The Missing Merchantman | Page 3

long, streaming hair and fluttering drapery, under her
bowsprit, by way of figurehead; and Ned noted with deep satisfaction,
that instead of the double topsail-yards now so common in large ships,
she was fitted with single revolving yards for patent reefing topsails.
He was interrupted in the midst of his admiring scrutiny by a hail from
Mr Bryce, the chief-mate, who, after a somewhat off-hand welcome,
informed him that he was wanted to assist in receiving and taking
account of the cargo, which was coming down too rapidly to be dealt
with by one man. Stowing away his "dunnage," therefore, in the after
deck- house, and flinging his bedding into the berth which he selected
for his own occupation, he quickly rejoined the mate, who furnished
him with book and pencil, and stationed him at the after hatchway to
take account of everything which passed down that receptacle.
As soon as the work of the day was over and the hatches had been put
on and secured, Ned made his way to Captain Blyth's lodgings, and
reported himself as having returned to duty.
He had observed, with some surprise, that the stevedores had left a
large vacant space in the centre of the main hatchway, and at the very
bottom of the ship; and he had once or twice wondered, during the
course of the afternoon, what could be the nature of the cargo for which
this space was being reserved. That it must be something heavy he
knew, from the fact that the bottom of the hold had been selected for its
stowage. The secret, however (if secret there was), came out next
morning, when several very heavy cases of peculiar shape were brought

alongside; which cases turned out to contain twelve steel 14-pounder
breech-loading rifled field-pieces, with mountings, etcetera, complete,
and several hundred rifles, sword-bayonets, etcetera, for the use of the
colonial volunteers. The nature and destination of the contents were
legibly enough set forth in stencilled lettering on the outside of the
cases, and they very naturally attracted a considerable amount of
curiosity as they were carefully hoisted out of the trucks and lowered
into the ship's hold. Among the onlookers Ned soon noticed a swarthy-
complexioned man, who wore gold rings in his ears, and was dressed in
a very natty suit of dark blue cloth--evidently a seaman in shore-going
togs--who manifested quite an unusual amount of interest in the cases
and their handling, and who finally climbed into the trucks and lent a
hand in the slinging of them, exhibiting in the performance of his self-
imposed task a very considerable amount of smartness and seamanlike
dexterity. And when the cases were all at length safely deposited in
their destined place on the dunnage in the bottom of the hold, the man
was observed narrowly scrutinising the ship herself--hull, spars, and
rigging--with just that appearance of intelligent and appreciative
interest which a smart seaman would be likely to bestow upon so
handsome and well-appointed a craft as was the Flying Cloud.
The cargo came alongside with very satisfactory rapidity, and on the
morning of the eighth day from that on which Ned joined, hopes were
entertained that the evening would see the loading of the ship
completed and the hatches put on for good and all. The
swarthy-complexioned man had been seen on the quay alongside two
or three times since the loading of the guns. He had evidently taken a
fancy to the ship; and Ned was therefore by no means surprised when,
on the morning in question, he again appeared, and, seeing Captain
Blyth on the poop, stepped on board, and approaching the skipper
asked if the crew had all been shipped. They had not, as it happened; so,
after a short conversation, which seemed to give complete satisfaction
to both parties concerned, the man was instructed to present himself at
noon that day at the shipping office to sign articles.
"Rather a smart fellow, that," observed the skipper to the chief-mate, as
the man swung himself lightly on to the rail and stepped thence ashore.

"I'm very glad to have fallen in with him; he is an A.B., and has been
twice round the Horn, so he ought to know his business. And he tells
me that there are five other men, former shipmates of his, and good,
smart, active, willing men, staying at the same boarding-house with
himself, who, he believes, will be willing to ship with us for the voyage;
so I hope we shall have a good crew."
Mr Bryce assented, and dutifully echoed the skipper's wish; but it was
with a tone and manner which seemed to indicate that he did not feel
very greatly interested in the matter; and Captain Blyth, when he went
ashore shortly afterwards, felt more