True Blue | Page 8

The Terrible was not allowed to remain long idle, for those were
stirring times, as there were Frenchmen and Spaniards, and the Dutch
and Americans to fight; indeed, all the great maritime countries of the
world were leagued against Old England to deprive her, as they hoped,
of the supremacy of the sea. Again the Terrible was under weigh,
standing for the Leeward Islands to join the squadron of Sir George
Brydges Rodney. A day or two after she sailed, the surgeon came to the
Captain with an unusually long face.
"What is the matter, Doctor Macbride?" asked Captain Penrose.
"I'm sorry to say, sir, that we have two cases of yellow fever on board,"
was the answer.
"What, Yellow Jack--my old enemy?" exclaimed the Captain, trying to
look less concerned than he felt. "Turn him out then--kick him
away--get rid of him as fast as possible, that's all I can say."
"More easily said than done, I fear, sir," answered the surgeon, who
was well aware that his Captain was more anxious than he would allow;
for, from sad experience, he well knew that when once that scourge of
the West Indies attacks the crew of a ship, it is impossible to say how
many may be the victims, and when it may disappear.
"You are right, doctor. We must do our best, though, and put our trust
in Providence," answered the Captain gravely. "Let the men be on deck

as much as possible. We will have their provisions carefully looked to,
and we must have their minds amused. Let Sam Smatch keep his fiddle
going. Fear of the foe kills many, I believe. Now if we could meet an
enemy, and have a good warm engagement, we should soon put Yellow
Jack and him to flight together. And I say, doctor, don't let the men see
that you are concerned any more than I am."
After a little further conversation, the doctor took his departure.
The ship continued her course across the Caribbean Sea, with light
winds and under the hottest of suns; and the fever, instead of
disappearing, stealthily crept on, attacking one man after another, till
fifty or sixty of the crew were down with it. Death came, too, and
carried off one fine fellow, and then another and another, sometimes
five or six in one day. At last there was a cessation, and the spirits of
the sick as well as of the healthy revived; and Sam Smatch set to work
and fiddled away most lustily, and the crew danced and sang, and tried
to forget that there was such a thing as Yellow Jack on board. Several
of the sick got better, and even the doctor's and the Captain's spirits
revived. Once more it fell calm, and, as the Captain was walking the
quarterdeck, Dr Macbride came up to him with a grave face.
"What is the matter now, doctor?" he asked in as cheerful a voice as he
could command; for whatever he felt in private, he would not allow
himself to appear out of spirits before his officers or crew. "What! not
driven the yellow demon overboard yet? Kick him--trounce him--get
rid of him somehow!"
"I am sorry to say, sir, that he has attacked the women," answered the
doctor. "Betty Snell is very ill, and Mrs Bolton is evidently sickening.
What the motherless baby will do, I cannot say. Probably that will die
too, and so be provided for."
"Heaven forbid!" said the Captain, "for the honest father's sake. The
child will have plenty of nurses. We must not forget poor Molly--how
nobly she braved Yellow Jack himself when the sick wanted her aid!
We all are bound to look after the baby. The sooner it is taken away
from the poor woman the better. Let me see. Tell Paul Pringle to go and

get the baby and bring it up to my cabin. That is the most airy and
healthy place for the little chap. We must rig out a cot for it there.
Freeborn himself would feel bashful at taking his child there. Either he
or Pringle must act as nurse, though. I have no fancy for having one of
the ship's boys making the attempt. They would be feeding him with
salt beef and duff, or smothering him; and as for waking when he cries
at night, there would be little chance of their hearing him. But I will go
below with you, doctor, and visit the poor people. Come along."
Saying this, the good Captain descended to the lower-deck with the
surgeon. The weather side of the ship forward had been screened off
and appropriated to the sick. As he appeared, those who were conscious
lifted up their heads and welcomed him with a look of pleasure; but
many