lying. however, i will get ready the lanterns."

the next time the moon came out a vessel was clearly seen. the smuggler raised the lantern above the bulwarks, held it there for half a minute, and then lowered it. this he repeated three times. a moment later a similar signal was made on the bows of the vessel.

"that's her," the smuggler exclaimed exultingly, "and the five hundred pounds is as good as in my pocket!"

as he spoke a bright flash was seen to windward.

"confound it!" the smuggler said, "that cruiser has caught sight of the frenchman. however, we shall be on board in plenty of time, and whether she gets safe to shore or not matters not much to me. i shall have done my part of the work, and you, mounseer, will give me the order for payment on london."[pg 197]

"it's done, my friend," the frenchman said; "you've done your work well. here's the order."

by this time the french craft was within a distance of a quarter of a mile, running down at a great pace under her reefed sails.

"it'll be no easy matter to get on board," the smuggler said, "for the sea is running tremendously. they will have to throw a rope, and you will have to catch it, mounseer, and jump overboard. i suppose your dispatch-box is water-tight?"

"and the boy?" the frenchman asked.

"let them throw another rope," the smuggler said, "and you can haul him on board too. it won't make much matter whether i slip the noose round his body or his neck. the last will be the easiest plan perhaps, for then, if he happens not to be alive when you pull him out, it would be an accident; and even if anyone chooses to peach, they can't swear that it was purposely done."

harry was standing near, and heard the words. he was close to the helm at the time, and watched with intense anxiety as the chasse marée ran rapidly down to them. it was clear that what had to be done must be done quickly, for another flash came up from the cruiser; and although in the din of the wind and the toss of the waves it could not be seen where her shot had fallen, the brightness of the flash showed that she had come up since the last shot was discharged. the chasse marée ran down, and as she came her captain stood upon the bulwarks and[pg 198] shouted at the top of his voice "keep her steady, and as i run past i will throw a rope."

"throw two," black jack shouted. "there are two to come on board."

the course taken by the chasse marée would bring her along at a distance of some ten yards from the side of the lugger. at the moment a squall came, and the lugger's head turned a little towards the approaching craft. when she was just upon them harry saw that his one chance of escape had come. with a sudden rush he knocked the man at the helm from his footing, and put the tiller up hard. the lugger paid off instantly. black jack, with an oath, turned round and sprang at harry. the lad leaped beneath his uplifted hand, sprang at the frenchman, who was standing with his back to him, and snatching the tin box from his hand leaped overboard.

momentary as had been his hold upon the tiller it had been sufficient. the vessel had paid off from the wind, and before the helmsman could regain his feet, or black jack could seize the tiller, she lay across the course of the chasse marée; and in another moment the french craft plunged down upon her, and with a crash the lucy sank under her bows, and went down with all on board.

as harry sank beneath the waves he heard a shout of dismay from those on board the lucy. when he came up a minute later he saw the chasse marée plowing her way from him, but no sign of the[pg 199] lucy was to be seen. harry was a good swimmer, and fortunately the dispatch-box which he grasped was water-tight, and buttoning it within his jacket he felt that it kept his head easily above the water. he swam as well as he could away from the spot where the lucy had disappeared, for he knew that if black jack or the frenchman had escaped being run down and should see him, his death was certain—not indeed that his chances were in any case good, but with the natural hopefulness of boyhood he clung to life, and resolved to make a fight for it as long as possible. had it not been for the dispatch-box he must have speedily succumbed, for in so heavy a sea it was difficult in the extreme to swim. however, after a short time he turned his back to the wind, and suffered himself quietly to drift.

hour passed after hour, and at last, to his intense delight, morning began to break. he saw on his right the low shores of the french coast, and looking round beheld seaward the british cruiser which had fired at the chasse marée. she was running quietly along the coast, and was evidently on guard at the mouth of the river. the sea had now gone down much, and the sun rose bright in an almost cloudless sky.

invigorated by the sight of the vessel harry at once swam towards her. she was farther out by a mile than the spot where he was swimming, and was some two miles astern of him. she was sailing but slowly, and he hoped that by the time she came along[pg 200] he would be able to get within a distance whence he might be seen. his fear was that she might run back before she reached the spot where she would be nearer to him.

with all his strength he swam steadily out, keeping his eye fixed steadily on the ship. still she came onward, and was within half a mile when she was abreast of him. then raising himself as high as he could from the water, he shouted at the top of his voice. again and again he splashed with his hands to make as much spray and commotion as possible in order to attract attention. his heart almost stood still with joy as he heard an answering hail, and a moment later he saw the vessel come round into the wind, and lay there with her sails back. then a boat was lowered, and five minutes later he was hauled in, his senses almost leaving him now that the time for exertion had passed. it was not until he had been lifted onto the deck of the viper, and brandy had been poured down his throat, that he was able to speak. as soon as he was sufficiently recovered he was sent for to the captain's cabin.

"and who are you, boy, and whence do you come?" the captain asked. "do you belong to the chasse marée, which we chased in the night?"

the officer spoke in french, supposing that harry had fallen overboard from that craft.

"i am english, sir," harry said, "and escaped from a lugger which was run down by the french craft just as you were firing at her."[pg 201]

"i thought," exclaimed the captain, "that my eyes had not been wrong. i was sure that i saw a small fishing-boat close to the chasse marée. we lost sight of her when a cloud came over the moon, and thought we must have been mistaken. how came you there in an english fishing-boat?"

harry modestly told the story, and produced the dispatch-box.

"this is important news indeed," the officer said, "and your conduct has been in every way most gallant. what is your name, lad?"

"harry langley," he replied. "i am an apprentice on board the indiaman dundas castle, and was to have sailed this week in the convoy for the west indies."

"you will not be able to do that now," the captain said. "this is most important. however, the steward will take charge of you, and i will talk to you again presently."

the steward was called, and was told to put harry into a cot slung for him, and to give him a bowl of warm soup; and in a few minutes the lad was asleep.

the viper shortly afterwards hauled her wind, and ran down to a consort who was keeping watch with her over the mouth of the loire. the captain repaired on board the other ship, whose commander was his senior officer, and a consultation was held between them, after which the viper was again got under sail and shaped her course for portsmouth.

the wind was fair, and the next morning the[pg 202] viper passed through the needles, and soon afterwards anchored at spithead. here a large number of men-of-war and frigates were at anchor, and above two of the largest floated the flags of admirals. the viper had made her signal as she came in sight of the fleet, and a reply was instantly run up from the masthead of the admiral's ship, directing the captain to come on board immediately the anchor was dropped. the moment this was done the captain's gig was lowered, and calling to harry to follow him the captain took his seat in the stern-sheets, and rowed for the admiral's ship. directing the lad to remain on deck, the captain at once entered the admiral's cabin, and a few minutes later the admiral's orderly summoned harry to enter.

admiral sir hyde parker had evidently had a breakfast party, for a number of naval officers, including admiral nelson and most of the captains of the men-of-war, were seated round the table. the admiral turned to harry.

"so you are the lad who has brought this box of dispatches?"

"yes, sir," harry said modestly.

"tell us your story over again," the admiral said. "it's a strange one."

harry again repeated the account of his adventures from the time of leaving his father's cottage. when he had done admiral nelson exclaimed:

"very well, my lad. you could not have acted with more presence of mind had you been a captain[pg 203] of the fleet. you showed great bravery and did your duty nobly."

"there wasn't much bravery, sir," harry said modestly, "for i knew that they were going to kill me anyhow, so that it made no difference. but i was determined, if possible, that the dispatches should be destroyed."

the admiral smiled. he was not accustomed to hear his dicta even so slightly questioned by a lad.

"you are an apprentice in the merchant service, captain skinner tells me," sir hyde parker said, "and have been two years at sea."

"yes, sir," harry said.

"would you like to be on the quarter-deck of one of his majesty's vessels, instead of that of a merchantman?"

harry's eyes glistened at the question.

"i should indeed, sir," he said.

"then you shall be, my boy," the admiral answered. "have any of you gentlemen a vacancy in the midshipmen's berth? if not, i'll have him ranked as a supernumerary on board my ship."

"i am short of a midshipman, sir hyde," one of the captains said. "poor little de lisle fell overboard the night before last as we came round from plymouth. he was about the size of this lad, and i'll arrange for him to have his togs. i like his look, and i should be glad to have him with me. i am sure he will be a credit to the service."[pg 204]

"that's settled, then," the admiral said. "you are now, sir," he said, turning to harry again, "an officer in his majesty's service, and, as captain ball remarks, i am sure you will do credit to the service. a lad who does his duty when death is staring him in the face, and without a hope that the act of devotion will ever be known or recognized, is sure to make a brave and worthy officer."

harry's new captain wrote a few words on a piece of paper, and said to the admiral's servant, "will you tell the midshipman of my gig to come here?"

a minute afterwards the midshipman entered. the captain gave him the slip of paper and said, "take this young gentleman on board the ship with you at once, and present him to mr. francis, and with him give this note. he will be your shipmate in future. see that he's made comfortable."

the midshipman then beckoned to harry to follow him, gazing askance, and with no slight astonishment in his face, at the appearance of his new messmate. harry's attire, indeed, was not in accordance with the received ideas of that of a midshipman freshly joining a ship. his clothes were all so much shrunk that his ankles showed below his trousers, and his wrists below his coat-sleeves. without a word the midshipman took his place in the stern-sheets, and beckoned harry to sit beside him.

"where have you sprung from?" he said shortly.

"i hail last from the admiral's cabin," harry said[pg 205] with a laugh. "before that from his majesty's ship viper, and before that from the sea."

"you look like the sea," said the midshipman. "but what have you been doing? have you served before?"

"not in a king's ship," harry said; "i have only just been appointed."

the midshipman was too surprised at harry's appearance to question him further. he felt that there was some mystery in the affair, and that it would be better for him to wait until he saw the footing upon which harry was placed. he had little doubt from the fact of his appointment being made under such circumstances that there must be something at once singular and noteworthy about it.

upon reaching the ship harry's new messmate at once led him up to the first lieutenant, and presented the captain's note. the lieutenant opened it and glanced at the contents. they were brief:

"harry langley has been appointed midshipman on board the c?sar, and has been promoted by sir hyde parker himself. he has performed a most gallant action, and one of the greatest importance. make him at home at once, and let him have poor de lisle's kit. i will arrange about it."

the senior midshipman was at once sent for by mr. francis, and harry handed over to him. the first lieutenant intimated to him briefly the contents of the captain's letter, telling the midshipman to make him as comfortable as possible.[pg 206]

harry was led below to the cockpit, where his arrival was greeted with a storm of questions, as his appearance on the quarter-deck had naturally excited a great deal of observation. the midshipman who had come with him could, of course, furnish no information, and beyond the brief fact mentioned by the captain and repeated by the first lieutenant, his new conductor could say no more.

"just wait," the midshipman said, "till he's got into his new clothes and looks presentable. he's in my charge, and i am to make him comfortable. as he has been put on the quarter-deck by sir hyde himself you may be sure he has done something out of the way."

in a few minutes harry was rigged out in full midshipman's dress, and being a very good-looking and gentlemanly lad, his appearance favorably impressed his new messmates, who had at first been disposed to resent the intrusion among themselves of a youngster whose appearance was at least the reverse of reputable.

"now," said one of the passed mates, "this meeting will resolve itself into a committee. let everyone who can, sit down; and let those who can't, stand quiet. i am the president of the court. now, prisoner at the bar," he said, "what is your name?"

"harry langley."

"and how came you here?"

"i was brought in the captain's gig."[pg 207]

"no equivocation, prisoner. i mean what brought you onto the quarter-deck?"

"i had the good luck," harry said, "to prevent a very important dispatch falling into the hands of the french."

"the deuce you had!" the president said; "and how was that? that is to say," he said, "if there's no secret about it?"

"none at all," harry said, "the matter was very simple;" and for the second time that morning he told the story.

when he had done there was a general exclamation of approval among those present, and the midshipmen crowded round him, shaking his hand, patting him on the back, and declaring that he was a trump.

"the prisoner is acquitted," the president said, "and is received as a worthy member of this noble body. boy!"

"yes, sir."

"go to the purser and ask him to send in two bottles of rum for this honorable mess to drink the health of a new comrade."

presently the boy returned.

"the purser says, sir, who is going to pay for the rum?"

there was a roar of laughter among the middies, for the master's mate, who had acted as president, was notoriously in the purser's books to the full amount of his credit. however, a midshipman,[pg 208] who happened that morning to have received a remittance, undertook to stand the liquor to the mess, and harry's health was drunk with all honors.

"i suppose," one of the midshipmen said, "that the contents of the dispatch were with reference to the point to which we are all bound. i wonder where it can be?"

here an animated discussion arose as to the various points against which the attack of the fleet, now rapidly assembling at spithead, might be directed. so far no whisper of its probable course had been made public, and it was believed indeed that even the captains of the fleet were ignorant of its object.

upon the following day harry at once obtained leave to go on shore for twenty-four hours. immediately he reached the head he chartered a wherry, and was on the point of sailing when he heard a well-known voice among a group of sailors standing near him.

"i can't make head or tail of it," peter langley said. "my boy left me merely to go down to the village, and was to have returned the first thing in the morning to join his ship in london. well, he never came back no more. what he did with himself, unless he sailed in a smuggling lugger which put out an hour or two afterwards, i can't make out. the boy would never have shipped in that craft willingly, and i can see no reason why he should have gone otherwise. he didn't cross the ferry, and i can't help suspecting there was some foul play.[pg 209] when black jack returns i will have it out of him if i kill him for it. he has a strong party there, and i want half a dozen good tight hands to come with me to hayling. he will probably be back in a couple of days, and if we tackle him directly he lands we may find out something about him. who will go with me?"

half a dozen voices exclaimed that they were willing to assist their old mate, when suddenly harry stepped in among them, saying, "there's no occasion for that. i can tell them all about him."

peter langley stepped backwards in his astonishment, and stared open-mouthed at harry.

"dash my buttons!" he exclaimed; "why, if it isn't harry himself, and in a midshipman's rig. what means this, my boy?"

"it means, father, that i am a midshipman on board his majesty's ship c?sar."

peter stood for a moment as one stupefied with astonishment, and then threw his tarpaulin high in the air with a shout of delight. it fell into the water, and the tide carried it away; peter gave it no further thought, but, seizing harry's hand, wrung it with enthusiastic delight.

"this is news indeed, my boy," he said. "to think of seeing you on the quarter-deck, and that so soon!"

it was some minutes before harry could shake himself free from his friends, all of whom were old chums of the boatswain, and had known him in his[pg 210] childhood. drawing peter aside at last he took him to a quiet hotel, and there, to the intense astonishment of the veteran, he related to him the circumstances which had led to his elevation. the old sailor was alternately filled with wrath and admiration, and it was only the consideration that beyond doubt black jack and the frenchman had both perished in the lucy that restrained him from instantly rushing off to take vengeance upon them.

an hour later the pair took a wherry and sailed to hayling, where the joy of peter was rivaled by that of harry's foster-mother. that evening peter went out and so copiously ordered grog for all the seafaring population in honor of the event that the village was a scene of rejoicing and festivity such as was unknown in its quiet annals.

the next day harry rejoined his ship, and commenced his regular duties as a midshipman on board.

a week later the whole of the ships destined to take part in it had arrived. the "blue peter" was hoisted at the ship's head, and on a gun firing from the admiral's ship the anchors were weighed, and the fleet soon left spithead behind them. it consisted of eighteen sail of the line, with a number of frigates and gunboats. the expedition was commanded by sir hyde parker, with admiral nelson second in command. contrary to the general expedition they sailed eastward instead of passing through the solent, and, coasting along the south of[pg 211] england, passed through the straits of dover and stood out into the north sea.

harry had had an interview with his captain four days after he had joined. the latter told him that the dispatch-box which he had taken had been sent up to london, and that its contents proved to be of the highest importance, and that the lords of the admiralty had themselves written to the admiral expressing their extreme satisfaction at the capture, saying that the whole of their plans would have been disconcerted had the papers fallen into the hands of the enemy. they were pleased to express their strong approval of the conduct of harry langley, and gave their assurance that when the time came his claim for promotion should not be ignored.

"so, my lad," the captain said, "you may be sure that when you have passed your cadetship you will get your epaulette without loss of time, and if you are steady and well conducted you may look out for a brilliant position. it is not many lads who enter the navy under such favorable conditions. i should advise you to study hard in order to fit yourself for command when the time should come. from what you tell me your education has not been neglected, and i have no doubt you know as much as the majority of my midshipmen as to books. but books are not all. an officer in his majesty's service should be a gentleman. that you are that in manner, i am happy to see. but it is desirable also that an officer should be able in all society to hold his own[pg 212] in point of general knowledge with other gentlemen. midshipmen, as a class, are too much given to shirking their studies, and to think that if an officer can handle and fight a ship it is all that is required. it may be all that is absolutely necessary, but you will find that the men who have most made their mark are all something more than rough sailors. i need say nothing to you as to the necessity of at all times and hazards doing your duty. that is a lesson that you have clearly already learned."

as the fleet still kept east, expectation rose higher and higher as to the object of the expedition. some supposed that a dash was to be made on holland. others conceived that the object of the expedition must be one of the north german or russian forts, and the latter were confirmed in their ideas when one fine morning the fleet were found to be entering the sound. instead of passing through, however, the fleet anchored here, out of gunshot of the forts of copenhagen; and great was the astonishment of the officers and men alike of the fleet when it became known that an ultimatum had been sent on shore, and that the danes (who had been regarded as a neutral power) were called upon at once to surrender their fleet to the english.

upon the face of facts known to the world at large, this was indeed a most monstrous breach of justice and right. the danes had taken no part in the great struggle which had been going on, and their sympathies were generally supposed to be with the[pg 213] english rather than the french. thus, for a fleet to appear before the capital of denmark, and to summon its king to surrender his fleet, appeared a high-handed act of brute force.

in fact, however, the english government had learned that negotiations had been proceeding between the danish government and the french; and that a great scheme had been agreed upon, by which the danes should join the french at a given moment, and the united fleets being augmented by ships of other powers, a sudden attack would be made upon england. had this secret confederation not been interfered with, the position of england would have been seriously threatened. the fleet which the allies would have been able to put onto the scene would have greatly exceeded that which england could have mustered to defend her coast, and although peace nominally prevailed between england and denmark the english ministry considered itself justified—and posterity has agreed in the verdict—in taking time by the forelock, and striking a blow before their seeming ally had time to throw off the mask and to join in the projected attack upon them.

it was the news of this secret resolve on the part of the cabinet that, having in some way been obtained by a heavy bribe from a subordinate in the admiralty, was being carried over in cipher to france in the lucy, and had it reached its destination the danes would have been warned in time, and the enterprise undertaken by parker and nelson[pg 214] would have been impossible, for the forts of copenhagen, aided by the fleet in the harbor, were too strong to have been attacked had they been thoroughly prepared for the strife. as all these matters were unknown to the officers of the fleet, great was the astonishment when the captains of the ships assembled in the admiral's cabin, and each received orders as to the position which his vessel was to take up, and the part it was to bear in the contest. this being settled, the captains returned to their respective ships.

several days were spent in negotiations, but as the danes finally refused compliance with the english demands the long-looked-for signal was hoisted and the fleet stood in through the sound. it was a fine sight as the leading squadron, consisting of twelve line-of-battle ships and a number of frigates under admiral nelson, steered on through the sound, followed at a short distance by sir hyde parker with the rest of the fleet. the danish forts on the sound cannonaded them, but their fire was very ineffectual, and the fleet without replying steered on until they had attained the position intended for them. the danes were prepared for action. their fleet of thirteen men-of-war and a number of frigates, supported by floating batteries mounting seventy heavy guns, was moored in a line four miles long in front of the town, and was further supported by the forts on shore.

this great force was to be engaged by the squad[pg 215]ron of admiral nelson alone, as that of sir hyde parker remained outside menacing the formidable crown batteries and preventing these from adding their fire to that of the fleet and other shore batteries upon nelson's squadron.

the c?sar, the leading ship of the fleet, had been directed to sail right past the line of ships and to operate against a detached fort standing on a spit of land on the right flank of the danish position. this fort mounted many guns, much superior to those of the c?sar in weight, but the crew were in high spirits at the prospect of a fight, little as they understood the cause for which they were engaged. stripping to the waist, they clustered round the guns, each officer at his post, harry, with two other midshipmen, being upon the quarter-deck near the captain to carry orders from him as might be required to different parts of the ship. as the c?sar passed along the line of ships to take up her position she was saluted by a storm of fire from the danish vessels, to which she made no reply. she suffered, however, but little injury, although shot and shell whistled between the masts and struck the water on all sides of her, several striking the hull with a dull, crashing sound, while her sails were pierced with holes. harry felt that he was rather pale, and was disgusted with himself at the feeling of discomfort which he experienced. but there is nothing that tries the nerves more than standing the fire of an enemy before it is time to set to work to reply. as soon as[pg 216] orders were given for the c?sar's fire to be opened, directly the guns could be brought to bear, and the roar of her cannon answered those of the fort, the feeling of uneasiness on harry's part disappeared, and was succeeded by that of the excitement of battle. the din was prodigious. along the whole line the british fleet was engaged, and the boom of the heavy guns of the ships, forts, and batteries, and the rattle of musketry from the tops of the ships, kept up a deep roar like that of incessant thunder.

"the water is very shallow, sir," the first lieutenant reported to the captain. "there are but two fathoms under her foot. the wind, too, is dropping so much that we have scarcely steerage-way, and the current is sweeping us along fast."

"prepare to anchor, mr. francis," the captain said.

he had scarcely spoken, however, when there was a slight shivering sensation in the ship, and it was known by all on board that she was aground, and that on a falling tide. while the starboard guns were kept at work the men were called off from those of the port side, boats were lowered and hawsers were got out, and every effort was made to tow the ship off the shoal. the sailors pulled hard in spite of the storm of shot and shell which fell round them from the fort and the nearest danish ships. but the c?sar was fast. calling the men on board again, the captain requested the first lieutenant to go aloft[pg 217] and see what was going on in other parts of the line. he returned with the news that four or five other ships were plainly aground, and that things appeared to be going badly. in the meantime the c?sar was suffering heavily. the fire of the fort was well directed, and the gunners, working their pieces under comparative shelter, were able to pour their fire steadily into the c?sar, while a floating battery and two frigates also kept up an incessant fire.

the number of killed and wounded was already large, but as only the guns of the starboard side could be worked the fire was kept up with unabated zeal, and the fort bore many signs of the accuracy of the fire. the parapet was in many places shot away and several of the guns put out of action. but the c?sar was clearly overmatched, and the captain hastily wrote a note to the admiral, stating that the ship was aground and was altogether overmatched, and begging that another vessel might be dispatched to his aid, if one could be spared, in order to partially relieve her of the enemy's fire.

"here, mr. langley, take the gig and row off to the flagship instantly."

harry obeyed orders. through the storm of shot and shell which was flying, striking up the water in all directions, he made his way to the admirals ship, which was lying nearly a mile away.

admiral nelson opened the note and read it through.

"tell captain ball," he said, "that i haven't a[pg 218] ship to spare. several are aground, and all hard pressed. he must do the best he can. ah! you are the lad whom i saw in sir hyde parker's cabin, are you not?"

"yes, sir."

the admiral nodded in token of approval, and harry prepared to leave. suddenly a thought struck him, and running into the captain's cabin he asked the steward for a small tablecloth.

"what on earth d'you want it for?" he exclaimed.

"never mind. give it me at once."

seizing the tablecloth he ran down into the boat. as they returned towards the c?sar they could see how hardly matters were going with her. one of her masts was down. her sides were battered and torn, and several of her port-holes were knocked into one. still her fire continued unabated, but it was clear that she could not much longer resist.

"do you think she must haul down her flag?" harry said to the coxswain of the boat.

"aye, aye, sir," the coxswain said. "wood and iron can't stand such a pounding as that much longer. most captains would have hauled down the flag long before this, and even our skipper can't stand out much longer. there won't be a man alive to fight her."

"will you do as i order?" harry said.

"aye, sir," the coxswain said in surprise, "i will do what you like;" for the story of the conduct by[pg 219] which harry had gained his midshipman's promotion had been repeated through the ship, and the men were all proud of the lad who had behaved so pluckily.

"at least," harry said, "it may do good, and it can't do harm. where's the boat-hook? fasten this tablecloth to it and pull for the fort."

the coxswain gave an exclamation of surprise, but did as harry told him, and with the white flag flying the boat pulled straight towards the fort. as he was seen to do so the fire of the latter, which had been directed towards the boat, ceased, although the duel between the battery and the c?sar continued with unabated vigor. harry steered direct to the steps on the sea face and mounted to the interior of the fort, where, on saying that he brought a message from the captain, he was at once conducted to the commandant.

"i am come, sir," harry said, "from the captain to beg of you to surrender at once. your guns have been nobly fought, but two more ships are coming down to engage with you, and the captain would fain save further effusion of life. you have done all that brave men could do, but the fight everywhere goes against you, and further resistance is vain. in a quarter of an hour a fire will be centered upon your guns that will mean annihilation, and the captain therefore begs you to spare the brave men under your orders from further sacrifice."

taken by surprise by this sudden demand, which[pg 220] was fortunately at the moment backed up by two ships of the squadron which had hitherto taken no part in the action being seen sailing in, the governor, after a hasty consultation with his officers, resolved to surrender, and two minutes afterwards the danish flag was hauled down in the fort and the white flag run up. one of the danish officers was directed to return with harry to the ship to notify the captain of the surrender of the fort.

the astonishment of captain ball at seeing the course of his boat suddenly altered, a white flag hoisted, and the gig proceeding direct to the fort, had been extreme, and he could only suppose that harry had received some orders direct from the admiral and that a general cessation of hostilities was ordered. his surprise became astonishment when he saw the danish flag disappear and the white flag hoisted in its place; and a shout of relief and exultation echoed from stem to stern of the c?sar, for all had felt that the conflict was hopeless and that in a few minutes the c?sar must strike her flag. all sorts of conjectures were rife as to the sudden and unexpected surrender of the fort, and expectation was at its highest when the gig was seen rowing out again with a danish officer by the side of the midshipman.

on reaching the ship's side harry ascended the ladder with the danish officer, and advancing to captain ball said:

"this officer, sir, has, in compliance with the[pg 221] summons which i took to the commander of the fort in your name, come off to surrender."

the danish officer advanced and handed his sword to the captain, saying:

"in the name of the commander of the fort i surrender."

the captain handed him back his sword, and ordering harry to follow him at once entered his cabin. his astonishment was unbounded when the latter informed him what he had done, with many apologies for having taken the matter into his own hands.

"i saw," he said, "that the c?sar was being knocked to pieces, and the coxswain told me that it was impossible she could much longer resist. i therefore thought that i could do no harm by calling upon the governor to surrender, and that it was possible that i might succeed, as you see that i have."

"you certainly have saved the c?sar," captain ball said warmly, "and we are all indeed indebted to you. it was a piece of astounding impudence indeed for a midshipman to convey a message with which his captain had not charged him; but success in the present case a thousand times condones the offense. you have indeed done well, young sir, and i and the ship's company are vastly indebted to you. i will report the matter to the admiral."

a hundred men speedily took their places in the boats. lieutenant francis was sent ashore to take[pg 222] possession, and a few minutes later the british flag was flying upon the fort.

ordering harry to accompany him, captain ball at once took his place in his gig and rowed to the flagship. the battle was still raging, and to the practiced eye there was no doubt that the english fleet was suffering very severely. captain ball mounted the quarter-deck, and saluting the admiral reported that the fort with which he was engaged had struck, but that the c?sar being aground was unable to render any assistance to the general attack.

"a good many of us are aground, ball," admiral nelson said, "but i congratulate you on having caused the fort to haul down its colors. several of the danish men-of-war have struck, but we cannot take possession, and fresh boat-loads of men came off from shore, and their fire has reopened. our position is an unpleasant one. sir hyde parker has signaled to me to draw off, but so far i have paid no attention. i fear that we shall have to haul off and leave some four or five ships to the enemy."

"the fact is," captain ball said, "it wasn't i who made the fort haul down its flag, but this midshipman of mine."

"ha!" said the admiral, glancing at harry, who, at captain ball's order, had left the boat and was standing a short distance off. "how on earth did he do that?"

"when you told him, sir, that you could give us no aid he took upon himself, instead of returning to[pg 223] the ship, to row straight to the fort with one of your tablecloths fastened to the boat-hook, and summoned the commander in my name to surrender at once so as to save all further effusion of life, seeing that more ships were bearing down and that he had done all that a brave man could, and should now think of the lives of his troops."

"an impudent little rascal!" the admiral exclaimed. "midshipmen were impudent enough in my days, but this boy beats everything. however, his idea was an excellent one, and, by jupiter! i will adopt it myself. a man should never be above learning, and we are in such a sore strait that one catches at a straw."

so saying, the admiral, calling to his own captain, entered his cabin, and at once indited a letter to the king of denmark begging him to surrender in order to save the blood of his subjects, expressing admiration at the way in which they had fought, and saying that they had done all that was possible to save honor, and might now surrender with a full consciousness of having done their duty. this missive was at once dispatched to shore, and the admiral awaited with anxiety its result.

a half-hour elapsed, the firing continuing with unabated fury.

"by jove, ball," the admiral suddenly exclaimed, "there's the white flag!" and a tremendous cheer broke along the whole of the british ships as the flag of truce waved over the principal fort of copen[pg 224]hagen. instantly the fire on both sides ceased. boats passed between the shore and the flagship with the proposals for surrender and conditions. nelson insisted that the danish fleet should be surrendered, in so firm and decisive a tone as to convince the king that he had it in his power completely to destroy the town, and had only so far desisted from motives of humanity. at length, to the intense relief of the admiral and his principal officers, who knew how sore the strait was, and to the delight of the sailors, the negotiations were completed, and the victory of copenhagen won.

"where's that boy?" the admiral asked.

"that boy" was unfortunately no longer on the quarter-deck. one of the last shots fired from the danish fleet had struck him above the knee, carrying away his leg. he had at once been carried down to the cockpit, and was attended to by the surgeons of the flagship. in the excitement of an action men take but little heed of what is happening around them, and the fall of the young midshipman was unnoticed by his captain. now, however, that the battle was over, captain ball looked round for his midshipman, and was filled with sorrow upon hearing what had happened. he hurried below to the wounded boy, whose leg had already been amputated, above the point at which the ball had severed it, by the surgeon.

"the white flag has been hoisted, my lad," he said, "and copenhagen has been captured, and to[pg 225] you more than to anyone is this great victory due. i am sorry, indeed, that you should have been shot."

harry smiled faintly.

"it is the fortune of war, sir. my career in the navy has not been a long one. it is but a fortnight since i got my commission, and now i am leaving it altogether."

"leaving the navy, perhaps," the captain said cheerfully, "but not leaving life, i hope. i trust there's a long one before you; but admiral nelson will, i am sure, be as grieved as i am that the career of a young officer, who promised to rise to the highest honors of his profession and be a credit and glory to his country, has been cut short."

a short time later the admiral himself came down and shook hands with the boy, and thanked him for his services, and cheered him up by telling him that he would take care that his presence of mind and courage should be known.

for some days harry lay between life and death, but by the time that the ship sailed into portsmouth harbor the doctors had considerable hope that he would pull round. he was carried at once to the naval hospital, and a few hours later peter langley was by his bedside. his captain frequently came to see him, and upon one occasion came while his foster-father was sitting by his bedside.

"ah, peter, is it you?" he said. "your son told me that you had served his majesty; but i didn't[pg 226] recognize the name as that of my old boatswain on board the cleopatra."

"i am glad to see your honor," peter said; "but i wish it had been on any other occasion. however, i think that the lad will not slip his wind this time; but he's fretting that his career on blue water is at an end."

"it is sad that it should be so," captain ball said; "but there are many men who may live to a good age and will have done less for their country than this lad in the short time he was at sea. first, he prevented the dispatch, which would have warned the enemy of what was coming, from reaching them; and, in the second place, his sharpness and readiness saved no small portion of admiral nelson's fleet, and converted what threatened to be a defeat into a victory. you must be proud of your son, old salt."

"has not the boy told you, sir, that he's not my son?" the boatswain said.

"no, indeed!" captain ball exclaimed, surprised; "on the contrary, he spoke of you as his father."

in a few words peter langley related the circumstances of the finding of harry when a baby. captain ball was silent for a while, and then said, "do you know, peter, that i have been greatly struck by the resemblance of that lad to an old friend and school-fellow of mine, a mr. harper? they are as like as two peas—that is, he is exactly what my friend was at his age. my friend never was married;[pg 227] but i remember hearing a good many years ago—i should say some fifteen years ago, which would be about in accordance with this lad's age—that he had lost a sister at sea. the ship she was in was supposed to have foundered, and was never heard of again. she was the wife of the captain, and was taking her first voyage with him. of course it may be a mere coincidence; still the likeness is so strong that it would be worth while making some inquiries. have you anything by which the child can be identified?"

"there are some trinkets, sir, of indian workmanship for the most part, and a locket. i will bring them over to your honor to-morrow if you will let me."

"do so," captain ball said; "i am going up to london to-morrow, and shall see my friend. don't speak to the boy about it, for it's a thousand to one against its being more than a coincidence. still i hope sincerely for his sake that it may be so."

the next evening captain ball went up by coach to london, and the following day called upon his friend, who was a rich retired east-indian director. he told the story as peter had told it to him.

"the dates answer," he said; "and, curiously, although the ship was lost in the west indies, it's likely enough that the ornaments of my poor sister would have been indian, as i was in the habit of often sending her home things from calcutta."

"i have them with me," captain ball said, and[pg 228] produced the little packet which peter had given him.

the old gentleman glanced at the ornaments, and then, taking the locket, pressed the spring. he gave a cry as he saw the portrait within it, and exclaimed, "yes, that's the likeness of my sister as she was when i last saw her! what an extraordinary discovery! where is the lad of whom you have been speaking? for surely he is my nephew, the son of my sister mary and jack peters."

captain ball then related the story of harry's doings from the time he had known him, and the old gentleman was greatly moved at the tale of bravery. the very next day he went down to portsmouth with captain ball, and harry, to his astonishment, found himself claimed as nephew by the friend of his captain.

when harry was well enough to be moved he went up to london with his uncle, and a fortnight later received an official letter directing him to attend at the board of admiralty.

donning his midshipman uniform he proceeded thither in his uncle's carriage, and walked with crutches—for his wound was not as yet sufficiently healed to allow him to wear an artificial leg—to the board-room. here were assembled the first lord and his colleagues. admiral nelson was also present, and at once greeted him kindly.

a seat was placed for him, and the first lord then addressed him. "mr. peters, admiral nelson has[pg 229] brought to our notice the clever stratagem by which, on your own initiation and without instruction, you obtained the surrender of the danish fort, and saved the c?sar at a time when she was aground and altogether overmatched. admiral nelson has also been good enough to say that it was the success which attended your action which suggested to him the course that he took which brought the battle to a happy termination. thus we cannot but feel that the victory which has been won is in no small degree due to you. moreover, we are mindful that it was your bravery and quickness which prevented the news of the intended sailing of the fleet from reaching the continent, in which case the attack could not have been carried out. under such extraordinary and exceptional circumstances we feel that an extraordinary and exceptional acknowledgment is due to you. we all feel very deep regret that the loss of your leg will render you unfit for active service at sea, and has deprived his majesty of the loss of so meritorious and most promising a young officer. we are about, therefore, to take a course altogether without precedent. you will be continued on the full-pay list all your life, you will at once be promoted to the rank of lieutenant, three years hence to that of commander, and again in another three years to the rank of post captain. the board are glad to hear from captain ball that you are in good hands, and wish you every good fortune in life."

harry was so overcome with pleasure that he[pg 230] could only stammer a word or two of thanks, and the first lord, his colleagues, and admiral nelson having warmly shaken hands with him, he was taken back to the carriage, still in a state of bewilderment at the honor which had been bestowed upon him.

there is little more to tell. having no other relations his uncle adopted him as his heir, and the only further connection that harry had with the sea was that when he was twenty-one he possessed the fastest and best-equipped yacht which sailed out of an english port. later on he sat in parliament, married, and to the end of his life declared that, after all, the luckiest point in his career was the cutting off of his leg by the last shot fired by the danish batteries, for that, had this not happened, he should never have known who he was, would never have met the wife whom he dearly loved, and would have passed his life as a miserable bachelor. peter langley, when not at sea with harry in his yacht, lived in a snug cottage at southsea, and had never reason to the end of his life to regret the time when he sighted the floating box from the tops of the alert.