The Battle and the Breeze | Page 8

man," replied the sailor, seeing that Bill hesitated;
"Ben Bolter ain't the man to do anything that would bring discredit on
His Majesty's service, and I bear you no grudge for this," he added,
pointing to his swelled nose; "it was given in a good cause, and
received in the reg'lar way o' business."
Saying this Ben Bolter ran back to the cottage, where he tried to
comfort the women to the best of his power. How he accomplished his
mission does not remain on record, but it is certain that he rejoined his
party, in little more than five minutes, with sundry new marks of
violence on his huge honest face, and he was afterwards heard to
remark that some creatures of the tiger species must have been born
women by mistake, and that stout young females who had a tendency
to use crutches, had better be pensioned off--or, "drownded if possible."

Thus was William Bowls impressed into the Royal Navy. On hearing
that his old shipmate had been caught, Tom Riggles at once
volunteered into the service, and they were both sent on board a
man-of-war, and carried off to fight the battles of their country.
CHAPTER THREE.
BILL IS INITIATED INTO THE DUTIES OF HIS NEW STATION.
At the time of which we write, England's battles and troubles were
crowding pretty thick upon one another. About this period, Republican
France, besides subduing and robbing Switzerland, Italy, Sardinia, and
other States, was busily engaged in making preparation for the invasion
of England,--Napoleon Bonaparte being in readiness to take command
of what was styled the "army of England." Of course great preparations
had to be made in this country to meet the invading foe. The British
Lion was awakened, and although not easily alarmed or stirred up, he
uttered a few deep-toned growls, which showed pretty clearly what the
Frenchmen might expect if they should venture to cross the Channel.
From John o' Groats to the Land's End the people rose in arms, and in
the course of a few weeks 150,000 volunteers were embodied and their
training begun.
Not satisfied with threatening invasion, the Directory of France sought
by every means to corrupt the Irish. They sent emissaries into the land,
and succeeded so well that in May 1798 the rebellion broke out. Troops,
supplies, and munitions of war were poured into Ireland by France; but
the troops were conquered and the rebellion crushed.
Finding at length that the invasion of England could not be carried out,
this pet projection was abandoned, and Napoleon advised the Directory
to endeavour to cripple her resources in the East. For the
accomplishment of this purpose, he recommended the establishment on
the banks of the Nile of a French colony, which, besides opening a
channel for French commerce with Africa, Arabia, and Syria, might
form a grand military depot, whence an army of 60,000 men could be
pushed forward to the Indus, rouse the Mahrattas to a revolt, and excite

against the British the whole population of those vast countries.
To an expedition on so grand a scale the Directory objected at first, but
the master-spirit who advised them was beginning to feel and exert that
power which ultimately carried him to the throne of the Empire. He
overcame their objections, and the expedition to Egypt was agreed to.
With characteristic energy and promptitude Napoleon began to carry
out his plans, and Great Britain, seeing the storm that was brewing,
commenced with equal energy to thwart him. Accordingly, the great Sir
Horatio Nelson, at that time rear-admiral, was employed with a
squadron to watch the movements and preparations of the French in the
Mediterranean.
Such was the state of matters when our hero, Bill Bowls, was conveyed
on board the Waterwitch, a seventy-four gun frigate, and set to work at
once to learn his duty.
Bill was a sensible fellow. He knew that escape from the service,
except in a dishonourable manner, was impossible, so he made up his
mind to do his duty like a man, and return home at the end of the war
(which he hoped would be a short one), and marry Nelly Blyth. Poor
fellow, he little imagined what he had to go through before--but hold,
we must not anticipate the story.
Well, it so happened that Bill was placed in the same mess with the
man whose nose he had treated so unceremoniously on the day of his
capture. He was annoyed at this, but the first time he chanced to be
alone with him, he changed his mind, and the two became fast friends.
It happened thus:--
They were standing on the weather-side of the forecastle in the evening,
looking over the side at the setting sun.
"You don't appear to be easy in your mind," observed