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Updated: June 12, 2025
Before separating for the night, the three mids learnt from Bill and his brother that the latter had been first officer of the ship that had brought him to the coast. They could perceive by his conversation that he was an intelligent man, one whose natural abilities and artificial acquirements were far superior to those of their shipmate, the old man-of-war's-man.
I'm sho' eve'body in dis neighbo'hood 'preciates de priv'lege er havin' you in ou' mids'." Though slightly embarrassing to the teacher, these public demonstrations were endurable so long as they could be regarded as mere official appreciation of her work.
The mids declared that had patient Job been on board the ten weeks we were off Havre he would have lost his patience in the fifth week and thrown up his commission. After a lazy cruise of nearly eleven weeks the frigate once more sat like a duck at Spithead.
The party consisted of three post-captains, a commander, four lieutenants, and half a dozen mids, ourselves included; which, with the jolly old admiral our host, made up a nice compact party. The guests, it appeared, had all been invited expressly to meet us and do us honour; we consequently found ourselves to be the lions of the evening.
“Yes, massa,” was the answer; “to-day you hab for dinner salt junk and bargeman biscuit, and to-morrow you hab change.” “What do you say, you black woolly-headed rascal?” said one of the mids. “Why, I say, massa, you hab change to-morrow—you hab bargeman biscuit and salt junk.” “Why,” said another horrified mid, “I heard the caterer order you to get some fish from the canoe alongside.” “Yes, massa, dat berry true, but de d——d black scorpion would not sell ’um to massa midshipman, cause he no hab pay for fish last time.” “If you mention that again,” said one of my messmates, “I’ll crack your black cocoa-nut, and if you do not get some to-morrow, I’ll take care your grog shall be stopped.” Here the caterer of the mess interfered by promising the mess should have some fish for their dinner next day, and the contest ended.
With nothing else to attract their attention, the occupants of the encampments would be turning their eyes in every direction. If any of them should look westward at a given moment, that is, while the three mids should be "in the saddle," the latter could not fail to be discovered. What was to be done? There was no other way leading forth from the valley.
But a' that was naething compairateevely. I' the mids o' a quaiet contemplation, suddenly, wi' an awfu' stoon, a ghaistly doobt pat it's heid up i' my breist, and cried: 'It's a' fause. The grey luik o' life's the true ane, and the only aspec' ye hae a richt to see. And efter that, a' the whusky in Glenlivat cudna console me. Luik at me noo. Ye see what I am.
The schooner was a beautiful model, very broad in the beam, and very low in the water; she mounted one long brass thirty-two-pounder forward on a circular sweep, so that it could be trained in every direction; abaft, she had four brass nine-pound carronades. My ship's company consisted of sixty men and officers; that is, myself, two mids, boatswain, gunner, and carpenter.
"Hoots man!" answered Thomas; "dinna ye see 'at gin the man was cawpable o' makin' sic a mistak's that, i' the mids o' his perfec confidence in his ain knowledge an' jeedgment, he cud hardly hae been intendit by Providence for an interpreter o' dark sayings of old?" Andrew burst into a laugh. "Wha cud hae thocht, Thomas, 'at ye cud hae pickit sic gumption oot o' stanes!"
Fortunately it was nearly calm, otherwise the ship must have been wrecked. The process of getting her off was much longer than that of getting her on. The mids, I understood, declared she was tired of the cruise and wished to rest. In the afternoon it became clear, when we saw an armed schooner close to us, which hoisted English colours and sent a boat to us.
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