The Loss of the Royal George | Page 4

of a broken pike, and I shall soon be on my pins
again."
Jerry having soon, spliced a piece of the mop-stick which I brought him
to the stump of his leg, I set him on his pins. Meantime I found that one
of the quarter-deck guns, having burst had created the havoc I have
described and set the ship on fire. All hands labouring away with
buckets, we got the flames extinguished, and stood after the enemy,
who was trying to escape. We again, however, came up with her; and
running alongside, the boarders were called away, headed by our first
lieutenant, Mr Leslie, whom I followed closely. We had sprung on the
deck of the enemy, and a big Frenchman was about to cut him down,
when I caught the blow on my cutlass, and saved his life. One hundred
and fifty gallant fellows coming on board after us, we quickly swept
the Frenchmen from the deck, and they, crying out that they
surrendered, we hauled down their flag. I did not think that Mr Leslie
was aware of the service I had rendered him till he thanked me for it,
and ever afterwards was my friend. I had the good chance, also, some
time afterwards, of keeping his head above water, when our ship, the
Laurel, was capsized in a hurricane in the West Indies; and though, of
course, it was what I would have done for anyone, I was very thankful
to have been the means of again saving his life, though I ran, he always
declared, no little risk of losing my own. I served with him when he
commanded the Favourite, sloop-of-war, and afterwards in the Active,
frigate, when we captured a Spanish galleon, which put some hundred
pounds into the pockets of each of the men, and a good many thousands
into those of the captain. I was pretty fortunate on board other ships, in
which I sailed to different parts of the world, getting back to old
England safe at last.
CHAPTER TWO.
Getting back safe home at last, like many another sailor, I might have
sung--
"'Twas in the good ship Rover I sail'd the world around, For full ten

years and over I ne'er touch'd British ground. And when at length I
landed, I could not long remain; Found all my friends were stranded,
So went to sea again."
Jerry, the truest of them, who had at the Peace gone on shore, I could
nowhere hear of; my poor mother was dead, my brothers at sea, and my
sisters either married or in service. One of the youngest, my sister Jane,
I was told was living near Ryde with the family of a captain in the navy,
and on inquiry I found he was no other than my old commander,
Captain Leslie. I started at once with my pockets pretty well lined with
gold, for I had just received a good lumping share of prize-money,
which I was sorely puzzled to know what to do with. I was pleased at
the thought of again seeing my old captain, though I scarcely fancied he
would remember much about the little services I had done him. Who
should open the door but Jane herself! She did not know me, but I
knew her, though she had grown from a girl into a young woman, and I
soon persuaded her who I was. She asked me down into the kitchen;
and after we had had a talk, and she had told me all about those I cared
for, she said she would go and tell Captain Leslie and his lady, who had
often spoken to her about me, for they had found out that she was my
sister. I was sent for into the drawing-room, when the captain
welcomed me kindly, and told his wife and the young ladies--for there
were two of them, besides a number of small children, boys and
girls--how I had twice saved his life.
"I hope that you will stop as long as you like, and I will get you a
lodging close at hand," he said in his pleasant way. "I have often
wished that I could have shown my gratitude more than I have been
able to do."
I told him not to trouble himself about that, as it was a pleasure to me
to think that I had been of service; and as I had more money than I
knew what to do with, and never wished to be anything but what I was,
I didn't see how he could have done more than he had done.
"I like your independent spirit, Ben," he said, "but perhaps a time may
come, when I may be able to serve you as I should wish."

After a good talk