Twice Lost

Twice Lost, by W.H.G. Kingston

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Title: Twice Lost
Author: W.H.G. Kingston
Illustrator: C.J. Stanilard
Release Date: May 16, 2007 [EBook #21493]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWICE
LOST ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

TWICE LOST, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.
CHAPTER ONE.
LAST DAY AT HOME--JOIN THE "HEROINE" AS A

MIDSHIPMAN--BOUND FOR THE PACIFIC--ORDERED TO
TOUCH AT CAPE COAST CASTLE--ON THE LOOK-OUT FOR A
PIRATE--CHASE HER UP A RIVER--OUR BOAT
ATTACKED--DICKY POPO BRINGS US INFORMATION--FIGHT
WITH THE PIRATES--A CAPTURE--A SCHOONER BLOWS UP--
DELIVER UP OUR PRIZE TO THE COMMODORE--PROCEED ON
OUR VOYAGE.
The last day of my home-life came to an end. Pierce and I went to our
room and turned in to our beds, but not to sleep. We had still many
things to say to each other, though we had probably said them over and
over again before. I promised to write a journal, to show to him when I
came back from my first voyage; and he agreed to keep one, from
which he might make extracts when he wrote to me, so that I might
know everything that took place in our family circle.
Our father, Mr Rayner, was a half-pay lieutenant; but at the end of the
war, having no expectation of promotion, he had left the service and
joined his elder brother, our Uncle Godfrey (after whom I was named),
in a mercantile business at Bristol, near which city we lived. He knew
nothing of office work, but hoped by diligence and attention to be of
assistance. Our uncle, however, died before he had gained a thorough
knowledge of the business; and, besides the sorrow he felt at losing one
he loved, much responsibility in consequence devolved upon him. I
believe that his affairs were not as prosperous as he could have desired;
and he sometimes expressed his regret that he had engaged in an
undertaking for which he was not fitted.
I had shown no predilection for a seat in the counting-house; and
consequently, when his old shipmate Captain Bracewell, who had just
been appointed to the command of the Heroine sloop-of-war, offered to
take one of his sons as a midshipman, he allowed me, greatly to my
delight, to enter the navy.
My sea-chest, already packed, stood at one end of the room, with my
dirk and the uniform I was to put on next day lying upon it; in which,
as may be supposed, I had already exhibited myself to Pierce and our
sister Edith, who was younger than either of us, and naturally thought it,

as she told me, very becoming; an opinion I also entertained, as did our
mother, and--I flattered myself--the rest of the household.
At last Pierce's voice grew more and more inarticulate, and he dropped
off to sleep. I, after some time, was following his example, when the
door opened, and our mother glided into the room, afraid of awakening
me. I was conscious that she was bending over me: a tear dropped on
my cheek, and I felt her loving kiss on my brow. I started up and
passed my arm round her neck. She perhaps thought that it was the last
time I should be with her alone on earth.
"Godfrey, my dear boy," she said, "fear to offend God, and be faithful
and true to him and to all men. He will ever prove your best Friend,
here and throughout eternity."
"I will, mother; indeed I will," I answered, as soon as the beatings of
my heart and the sobs which burst from my breast allowed me to speak.
"Hush," she said at length; "we must not awaken Pierce. And you too,
Godfrey, must go to sleep, to be ready for your journey to-morrow."
She left me, but I could hear her breathing outside the door till she
thought I had dropped off to sleep.
Next morning all the family were up to see me off. I won't describe the
scene: my dear, sweet little sister Edith, though she looked so proud of
me in my uniform, sobbed as if she would break her heart; and I found
it a hard matter to restrain my feelings, till the coach came by, and, my
chest being stowed away in the boot, my father and I mounted to the
top. I soon recovered my spirits, when my father, entering into
conversation with our fellow-passengers, led me to join in it. Most