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"But, what ah, happened, Mr Jellaby, to the poor fellow, eh?" "Why, the officer of the watch sent for the sergeant of the guard with a file of marines, and put the man under arrest for being drunk and mutinous!" "You don't ah, mean to say he was punished?" "No," replied "Joe," with a wink to us.
"I don't know about that, imagination sometimes goes a great way in these matters," observed Commander Nesbitt, after carefully inspecting the battered hulk with the glass Mr Jellaby handed him; "but, at all events, we'll send a boat aboard and see. Bosun's mate, pipe the watch to stand by to heave the ship to! Clew up the courses. Square the main yard!"
"Well, you may, if you like. I know that you can keep yourself afloat, at any rate if you get capsized, from what I learnt of your experiences the other day at Spithead; and, perhaps, Mr Jellaby may find you of use. Jump in, my boy." It is hardly necessary to say how promptly I obeyed the order. As my dear old Dad would have expressed it, "Sharp was the word and quick the action."
Still, I must say that your voice seemed familiar to me just now, when you first came into the cabin here and addressed me. It seemed to me a voice that I had heard in a dream." He then proceeded to compliment me on my Spanish, saying, in true hidalgo fashion, that I spoke it better than himself, which, as Mr Jellaby remarked, had to be taken "with a good deal of side on!"
Captain Farmer was standing on the poop talking with the commander when we gained the deck; and, as Mr Jellaby at once went up to them to make his report, while Dr Nettleby was busying himself with superintending the removal of the man we had rescued, who had not yet regained consciousness, down to the sick bay, a couple of other marines being called to help the corporal, I thought I might as well go below also and shift my uniform, which was pretty nearly soaked through, making me feel very cold and uncomfortable.
This was much to my delight; for I enjoyed the strains of the jolly air played as much as Corporal Macan, as well as the steady tramp of the marines and after-guard round the capstan, the men stamping on the deck in time to the music, as if they would smash through the planking. "Go and tell Mr Jellaby," said he, "to shorten in to two shackles." "Ay, ay, sir."
In obedience to this command, the two disputants were both brought aft, Poll Nash following also, being an interested party, to get back her clothes or the money from "Downy." The latter was at once recognised by Lieutenant Jellaby, a jolly fellow, in whose watch I was. He went by his Christian name of "Joe" amongst us all, being very good-natured and always full of fun and chaff.
When passing round with the commander presently to see if all the guns had been properly made fast, so that there should be no chance of their "taking charge" in a heavy seaway and running themselves out without leave or licence when we least expected it, I overheard "Joe" Jellaby talking to Charley Gilham, who had now come up from the lower deck and was standing by the main hatchway.
Somebody told me you were goin' round the world." He scrutinised the menu through his eyeglass. "Clear soup! . . . Read Jellaby's speech? Amusing the way he squashes all those fellows. Best man in the House, he really is." Shelton paused in the assimilation of asparagus; he, too, had been in the habit of admiring Jellaby, but now he wondered why.
"The ship's just sent up our recall, and she's bearing away now to pick us up to leeward when we cast off from here, sir." "Yes, my man, I see, and I notice, also, she has sent down her topgallants and taken in another reef," returned Mr Jellaby, proceeding to work his way back amidships to those we had left there, wading through the water and wreckage and tophamper strewing the waist.
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