The Skeleton Crew; Or, Wildfire Ned — page 109: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

— eee THE SKELETON CREW; OR, WILDFIRE NED. 103 thington took the cunning Scotchman into their confidence. Sir Andrew had now “the game in his own hands,” he thought, and he also came by the in- formation, that should Sir Richard die first, ail his property, if Phillip Redgill was proved guilty of the crimes of which Captain Jack accused him, would all go to Charley, Ned Warbeck, and Dame Wor-: thington. “ As she has made her will already,” thought Sir Andrew, ‘‘ and left me a small sum, and the rest to the Warbecks, it would not be very difficult to get the will altered altogether in my favour, « And poison her!” This devilish design he resolved to put into execution. He was yery attentive to old Dame Worthington, and would suffer no one, as a “relation,” in the absence of Sir Richard, to administer to her any medicine, however simple. With these opportunities in his hand, Sir Andrew made good use of his time. He never allowed a chance to pass him, but, day by day, was gradually poisoning her. The old dame got weaker and weaker every day. The doctors could not make it out, Yet the sole object of her thoughts was the ee stray one, Ned Warbeck, “ her favourite oy.” While propped up in her chair, one day in the parlour, and surrounded by her friends, she was con- tinually speaking of her “poor sailor boy,’ Ned, when a gentleman, who was present, gaid, “Well, madam, I know not who your young favourite is, but Iam a sailor myself and love the profession,” ‘Tt is a compliment to me to hear you speak in such glowing terms of our gallant tars. * And the bravast of them all is Ned Warbeck, I know,” said the old dame with a flushed cheek. “ Of course he is,’ said old Sir Andrew, trying to smile, but at the same time, congratulating himself at the potent power of the secret poison he was daily administering for the sake of the good old dame’s money. ‘Ned Warbeck, of course he is the bravest of the brave,’ he muttered, “there isn’t a lad in all the king’s navy like to him.” “Ned Warbeck ?” said the stranger, in astonish- ment. “Yes, do you know him ?” asked the good dame, in great curiosity. The stranger did not answer, buf said, “If you will only listen, I'll tell you something that will gratify you.” So saying, he lit his pipe again, and commenced his story round the crackling winter fire. CHAPTER XXXII. A LEAP FOR LIFE—THE BRAVERY OF A YOUNG MIDDY—THE TALE STARTLES ALL PRESENT —WHO IS HE? ‘‘Tre last cruise I made in the Channel was in search of the Skeleton Crew, in the ‘Diamond’ frigate, ‘ Trumps,’ as we sometimes used to call our gallant ship. “We had been tacking and filling for several weeks on the western coast in search of Death- wing’s phantom ship of smugglers, and, during that time, we had had some pretty heavy weather. «“ When we reached Flamborough Head, there was a a spanking wind blowing from west-south-west ;. so we squared away, and without coming. to at the Head made straight for old Hull, the general rendez- vous and place of refitting for our squadrons in the German Ocean, because smugglers are plentiful there, . “Tmmediately on arriving there, we warped in alongside the quay, where we stripped ship to a girt line, and gave her a regular-built overhauling from stem to stern. “Many hands, however, make light work. “In a very few days all was accomplished, “The stays and shrouds were set up, and new rattled down; the yards crossed, the running rigging rose, and sails bent. * And the old craft, fresh painted and all a-taunto looked as fine as a midshipman on liberty. : ““In place of the storm stumps which had been’ stowed away among the booms and other spare spars amidships, we had sent up top-gallant masts and royal poles, with a sheave for sky-sails and houst enough for sky-scrapers among them. “So you may judge the old frigate looked pretty taunt. “‘There,was a Dutchéline ship inthe harbour, but though we carried only thirty to her forty guns, her main-truck would hardly have reached to our royal mast-head. “When we had got everything ship-shape and man-of-war fashion, we hauled out again, and took berth about half a mile from the quay. “What little wind we had had ‘in the’ fore part of the day, died away at noon, and though the first dog-watch was almost out, and the sun was near the horizon, not a breath of air had risen to disturb the deep serenity of the scene. “ven on board our vessel a degree of stillness unusual for a man-of-war prevailed among the crew. “Tt was the hour of the evening meal, and the low hum that came from the gun-deck had an indistinct and buzzing s:und. ‘‘On the top of the boom cover, and in the full glare of the sun, lay a tall negro, ‘Black Jake’ the jig- maker of the ship, and a striking specimen of African peculiarities, in whose single person they were all strongly developed. ‘¢ His flat nose was dilated to unusual width, and his ebony cheeks fairly glistened with delight, as he looked up at the gambols of a huge ape, which had been entrusted to our careto take to Plymouth, and which, clinging to the main-stay just above Jake’s, the big negro’s, woolly head, was chattering and grinning back at the ‘Darkie’ as if there existed some mutual intelligence between them. “T was on watch on déck, and standing amusing myself by observing the antics of the black and his congenial playmate the ape, but at length tiring of the rude mirth, had turned towards the taffrail to gaze on the more agreeable features of that scene. “ Just at that moment,a shout and acurse burs upon my ear. “ Looking quickly round to ascertain the cause of the unusual sound on a frigate ship, I was horrified at what I saw. “The commodore was on board that day with his wife, child and nurse. “ The nurse and child hadjust come out of the Captain’s state cabin, when Jacko the ape, being teazed by the negro, plunged wildly towards the nurse, broke his chain, seized the commodore’s infant boy, and with aterrific scream rushed up the rigging with it! “This was a most horrible predicament, for the ape was only half tamed!