Captain Shortland

“ In April 1799, Lieutenant Shortland was made a Commander into the Voltigeur sloop of war, stationed at Newfoundland. His next appointment was, pro tempore, to the Donegal of 80 guns, at Plymouth, which ship he fitted out with only 170 men, and moored in Cawsand Bay, on the seventeenth day after she was taken out of dock. ”

“ As he approached nearer, he hastily put on a pair of partially-dissected white cotton gloves, and casually rearranged the strip of carpet-binding which served him as a full-dress cravat.
"Yours, truly," said Captain Bob Shorty.
"Vandal!" hissed Captain Munchausen, removing from his brow an unexampled conglomeration of rags in the last stages of cap, and handing it to a faithful contraband who attended him.
"Why, then," said Captain Bob Shorty, doffing his own cap, and tucking up his sleeves, "in the name of the United States of America, I propose to move upon your works immediately." ”

“ For although he was as strong as a man, and quite as old-featured, he was nevertheless so dwarfed in size that the name Shorty seemed to become him better than his original name of Bill. Well, Shorty had 96 been employed by one of our captains as cook, or, as seemed more likely on the present occasion, as a sort of sumpter-mule. For the captain, having an eye to comfort on the march, had loaded the poor darky with a pack of blankets, tents, pans, kettles, and general camp equipage, so large and bulky, that it is no exaggeration to say that Shorty's pack was quite as large as himself. ”

“ He's got him! There's the buoy—yes, two of them. Good old Shortie.... My God! Good old Shortie!" The speaker executed a sort of war-dance and trod on the Paymaster's toes.
"When you've quite finished, Snatcher.... By the way, what about hot-water bottles—blankets—stimulants.... First aid: come along! 'Assure the patient in a loud voice that he is safe.' ... 'Aspect cheerful but subdued.' ... I learned the whole rigmarole once!"
From the fore upper bridge the Captain was handling his ship like a picket-boat. ”

“ At 3 A.M. on the 4th the boats boarded, and after a short but spirited resistance, carried l’Aventurier of 12 guns and 79 men, 16 of whom were wounded, several mortally. The batteries in the neighbourhood being by this time alarmed, and the wind blowing dead on the land, Lieutenant Shortland was obliged to relinquish any attempt on the other vessels, and work his prize off shore; which he succeeded in doing, after being exposed to the fire of the batteries for about two hours. This gallant exploit was performed with the loss of 1 man killed, 1 missing, and 3 or 4 wounded. ”

“ So Bill Short steps out, and says, touching his forelock to the captain, ‘If you please, sir, if all must be flogged if nobody will peach, I think it better to tell the truth at once. It was I who took the liquor.’
“‘Very well, then,’ said the captain; ‘strip, sir.’ So Bill Short pulls off his shirt, and is seized up. ‘Boatswain’s mate,’ said the captain, ‘give him a dozen.’
“‘Beg your honour’s pardon,’ said Jack Holmes, stepping out of the row of men brought out for punishment; ‘but I can’t bear to see an innocent man punished, and since one must be flogged, it must be the right one. ”

“ Alan Holt saw the slim figure of the girl silhouetted against the vivid light of the open doorway of the upper-deck salon. He was not watching her, nor did he look closely at the exceedingly attractive picture which she made as she paused there for an instant after leaving Captain Rifle. To him she was only one of the five hundred human atoms that went to make up the tremendously interesting life of one of the first ships of the season going north. Fate, through the suave agency of the purser, had brought him into a bit closer proximity to her than the others ”

“ His object now was to make himself as comfortable as he could on the island, and then wait patiently for a sail to come and take him off, or something to turn up in his favor of a nature calculated to restore him again to the world and enable him to carry out to the letter Captain Thorne’s dying request.
By noon he had his tent up; then he went to the vessel and quickly removed to his new quarters one of the smallest of the casks of water on deck, a case of ship biscuits and the tin box the captain had charged him to guard with untiring care. ”

“ I'll mount to the mast-head and see myself."
Seizing the glass the captain ascended to the cross-trees, where he remained for a long time, watching the distant sail. At length he returned to the deck.
"They've got our bearings again somehow, confound the cunning rascals; and, by the way they are overhauling us, I judge they can beat us as well afore the wind as on a tack."
"Well, Captain Horton, we must be resigned to our fate then. It matters not so much for me, but it is hard, my daughter, that you should be torn from your peaceful home in England to fall a prey to these fiends." ”

“ As Captain Bob Shorty turned to thank her for her explanation, and while his plate was extended, to be helped, the aged Chivalry fired a pistol at him across the table, the ball just grazing his head and entering the wall behind him.
"By all that's blue," says Captain Bob Shorty, excitedly, "now I'll be—"
"Be calm—now, be calm," says the conservative Kentucky chap, hastily, "don't I tell you that it's only natural for the good old soul to be a little provoked? If you go to irritate him, we can never live together as brethren again." ”

“ Still preserving his suavity of manner, he addressed Captain Horton as he stepped upon the deck, after first ordering the crew to the bows, and drawing up his own men with pointed muskets before the companion-way.
"Captain Horton, as you are, perhaps, aware it is our policy to act upon the old saying that 'dead men tell no tales,' and after consultation among ourselves, we have concluded to set your vessel on fire, and then depart in peace, leaving you to the quiet I promised you." ”

“ From the Nemesis, Lieutenant Shortland removed into the Romney of 50 guns, commanded by Sir Charles Hamilton, whom he accompanied into the Melpomene frigate, about April 1795, and continued to serve with for a period of four years; during which l’Aventurier brig of war [2] , la Revanche, of 18 guns and 167 men, le Zelé of 16 guns and 69 men, several smaller privateers, and a number of merchantmen, were taken from the enemy. ”

“ Si and Shorty proceeded to secure it in place by putting other poles across it and fastening them down with ropes and strips of bark to the lower logs.
"Your broad cornice is aristocratic, as you say," said the Captain, "but I'm afraid it'll catch the wind, and tip your house over in some big storm."
"That's so," admitted Shorty; "but a feller that puts on airs always has to take some chances. I don't want people to think that we are mean and stingy about a little tin, so I guess we'll keep her just as she is." ”

“ But I have not done with you yet, captain. I shall want you presently below with reference to the ship’s papers and cargo. So now put down your weapons, and order your men to disarm. I will save your lives, I promise.”
“Boys, we must submit; we’re in their power, and they are too strong for us,” said Captain Harding, turning to Tom and Charley. “I don’t suppose they’ll murder us now in cold blood; we must trust their word for it—the word of a pirate,” he added aloud, with bitter scorn.
“And you can trust it,” replied the pirate chief proudly. ”

“ It was beautiful to look at these two slashing heroes, as they sat there in the genial glare of canvas-strained noon-day, with a quart vessel between them.
"Comrade," says Captain Bob Shorty to me, cordially, "this here is what we call intellectual relaxation, with a few liquid vowels to make it consonant with our tastes."
"Yes!" says Captain Villiam Brown, with a fascinating and elaborate wink at the decanter, "the physical man having taken Manassas, the human intelleck is now in airy play. ”

“ The crew of the Betsy Allen, whose anxiety and exertions during the last few hours had been excessive, gladly accepted the captain's offer, and were soon snoring in their hammocks. Captain Horton and Mr. Williams remained on the deck of the Raker, the one too anxious for revenge upon the pirate who had destroyed his brig, to sleep, and the other too much afflicted by the loss of his daughter, and the painful thoughts which it engendered, to think of any thing but her speedy recovery. ”

“ From the number of men employed, and the activity with which their operations were carried on, it was evident that the ship was to be off as soon as possible. Morton stepped on her deck: an elderly man, with a fine, open, manly countenance, expressive of great kindness of disposition and goodness of heart, was superintending the duty. Morton was about to address him, thinking to himself, "This is no Captain Slowly," when the senior gave him a nod, accompanied by that peculiar half audible greeting that passes between two strangers. ”

“ William Thornton turned round and sat down, and commenced satisfying his appetite, listening attentively, nevertheless, to what Pierre Gaudet said.
“There are more men in the kitchen,” whispered our hero, “for I can hear the murmur of their voices; though the captain of the privateer’s is by far the loudest.”
Having recounted the history of the taking of the Vengeance, the captain then told of their re-taking it; and how he and the mate of the Bon-Citoyen seized and fastened down, in the cabin of the privateer, one of the officers and a seaman. ”

“ Henry Short, Barque Britannia."
Never shall we find words to express our joy at once more finding ourselves in the company of civilized men! Nor can we be too grateful to captain Short, and his officers and crew, for their kind attentions during our passage to Lintin. Every thing in their power was done to restore our health and strength, and to render us comfortable. On arriving at Lintin we found ourselves sufficiently recovered to be able to pass up the river to Canton. We remained there, at the factories, under medical treatment, until the ship Morrison, of New York, was ready to sail ”

“ Captain Horton’s spirited conduct, however, first, in volunteering to seek an encounter with a ship of such superior force to the small vessels under his command; secondly, in attacking la Pallas, and lastly, in renewing the chase for the purpose of bringing her again to action, added to the skill with which he directed the manoeuvres of the Fairy and Harpy, in order to cut the enemy off from the land, sufficiently established his character as a zealous, brave, and skilful officer, and fully entitled him to the promotion which he soon after obtained. ”

“ Come, lads, they are fellow-creatures—seamen like ourselves, in distress. Where is the faint-hearted coward who would leave them to perish without lifting a hand to save them. Such a fellow is not to be found among Shetlanders, I hope.”
This appeal had an instant effect. When the men heard that Captain Maitland and Rolf Morton proposed going out in their boat to assist the disabled ship, they agreed to lend her, and to accompany them, the captain undertaking to make good any damage which might accrue, even to the loss of the boat herself. ”

“ Captain Horton for some hours after it had become dark the preceding night, had kept his vessel on the same course, perplexing his mind with some scheme by which he might deceive the pirate. At length he gave orders to lower away the yawl boat, and fit a mast to it, which was speedily done. When all was ready, he hung a lantern to the mast, with a light that would burn but a short time, and then putting out his own ship-light, he fastened the tiller of the yawl and set it adrift, knowing that it would keep its course until some sudden gust of wind should overcome its steerage way. ”

“ After the evening meal, General Shorter called Captain Arnold aside. "Mind if I go over to Nine with you?" he asked. "The air around here is—well, the fact of the matter is, I'd like to get away from them for awhile."
"Of course not, sir," Captain Arnold said.
"We'll call it an inspection. Which might be a good idea at that. With these people running around trying to interfere with my schedule. Poking around. Asking questions. Taking men away from their work, basically." He tapped his teeth with his right thumb in reflection. "I'd better check up on all the domes tonight, just to be sure." ”

“ When I get hold of that slime-lapping leper, the pirate skipper, I won't leave him hide or hair to cover the wart he calls his heart! ..." and so on, for a good two minutes by the office chronometer.
I let him rip. It was the quickest way. It's dangerous to throttle down a man like Pring.
"The Captain is, naturally, furious," I said.
"Oh, quite!" answered Mr. Van Adams.
Then we got to business. "The strange airship, Captain Pring. Let's begin with that. She approached you flying West, I understand?"
"She did, Sir John. Does that put you wise to anything?" ”

“ Dawn broke at last, and a sail was seen to the southward. She proved to be the “Thisbe”—the corvette had escaped.
“We’ll catch the fellow one of these days, though,” exclaimed Captain Calder. “And if he proves to be a pirate, and I believe he is very little better, we’ll hang him without compunction at his own yard-arm.”
His captain highly commended Morton for his conduct, and decided that the “Osterley” should return under his charge to Calcutta, where Admiral Rainier still was, that he might decide how she should be disposed of. ”