Frank Mildmay; Or, the Naval OfficerMarryat, Frederick
History
Frank Mildmay; Or, the Naval Officer
Marryat, Frederick
Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century -- Fiction; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Officers -- Fiction; Sea stories
The man who had mutinied in the boat, and afterwards entered on board
the privateer, who was sent home with me to take his trial, held out his
hand to Captain Green as he passed him, to wish him good-bye, but he
turned away, saying, "A traitor to his country is a traitor to his God.
I forgive you for the injury you intended to do me, and the more so as I
feel I brought it on myself; but I cannot degrade myself by offering you
the hand of friendship."
So saying, he followed Captain Peters into the boat. I accompanied them
to the cartel, where, having satisfied myself that they had every
comfort, I left them. Green was so overcome that he could not speak,
and poor Mungo could only say, "Good-bye, massa leptenant--me tinkee you
berry good man."
I returned to my own vessel, and made sail for England: once more we
greeted the white cliffs of Albion, so dear to every true English bosom.
No one but he who has been an exile from its beloved shores can
appreciate the thrill of joy on such an occasion. We ran through the
Needles, and I anchored at Spithead, after an absence of fourteen
months. I waited on the admiral, showed him my orders, and reported the
prisoners, whom he desired me to discharge into the flag-ship. "And
now," said he, "after your extraordinary escape, I will give you leave
to run up to town and see your family, to whom you are no doubt an
object of great interest."
Here a short digression is necessary.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.
Such was my brother too,
So went he suited to his watery tomb:
If spirits can assume both form and suit
You come to fright us.
"TWELFTH NIGHT."
Soon after the frigate which had taken me off from New Providence had
parted company with the American prize that I was sent on board of, the
crew of the former, it appeared had been boasting among the American
prisoners of the prize-money they should receive.
"Not you," said the Yankees; "you will never see your prize any more,
nor any one that went in her."
These words were repeated to the captain of the frigate, when he
questioned the mate and the crew, and the whole nefarious transaction
came out. They said the ship was sinking when they left her, and that
was the reason they had hurried into the boat. The mate said it was
impossible to get at the leaks, which were in the fore peak, and under
the cabin deck in the run; that he wondered Captain Green had not made
it known, but he supposed he must have been drunk: "The ship," continued
the mate, "must have gone down in twelve hours after we left her."
This was reported to the Admiralty by my captain, and my poor father was
formally acquainted with the fatal story. Five months had elapsed since
I was last heard of, and all hopes of my safety had vanished: this was
the reason that when I knocked at the door, I found the servant in
mourning: he was one who had been hired since my departure, and did not
know me. Of course he expressed no surprise at seeing me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account