Syd Belton

“ I’m proud of your ship, Syd, proud of the crew, and proud of you, my lad. Keep your head up, and may I live to see you posted. No, that’s too much, but I must see you wear your first swab.”
“Am I to go ashore with uncle, father?” said Sydney.
“Hush, my boy, once for all,” said Captain Belton. “You are a junior officer now; I am your captain. We must keep our home life for home. No, Mr Belton, you will not go ashore again. You have joined your ship, and your chest will be brought on board by the boatswain.”
“Is Barney going to be a boatswain, sir?” cried Sydney, in his eagerness. ”

“ I see it all, and thought I ought to stop it, but I knowed from the first you’d lick him; and it strikes me werry hard, Mr Syd, sir, that you’ll have to do all that there bit o’ work over again.”
“But I’m weak now, and he may lick me, Barney,” said Syd, who was making a peculiar noise now with the spoon he held—a noise which sounded like the word soup.
“Weak? not you, sir. Feels a bit down, but you’ll soon forget that. I wouldn’t try to bring it on again, sir,” said Barney, watching his young master all the while.
“Bring it on? No,” cried Sydney. “I tell you I hate fighting. ”

“ Syd became thoroughly well accustomed to the middies’ berth, for he was obliged to keep down all day, mostly in company with Terry, but they kept apart as much as possible, and Syd was old enough to feel that it was a very hollow truce between them.
But as soon as it was dark he was up on deck, where it was not long before he found out that he was the object of attention of the men, who were not slow to show their admiration for the young fellow who had so soon displayed his mettle by thrashing the bully of the mess. ”

“ I’m the captain’s son,” said Sydney, bitterly; “and that’s the very reason why I should not be allowed.”
“What, for fear you should be eaten up by the shark this time?”
“Joke away; you’re all right,” said Syd, sulkily.
“Don’t take it like that, Belton, old fellow,” said Roylance, laying his hand upon his arm. “I’d a hundred times rather have you than Terry. I say, look! here’s the first luff. I know he likes us fellows to be eager to learn our profession. Go and ask him to let you go.”
“Shall I?” said Syd, hesitatingly. ”

“ Here Sydney soon showed his superiority, easily avoiding Pan’s ugly rushes, and dealing such a shower of blows upon the lad’s head that before many minutes had elapsed Pan was seated in one of the wettest parts of the road, whimpering and howling, while Sydney stood over him with fists clenched.
“You’re a coward, that’s what you are,” howled Pan.
“Get up then, and I’ll show you I’m not. Do you hear?”
“How–ow!”
“Don’t howl like a dog. Get up, sir, and take your beating like a man,” said Syd. ”

“ You’ve told me scores of times that you never flogged a man who was really sorry for getting into a scrape. Give me some of that ham, Syd, and go on eating yourself. I say, rum old punch I look, don’t I?”
Syd made no reply, but filled his uncle’s plate, and the breakfast went on nearly to the end before the topic dreaded was introduced.
“Well, Sydney,” said his father, rather sadly, “so I suppose I must let you be a doctor?”
“Wish he was one now,” cried the admiral. “I’d make him try to make me fit to be seen. Humph! doctor, eh? No; I don’t think I shall try to be ill to give you a job, Syd ”

“ An isolated mass of rock some eight or ten acres in extent does not suggest that there would be much difficulty in the way of search; but before they had gone many yards Syd realised that he had a very awkward task, and that a rope would be a very acceptable article for helping one another. This had to be fetched, and then once more they started, with Syd beginning to feel the responsibilities of his work, and the necessity for showing that he possessed energy and determination if he wished the men to obey. ”

“ Come, rouse and bit.”
“I couldn’t, Barney,” said Syd, feebly. “The very thought of a bit of anything makes me feel worse.”
“Yah! not it; and I didn’t mean eat; I meant turn out, have a good wash, and dress, and come on deck.”
“I should die if I tried.”
“Die, lad? What, you? Any one would think you was ill.”
“I am, horribly.”
“Yah! nonsense! On’y squirmy. Weather’s calming down now, and you’ll be all right.”
“No, Barney; never any more,” sighed Syd. “I say.”
“Ay, my lad. What is it?”
“Will they bury me at sea, Barney?”
“Haw—haw—haw!” laughed the bo’sun. “He thinks he’s going to die! ”

“ This is Mr William Roylance, Esquire. Father’s not a captain, but a bishop, priest, or deacon, or something of that kind. Very good young man, but don’t you lend him money! I say, see that door?”
“Yes,” said Sydney, looking at a dimly-seen opening barely lit by a smoky lanthorn.
“Thought I’d show you. Hot water baths in there if you ever wash.”
“Ever wash?” said Syd, wonderingly.
“Yes. We do here—a little—when there is any water. Rather particular on board a frigate. Here we are.” ”

“ There! that’s better. See how a touch or two from one who knows turns a slovenly look into one that’s smart. Hallo! some one at the door, my lad; go and see. No; stop. Come in.”
The door was opened, and Barney in his uniform of petty officer entered, looking smartened up into a man ten years younger than when he worked in the garden at the Heronry.
As Barney took off his hat and entered, closing the door behind him, his eyes lit first upon Syd, and his face puckered up into a broad grin.
“And now you!” cried Sydney, angrily. “Uncle, I’m not fit to wear a uniform; I look ridiculous.” ”

“ The last hope gone unless the boy could be revived sufficiently to guide them to the spot.
“He was mad,” said the boatswain, slowly; and he looked wildly round with his bloodshot eyes.
But the boy’s words had brought hope and a temporary strength to Syd, who pressed his head with his hands and tried to think.
“Would a bucket of sea-water revive him to make him tell us, Strake?” he croaked, more than spoke.
“No, no, no; good-bye. It’s all a dream.”
“It is not,” cried Syd, wildly. “I know—the place. Heaven, give us strength. I know it now.”
“You’re mad, sir, mad,” groaned the boatswain. ”

“ Soon as you and Mr Belton here grows big enough you’ll be lufftenants, and then captains; and if that swab of a boy of mine minds his eye he’ll be a bo’sun.”
“You’ll lay up now, I suppose?” said Roylance.
“Me, sir? me lay up?” cried the boatswain, indignantly. “Not the man. No, sir, I hope to sail yet with young Capen Belton when the old capen’s a admiral, as he’s sure to be afore long.”
“Seems a long time to wait for promotion,” said Syd.
“Awful, sir, to a young gent who has only been two years at sea. But—whish, sir! Look!” ”

“ What do you say to half a dozen men being told off to lie in wait for the brute to-night?”
“No, sir; it’s what do you?”
“I say yes,” said Syd, and the boatswain brightened up.
“With pistols, of course, sir?”
“No, certainly not,” replied Syd, decidedly. “If we have firing in the dark there may be some accident. Select five men. There will be yourself, Mr Roylance, and I shall be there too. Eight of us ought to hold him if he comes.” ”

“ How are the poor fellows?”
He staggered down to where the men not on duty were lying in the shade cast by the rocks, and the boatswain, who seemed to have been talking to them, rose.
“Sad work, sir,” he said, touching his hat; and several of the men rose and saluted, others lying staring and helpless, their lips black, and a horrible delirious look in their eyes.
“No ship, Barney,” whispered Syd, huskily.
“No, sir. We must give it up, sir, like men; but it do seem hard work. Seen my boy Pan-y-mar?”
“On board, on board,” said Syd quickly. ”

“ The men were lying down by the breastwork of the lower gun as he trotted over the slope, and to his surprise he found the boatswain seated on a piece of stone with his face puckered up, watching Pan whom he had just sent up to the magazine.
“Well: what news?” said Roylance, eagerly. “Are they gone?”
Every eye was fixed on Syd, as he replied—
“No; a boat is coming ashore, and they must make for here. We can hear what they have to say, but they must not land.” ”

“ The boy glanced once in his direction, but did not stop running on as hard as he could go for the front entrance, and directly after the gate was heard to bang.
“Some one must have hit him,” thought Syd. “Poor old Pan, he’s always in trouble. Why, I kicked him last week,” he added remorsefully.
“Seen my boy Pan, Master Syd?” said a hoarse voice.
“Yes; he came running by here like a wild bull. Have you been hitting him?”
“Hitting of him?” growled the ex-boatswain; “on’y just wish I’d had a rope’s-end ’stead o’ this here,” and he held up the handle of the rake he had been using. ”

“ Well, no, sir; I dunno as I could quite do that.”
“Never mind talking about it, then,” said Syd; “but as soon as the men are well enough, let’s have all the water-casks well-filled.”
“Beg pardon, sir.”
“Well, what?”
“Water’s lovely and sweet and cool where it is; wouldn’t it be better to have it fetched twice a day as we want it?”
“Yes, Strake,” said Syd, “if you are quite sure that no enemy will come and try to oust us. Suppose they land, and we are shut up here; are we to go on suffering for want of water again?”
The boatswain hit himself a tremendous blow on his chest with his doubled fist. ”

“ The final bandage was secured, and a horrible weight was removed from Syd’s breast, for he knew that he had set the bones rightly even if his surgery was rough, and so far his patient had not sunk under the operation.
“Shall we carry him up yonder now, sir?” said the boatswain, touching his forelock.
“Move him? no,” cried Syd. “Rig up something over his head. He must not be touched.” Then, turning to Dallas, he went down on one knee and took his hand. “Are you in much pain?” he said. ”

“ At last she was nearly opposite.
“Stand by,” growled the boatswain, gruffly. “Hold on to the end o’ that line, Rogers, my lad, and stick to it if there comes a tug; then tighten easily, for we’ve got to check her way if my grappling-iron does take hold.”
“Stand clear all,” said Syd, as the old man made the marlin-spike spin round like a Catherine wheel at the end of three feet of the line. ”

“ I'm with you," feeling himself every inch a man at the chance of an adventure. "Open the gate, Syd. Now come on!" and giving their horses the rein they struck into a gallop down the road leading close by Johnson's house and stables. It was so heavily covered with tan-bark that the sound of the hoofs was deadened, and the boys spoke in whispers, afraid to stir the midnight silence.
Syd nodded toward a low kennel, back of the stables.
"There!" he motioned with his lips. "There's where they were when they took them to hunt Boosey." ”

“ Syd repeated in surprise.
[Pg 50]
“Yes, for gold; and I expect to find a pile.”
“Well, I hope you won’t be disappointed. Just give me a lump to have set in a scarf-pin, will you?” He laughed in derision.
“All right,—a small nugget will do, I suppose. I must be going now; good morning.”
Syd gave a grunt in reply and slouched away. Tall and awkward, he thrust his head forward when he walked and kept his eyes fixed on the ground.
Ben turned and watched him for a moment. “How he would rejoice in my failure!” he said to himself. “It’s odd that some people find their pleasure in just such things. ”

“ He could read the triumph in Syd’s face, and it cost him an effort to put on a bold front and see them all through the gates.
“It’s no go, I’m afraid,” he whispered to Beth. For answer she pressed his hand. He closed the gates and turned to Mundon.
“Well,—it’s a failure. You needn’t tell me—I know it.”
“Failure? No, ’tain’t a failure.”
“Are you saying that to let me down easy?”
“Before God, I ain’t! Why, boy, what you got tears in your eyes fur? Brace up and be a man!”
“I’m trying to, Mundon.” Ben’s voice shook. ”

“ The Pells breakfasted early so that Sydney might catch the 7:30 express for the city. On the morning following the events narrated in the preceding chapter the entire family were gathered at the table with the exception of Rex, who was invariably late, and Sydney himself.
“It’s very strange,” remarked Mrs. Pell “He is always on time. He can barely catch his train now. I wish you, Roy, would run up to his room and see what is the matter. He may be ill.”
Roy soon ascended the two flights of stairs to the apartment with the dormer window that had always been Syd’s. ”

“ Sid stood there and watched him. When the other actors came boiling up behind him, he put his hands on the doorframe to either side so none of them could get past. Their faces peered around him.
And all this while the stranger was saying, "What may this mean? Can such things be? Are all the seeds of time ... wetted by some hell-trickle ... sprouted at once in their granary? Speak ... speak! You played me a play ... that I am writing in my secretest heart. Have you disjointed the frame of things ... to steal my unborn thoughts? Fair is foul indeed. Is all the world a stage? ”

“ I’m as good as you.’”
“What’s he saying, darling?” cried Syd, impatiently.
“Not much, young gentleman; only telling her to mind now you have brought her home as she has her rights.”
Syd caught his young wife’s hands and hurried her into the hall, and from thence into the drawing-room, where he found his uncle impatiently walking up and down.
“Oh, it’s you, Syd,” said the baronet, impatiently. “Call Jane, there’s a confounded cat in the conservatory. Just knocked down one of the pots.”
“All right, uncle,” said the boy. ”

“ Eleanor insisted, and then relented. "I keep telling you, Syd, these boys went through a different kind of war than yours. They've had more taken out of them than you had." She whispered it, her eyes never leaving the screen, her breath coming in excited gasps. "People have just outlived their usefulness, now, by the time they are sixty. It's natural for the young folks to resent us, especially if we are a burden and there are too many of us. You've got to adjust, Sydney, just adjust to the times." ”