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Updated: June 4, 2025
Arnaux's brother Arnolf, with three fine records on his wings, was thus murdered in the act of bearing a hasty summons for the doctor. As he fell dying at the gunner's feet, his superb wings spread out displayed his list of victories. The silver badge on his leg was there, and the gunner was smitten with remorse.
One morning O'Brien came on board and said, "Peter, I've a piece of news for you. Our gunner is appointed to the Araxes, and the admiral has given me a gunner's warrant for old Swinburne. Send for him on deck." Swinburne was summoned, and came rolling up the hatchway. "Swinburne," said O'Brien, "you have done your duty well, and you are now gunner of the Rattlesnake.
"It killed a dog in the backyard behind the house," Oakes said. "The window of Captain Gunner's room projects out over it. It is full of boxes and litter and there are a few stunted shrubs scattered about. In fact, there is enough cover to hide any small object like the body of a dog. That's why it was not discovered at first.
But I did not enter into the gunner's reason for this inquiry, not in the least, till he went on with it farther, and stated it thus: "If this is the river Nile, why should not we build some more canoes, and go down this stream, rather than expose ourselves to any more deserts and scorching sands in quest of the sea, which when we are come to, we shall be as much at a loss how to get home as we were at Madagascar?"
The gunner burst out of the hatch with blood running down his face, shouting that the Richard was sinking, and yelling for quarter as he made for the ensign-staff on the poop, for the flag was shot away. Him the commodore felled with a pistol-butt. At the gunner's heels were the hundred and fifty prisoners we had taken, released by the master at arms.
Train your guns inboard, let the marines fix their bayonets, let the officers draw their swords; we will not let our beards be reaped the last insult inflicted upon a vanquished foe in the East! Where are you, sheet-anchor-men! Captains of the tops! gunner's mates! mariners, all!
Well, brother, something or other I did or said I can't tell what How the devil should I, when I was as drunk as David's sow, you know? But I was punished, my lad made to kiss the wench that never speaks but when she scolds, and that's the gunner's daughter, comrade. Yes, the minister's son of no matter where has the cat's scratch on his back!
So violent was it that Tasker and I were both swept off our feet and dashed to the deck, where I brought up against the cabin companion with a crash that all but knocked the senses out of me, while the gunner's mate disappeared in the direction of the lee scuppers.
The gunner's mate, one of those men who love to keep a gun in shape, was swabbing it out at the time, and they never saw anything of him again. The chief petty officers' quarters were farthest aft on the 343. The after bulkhead to their compartment was blown in, leaving the inside of the ship open to sea and sun. Fourteen men were in there at the time, lounging around or in their bunks.
"Clear away stu'ns'l gear!" These successive orders were now jerked out in rapid rotation by Mr Bitpin, who stood at the poop-rail bellowing away like a wild bull, Captain Farmer remaining alongside him and surveying with critical eye all that was done as the hands scrambled up the rigging and bustled about the deck, casting off ropes and getting the booms prepared; until, anon, the captains of the fore and maintops and the captain of the forecastle, as well as the gunner's mate, whose task it was to see to the main topmast studding sail, reported "All ready!"
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