George Manville Fenn

“ For the last link which tied them to the shore, seemed to him to be broken, when the "Flash's" engines were stopped for the pilot to go down into his boat, which dropped astern into the darkness directly the gong sounded for the engines to go on ahead: and away she raced, once more, through the black darkness, with nothing to guide her upon her journey through the pathless sea, except a little flickering quivering needle—the sailor's companion the great world round—the friend which always, no matter where they may be, points with its tiny finger constantly to the north. ”

“ It was a hard fight to avoid the rocks, but the life-belts made the task easier, and Tom Jeffs swam and was carried on shore-ward, to where a dozen fishermen were on the look-out with ropes, one of whom ran in from the sands to the coxswain's help, and dragged him in to safety; but, in spite of all his efforts, the Skipper was insensible. He soon roused, to stand with Jeffs, watching his father, lashed to the bright brass handrail on the bridge.
"Get a boat, Jack; oh, get a boat," cried the boy.
"You be a man and listen, youngster," cried the coxswain tenderly, but firmly. ”

“ But he was utterly worn out with the excitement he had gone through; the gloomy cabin was hot and close, and in spite of trying hard to keep awake, his eyelids grew more and more heavy, and at last, almost without knowing what he did, he crept to his father's berth, drew the curtain back, and threw himself down; the curtain dropped back across it, and the next minute he was sleeping soundly, with the dull, snorting, humming buzz of the escaping steam going on and mingling with his dreams. ”

“ Trevor thought it better not to interfere with him, and she only sighed, when she saw him take his hat and go down the garden again, toward the belt of fir-trees by the big pool. "He'll be better to-morrow, poor boy," she said to herself. "How bravely he tries to master it all—how proud his father would be, if he knew." ”

“ There was a terrible gap in the gun-boat's side, and Captain Trevor knew that, do all he might, she could only be kept afloat for an hour or so, before she sank.
For a few minutes the poor young Skipper was forgotten, in the stern duties before Captain Trevor, with so many lives depending upon him; then the father's heart spoke to him reproachfully, and he called for his coxswain.
Tom Jeffs towered up big out of the fog directly, saluting.
"Jeffs," said the Captain calmly, "get two life-belts. My little son is in the cabin. Whatever happens, stand by him. I trust him to you." ”

“ Oh! what silly things girls are!" and he began to return.
Dot was pouting because she was called silly, but her pretty little face grew animated with trouble the next moment, for the Skipper was walking backwards, so as to keep his eyes fixed upon his sailing-boat. "Oh! Bob, Bob, mind, or you'll tumble in."
"Hoo! hoo! hoo!" he cried, and began to stamp about, and pretended to stagger as if on the point of falling, while Dot screamed aloud in agony and turned white. ”

“ Then, apparently satisfied with the boy's promise of amendment, "Jack Robinson," otherwise Tom Jeffs, worked away at the model, till the gun was fixed amidships, and the anchor swung to her bows, the cable having been knotted on, and the neatly coiled rings placed inside a little hatch in front.
All this being finished, as a man-of-war's man does such things, the Skipper sprang down from the table. "Now, 'Jack,' come along!" he cried; "let's see how she'll sail." ”

“ On'y wish I'd got such a father."
"What nonsense, 'Jack'!" cried the Skipper; "why! you're too big, isn't he, Dot?"
"Yes," said the girl, "he does seem to be very big to have a father."
"Well, I ain't a wery little un, am I, my pretty?" said the sailor, chuckling. "But, you allus mind, and do what your father tells you, Master Bob."
"Oh! do go on with the ship," cried the Skipper impatiently. "But, I say, did you always do what your father told you, 'Jack'?"
"Nay, that I didn't, and wery sorry I am," said the big fellow, shaking his head. "That's the wust on it ”

“ For Captain Trevor's beautifully swift gun-boat had three funnels amidships, and powerful engines, while the Skipper's model, though it had sails that sent it swiftly through the water when there was a breeze, had a great deal of make-believe about it, the funnels being only pieces of zinc pipe tacked to the deck, the engines, the works of an old clock that would not go, placed in a cigar-box ”

“ When the lamp was lighted, as the Skipper said, nobody could tell, for when the water in the tin boiled, the steam came out of the funnels, and when the wind blew, it was almost as good as having real engines.
Tom Jeffs looked very serious over the work, and shook his head a great deal when it was done.
"You see," he said, "the steam looks right as right, but you don't get no help from these engines, because it's no use to them. The vessel has to carry the weight, and the screw stops her way. I shall have to make you a real engine someday;" ”

“ S'pose we jyne?"
"A ship?" faltered Bob.
"No! jyne in a boat. I'll work it: I'm bigger than you. We'll go down to the stairs together. 'Boat ahoy!' says I, and half a dozen'll want to take us, but I picks one and he'll want ever so much; but I says: 'Thruppence a-piece to our ships,' and tells him we won't pay no more. He'll be glad enough to go. Only a little way. Then I sets you aboard the 'Flash'; you gives me your thruppence, and I makes him take me to the Old Bull, and pays him then."
"Yes, that will be capital," said the Skipper.
"Right you are. Sailors allus helps a messmet. ”

“ And then the boys said, just as you did, 'It was only my fun.' And then the frogs says: 'Ha!' they says, 'what's fun to you means stones come aboard and sinkin' us, and sendin' on us to the bottom.'"
"That they didn't!" cried the boy archly.
"Well, I don't say it was them werry words, but what they says meant it, and here you will come bringing your fun, as you calls it, on deck, and hurtin' your pretty little sister; and you calls yourself a man."
"I don't," said the boy. "I said I'd try and act like a man."
"Then why don't yer hack like a man?" cried the sailor. ”

“ Then the orders were given, the first boat was manned, and Tom Jeffs looked at Captain Trevor for orders.
"Next boat," he said, and as the first was lowered, and floated off in safety, the second was filled, and once more the coxswain looked for his orders. "Wait for the other," said the Captain, who was afraid to let his son go in the crowd which filled the second. ”

“ How yer going to get aboard—boat waitin' for you?"
"Oh, no!" said Bob, looking at the man wistfully.
"Then you'll have to take one, and they're reg'lar sharks."
"Are they, sir?"
"Ay! that they are, my lad; they'll want a shilling to row you aboard, or perhaps as you're a orficer, like, they'll want two shillings." ”

“ There you are now; makes you look quite 'ansum, if you didn't look quite so much like a young ellyfunt. Now I'll slip mine on, and we'll go on deck."
The next minute they were on the bridge, the coxswain looking upon that, as the proper place for his Captain's son. "Easily drop down to fust boat when they're going to shove off," said Jeffs, to the Captain. ”

“ Mebbe you do know what the frogs said, but it won't hurt you to hear it agen. The frogs said—I mean croaked out—'Avast!'"
"Why! you told us the frogs didn't say 'Avast,'" cried the boy.
"Did I? Ay! so I did. It wasn't 'Avast'; it were 'Belay there! Don't do that,' they says. ”