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Smellie himself, while inclined to be sceptical in regard to the truth or exactness of many of the tales told of the vitality of toads, regards the matter as affording food for reflection, since he remarks, "But I mean not to persuade, for I cannot satisfy myself; all I intend is, to recommend to those gentlemen who may hereafter chance to see such rare phenomena, a strict examination of every circumstance that can throw light upon a subject so dark and mysterious; for the vulgar, ever inclined to render uncommon appearances still more marvellous, are not to be trusted."
When I had finished, the skipper turned to Smellie and said: "Am I to understand, from your remark made a short time ago, that you, too, have suspected this mysterious brig, Mr Smellie?"
During that fortnight Smellie was undoubtedly hovering on the borderland between life and death, and but for the tireless and tender solicitude of Daphne I am convinced he would have passed across the dividing line and entered the land of shadows.
This absurd exclamation appealed so forcibly to the men's sense of the ridiculous that it had the instant effect of steadying their nerves and raising a hearty laugh, which, however, was as instantly checked by Smellie, who, though he could not restrain a smile, exclaimed sharply: "Silence, fore and aft! How dare you cry out in that ridiculous fashion, Flanaghan?
"Ho, ho!" ejaculated the skipper with a whistle of surprise. "That is how the wind blows, is it? Upon my word, Smellie, I heartily congratulate you upon your conquest. Quite a romantic affair, really. And pray, Mr Hawkesley, what success have you met with in Cupid's warfare?" "None whatever, sir," I replied with a laugh.
I was in the cabin at the time, reading. "What does she look like?" inquired Smellie, who had the watch. "I can only see the heads of her fore and main-topgallantsails," replied the man, "but I believe she is a frigate, sir." Smellie came to the open skylight and spoke down through it: "I say, Chester, if it's not troubling you too much, will you hand me up my glass, please?
"She looks large enough for a frigate," replied the man; "but I shall have a better sight of her in a few minutes, sir; she is steering this way." "I say, Chester, suppose it's a frigate from Gibraltar with despatches for the admiral; what will you do?" exclaimed young Smellie, as we stood together by the weather-bulwarks, hanging on to the main-rigging.
Pausing here for a moment, our guide made with her hands and arms the motion of swimming, pointed across the creek, touched Smellie on the breast with the query "Yenu?" and then rapidly repeated the same process with me. We took this to mean an inquiry as to our ability to swim the creek, and both replied "Yes" with affirmative nods.
A slight pause was made at the conclusion of these passages, and Smellie, deeply affected, stepped forward and threw the first earth upon the body of his dear friend and brother officer, after which the service again proceeded and soon came to an end.
These given, Mr Armitage and I were summoned to the cabin; and upon our arrival there, the skipper, after speaking regretfully upon the loss which the ship and all hands, himself especially, as he said, had sustained through the first lieutenant's death, informed us that Mr Smellie having received charge of the prize to deliver over to the admiral of the station with an earnest recommendation that she should be turned over to the navy and given to Smellie with the rank of commander, it now became necessary to appoint an acting first lieutenant to the Daphne.
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