Peter Trawl | Page 2

Sea whaler--she's lying to the eastward of the
men-of-war. We shall see her when we get abreast of Southsea Castle,"
answered the officer.
"Step aboard, then, sir," said father. "The tide will soon have done
making out of the harbour, and there's no time to lose."
The strangers took their seats in the stern-sheets, and father and Jack,
shoving off, pulled out into the stream.
The officer took the yoke-lines, and by the way he handled them,
showed that he knew what he was about. Careful steering is always
required where tides run strong and vessels are assembled; but
especially was it at that time, when, peace having been just proclaimed,
Portsmouth Harbour was crowded with men-of-war lately returned
from foreign stations, and with transports and victuallers come in to be
discharged; while all the way up towards Porchester Castle lay, now
dismantled in vast numbers, those stout old ships with names renowned
which had borne the victorious flag of England in many a fierce
engagement. Dockyard lighters, man-of-war boats, wherries crowded
with passengers, and other craft of various descriptions, were sailing or
pulling about in all directions, so that the stranger had to keep his eyes
about him to avoid being run down by, or running into, some other boat
or vessel.
"We'll step the mast, and make sail while we're in smooth water, sir,"
said father. "There's a lop of a sea outside, when it wouldn't be pleasant
to this gentleman if we were to wait till then," and he gave a look at the
landsman, who even now did not seem altogether comfortable.
"The doctor hasn't been used to the sea, but he'll soon get accustomed
to it. No fear of that, Cockle, eh?" said the officer, who was, he
afterwards told father, second mate of the Intrepid.

"I hope I shall, Mr Griffiths, but I confess I don't much like the thought
of going through those foaming waves out there in such a cockleshell
of a boat as this," answered the doctor. "No offence to you, my friend,"
he added, turning to father.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! That's just what the boat is at present," said the mate,
laughing. "Do you twig, doctor? Do you twig? She carries you and your
fortunes, and if she takes us safe alongside the Intrepid--and I see no
reason why she shouldn't--we shall be obliged to her and her owner
here. What's your name, my man?"
"Jack Trawl, sir; at your service," answered father. "Many's the time
I've been out to Spithead in this here wherry when it's been blowing
great guns and small arms, and she's ridden over the seas like a duck.
The gentleman needn't be afraid."
The doctor, who did not seem to like the mate's joking, or father's
remark about being afraid, sat silent for some time.
"I'll take the helm, sir, if you please," said father, who had stepped the
mast and hauled aft the sheets. "My wherry likes me to have hold of her,
and maybe she mightn't behave as well as she should if a stranger was
steering."
"I understand," answered Mr Griffiths, laughing. "You are wise not to
trust any one but yourself. I'll yield to you in handling this style of boat
under sail, though I may have been more at sea than you have."
"I doubt that, sir, as I went afloat not long after you were born, if not
before, and for well-nigh thirty years seldom set foot on shore,"
answered father. "All that time I served His Majesty--God bless him--
and if there was to come another war I'd be ready to serve him again, as
my boy Jack there is just going to do."
"A fine lad he seems, but he'd better by half have joined the merchant
service than submitted to the tyranny of a man-of-war," said the mate.
"There are just two opinions, sir, as to that," answered father, dryly.

"Haul down the tack, Jack, and get a pull of the foresheet," he sang out.
There was a fresh breeze from the south-east blowing almost up the
harbour, but by keeping over on the Portsmouth side, aided by the tide,
we stood clear out of it. The wherry soon began to pitch into the seas,
which came rolling in round Southsea Castle in a way which made the
doctor look very blue. The mate tried to cheer him up, but he evidently
didn't like it, especially when the spray came flying over the bows, and
quickly wet him and most of us well-nigh through to the skin. Every
now and then more than the mere spray came aboard us, and the doctor
became more and more uncomfortable.
Father now called Jack aft to bale out the water, and he set to work
heaving it overboard as fast as