NIGHTS AT SEA; Or, Sketches of Naval Life during the War. BY THE OLD SAILOR. No. III. WITH AN ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. THE CHASE. THE FORECASTLE YARN. way "Not a cloud is before her Her beauty to blight: But she glows in soft lustre- From her throne in the azure, Earth's beautiful bride." A CHEERLESS and disheartening spectacle is a dismasted ship, with all her mass of wreck still clinging to the hull, that it once bore proudly over the billows! 'Tis like the unfortunate abandoned by his friends, who, however, continue to hang around him, though more to impede his than to retrieve his fortunes! And there lay the Spankaway, with her long line of taper spars reversed, their heads in the water, and their heels uppermost; and, as if in mockery of the mishap, the beautiful bright moon showed their diminished shadows on the again smooth surface of the ocean. The squall had passed far away to leeward, and was dwindling to a mere speck of silvery vapour, whilst all besides was still, and calm, and passionless. Now it was no pleasant sight to Lord Eustace Dash and his officers to witness the dismantling of the craft they loved; and, as the chief, it may be naturally supposed that the chagrin of his lordship far exceeded that of his subs: but there was one amongst them almost affected to tears, and that was old Will Parallel, the master. "Smack smooth to the lower caps, by -!" said his lordship, as he surveyed the havoc made in his dashing frigate; "not a ropeyarn above the lower mast-heads, and-" "Not a bit of canvass abroad big enough to make a clout for a babby," chimed in the old master; "spanker, jib, topsels all gone to the devil, as 'll have no more manner o' use for 'em than a serjeant of jollies has for a hand-bible." "Where's Mr. -?" shouted his lordship, and the master's mate "How came all who had had charge of the deck stood before him. this, sir?" "It was a white squall, my lord," returned the young man addressed; "not a soul saw it till it caught the ship, and the topmasts went over the side immediately." "I shall inquire into the fact presently, sir," rejoined his lordship, excessively vexed and mortified. "Turn the hands up-clear the wreck!" "Hands up-clear the wreck!" shouted the first lieutenant. "Hands up-clear the wreck!" repeated the master's mate. "Boatswain's mate, pipe Clear the wreck!" reiterated the midshipmen. "Twhit! twhit!" went the call; and, "Clear wreck, a-hoy!" vociferated Jack Sheavehole, in a voice resembling the roar of the bellows of an anchor-forge. The summons, however, was hardly necessary, as every soul had tumbled up at the moment the frigate righted; and all turned to with a hearty good-will to repair damages, every officer and man using his best exertions. "The squall spoilt our fun, master," said the first lieutenant to old Parallel, as the latter was superintending the preparations for unrigging the old, and rigging the new spare topmasts. "Ay! ay! 'twas an onfortunate blow to the harmony of the evening; but it will do for an incident for Nugent," responded the veteran. "Where's his fine lady curtcheying to herself in a mirror now? If he had stuck to plain matter-of-fact, mayhap the spars would have behaved better; though, arter all, it's a marcy they were so carroty, or mayhap her ladyship might have curtcheyed so low as to have gone to the bottom." That night was a night of arduous but light-hearted toil; no man shrunk from his task; and, when they piped to breakfast next morning, the frigate was once more all ataunt'o, with royals and studdingsails set, in chase of a large ship of warlike appearance that was seen in the north-west, running away large, apparently bound in for Toulon. "Foretopsel-yard, there!" shouted Lord Eustace, from the quarterdeck. "What do you make of her, Mr. Nugent?" "She's nearly end on, my lord," responded the young lieutenant, as, steadying himself by the topsail-tie, he directed his glass towards the stranger; and then, in a few minutes, added, " She spreads a broad cloth, my lord; and, from the cut of her canvass, I should most certainly say-" and he paused to take another look. "I'd take my daffy on it, Mister Nugent," said the look-out man, "her topsels are more hollowed out than ourn; her royals never came out of a British dock-yard; and I'd bet my six months' whack again a scupper-nail that she's a Frenchman, and a large frigate too." "Well, what is she, Nugent?" shouted the noble captain. "Can you see down to her courses!" "Yes, my lord," responded the lieutenant; "we shall, I hope, have her hull in sight before long, as I have no hesitation in saying—that is, my lord, I think she's an enemy's frigate." This annunciation was heard fore and aft; for, during the time of his lordship hailing, every whisper was hushed, and scarcely even a limb moved, lest the listener should lose the replies. Expectations had been raised that the vessel in sight might be a French transport, from the Egyptian coast, or perhaps a merchantman; but the chance of an enemy's frigate was indeed joyous news. Breakfast was hastily despatched; the mess-kids were speedily stowed away, and the boatswain's shrill call echoed amongst the canvass as he piped "Make sail, ahoy!" In an instant every man was at his station; every yard of cloth that could catch a breath of wind was packed upon the Spankaway, who seemed to glide along through the water just as easy as when she first started from the buttered slips. Indeed, Jack Sheavehole declared that "she wur all the better for the spree she'd had the night afore." An exciting period is the time of chase, and it is extremely interesting to observe the anxious looks of the officers as they eye the trim of the sails, and the ready attention of the tars as they execute the most minute command, as if everything depended on their own individual exertions. The usual routine of duty frequently gives place |