The Story of Nelson | Page 4

leaving his shoes in the mud, to attack it. The fort was taken, and
so was San Juan itself; and though the grass did not grow under our
feet, it was soon growing over the heads of numbers of the fine fellows
who composed the expedition--both redcoats and seamen; and though
our captain, receiving notice of his appointment to another ship, the
`Janus,' sailed away immediately, we lost the greater number of our
people by sickness. The captain was so knocked up that he had to go
home invalided, as did my father, who was never able again to go to
sea. I went with him, and we lived for some time at Deal.
"I remember early in January, 1782, a tremendous gale sprang up. My
father and I were standing on the shore, he with his glass in his hand
watching the ships driving here and there, one running foul of another,
when we observed a heavy store-ship drive right down on a frigate.

"`They'll grind each other down to the water's edge,' observed my
father. `Does no one on board know what to do? I'd like to be off to
lend a hand, but that's impossible; few boats could live in such a sea.'
"While we were talking, a lad came running along the beach, saying
that an officer was in a great taking, wanting to get off to his ship, and
no one would go.
"`Who is he?' asked my father.
"`A Captain Nelson,' answered the lad.
"`I'll go, if any man will trust his boat,' exclaimed my father. `Come
along, Ned.'
"We ran along the beach, and there we found our late captain walking
up and down, fuming away, and trying to persuade the boatmen to take
him off.
"`I'll go, sir, if I had a boat,' said my father. `I've long sailed with you.'
"`Ah! Ned Freeman. Thank you--thank you,' exclaimed the captain. `I'm
sure you'd go with me anywhere.'
"`We'll take the captain off if he'll give us fifteen guineas,' observed
several of the men, owners of a fine boat.
"`Done!' exclaimed the captain. `Off we go at once.'
"My father and I, with the other men, launched the boat. Away we
pulled with the white-topped seas dancing up round us and the
dangerous Goodwin Sands to leeward, towards which the frigate was
driving fast. Captain Nelson, by word and look, urged us on, though
more than once I thought the boat would have been swamped, and all
hands lost. We did succeed in getting alongside. The captain sprang on
board, and soon had got the ships clear with only the loss of the
frigate's bowsprit and pennant.
"`Well, Freeman, if you can't sail with me, your boy must,' said the

captain, as the boat was about to shove off for the shore; `I'll look after
him.'
"`Will you go, Ned?' said my father to me.
"There was no time for consideration. I said, `Yes, father.'
"My kind father wrung my hand, and we parted never to meet again.
"The `Albemarle' soon after sailed for Canada and the West Indies.
Our captain had a kind heart. On our first cruise we captured a fishing
vessel belonging to Boston. The master wrung his hands, declaring that
he had no other property, and a large family at home to support, who
would all be brought to beggary. The captain told him not to be cast
down; that he would employ him as a pilot, and give him back his
vessel at the end of the time. He was as good as his word, and I never
saw a poor fellow so happy and grateful as the fisherman was when he
was put on shore. Some time after, when we were all suffering from
scurvy, not having had a fresh piece of meat or vegetables for many
months, the same man came off to us with a full supply for several days,
which I believe saved the lives of many poor fellows on board.
"Soon after this, while cruising off Boston, a squadron of four French
line-of-battle ships and a frigate were seen from the masthead. They
made sail in chase, but the captain knew well all the shoals and
quicksands in those parts, and soon got into channels where the big
ships were afraid to follow. The frigate, however, kept on her course,
and when we saw this we hove to, to wait for her. We all looked
forward with joy to a brush, but she did not like our appearance, and
much to our disappointment, about she went and rejoined her consorts.
"I can't tell you all the things we did in the West Indies. At last we went
home, and were paid off; and I remained on shore with my widowed
mother till I heard that