A Final Reckoning

many odd jobs which are sure to present themselves, when a ship gets under weigh. The wind was favourable, and the Paramatta ran down to the mouth of the Me

finished his work, and was at liberty to look round,

" an old sailor, who was standing leaning aga

first voyage. I have shipped as carpenter

een set aside for them. That will make easy sailing and quick sailing; but I don't like them, for all that. They are a lot of trouble, and they has to be watched, night and day. There's never no saying what they might be up to; there's mostly troub

regular food, according

ondemned stores, and such like; anything, thinks they, is good enough for a convict ship-biscuits as is dropping to pieces, salt junk as 'as been twenty years in cask, and which was mostl

is the vessel?

in the trade, and well officered. I have made three v'yages with the cap

ds are there,

ou as one, and not a-cou

see," Reuben said. "I have been at work

sels, and that tempts a few. Besides, the Paramatta is known to be a fast ship, and the skipper has a good name; so we shall have a better class of passengers, I expe

y duties be, whe

put in a watch, and work with the others, except that they may

eful, and to obey orders. I shall be happy to do anythin

there's nothing to do that way; and when not so wanted I am one of the ordinary crew. Still, if you works your passage, it ain't to be expected as

r accustom myself to it while we are lying steady, than

ropes, and put you up to things. There's a pleasure in helping a lad who seems in any way t

as mounting a ladder; but the slackness of the ratlines-which, as the sailor told him, was the name of the pieces of rope which answered to the rounds of a la

to it, you will feel just as safe, when you are astraddle the end of a yard, and

ilor said was true; but it seemed, to him, that he should never accustom himself to sit at the end of a spar, with nothing but the water

the deck now, or to mount a bit higher. Although Reuben was now becoming accustomed to the position, he would, had he consulted his inner feelings, have rather

ated on the cap of the top-gallant mast, holding tight to the spar, which towered still higher above him.

ilor, in time, if you took to a seafaring life. There's not one in ten as wou

hink I feel giddy, but I feel a

town, and the forts and works up there. Don't think about the deck of the vesse

d, as he did so, the feeling of which he w

he said, after sitting q

t just keep your eyes in front of you, and never l

later he stoo

have had my eye on you. I shouldn't have let you go beyond the top, at the first trial; but I didn't

ve the top, Bill. If he had lost his he

er. He was a little flustrated, when he got into the top; but after he had sat down a bit, his

th their closely cut hair, bullet heads, and evil faces. Although he had no doubt that the repulsive expression was due partly to the close-cut hair and shaved faces, and their hide

. Not till now did he quite realize how great his escape had been. The thought that he might have had to spend the rest of his life herding with such men as these, made him feel

hour later a party of twenty marines, under the charge of an officer, also embarked. They were on their way

h of the Medway; and there dropped her anchor to wait until the tide began to ebb, for the wind was so light that little would have been gained by an attempt to proceed at once. Sail was

hree hou

we doing h

ming on board here. I expect that big lugger you se

Reuben said. "I should think it would have been plea

if the wind don't serve. We might have been beating about there, at the mouth of the Thames, for a week. So you see, most of these 'lon

They were, as the sailor had said they would be, some ten in number. There were six men, four ladies, and thr

rs ascended the gangway. Reuben found that only one-third of the number were allowed on deck at once. Two soldiers

ugger made her way back to Dover, and the Paramatta again got under sail. While they had been waiting, th

es not wish you to go aloft, unless by your own desire; but there will be plen

soon as I feel I can be useful aloft. I was up two or three times

aken to you, and you are willing to learn, you will be a useful hand before we get to Sydney; and even if you never go

The sky grew overcast, and the wind freshened fast, and the next morning the ship

ied to lend a hand whenever he saw a party of men hauling at a rope; but the motion of the ship was so great that he could scarce keep his feet on

here, and are not unlikely to get a heavy fall, and perhaps a nas

t so weak that he was not sorry to avail himself of the mate'

lf out, but the sea was very heavy. The fresh air was delightful to Reuben, after the confinement in t

Some takes it bad, and some is never ill from the first. Well, there ain't nothing to do at present, but just hold on and get to feel your l

le nearly

ver. Don't you see

o me to blo

ale. If you are lucky, you are like to know what a gale is, when we get south of the Cape. The wind does blow there, when i

n lau

ting a storm like that. This has been quite enough for me. Why, some

t seemed worse to you, because you were lying there a-doing nothing, and was weak-like with heavin

verything's in its p

the tall spars aloft,"

the wind freshened," Bill said

the convi

ly come up for an airing when the weather is fine. They are like the passeng

the passeng

rst voyage, I'll bet. A pretty thing she is, and as straight as

one round to the southeast, the Paramatta made the most of it, to

e's nothing like getting well off, at the start. With luck

half round the globe, it is pleasant to touch at ports on

he chance that the wind may shift round, and you may find yourself dead on a lee shore. The skipper gets anxious and the mat

a pleasant neighbour. What with the low shores, which you don't see till you are pretty nigh close to them; what with the currents and the

wanted to nail some strips of wood on the floor of some of the cabins, to prevent the boxes from shooting out from under the berths when the vessel rolled. As he was at work at one

the carpenter

, mi

ings upon. Everything does get thrown about so, when the ship's ro

produced half-a-dozen iron clothes pegs. She showed him where she wished

he ship's

, mi

oung for a carpe

y for me, the hand who was engaged hurt himself, just as the vessel was sailing

His manner of talk and conversation diffe

er?" she asked. "You don'

"at least, I am a mill wright by trade. We are a

he asked, as he finished

girl answered. "That will do very n

work in the cabins,

n talking to that young carpenter of yours. I am quite interested

f course, it might not have been genuine. If there had been time, I should have made more inquiries; but he was well spoken, and had an earnest

imed. "I am sure he looks honest. It was only

migrant rather than a sailor, for he has only shipped for a passage. I don't know whether he is going to join a man, out there; but if not, he is cert

standing by, who had been listening to the conversation. "I wish, if you get an opportunity,

find out, and what there is, he's not likely to tell me. From what yo

e had good testimonials

gentleman said, "anyone

fficer, and having to do with criminals. You think whoever you come across is a rogue, until you

hed. "At any rate, on board this ship th

s and stockmen are convicts, and I must own that the natives are nearly all thieves; but how could it be otherwise, when England sends all

agreed; "but what is England to do, i

why they should be shoved on to us. In the old time, when there were no

st as she caught them. It did not matter much what the offence was, whether

have no doubt she can find something useful fo

think so,

a lonely part of the country, I should object to transportation for, what with the nat

!" Miss Hudson said indignantly. "You

ll agree it's a true one,"

ptain W

me pretty busy. However, after a year's holiday, I mus

he sails, the crew had a very easy time of it. Captain Wilson had, as he promised Miss Hudson, taken the opportunity, whe

I can't quite make him out. I think that he has worked as a mill wright. He spoke openly and without hesitation as to his work. But how it is he has thrown it up and emigrate

should say he has certainly been fairly educated, and yet he seems,

make him out. Perhaps I shall learn somewhat more about him, before we g

r fifth voyage. She had gone out as a baby with her parents; and had returned to England, at the age of ten, to be educated. When eighteen, she had joined her mother and f

. Miss Furley was somewhat quiet, but a friendship had naturally sprang up between her and Miss Hudson, as the only two young women on board the ship; and the life

evening, as the ship was running down the tropics before a gentle favouring breeze, the sound of solo and glee singing rose fro

Table Bay. Most of the passengers went on shore at once, to take up their quarters at the hotel till she sailed again. The c

Reuben asked permission of the fir

ho work their passage. Nine out of ten of them are not worth their salt, to say nothing of the rest of their rations. Yo

r the shop doors were for the most part Dutch, as was the appearance of the majority of the white men in the streets. Dutch farmers in broad hats and homespun garments, mounted on rough ponies, clattered along through the str

s he had no wish to avail himself of the permission given him to sleep on shore. Presently he encountered Miss Hudson and Miss Furle

had gone but a few yards when he heard a loud cry, an

own his shoulders, was rushing down the street, giving vent to terrible yells; in his hand he held a crease

comprehend the cause of it, stood alone in the middle of the street and, too terrified now to mov

when the Malay was within four paces of them, and threw himself with all his force upon him. The Malay, whose eyes were f

ously, and the combatants rolled over and over on the ground. Strong as Reuben was, the frenzy of the Malay gave him gre

e, down on the head of the Malay. The latter's limbs at once relaxed, and Reuben sprang to his feet; breathless, but not serio