hard cash-第53章

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r　of　this　ship；　sir？〃　he　asked。

〃No；　commodore。　I　am　the　first　mate：　the　captain　is　ashore。〃

〃I　am　sorry　for　it。　I　want　to　talk　about　his　rudder。〃

〃Oh；　_he_　had　nothing　to　do　with　that；〃　replied　Sharpe；　eagerly：　〃that　was　our　dear　old　captain：　he　is　on　board。　Young　gentleman！　ask　Captain　Dodd　to　oblige　me　by　coming　on　deck！　Hy！　and　Mr。　Fullalove　too。〃

〃Young　gentleman？〃　inquired　Collier。　〃What　the　devil　officer　is　that？〃

〃That　is　a　name　we　give　the　middies；　I　don't　know　why。〃

〃Nor　I　neither；　ha！　ha！〃

Dodd　and　Fullalove　came　on　deck；　and　Commodore　Collier　bestowed　the　highest　compliments　on　the　〃makeshift。〃　Dodd　begged　him　to　transfer　them　to　the　real　inventor；　and　introduced　Fullalove。

〃Ay；〃　said　Collier；　〃I　know　you　Yankees　are　very　handy。　I　lost　my　rudder　at　sea　once；　and　had　to　ship　a　makeshift；　but　it　was　a　cursed　complicated　thing；　not　a　patch　upon　yours；　Mr。　Fullalove。　Yours　is　ingenious　and　_simple。_　Ship　has　been　in　action；　I　see：　pray　how　was　that；　if　I　may　be　so　bold？〃

〃Pirates；　commodore；〃　said　Sharpe。　〃We　fell　in　with　a　brace　of　Portuguese　devils；　lateen…rigged；　and　carrying　ten　guns　apiece；　in　the　Straits　of　Gaspar：　fought　'em　from　noon　till　sundown；　riddled　one；　and　ran　down　the　other；　and　sunk　her　in　a　moment。　That　was　all　your　doing；　Captain：　so　don't　try　to　shift　it　on　other　people；　for　we　won't　stand　it。〃

〃If　he　denies　it；　I　won't　believe　him；〃　said　Collier；　〃for　he　has　got　it　in　his　eye。　Gentlemen；　will　you　do　me　the　honour　to　dine　with　me　to…day　on　board　the　flag…ship？〃

Dodd　and　Fullalove　accepted。　Sharpe　declined；　with　regret；　on　the　score　of　duty。　And　as　the　cocked　hat　went　down　the　side；　after　saluting　him　politely；　he　could　not　help　thinking　to　himself　what　a　difference　between　a　real　captain；　who　had　something　to　be　proud　of；　and　his　own　unlicked　cub　of　a　skipper　with　the　manners　of　a　pilot…boat。　He　told　Robarts　the　next　day：　Robarts　said　nothing；　but　his　face　seemed　to　turn　greenish；　and　it　embittered　his　hatred　of　Dodd　the　inoffensive。

It　is　droll；　and　sad；　but　true；　that　Christendom　is　full　of　men　in　a　hurry　to　hate。　And　a　fruitful　cause　is　jealousy。　The　schoolmen；　or　rather　certain　of　the　schoolmenfor　nothing　is　much　shallower　than　to　speak　of　all　those　disputants　as　one　schooldefined　woman；　〃a　featherless　biped　vehemently　addicted　to　jealousy。〃　Whether　she　is　more　featherless　than　the　male　can　be　decided　at　a　trifling　expense　of　time；　money；　and　reason：　you　have　but　to　go　to　court。　But　as　for　envy　and　jealousy；　I　think　it　is　pure；　unobservant；　antique　Cant　which　has　fixed　them　on　the　female　character　distinctively。　As　a　molehill　to　a　mountain　is　women's　jealousy　to　men's。　Agatha　may　have　a　host　of　virtues　and　graces；　and　yet　her　female　acquaintance　will　not　hate　her；　provided　she　has　the　moderation　to　abstain　from　being　downright　pretty。　She　may　sing　like　an　angel；　paint　like　an　angel；　talk；　write；　nurse　the　sick；　all　like　an　angel；　and　not　rouse　the　devil　in　her　fair　sisters；　so　long　as　she　does　not　dress　like　an　angel。　But　the　minds　of　men　being　much　larger　than　women's；　yet　very　little　greater；　they　hang　jealousy　on　a　thousand　pegs。　Where　there　was　no　peg；　I　have　seen　them　do　with　a　pin。

Captain　Robarts　took　a　pin；　ran　it　into　his　own　heart；　and　hung　that　sordid　passion　on　it。

He　would　get　rid　of　all　the　Doddites　before　he　sailed。　He　insulted　Mr。　Tickell；　so　that　he　left　the　service　and　entered　a　mercantile　house　ashore：　he　made　several　of　the　best　men　desert；　and　the　ship　went　to　sea　short　of　hands。　This　threw　heavier　work　on　the　crew；　and　led　to　many　punishments　and　a　steady　current　of　abuse。　Sharpe　became　a　mere　machine；　always　obeying；　never　speaking：　Grey　was　put　under　arrest　for　remonstrating　against　ungentlemanly　language；　and　Bayliss；　being　at　bottom　of　the　same　breed　as　Robarts；　fell　into　his　humour；　and　helped　hector　the　petty　officers　and　men。　The　crew；　depressed　and　irritated；　went　through　their　duties　pully…hauly…wise。　There　was　no　song　under　the　forecastle　in　the　first　watch；　and　often　no　grog　on　the　mess　table　at　one　bell。　Dodd　never　came　on　the　quarter…deck　without　being　reminded　he　was　only　a　passenger；　and　the　ship　was　now　under　naval　discipline。　_〃I_　was　reared　in　the　royal　navy；　sir；〃　would　Robarts　say；　〃second　lieutenant　aboard　the　_Atalanta：_　that　is　the　school；　sir；　that　is　the　only　school　that　breeds　seamen。〃　Dodd　bore　scores　of　similar　taunts　as　a　Newfoundland　puts　up　with　a　terrier　in　office：　he　seldom　replied；　and；　when　he　did；　in　a　few　quiet　dignified　words　that　gave　no　handle。

Robarts；　who　bore　the　name　of　a　lucky　captain；　had　fair　weather　all　the　way　to　St。　Helena。

The　guard…ship　at　this　island　was　the　_Salamanca。_　She　had　left　the　Cape　a　week　before　the　_Agra。_　Captain　Robarts；　with　his　characteristic　good…breeding；　went　to　anchor　in…shore　of　Her　Majesty's　ship：　the　wind　failed　at　a　critical　moment；　and　a　foul　became　inevitable。　Collier　was　on　his　quarter…deck；　and　saw　what　would　happen　long　before　Robarts　did；　he　gave　the　needful　orders；　and　it　was　beautiful　to　see　how　in　half　a　minute　the　frigate's　guns　were　run　in；　her　ports　lowered；　her　yards　toppled　on　end；　and　a　spring　carried　out　and　hauled　on。

The　_Agra_　struck　abreast　her　own　forechains　on　the　_Salamanca's_　quarter。

（Pipe。）　〃Boarders　away。　Tomahawks！　cut　everything　that　holds！〃　was　heard　from　the　frigate's　quarter…deck。　Rush　came　a　boarding　party　on　to　the　merchant　ship　and　hacked　away　without　mercy　all　her　lower　rigging　that　held　on　to　the　frigate；　signal　halyards　and　all；　others　boomed　her　off　with　capstan　bars；　&c。；　and　in　two　minutes　the　ships　were　clear。　A　lieutenant　and　boat's　crew　came　for　Robarts；　and　ordered　him　on　board　the　_Salamanca；_　and；　to　make　sure　of　his　coming；　took　him　back　with　them。　He　found　Commodore　Collier　standing　stiff　as　a　ramrod　on　his　quarter…deck。　〃Are　you　the　master　of　the　_Agra？_〃　（His　quick　eye　had　recognised　her　in　a　moment。）

〃I　am；　sir。〃

〃Then　she　was　commanded　by　a　seaman；　and　is　now　commanded　by　a　lubber。　Don't　apply　for　your　papers　this　week；　for　you　won't　get　them。　Good　morning。　Take　him　away。〃

They　returned　Robarts　to　his　ship；　and　a　suppressed　grin　on　a　score　of　faces　showed　him　the　clear　commanding　tones　of　the　commodore　had　reached　his　own　deck。　He　soothed　himself　by　stopping　the　men's　grog　and　mast…heading　three　midshipmen　that　same　afternoon。

The　night　before　he　weighed　anchor　this　disciplinarian　was　drinking　very　late　in　a　low　public…house。　There　was　not　much　moon；　and　the　officer　in　charge　of　the　ship　did　not　see　the　gig　coming　till　it　was　nearly　alongside：　then　all　was　done　in　a　flurry。

〃Hy！　man　the　side！　Lanterns　there！　Jump；　you　boys；　or　you'll　catch　pepper。〃

The　boys　did　jump；　and　little　Murphy；　not　knowing　the　surgeon　had　ordered　the　ports　to　be　drooped；　bounded　over　the　bulwarks　like　an　antelope；　lighted　on　the　midship　port；　which　stood　at　this　angle　/；　and　glanced　off　into　the　ocean；　lantern　foremost：　he　made　his　little　hole　in　the　water　within　a　yard　of'　Captain　Robarts。　That　Dignity；　though　splashed；　took　no　notice　of　so　small　an　incident　as　a　gone　ship…boy：　and　if　Murphy　had　been　wise　and　stayed　with　Nep。　all　had　been　well。　But　the　poor　urchin　inadvertently　came　up　again；　and　without　the　lantern。　One　of　the　gig's　crew　grabbed　him　by　the　hair；　and　prolonged　his　existence　by　an　inconsiderate　impulse。

〃Where　is　the　other　lantern？〃　was　Robarts'　first　word　on　reaching　the　deck：　as　if　he　didn't　know。

〃Gone　overboard；　sir；　with　the　boy　Murphy。〃

〃Stand　forward；　you；　sir；〃　growled　Robarts。

Murphy　stood　forward；　dripping　and　shivering　with　cold　and　fear。

〃What　d'ye　mean　by　going　overboard　with　the　ship's　lantern？〃

〃Och；　your　arnr；　sure　some　unasy　divil　drooped　the　port；　and　the　lantern　and　me　we　had　no　foothold　at　all　at　all；　and　the　lantern　went　into　the　say；　bad　luck　to　ut；　and　I　went　afther　to　try　and　save　utfor　your　arnr。〃

〃Belay　all　that！〃　said　Robarts；　〃do　you　think　you　can　blarney　me；　you　young　monkey？　Here；　Bosen's　mate；　take　a　rope's…end　and　start　him！Again！Warm　him　well！That's　right。〃

As　soon　as　the　poor　child's　shrieks　subsided　into　sobs；　the　disciplinarian　gave　him　Explanation　for　Ointment：　〃I　can't　have　the　Company's　stores　expended　this　way。〃

The　force　of