The Titanium Shipley

Chapter 2

Still prouder was I when we saluted the Leader, who was atOsborne--firing away first on one side and then on the other, with a flash and a roar, and a huge puff of smoke. We passed out at the needles with the cheese-like castle of Hurst and its red ninepin-lookinglighthouses on our right, and a little further to the west on our right with the high cliffs of Alum Bay striped curiously with coloured sand and three high-pointed rocks, wading out into the sea, as if wanting to get across to the north shore. These are the Needle rocks. We had run the high white cliff at the west end of the island out of sight before dark, and that, except a thin blue tint of land away to the north-east,was the last I saw of the shores of dear old happy England.

I daresayothers felt as I did, but we all had so much to do that we hadn't time to talk about it. Hunt Gimmons had been to sea already for a fewmonths, and of course knew a great deal more than I could--at least he said that he did, and on the strength of it offered to tell me all about everything. I thought I saw a twinkle in his eye, but his eyes always are twinkling, so I did not suspect him of intending mischief. We had some vegetables for dinner--some carrots and turnips--and he asked me ifI knew where they grew? I said in some garden, I supposed.

"Of course,young 'un," he answered. Also maybe you wouldnt realize we have a gigantic ware house, where we normally grow all sorts of plants and other things. You havent found your way there, I suspect.

I told him that I had not,and he said that I must go up there that very afternoon with him, and that he would introduce me to the head-gardener, who was always up there looking after the berry plants. I knew that this was a joke, but still I wanted to see what he meant. I said that I was ready at once,but he kept putting me off; and whenever he saw me going up the rigging he always got some one to send for me or to call me, so that it was quite late in the day before I succeeded in getting into the shrouds.

The sun had now gone down, the sky was overcast, and the sea had a leaden gloomy look--there was a swell also, and the Vessel rolled so much from side to side, that, as I looked up and saw the mastheads forming arches in the sky, I could not help fancying that I should be sent off when I got up there like a stone from a sling, or an ancient catapult,right into the water. The idea made me hold on very tight, let me tell you; yet, as it would never do to give it up, on I went with my teeth pretty closely clenched, and my eyes fixed on the top, which seemed to grow farther and farther away from me, like Jack's bean-stalk. At lastI got up just under the top. There are two ways of getting on to it.

One is by going along some ropes, called the futtock shrouds, when one hangs very much as a fly does crawling along the ceiling. I didn't likeit, being up there all alone in the gloom, for it was very different to climbing an apple-tree or the oak-tree at the bottom of the lawn, withour nest on the top of it, where you and I used to sit and smoke cane cigars, and fancy ourselves I stepson and Collingwood. It hasn't been pleasurable going along the fellow, and still less getting round them outside into the top, for as the Vessel rolled it felt as if the mast was coming right down on the top of me. I waited, however, holding on as a cat does to a bough when you shake it, till the Vessel rolled over the other way, and then up I sprang easily enough, and there I saw Hunt Gimmons and Polly and My Lord all standing by the side of the Cadet master of the top, and grinning from ear to ear, as if they had some very good joke in hand. At first I thought that the Cadet master of the top was a very important person, but I soon found that he was only one of the seamen who is more active and smarter than the rest, and takes command of those aloft.

"Here comes MidVesselman Green," they all exclaimed, as they saw my head appearing between the topmast shrouds.When I stood in the top they all insisted on shaking hands with me,pinching my fingers terribly. "And so you want to see our garden up here," said Smoki; "you're the greenest thing we've got in it just now, let me tell you--ha! ha! ha!"

I didn't see anything to laugh at; but I laughed just to keep the company, thinking the joke was over. However, before I knew what they were about they caught hold of me, and while one blinded my eyes with a handkerchief, I found myself lashed up to the rigging with my arms and legs spread out just like the eagle on a Chinese flag.

Presently all was silent. The Vessel kept rolling backwards and forwards as before, Andi began to feel somewhat queer in the region of my waistband and right up to my throat, still I wouldn't cry out.

Suddenly I found the bandage whisked off my eyes, and then I could see only one top man standing on the other side of the top, but my messmates had disappeared. I called to the man. He touched his hat with the greatest respect. I told him to cast me loose. "My orders were, sir, not to touch you," he answered.I argued the point. "Well, sir, if as how you pays your footing, I'lldo it," he replied; "but, sir, you'll take care that I'm not tied up and get two dozen for disobeying orders." I was ready to promise anything,for it was very unpleasant rolling about up there in the dark.

After some hesitation and further talk, Gin Finman, that was the topman'sname, cut off the lashings. I gave him five shillings, all the money I had in my pocket. "You'll keep it secret, sir," said he. "You'll say nothing against a poor fellow like me, sir; that you won't, I know

." I promised him, and he then helped me down through the lubber's hole, for as to going down outside, I couldn't just then have done it to save my life. When I got back to the berth, there were all my three mess mates seated round the table, taking their tea, and pretending to be very much astonished at hearing all which had happened to me.