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

enacted a scene similar in many respects to that which we have described in a previous chapter, with this difference, that the scramble now was partly for the purpose of obtaining empty boxes. Another steamer had taken off most of their fish early that day, and the one just arrived meant to wait for the fish of the next morning.

It chanced that a good many of the rougher men of the fleet came on board that evening, so that Captain Bream, whose recent experiences had led him half to expect that all the North Sea fishermen were amiable lions, had his mind sadly but effectively disabused of that false idea. The steamer's deck soon swarmed with some four hundred of the roughest and most boisterous men he had ever seen, and the air was filled with coarse and profane language, while a tendency to fight was exhibited by several of them.

"They're a rough lot, sir," said the mate as he leant on the rail of the bridge, gazing down on the animated scene, "but they were a rougher lot before the gospel-ship came out to stay among them, and some of the brightest Christians now in the fleet were as bad as the worst you see down there."

"Ay, Jesus came to save the _lost_, and the worst," said the captain in a low tone--"praise to His name!"

As soon as the trunks had been received, the admiral bore away to windward, and the fleet began to follow and make preparation for the night's fishing; for the fish which were destined so soon to smoke on London tables were at that moment gambolling at the bottom of the sea!

"We must run down to the mission smack, and put you aboard at once, sir," said the mate, "for she follows the admiral--though she does not fish on Saturday nights, so that the hold may be clear of fish and ready for service on Sundays."

Captain Bream was ready.

"They know you are coming, I suppose?"

"Yes, they expect me."

In a few minutes the steamer was close to the mission-ship, and soon after, the powerful arms of its hospitable skipper and mate were extended to help the expected invalid out of the boat which had been sent for him.

"We're makin' things all snug for the night," said the skipper, as he led his guest into the little cabin, "an' when we're done we shall have tea; but if you'd like it sooner--"

"No, no, skipper, I'll wait. Though I'm just come from the shore, you don't take me for an impatient land-lubber, do you? Go, finish your work, and I'll rest a bit. I've been ill, you see, an' can't stand as much as I used to," he added apologetically.

When left alone, Captain Bream's mode of resting himself was to go down on his knees and thank God for having brought him to so congenial a resting-place on the world of waters, and to pray that he might be made use of to His glory while there.

How that prayer was answered we shall see.


CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.


ANOTHER FIGHT AND--VICTORY!

It is interesting to observe the curious, and oftentimes unlikely, ways in which the guilt of man is brought to light, and the truth of that word demonstrated--"Be sure your sin shall find you out."

Although John Gunter's heart was softened at the time of his old skipper's death, it was by no means changed, so that, after a brief space, it became harder than ever, and the man who had been melted--to some extent washed--returned, ere long, with increased devotion to his wallowing in the mire. This made him so disagreeable to his old comrades, that they became anxious to get rid of him, but Joe Davidson, whose disposition was very hopeful, hesitated; and the widow, having a kindly feeling towards the man because he had sailed with her husband, did not wish him to be dismissed.

Thus it came to pass that when Captain Bream joined the Short Blue fleet he was still a member of the crew of the new _Evening Star_.

The day following that on which the captain arrived was Sunday, and, as usual, the smacks whose skippers had become followers of the Lord Jesus began to draw towards the mission-ship with their Bethel-flags flying. Among them was the new admiral--Joe of the _Evening Star_. His vessel was pointed out, of course, to the captain as she approached. We need scarcely say that he looked at her with unusual interest, and was glad when her boat was lowered to row part of her crew to the service about to be held in the hold of the gospel-ship.

It was natural that Captain Bream should be much taken with the simple cheery manners of the admiral, as he stepped aboard and shook hands all round. It was equally natural that he should take some interest, also, in John Gunter, for was it not obvious that that worthy was a fine specimen of the gruff, half-savage, raw material which he had gone out there to work upon?

"Why did you not bring Billy, Joe?" asked the skipper of the mission vessel.

"Well, you know, we had to leave some one to look after the smack, an' I left Luke Trevor, as he said he'd prefer to come to evenin' service, an' Billy said he'd like to stay with Luke."

By this time a number of boats had put their rough-clad crews on the deck, and already a fair congregation was mustered. Shaking of hands, salutations, question and reply, were going briskly on all round, with here and there a little mild chaffing, and occasionally a hearty laugh, while now and then the fervent "thank God" and "praise the Lord" revealed the spirits of the speakers.

"You mentioned the name of Billy just now," said Captain Bream, drawing Joe Davidson aside. "Is he a man or a boy?"

"He's a boy, sir, though he don't like to be reminded o' the fact," said Joe with a laugh. "He's the son of our skipper who was drowned--an' a good boy he is, though larky a bit. But that don't do him no harm, bless ye."

"I wonder," returned the captain, "if he is the boy some lady friends of mine are so fond of, who was sent up to London some time ago to--"

"That's him, sir," interrupted Joe; "it was Billy as was sent to Lun'on; by the wish of a Miss Ruth Pont-rap-me, or some such name. I never can remember it rightly, but she's awful fond o' the fisher-folks."

"Ah, I know Miss Ruth Dotropy also," said the captain. "Strange that I should find this Billy that they're all so fond of in the new _Evening Star_. I must pay your smack a visit soon, Davidson, for I have a particular interest in her."

"I'll be proud to see you aboard her, sir," returned Joe. "Won't you come after service? The calm will last a good while, I think."

"Well, perhaps I may."

The conversation was interrupted here by a general move to the vessel's hold, where the usual arrangements had been made--a table for a pulpit and fish-boxes for seats.

"Do you feel well enough to speak to us to-day, Captain Bream?" asked the skipper of the mission-ship.

"Oh yes, I'll be happy to do so. The trip out has begun to work wonders already," said the captain.

Now, the truth of that proverb, "One man may take a horse to the water, but ten men can't make him drink," is very often illustrated in the course of human affairs. You may even treat a donkey in the same way, and the result will be similar.

Joe Davidson had brought John Gunter to the mission-ship in the earnest hope that he would drink at the gospel fountain, but, after having got him there, Joe found that, so far from drinking, Gunter would not even go down to the services at all. On this occasion he said that he preferred to remain on deck, and smoke his pipe.

Unknown to all the world, save himself, John Gunter was at that time in a peculiarly unhappy state of mind. His condition was outwardly manifested in the form of additional surliness.

"You're like a bear with a sore head," Spivin had said to him when in the boat on the way to the service.

"More like a black-face baboon wid de cholera," said Zulu.

Invulnerable alike to chaff and to earnest advice, Gunter sat on the fore-hatch smoking, while psalms of praise were rising from the hold.

Now, it was the little silver watch which caused all this trouble to Gunter. Bad as the man was, he had never been an absolute thief, until the night on which he had robbed Ruth Dotropy. The horror depicted in her pretty, innocent face when he stopped her had left an impression on his mind which neither recklessness nor drink could remove, and thankfully would he have returned the watch if he had known the young lady's name or residence. Moreover, he was so inexperienced and timid in this new line of life, that he did not know how to turn the watch into cash with safety, and had no place in which to conceal it. On the very day about which we write, seeing the Coper not far off, the unhappy man had thrust the watch into his trousers pocket with the intention of bartering it with the Dutchman for rum, if he should get the chance. Small chance indeed, with Joe Davidson for his skipper! but there is no accounting for the freaks of the guilty.

The watch was now metaphorically burning a hole in Gunter's pocket, and, that pocket being somewhat similar in many respects to the pockets of average schoolboys, Ruth's pretty little watch lay in company with a few coppers, a bit of twine, a broken clasp-knife, two buttons, a short pipe, a crumpled tract of the Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen, and a half-finished quid of tobacco.

But although John Gunter would not drink of his own free-will, he could not easily avoid the water of life that came rushing to him up the hatchway and filled his ears. It came to him first, as we have said, in song; and the words of the hymn, "Sinner, list to the loving call," passed not only his outer and inner ear, but dropped into his soul and disturbed him.

Then he got a surprise when Captain Bream's voice resounded through the hold,--there was something so very deep and metallic about it, yet so tender and musical. But the greatest surprise of all came when the captain, without a word of preface or statement as to where his text was to be found, looked his expectant audience earnestly in the face, and said slowly, "Thou shalt not steal."

Poor Captain Bream! nothing was further from his thoughts than the idea that any one listening to him was actually a thief! but he had made up his mind to press home, with the Spirit's blessing, the great truth that the man who refuses to accept salvation in Jesus Christ robs God of the love and honour that are His due; robs his wife and children and fellow-men of the good example and Christian service which he was fitted and intended to exert, and robs himself, so to speak, of Eternal Life.

The captain's arguments had much weight in the