"Decidedly," he thought, "my breakfast was poisoned, else I could never feel like this."
The Good Intent took another lurch forward, and a clammy sweat broke out on both sides of his forehead.
"If I have enemies so wicked," sighed he, "may G.o.d forgive them!" And, uttering this Christian wish, he fell forward with his forehead against the boards.
A little past noon the sentry brought him a fresh loaf, with a plate of fat bacon and another pannikin. The sea being choppy, by this time the vessel echoed from end to end with groans and lamentations.
"Is it a ma.s.sacre?" Tristram asked, sitting up and regarding the man with wild eyes. But the sight of the bacon, which was plentifully doused with vinegar, conquered him afresh. The sentry chuckled and went away.
To be short, our hero pa.s.sed two-and-twenty hours in this extremity of wretchedness, and was only aroused, early next morning, by a corporal who thrust his head in at the hatchway and bade him arise and come on deck with all speed, as the regiment was about to disembark. And, as a matter of fact, when Tristram tottered up the ladder into the fresh air which swept the deck, he found that, though he had been beyond remarking any difference in the ship"s motion, she was now lying at anchor, and within a cable"s length from a desolate sh.o.r.e, which began in sandhills and ended in mist.
The rain was pouring perpendicularly from a leaden sky and drenching the decks. The soldiers, in their great-coats, huddled together as they waited for the boats, and shrugged their shoulders to keep the drops from trickling down the napes of their necks. Somebody gave Tristram a great-coat and knapsack, and pointed out the group to which he was to attach himself. He obeyed, though scarcely aware of what he did: for his head was light, his hunger was ravenous, and his legs were trembling beneath him. A soldier cursed close by, and he cursed too, echoing the man"s words without knowing why. Another man slapped him on the back, mistaking him for a crony, and begged his pardon. "It really makes no difference," said Tristram politely, and at once fell to wondering if this remark were absurd or no. Beyond the grey veils of rain he spied, now and then, a cl.u.s.ter of red roofs and a steeple close beside the sh.o.r.e.
"What place is that yonder?" he asked the man who stood at his elbow.
"Vlaardingen," said the fellow gruffly. It was Sergeant Klomp, and Tristram turned it over in his mind whether to offer an apology or no. While he was still debating, a brisk young officer came along and called out:
"Get ready, boys. This is our turn."
In less than a minute after, for no apparent reason, the crowd around Tristram surged forward to the bulwarks, and he was carried along with the rush. Then he found himself swaying unsteadily down a flight of steps and calling to the men behind not to hustle and precipitate him into one or other of the two longboats that lay below. Into the nearer of these his company swept him, and poured in at his heels until the gunwale was nearly level with the water. The rowers pushed off in the nick of time, and pulled their freight slowly across the sullen tide, while the rain beat down relentlessly.
As they neared the sh.o.r.e, a landing-stage, or low jetty, of sunk piles disengaged itself from the mist. This was the sole object that diversified the melancholy line of sandbanks, and towards it they were steered, Tristram looking eagerly out under the peak of his cap, from which a rivulet of water was by this time coursing down his nose.
Half a dozen grey figures were standing on the jetty, and, as the soldiers scrambled up its dripping steps, one of them advanced and touched Tristram by the elbow. It was his father.
"Safe and sound, my boy? Parbleu! but it"s easy to see you"re no accomplished sailor; but that"s all the better."
Tristram was feeling too faint to contest this, though it appeared to him to be disputable.
"Let us get ahead of this mob," his father went on. "Come, use your best foot-it"s no great distance."
He struck off the sodden track and dived into the mist, Tristram following close at his heels. Their way lay over hillocks and hollows of sand in which they sank ankle-deep at every step. In two minutes they lost sight of the regiment, and were walking with their faces set, as it seemed, towards a wall of grey atmosphere, impenetrable by the eye. After five minutes of this Tristram groaned. He had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours, and his limbs were weak as water.
"Courage, my son! A few paces more."
Almost as he spoke a building loomed out of the mist, and they found themselves before a doorway, over which hung the sign of "The Four Seasons." A sentry, who stood beside the entrance, presented arms and let them pa.s.s. Captain Salt led the way indoors and up a rickety staircase to the right, on the first landing of which they found two pages in waiting.
"Say that Captain Salt desires to see his Majesty."
One of the pages tapped at the door, and, having delivered the message, commanded them to enter. The place in which Tristram now found himself was a low-browed room, smelling highly of sawdust and stale tobacco. It was bisected by a long table of clean white deal, at the end of which were seated three gentlemen whose attire bespoke a considerable estate. All three looked up as the pair entered, and in the centre our hero at once recognised his Majesty, with the Earl of Marlborough upon his left hand, and upon his right a general of a plain but shrewd and honest countenance, who glanced at Captain Salt for a moment and resumed the writing upon which he was engaged.
King Willliam set down the bundle of papers that he had been conning with a sour expression, as if tasting bad wine, and ordered the Captain to come forward, which he did, with a profound salute.
"I have examined the lists, Captain Salt. They tally with other information which my admirals and generals have been able to give me; though, as they have not your advantages, their knowledge is of necessity scantier."
Beneath his words there lurked a contempt which made the Captain wince.
"Your Majesty, I have endeavoured to do my duty-such as it is."
"You say well. The disgrace lies with those who make it necessary."
"I am glad your Majesty should regard it in that light."
"Rest a.s.sured that I do, and admit the magnitude of the service you have done us. I understand you have come for your reward."
"Say rather that I have brought it."
"Explain yourself."
"I ask no reward, your Majesty, but the discharge of this young recruit." As he spoke Captain Salt drew Tristram forward from the doorway, where he was standing awkwardly.
"This is very extraordinary. I expected some request for money, I will confess."
"There are some things which rank above money," said the Captain with feeling.
"We are told so," replied William drily. "But might I ask for an instance or two?"
"There is paternal love. Your Majesty, this young man is my son." The Captain, at this point, brushed away a tear with the back of his hand.
"Why-but surely I remember his face?"
"That is probable: for you yourself, sire, did him the honour to enlist him, no longer ago than last Friday."
"I remember the occasion. But it did not then appear-at least, to my recollection-that he was a son of yours, Captain Salt."
"Will your Majesty be good enough to note the likeness between us?"
"I do not doubt your word. I merely remark that the two gentlemen who then interceded for him omitted to mention his parentage."
"Their names, I believe-"
"They were two gallant but wrong-headed gentlemen of his late Majesty"s navy-Captain John Barker and Captain Jeremiah Runacles."
"It is to those gentlemen, who have guarded him from his infancy, that I would restore this young man."
"This is very magnanimous conduct."
"A father, sire, may for his son"s good disregard his own yearnings. I would, with permission, escort him back to Harwich and a.s.sure myself of his happiness. Your Majesty need have no doubt of my return with the next transport."
"Indeed, Captain Salt, I myself should advise you, for your own safety, to be out of the way until this small storm has blown over. Present yourself as soon as you return. Sir," he continued, addressing Tristram, "you are discharged from my service, which, I must say, has not bettered your looks. Return to your guardians and, if they will allow you, cultivate some small amount of loyalty."
"I thank your Majesty very heartily," Tristram replied ingenuously, "and I regret if the plant has, until now, found no place in our garden."
"The squadron will sail again for England at midnight," said William with a faint smile; then, turning to the Earl of Marlborough, "My lord, will you write out the order?"
At this moment one of the pages entered with a note for the King.
"Let him come in," said William, after opening it and running his eye over the contents; then, addressing Captain Salt, "I fear this puts an end to our conversation for the time. If you will wait below, the necessary papers shall be brought to you. Farewell, young man; and when you embrace them, a.s.sure Captain Barker and Captain Runacles that I have still some hope of their finding a better mind."