Peter Simple

Chapter Fifty Nine

The dead man attends at the auction of his own effects, and bids the sale to stop—One more than was wanted—Peter steps into his own shoes again—Captain Hawkins takes a friendly interest in Peter’s papers—Riga balsam sternly refused to be admitted for the relief of the ship’s company

As soon as the sails were furled, I thanked the master of the vessel for his kindness, and requested the boat. He ordered it to be manned, saying, “How glad your captain will be to see you!” I doubted that. We shook hands, and I pulled to the Rattlesnake, which lay about two cables’ length astern of us. I had put on a jacket, when I left the brig on service, and coming in a merchantman’s boat, no attention was paid to me; indeed, owing to circumstances, no one was on the look-out, and I ascended the side unperceived.

The men and officers were on the quarter-deck, attending the sale of dead men’s effects before the mast, and every eye was fixed upon six pairs of nankeen trowsers exposed by the purser’s steward, which I recognised as my own. “Nine shillings for six pairs of nankeen trowsers,” cried the purser’s steward.

“Come, my men, they’re worth more than that,” observed the captain, who appeared to be very facetious. “It’s better to be in his trowsers than in his shoes.” This brutal remark created a silence for a moment. “Well, then, steward, let them go. One would think that pulling on his trowsers would make you as afraid as he was,” continued the captain laughing.

“Shame!” was cried out by one or two of the officers, and I recognised Swinburne’s voice as one.

“More likely if they put on yours,” cried I, in a loud indignant tone.

Everybody started, and turned round; Captain Hawkins staggered to a carronade: “I beg to report myself as having rejoined my ship, sir,” continued I.

“Hurrah, my lads! three cheers for Mr Simple,” said Swinburne.

The men gave them with emphasis. The captain looked at me, and without saying a word, hastily retreated to his cabin. I perceived, as he went down, that he had his arm in a sling. I thanked the men for their kind feeling towards me, shook hands with Thompson and Webster, who warmly congratulated me, and then with old Swinburne (who nearly wrung my arm off, and gave my shoulder such pain, as to make me cry out), and with the others who extended theirs. I desired the sale of my effects to be stopped; fortunately for me, it had but just begun, and the articles were all returned. Thompson had informed the captain that he knew my father’s address, and would take charge of my clothes, and send them home, but the captain would not allow him.

In a few minutes, I received a letter from the captain, desiring me to acquaint him in writing, for the information of the senior officer, in what manner I had escaped. I went down below, when I found one very melancholy face, that of the passed-midshipman of the Acasta, who had received an acting order in my place. When I went to my desk, I found two important articles missing; one, my private letter-book, and the other, the journal which I kept of what passed, and from which this narrative has been compiled. I inquired of my messmates, who stated that the desk had not been looked into by any one but the captain, who, of course, must have possessed himself of those important documents.

I wrote a letter containing a short narrative of what had happened, and, at the same time, another on service to the captain, requesting that he would deliver up my property, the private journal, and letter-book in his possession. The captain, as soon as he received my letters, sent up word for his boat to be manned. As soon as it was manned, I reported it, and then begged to know whether he intended to comply with my request. He answered that he should not, and then went on deck, and quitted the brig to pull on board of the senior officer. I therefore determined immediately to write to the captain of the Acasta, acquainting him with the conduct of Captain Hawkins, and requesting his interference. This I did immediately, and the boat that had brought me on board not having left the brig, I sent the letter by it, requesting them to put it into the hands of one of the officers. The letter was received previous to Captain Hawkins’ visit being over; and the captain of the Acasta put it into his hands, inquiring if the statement were correct. Captain Hawkins replied, that it was true that he had detained these papers, as there was so much mutiny and disaffection in them, and that he should not return them to me.

“That I cannot permit,” replied the captain of the Acasta, who was aware of the character of Captain Hawkins; “if, by mistake, you have been put in possession of any of Mr Simple’s secrets, you are bound in honour not to make use of them; neither can you retain property not your own.”

But Captain Hawkins was determined, and refused to give them to me. “Well, then, Captain Hawkins,” replied the captain of the Acasta, you will oblige me by remaining on my quarter-deck till I come out of the cabin.

The captain of the Acasta then wrote an order, directing Captain Hawkins immediately to deliver up to him the papers of mine in his possession; and coming out of the cabin, put it into Captain Hawkins’ hands, saying, “Now, sir, here is a written order from your superior officer. Disobey it, if you dare. If you do, I will put you under an arrest, and try you by a court-martial.”

Captain Hawkins bit his lip at the order.

“Your boat is manned, sir,” said the captain of the Acasta, in a severe tone.

Captain Hawkins came on board, sealed up the books, and sent them to the captain of the Acasta, who redirected them to me, on His Majesty’s service, and returned them by the same boat. The public may therefore thank the captain of the Acasta for the memoirs which they are now reading.

From my messmates I gained the following intelligence of what had passed after I had quitted the brig. The fire of the praam had cut them up severely, and Captain Hawkins had been struck in the arm with a piece of the hammock rail, which had been shot away shortly after I left. Although the skin only was razed, he thought proper to consider himself badly wounded; and giving up the command to Mr Webster, the second lieutenant, had retreated below, where he remained until the action was over. When Mr Webster reported the return of the boats, with the capture of the gun-boat, and my supposed death, he was delighted, that he quite forgot his wound, and ran on deck, rubbing his hands as he walked up and down. At last he recollected himself, went down into his cabin, and came up again with his arm in a sling.

During the short time that we remained in port, I took care that Riga balsam should not be allowed to come alongside, and the men were all sober. We received orders from the captain of the Acasta to join the admiral, who was off the Texel, in pursuance of directions he had received from the Admiralty to despatch one of the squadron, and we were selected from the dislike which he had taken to Captain Hawkins.

Chapter Sixty

An old friend in a new case—Heart of oak in Swedish fir—A man’s a man, all the world over, and something more in many parts of it—Peter gets reprimanded for being dilatory, but proves a title to a defence-allowed

When we were about forty miles off the harbour, a frigate hove in sight. We made the private signal: she hoisted Swedish colours, and kept away a couple of points to close with us.

We were within two miles of her when she up courses and took in her topgallant sails. As we closed to within two cable’s lengths, she hove-to. We did the same; and the captain desired me to lower down the boat, and board her, ask her name, by whom she was commanded, and offer any assistance if the captain required it. This was the usual custom of the service, and I went on board in obedience to my orders. When I arrived on the quarter-deck, I asked in French, whether there were any one who spoke it. The first lieutenant came forward, and took off his hat: I stated, that I was requested to ask the name of the vessel and the commanding officer, to insert it in our log, and to offer any services that we could command. He replied, that the captain was on deck, and turned round, but the captain had gone down below. “I will inform him of your message—I had no idea that he had quitted the deck;” and the first lieutenant left me. I exchanged a few compliments, and a little news with the officers on deck, who appeared to be very gentlemanlike fellows, when the first lieutenant requested my presence in the cabin. I descended—the door was opened—I was announced by the first lieutenant, and he quitted the cabin. I looked at the captain, who was sitting at the table: he was a fine, stout man, with two or three ribands at his button-hole, and a large pair of mustachios. I thought that I had seen him before, but I could not recollect when: his face was certainly familiar to me, but, as I had been informed by the officers on deck, that the captain was a Count Shucksen, a person I had never heard of, I thought that I must be mistaken. I therefore addressed him in French, paying him a long compliment, with all the necessary et ceteras.

The captain turned round to me, took his hand away from his forehead, which it had shaded, and looking me full in the face, replied, “Mr Simple, I don’t understand but very little French. Spin your yarn in plain English.”

I started—“I thought that I knew your face,” replied I; “am I mistaken?—no, it must be Mr Chucks!”

“You are right, my dear Mr Simple; it is your old friend, Chucks, the boatswain, whom you now see.”

We shook hands heartily, and then he requested me to sit down. “But,” said I, “they told me on deck that the frigate was commanded by a Count Shucksen.”

“That is my present rank, my dear Peter,” said he; “but as you have no time to lose, I will explain all. I know I can trust to your honour. You remember that you left me, as you and I supposed, dying in the privateer, with the captain’s jacket and epaulets on my shoulders. When the boats came out, and you left the vessel, they boarded and found me. I was still breathing; and judging of my rank by my coat, they put me into the boat, and pushed on shore. The privateer sank very shortly after. I was not expected to live, but in a few days a change took place, and I was better. They asked me my name, and I gave my own, which they lengthened into Shucksen, somehow or another I recovered by a miracle, and am now as well as ever I was in my life. They were not a little proud of having captured a captain of the British service, as they supposed, for they never questioned me as to my real rank. After some weeks, I was sent home to Denmark in a running vessel; but it so happened that we met with a gale, and were wrecked on the Swedish coast, close to Carlscrona. The Danes were at that time at war, having joined the Russians; and they were made prisoners, while I was of course liberated, and treated with great distinction; but as I could not speak either French or their own language, I could not get on very well. However, I had a handsome allowance, and permission to go to England as soon as I pleased. The Swedes were then at war with the Russians, and were fitting out their fleet; but, Lord bless them! they didn’t know much about it. At last, they all came to me, and if they did not understand me entirely, I showed them how to do it with my own hands, and the fleet began to make a show with their rigging. The admiral who commanded was very much obliged, and I seemed to come as regularly to my work as if I were paid for it. At last, the admiral came with an English interpreter, and asked me whether I was anxious to go back to England, or would I like to join their service? I saw what they wanted, and I replied that I would prefer an English frigate to a Swedish one, and that I would not consent unless they offered something more; and then, with the express stipulation that I should not take arms against my own country. They then waited for a week, when they offered to make me a Count and give me the command of the frigate. This suited me, as you may suppose, Peter; it was the darling wish of my heart—I was to be made a gentleman. I consented, and was made Count Shucksen, and had a fine large frigate under my command. I then set to work with a will, superintended the fitting out of the whole fleet, and showed them what an Englishman could do. We sailed, and you of course know the brush we had with the Russians, which I must say did us no discredit. I was fortunate to distinguish myself, for I exchanged several broadsides with a Russian two-decked ship, and came off with honour. When we went into port I got this riband. I was out afterwards, and fell in with a Russian frigate, and captured her, for which I received this other riband. Since that I have been in high favour, and now that I speak the languages, I like the people very much. I am often at court when I am in harbour; and, Peter, I am married.”

“I wish you joy, count, with all my heart.”

“Yes, and well married, too—to a Swedish countess of very high family and I expect that I have a little boy or girl by this time. So you observe, Peter, that I am at last a gentleman, and, what is more, my children will be noble by two descents. Who would have thought that this would have been occasioned by my throwing the captain’s jacket into the boat instead of my own? And now, my dear Mr Simple, that I have made you my confidant, I need not say, do not say a word about it to anybody.”

“My dear count,” replied I, “your secret is safe with me, and my pleasure is very great.”

I then, in a few words, stated where O’Brien was; and then we parted, I went with him on deck, Count Shucksen taking my arm, and introducing me as an old shipmate to his officers, “I hope we may meet again,” said I, “but I’m afraid there is little chance.”

“Who knows?” replied he; “see what chance has done for me. My dear Peter, God bless you! You are one of the very few whom I always loved. God bless you, my boy! and never forget that all I have is at your command if you come my way.”

I thanked him, and, saluting the officers, went down the side. As I expected, when I came on board, the captain demanded, in an angry tone, why I had stayed so long. I replied that I was shown down into Count Shucksen’s cabin, and he conversed so long, that I could not get away sooner, as it would not have been polite to have left him before he had finished his questions. I then gave a very civil message, and the captain said no more: the very name of a great man always silenced him.

Chapter Sixty One

Bad news from home, and worse on board—Notwithstanding his previous trials, Peter forced to prepare for another—Mrs Trotter again; improves as she grows old—Captain Hawkins and his twelve charges

No other event of consequence occurred until we joined the admiral, who only detained us three hours with the fleet, and then sent us home with his despatches. We arrived, after a quiet passage, at Portsmouth, where I wrote immediately to my sister Ellen, requesting to know the state of my father’s health. I waited impatiently for an answer, and by return of post received one with a black seal. My father had died the day before from a brain fever; and Ellen conjured me to obtain leave of absence, to come to her in her state of distress. The captain came on board the next morning, and I had a letter ready written on service to the admiral, stating the circumstances, and requesting leave of absence. I presented it to him and entreated him to forward it. At any other time I would not have condescended: but the thoughts of my poor sister, unprotected and alone, and my father lying dead in the house, made me humble and submissive. Captain Hawkins read the letter, and very coolly replied, that “it was very easy to say that my father was dead, but he required proofs.” Even this insult did not affect me; I put my sister’s letter in his hand—he read it, and as he returned it to me, he smiled maliciously. “It is impossible for me to forward your letter, Mr Simple, as I have one to deliver to you.”

He put a large folio packet into my hand, and went below. I opened it: it was a copy of a letter demanding a court-martial upon me, with a long list of the charges preferred by him. I was stupefied, not so much at his asking for a court-martial, but at the conviction of the impossibility of my now being able to go to the assistance of my poor sister. I went down into the gun-room and threw myself on a chair, at the same time tossing the letter to Thompson, the master. He read it over carefully, and folded it up.

“Upon my word, Simple, I do not see that you have much to fear. These charges are very frivolous.”

The next morning, the official letter from the port-admiral came off, acquainting me that a court-martial had been ordered upon me, and that it would take place that day week. I immediately resigned the command to the second lieutenant, and commenced an examination into the charges preferred. They were very numerous, and dated back almost to the very day that he had joined the ship. There were twelve in all. I shall not trouble the reader with the whole of them, as many were very frivolous. The principal charges were:—

1. For mutinous and disrespectful conduct to Captain Hawkins, on (such a date), having in a conversation with an inferior officer on the quarter-deck stated that Captain Hawkins was a spy, and had spies in the ship.

2. For neglect of duty, in disobeying the orders of Captain Hawkins, on the night of the – of —.

3. For having, on the – of —, sent away two boats from the ship, in direct opposition to the orders of Captain Hawkins.

4. For having again, on the morning of the – of —, held mutinous and disrespectful conversation relative to Captain Hawkins with the gunner of the ship, allowing the latter to accuse Captain Hawkins of cowardice, without reporting the same.

5. For insulting expressions on the quarter-deck to Captain Hawkins, on his rejoining the brig on the morning of the – of —.

6. For not causing the orders of Captain Hawkins to be put in force on several occasions, etcetera, etcetera, etc.

And further, as Captain Hawkins’ testimony was necessary in two of the charges, the King, on those charges, was the prosecutor.

Two days before my court-martial, I received a letter from Ellen, who appeared in a state of distraction from this accumulation of misfortune. She told me that my father was to be buried the next day, and that the new rector had written to her, to know when it would be convenient for the vicarage to be given up. That my father’s bills had been sent in, and amounted to twelve hundred pounds already; and that she knew not the extent of the whole claims. There appeared to be nothing left but the furniture of the house; and she wanted to know whether the debts were to be paid with the money I had left in the funds for her use. I wrote immediately, requesting her to liquidate every claim, as far as my money went; sending her an order upon my agent to draw for the whole amount, and a power of attorney to him, to sell out the stock.

I had just sealed the letter, when Mrs Trotter, who had attended the ship since our return to Portsmouth, begged to speak with me, and walked in after her message, without waiting for an answer. “My dear Mr Simple,” said she, “I know all that is going on, and I find that you have no lawyer to assist you. Now I know that it it is necessary, and will very probably be of great service in your defence—for when people are in distress and anxiety, they have not their wits about them; so I have brought a friend of mine from Portsea, a very clever man, who, for my sake, will undertake your cause; and I hope you will not refuse him. You recollect giving me a dozen pairs of stockings. I did not refuse them, nor shall you refuse me now.”

Mr Trotter’s advice was good; and although I would not listen to receiving his services gratuitously, I agreed to employ him; and very useful did he prove against such charges, and such a man as Captain Hawkins. He came on board that afternoon, carefully examined into all the documents, and the witnesses whom I could bring forward, showed me the weak side of my defence, and took the papers on shore with him. Every day he came on board, to collect fresh evidence, and examine into my case.

At last the day arrived. I dressed myself in my best uniform. The gun fired from the admiral’s ship, with the signal for a court-martial at nine o’clock; and I went on board, in a boat with all the witnesses. On my arrival, I was put under the custody of the provost-martial. The captains ordered to attend pulled alongside one after another, and were received by a party of marines, presenting their arms.