Part 41 (1/2)
The two shi+ps, still keeping in coth one evening it caht, and on the following day a terrific stor burst over the shi+p The _Orion_, which had hitherto kept coht off The thunder rolled and rattled, and flash succeeded flash, each more vivid than the first
Several times it appeared as if the shi+p herself would be struck, as the forked lightning, bursting fro over the summits of the waves It was Tom's watch Billy, who, in the day time, could do duty as well as ever, was on deck, as indeed were most of the officers, who had come up to witness the terrific strife of the ele through the air, passed so close to him that it appeared as if he had been struck It was seen to flash across the deck and to lose itself in the foa ocean Billy uttered a cry and put his hands to his eyes To had happened
He answered, ”No, only the lightning looked very bright I thought I was struck”
The gale continued No one thought of leaving the deck Night ca about as he had not done for several weeks past
”Why, Billy, you seem, to be able to see your way as well as ever,” said Toh, between the flashes, the night is dark enough, I can ale continued, the thunderstorht, and Billy, with the rest of the watch below, turned in The next evening he found to his infinite satisfaction that his er existed, and the doctor and all who pretended to any scientific knowledge, were of opinion that it had been cured by the electric fluid, which had glanced across his face
”Another half-inch, however, and we ht have had a different tale to tell of you,” observed the doctor
”How so?” inquired Billy
”Why, that you would have been turned into a piece of charcoal, instead of being restored to sight There is so to think of, my boy, for the rest of your days”
A look-out was kept for the _Orion_ Although the gale had ceased, and the horizon was clear, she was nowhere to be seen
”I hope they've not been after killing a pig aboard,” reet off so cheap as we have”
”What do you mean?” asked Ti flashes may have struck her, and sent her down to Davy's locker, or fired her h”
”I hope that's not Captain Adair's fate,” observed Jerry Bird ”I've sailed with hientleman does not command one of her Majesty's shi+ps When I have been on shore with him, he has been kind and friendly like, and looked after the interests of his ot Never made us hen there was no necessity for it, and I should be sorry indeed if any harm happened to him”
When, however, day after day went by, and the _Orion_ was not seen, even Jack began to feel soone ahead of the _Empress_, which was the faster shi+p of the two, nor could she have dropped so far astern as to be altogether out of sight in so short a ti their early days, been inclined to give each other up for lost, and always ain,” and he still hoped that such would be the case At last, however, when the shores of Old England appeared in sight, he began to dread having to tell his sister Lucy his anxiety about her husband Proceeding up Channel, Spithead was reached, and the _Eo into harbour to be paid off
Jack wisely, riting to his wife, ith Lucy, was staying at Lady Rogers', did not speak of his anxiety about Adair, but merely said that he had parted from him at sea and hoped the _Orion_, which had proved herself rather a slower shi+p than the _Empress_, would soon make her appearance at Spithead Murray and Stella, with their children, were, he learned, at Bercaldine, for which he was sorry, as he thought hethem in the south Some days must elapse before he could pay off his shi+p; he fully expected that Julia and Lucy would forthwith coh he felt very lad to find that Archie Gordon had been pro in the Channel squadron, so that he was very likely to fall in with hi As Jack had expected, scarcely two days had passed since the _Empress_ had dropped anchor, before Julia and Lucy arrived at Southsea, each with a little girl, the very i that a little Jack had been born a few rown into a fine chubby fellow, and that if the s Jack that of his papa Poor Lucy began to look very sorrowful, when day after day went by, and the _Orion_ did not appear
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A VISIT TO THE GRAVE OF AN OLD FRIEND--THE THREE OLD shi+PMATES MEET-- DESMOND IN IRELAND--LAYS CLAIM TO A titLE AND ESTATE--THE POST CAPTAINS TAKE TO YACHTING--CRUISES ON BOARD THE STELLA--A NAVAL REVIEW--DOWN CHANNEL--A GALE--A RUN UP THE IRISH SEA--DUBLIN REACHED--GERALD DESMOND HAS BECOME VISCOUNT SAINT MAUR--PLEASANT EXCURSIONS ROUND DUBLIN-- COUNSELLOR MCMAHON AND HIS FAIR DAUGHTERS--THE STELLA AGAIN SAILS, WITH LORD SAINT MAUR ON BOARD--BECALMED IN THE CHOPS OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL-- THE YACHT RUN DOWN BY A BIG shi+P--SAINT MAUR DISAPPEARS--ANXIETY AS TO HIS FATE--DANGEROUS CONDITION OF THE YACHT--FALMOUTH REACHED--dick STOKES GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE COLLISION--RETURN TO RYDE--THE STELLA SAILS NORTHWARD--JACK APPOINTED TO THE BELLONA, ADAIR TO THE EMPRESS
Two gentlelance have been known as naval officers, alking arround, standing on the suht, overlooking the Solent The trees were green with the bright leaves of early su food to their young, and chirpinga view of the blue water down the Channel in the direction of Calshot Castle and towards Spithead and the entrance of Portsly built, of rey hairs showing the on in life The other was tall and of slender proportions, but had equally the air and bearing of a son of the ocean
Passing though a wicket gate, they went along a well-kept gravel path, and stopped before two ranite, the other of white raved--”To the memory of Admiral Triton;” and on the other was inscribed the nahter of the late Captain Triton, RN, and sister of Admiral Triton, who lies interred by her side
At a little distance folloo ladies, with a party of girls and boys, who had been laughing, chatting, and joking, as they ran in and out a here and there
Their voices were, however, hushed as they approached the wicket gate and discovered that they had arrived at the churchyard
”I'lad that my directions have been carried out,” said Captain Adair, the taller of the two gentleratitude and affection I owe to ely benefited What do you think of them, Jack?”
”They are very much to my taste, and are exactly such as I should have wished to put up,” answered Captain Rogers ”We shall hear what Julia and Lucy say”
Their tives, who now arrived, were equally pleased The elder girls, who had brought wreaths of flowers, placed theraves as a token of their visit--an idea of their h it is probable that neither Jack nor Terence would have thought of doing such a thing