The Young Trawler by Robert Michael Ballantyne (classic novels txt) 📕

to find out what all the fun was about. Having been dismissed with a caution not to intrude again till rung for, the captain helped himself to an enormous slice of beef; earnestly, but unsuccessfully, pressed the sisters to "go in for more and grow fat," and then continued his discourse.

"You must know, ladies, that I have taken to studyin' a good deal in my old age. Another potato--thank 'ee."

"Yes, we have observed that," said Kate. "May I ask what is the nature of your studies--navigation?"

"Navigation!" shouted the captain with another laugh so rich and racy that poor Liffie Lee almost entered in defiance of orders; "no, Miss Kate, it ain't navigation! I've bin pretty well grounded in that subject for the last forty years. No, my study _now_ is theology."

"Theology!" exclaimed the sisters in surprise.

"Yes, theology. Is it so strange, then, that a man drawin' near the close of life should wish to be more particular than when he was young in tryin' to find out all he can about his Maker?" returned the captain gravely.

"Forgive us," said Jessie, hastening to explain; "it is not that. If you had said you had taken to reading the Bible carefully and systematically, we would not have been surprised, but it--it was--your talking so quietly about theology that made us--"

"Yes, yes, I see," interrupted the good-natured seaman; "well, it _is_ reading the Word of God that I mean. You see, I regard the Bible as my class-book, my book o' logarithms, chart compass, rudder, etcetera, all rolled into one. Now, I don't mind tellin' you a secret. When I first went to sea I was a very wild harum-scarum young fellow, an' havin' some sort of influence over my mates, I did 'em a deal of damage and led 'em astray. Well, when the Lord in His great mercy saved my soul, I could not forget this, and although I knew I was forgiven, my heart was grieved to think of the mischief I had done. I felt as if I would give anything in life to undo it if I could. As this was not possible, however, I bethought me that the next best thing would be to do as much good as I could to the class that I had damaged, so, when I came home and left the sea for good, I used to go down about the docks and give away Bibles and Testaments to the sailors. Then I got to say a word or two to 'em now and then about their souls but I soon found that there are professed unbelievers among the tars, an' they put questions that puzzled me at times, so I took to readin' the Bible with a view to answering objectors an' bein' able to give a reason of the hope that is in me--to studyin', in fact, what I call theology. But I ain't above takin' help," continued the captain with a modest look, "from ordinary good books when I come across 'em--my chief difficulty bein', to find out what are the best books to consult, and this has led me sometimes to think of buyin' up all the theological books I can lay hands on, an' glancin' 'em all through so as to make notes of such as seemed worth readin' with care. The labour however seems so great, that up to now I've bin kept back, but I've had a talk with a friend to-day which has decided me, so I'll go off to Yarmouth to-morrow an' buy a whole lot o' theological books--a regular library in fact--and set to work to read up. But there's one thing I would like, which would save me an enormous amount o' labour, if I could get it."

"What is that?" asked the sisters, eagerly, and in the same breath, for they had become quite interested in their friend's aspirations.

"I would like," said the captain, slowly, and fixing his eyes on his plate, for he was now beginning to scheme, "I would like to find some one--a clever boy perhaps, though a girl would be preferable--who would take the trouble off my hands of glancin' through the books first, an' makin' notes of their contents for me, so as to prevent my wastin' time on those that are worthless."

"I fear," said Jessie, "that few boys or girls would be capable of such work, for it would require not only intelligence but a considerable amount of scriptural knowledge."

The captain heaved a deep sigh. "Yes," he said, shaking his head slowly, "you're right, and I'm afraid I'll have to get some grown-up person to help me, but that won't be easy. And then, d'ee know, I don't feel as if I could git on in such investigations with a stranger."

"What a pity," said Kate, "that you could not bring the books here, and then _I_ could help you, for although I do not pretend to be deeply learned in scriptural knowledge, I daresay I know enough for your purpose; but why not get the books in London? Is there any necessity for buying them in Yarmouth?"

Poor Captain Bream was so unused to scheming, that he had made no preparation for such a question, and felt much confused. He could give no good reason for making his purchase in Yarmouth, and nothing would have induced him to tell a falsehood.

"Well, really," he said, after a few moments' hesitation, "there are circumstances sometimes in a man's life which render it difficult for him to explain things, but--but I _have_ a reason for wishin' to buy this library in Yarmouth, an' it seems to me a good one. Besides, I've got a likin' for sea-air, bein' my native air, so to speak, and I've no doubt that theology would come more easy to me if I was in a snug little room facin' the sea, where I could see the blue waters dancin', an' the shipping go by, an' the youngsters playin' on the sands. Yes, it _must_ be done at Yarmouth. London would never do; it's too hot an' stuffy. Not that I care for that, but then you might--ah--that is--I mean to say--you might agree with me on this point if you were there. But why," he added with fresh animation as he saw the way opening up before him, "why, Miss Kate, since you are so kind as to say you'd like to help me, why might you not take a run down to Yarmouth with me, an' help me there?"

"Because," answered Kate, laughing, "I could not very well leave my sister alone."

"Of course not--quite right, but there's no need for that; she could come too, and it would do you both much good, not to speak o' the _immense_ advantage to me! I do assure you I'd feel well-nigh as helpless as an infant, if left to tackle this business alone."

From this point there began a regular skirmish between the captain and the sisters; the one trying to convince the others that it would be doing him a favour for which he could never find words to thank them, and the others endeavouring to show by every sort of argument that the thing was utterly unpossible, that the captain little knew what a burden he proposed to take on his shoulders, and that there was no use whatever in talking about it.

But Captain Bream was a man of resolution. He stuck to his point and pleaded his own cause so powerfully that the sisters began to waver.

"But think," urged Kate, who did the most of the fighting, "you forget Liffie Lee. She is no longer a mere visitor for an hour or two of a morning, as she used to be, but a regular hired servant and we could not leave her behind."

"I know that. It was my coming that made you hire her; and, now I think of it, I've a right to claim at least part of her, so she can come too, an' we'll lock up the house an' get Mr Green-grocer to look after it-- air it now and then. Come, just make up your minds. Only think, how beautiful the blue sea will be just now, an' the sunny skies, an' the yellow sands--I declare it makes me long to go. An' then you'll see that pretty boy you've taken such a fancy to--what's 'is name?"

"Billy Bright," said Kate.

"Just so--Billy Bright--though I can't say that I'm over fond o' pretty little boys. They're too often soft an'--"

"But I tell you he's as bold as a lion, and wise as a man, and tough as--as--"

"As a beefsteak," said the captain; "yes, yes, I know all that, and I'm quite prepared to believe that he is an exception. Well, now, it's agreed to--is it?"

But the sisters did not at once give in. They fought on with true feminine courage until the captain tried the effect of deep dejection and innocent submission, when their tender hearts could stand out no longer, and, hauling down their colours, they finally agreed to become librarians and accompany their lodger to Yarmouth.

Then the captain left them to report the victory to his commodore, Ruth Dotropy.

"I never had such a battle in my life!" he said to that scheming young creature. "They didn't give in till they'd fired off every shot in their locker. Trafalgar and the Nile were nothin' to it."

"But do you really mean to say," asked Ruth, who could hardly speak at first for laughing, "that you intend to buy all these theological books and set the sisters to work?"

"To be sure I do. You didn't suppose that I was goin' to tell a parcel o' lies to help out your schemes, my dear? It has been for some months past simmerin' in my brain that I ought to go through a small course of education in that line. And all you have done for me is to make me go in for it somewhat sooner, and a little heavier than I had intended in the way of books. And there's no doubt I'll study better at the sea-side than in London. Besides, I shall have the fishermen to try the effects of my studies on, and you may be sure I won't let the poor things work too hard at the books."

"I'll trust you for that," said Ruth.

Now, while these little plans were being arranged, an event was pending in the North Sea fleet which merits particular notice.


CHAPTER THIRTEEN.


RUN DOWN IN A FOG--CAPTAIN BREAM ACTS SURPRISINGLY.

One day a fishing-smack was on the eve of quitting the Short Blue fleet for its little holiday of a week in port. It was the _Sparrow_, of which Jim Frost was master. A flag was flying to indicate its intention, and invite letters, etcetera, for home, if any of the crews should feel disposed to send them.

Several boats put off from their respective smacks in reply to the signal. One of these belonged to Singing Peter.

"Glad to see you, Peter," said Jim Frost as the former leaped on the _Sparrow's_ deck.

"Same to you, lad. I wish you a pleasant spell ashore, and may the Master be with you," returned Peter.

"The Master is sure to be with me," replied Frost, "for has