There was another motive11, however, for the sudden return. From one of the prizes it had been learned that the English thirty-two-gun frigate Carrysford, the twenty-gun sloop12 Perseus, the sixteen-gun sloop Hinchinbrook, with several privateers, had been cruising off the coast together, and the commander of the Randolph was most anxious to get the help of some of the South Carolina State cruisers to go in search of the British ships. The indefatigable13 Governor Rutledge, when the news had been communicated to him, had worked assiduously to provide the State ships, and the young captain of the Randolph speedily found himself at the head of a little fleet of war vessels14 outward bound.
The departure of the squadron, the Randolph in the lead, the rest following, and all under full sail, made a pretty picture to the enthusiastic Carolinians, who watched them from the islands and fortifications in the harbor, and from a number of small boats which accompanied the war ships a short distance on their voyage. Besides Seymour's own vessel, there were the eighteen-gun ship General Moultrie, the two sixteen-gun ships Notre Dame15 and Polly, and the fourteen-gun brig Fair American; the last commanded by a certain master, Philip Wilton. They made officers of very young men in those days, and mere16 boys often occupied positions of trust and responsibility apparently17 far beyond their years,—even Seymour himself, though now a commodore or flag officer by courtesy, was very young for the position; and Governor Rutledge, moved by a warm friendship of long standing18 for old Colonel Wilton, and upon Seymour's own urgent recommendation, had intrusted the smallest vessel to young Captain Philip. We shall see how he showed himself worthy19 of the trust reposed20 in him in spite of his tender years.
All of these ships were converted merchantmen, hastily fitted out, poorly adapted for any warlike purpose, and, with the exception of the Fair American, exceedingly slow and unwieldy; but the heart of the young commander filled with pride as he surveyed the little squadron, which followed in his wake, looking handsome enough under full sail. It was a great trust and responsibility reposed in his skill and experience; doubtless it was the only fleet the country had assembled, or could assemble, at that time; the ships were certainly not as he would have desired them, but they were the best that could be got together; and manned and officered by devoted21 men, they could at least fight ships of their own size when the time came, and he trusted to be able to give a good account of the enemy, should they be so fortunate as to fall in with them. As for his own vessel, as his practised and critical eye surveyed the graceful22 proportions of the new and well-appointed ship, Seymour felt entirely23 satisfied with her. He regarded with pleasant appreciation24 the decks white as constant holy-stoning could make them, the long rows of grim black guns thrusting out their formidable muzzles25 on either side, and the lofty spars covered with clouds of new and snowy canvas. Everything was as neat and trim, and as ready, as ardor26, experience, and ability, coupled with a generous expenditure27 from his own purse, could make them. He was satisfied with his officers and crew too. Seymour's reputation, his recent association with Paul Jones, the romantic story of his last successful cruise, the esteem28 in which he was held by Washington, and his own charming personality had conspired29 to render him a great favorite, and he had had the pick of Philadelphia's hardy30 seamen31 and gallant32 officers ere he sailed away. The three hundred and odd seamen and marines who comprised the crew were as fit and capable a body of men as ever trod the deck of a ship. Constant exercise and careful instruction, and drill and target practice, had made them exceedingly able in all the necessary manoeuvres, and in the handling of the guns.
Forward on the forecastle old Bentley was planted, surrounded by such of the older and more experienced petty officers and men as he permitted to associate with him on terms of more or less familiarity. Not only the position he occupied, that of boatswain of the frigate, gave him a vast importance with the men, but his age and experience, his long association with the captain, as well as some almost incredible tales of his familiar companionship with certain men of awe-inspiring name and great renown36, with various mighty37 feats38 of arms in recent campaigns, vaguely39 current, conduced to make him the monarch40 of the forecastle, and the arbiter41 of the various discussions and arguments among the men, who rarely ventured to dispute the dictum of their oracle42.
"Well, here we are pointing out again, thank the Lord!" he said to his particular friend and crony among the crew, the carpenter, Richard Spicer, a battered43 old shell-back, like himself. "There is only one place from which I like to see the land, Richard!"
"And where is that, bosun?"
"Over the stern, as now, mate, when we 're going free with a fair wind, and leaving it fast behind. I feel safer then. A time since and I felt as if I never wanted to see it again from any place. To think of me, a decent God-fearing, seafaring man, at my time of life, turning soldier!" It is not in the power of written language to express the peculiar44 intonation45 of contempt which the old man laid upon that inoffensive word, "soldier." No one venturing to interrupt him, after staring at his particular aversion for a few moments, he went on more mildly, and in a reflective tone,—
"Not but what I have seen some decent soldiers—a few. There was old Blodgett, and young Mr. Talbot, ay, and General Washington too! Now there 's a man for you, ship-mates. Lord, what a sailorman he would have made! They tell me he had a midshipman's warrant offered him when he was a lad once, and actually refused it—refused it! preferred to be a soldier, and what a chance he lost! Might have been an admiral by now!"
"I 've heard tell as how 't was his mother that prevented him from goin' to sea—when he was ready an' willin' an' waitin' to get aboard," returned one of the men.
"May be, may be. The result's the same. You never can tell what women, and 'specially46 mothers, will do. They 're necessary, of course, leastways it's generally believed we all had 'em, though I remember none myself, nor Captain Seymour neither, and he 's a pretty good sort of a man—let alone me—but they've no place aboard ship. Now look what this one did,—spoiled a man that had the makin's of a first-class sailor in him, and turned him into a soldier!"
"But where would we be in this country of ours now, bosun, if it were not for the soldiers? No, no, don't be too hard on this man, Captain Washington; he 's done his duty, and is doing it very well, too, so I 'm told, accordin' to your own account, matey," replied the old carpenter; "and soldiers is good too—in their places, that is, of course," he went on deprecatingly. "There are two kinds of men, as I take it, William, to do the fightin' in this world, sailormen and soldiermen; each has a place, a station to fill, and something to do, and one can't do t' other's work. Look at that there blasted marine33, aft there in the gangway, for instance; he's a good man, I make no manner o' doubt, and he has got his place on this barkey, even if he is only a kind of a soldier and no sailorman at all."
"Now I asks you, Chips, what particular good are soldiers, anyway, leaving marines out of the question, for they do live on ships," said the old sailorman. "What can they do that we can't? They can fight, and fight hard—I 've seen 'em, but so can we," he continued, extending his brawny47 arm; "and they can march, too,—I've seen their bloody48 footmarks in the snow; but there were sailormen there that kept right alongside of 'em and did all that they could do. Oh, I forgot one thing—they can ride horses, that's one thing I could never learn at all! You 'd ought to seen me on one of the land-lubberly brutes49. A horse has no place on shipboard, no more than a woman, and I 've no use for either of 'em. But if this country would spend all its money buying ships, and man 'em with real first-class sailormen, why, d'ye see, King George's men could never land on our shores at all. We 'd keep 'em off, and then there'd be no use for the soldiers; they could all go a-farming. No, give me ships every time, they always win. I know what I am talking about; I have been on the shore for a month at a time until I thought I would turn into mud itself. No, 't is not even a fit place to be buried in; 'earth to earth' won't do for me when I die; I just want to be dropped overboard—there."
"There is one time ships didn't win," said the carpenter, persisting in the argument, and pointing aft to the low mounds50 of sand backed by the rudely interlaced palmetto logs, behind which the gallant Moultrie had fought Barker's fleet six months before, until the ships had been driven off in defeat.
"Those were British ships, man," said the old sailor, with contempt. "I meant Americans, of course; it makes all the difference in the world. But as for land—I hate it. It's only good to grow vegetables, and soft tack51, and fresh water, and tar34, and timber, and breed children to make sailormen out of—why, it's a sort of a cook's galley52, a kitchen they call it there, for the sea at best! Give me the sight of blue water, and let me have the solid feel of the deck beneath my feet; no unsteady earth for me!"
"Well, that's my own opinion, too, bo. But, after all, that's all that ships is good for, anyway; just to sail from land to land and take people and things from place to place. The sea's between like."
"You look at it the wrong way, mate. Certain of us men have sense enough to live on the sea, and keep away from land, except for water and provision. We go from sea to sea, and land 's between."
"And what would you do for a country if we had no land? You 're always talking about lovin' your country, bosun."
"Ay, that I do," said the old man. "I look upon a country, that is a land country, as a kind of necessary evil. My country 's this ship, and yon flag, what it means and stands for. It means liberty, free waters, no interference with peaceful traders on the high seas, following their rightful pursuits, by British ships-of-war. Every man that has ever been aboard of one of those floating hells knows what liberty is not, well enough. No taxing of us by a Parliament on t' other side of the world, neither. No king but the captain. Freedom! So free that the lubberliest landsman on shore has a right to govern himself—if he can—subject to discipline and the commands of his superior officer, of course; and, besides, it's like a man's wife; if he's got to have one, he may beat her and abuse her, perhaps, but nobody else shall. No! Land's a pretty poor sort of a thing in general, but that aft there is the best there is going, and it 's our own. We 'll die for it, yes, for love of it, if it comes to that, even if we do hate it, on general principles mind, you understand."
There was evidently a trace of Irish blood in the old sailor, it would seem, and so saying, with a wave of his hand, which brushed aside further argument, he turned abruptly53 on his heel and walked aft. In spite of all his words, which only reflected the usual opinion of sailors, in those days at least, he yielded to no man in patriotism54 and devotion to the cause of liberty and the land that gave him birth. And no man in all Washington's army had done better service, marched more cheerfully, or fought harder than this veteran seaman55. The men on the forecastle generally agreed with him in his propositions, but the obstinate56 old carpenter, with the characteristic tenacity57 of the ancient tar, maintained the discussion forward, until the sharp voice of the officer of the deck sent all hands to the braces58. The ship was brought to the wind on the starboard tack, a manoeuvre35 which was followed in succession by the other vessels of the squadron, which had been previously59 directed to keep, though still within signal, at long distances from each other during the day, closing up at night, in order to spread a broad clew and give greater chance of meeting the enemy.
The young captain paced the quarter-deck alone—no man is ever so much alone among his fellows as the commander of a ship—a prey60 to his own sad thoughts. Those who had known him the gayest of gay young sailors in Philadelphia were at a loss to account for the change which had come over him. He had become the gravest of the grave, his cheery laugh was heard no more, and the baffled young belles61 of Charleston had voted him a confirmed woman-hater; though his melancholy62, handsome face, graceful person, distinguished63 bearing, and high station might have enabled him to pick and choose where he would. But there was room in his heart for no more passions. Even his love of country and liberty had degenerated64 into a slow, cold hate for the British, and a desperate resolve to do his duty, and make his animosity tell when he struck. A dangerous man under whom to sail, gentleman of the Randolph, and a dangerous man to meet, as well. He could not forget Kate, and, except in the distraction65 of a combat, life was a mere mechanical routine for him. But because he had been well trained he went through it well—biding his time.
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1
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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frigate
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| n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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9
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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10
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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11
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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12
sloop
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| n.单桅帆船 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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14
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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15
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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16
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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17
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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18
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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19
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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22
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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23
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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25
muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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26
ardor
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| n.热情，狂热 | |
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expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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conspired
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| 密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致 | |
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30
hardy
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| adj.勇敢的，果断的，吃苦的；耐寒的 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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34
tar
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| n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于 | |
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manoeuvre
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| n.策略，调动；v.用策略，调动 | |
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36
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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38
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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41
arbiter
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| n.仲裁人，公断人 | |
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42
oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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43
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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44
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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45
intonation
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| n.语调，声调；发声 | |
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46
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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47
brawny
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| adj.强壮的 | |
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48
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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49
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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50
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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51
tack
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| n.大头钉；假缝，粗缝 | |
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52
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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53
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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54
patriotism
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| n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义 | |
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55
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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56
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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57
tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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58
braces
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| n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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59
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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60
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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61
belles
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| n.美女( belle的名词复数 )；最美的美女 | |
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62
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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63
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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64
degenerated
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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