CHAPTER II. THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER.
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Before we follow Cesar into the old
barrack with his bag of oranges, we will
introduce the reader into the little parlour,
and unfold to him what was passing
in the domestic circle, previous to his
knock at the door.
Old Captain Talbot had sat that evening
in his door, in his leathern arm-chair,
to see the sunset, and to smoke his evening
after-tea pipe, according to his invariable
custom every day. As the sun
set, he looked at his barometer which
hung up on one side of the door, and
then glanced at his thermometer which
was suspended on the other side; he
then pulled forth his great old English
silver watch and looked at that, and then
made a brief seaman-like survey of the
heavens, overhead and all round, as far
as the roof of the house would let his
vision extend.
`A fine day to-morrow, girl! Barometer
indicates fair, and the thermometer
is just at 78 deg. where it was last evening
at this hour; and this steadiness is a
sure sign of a fine day to come! The
wind is to the south west, about two and
a half knots,' he added, holding up the
back of his hand to catch the air, and
then looking at the weather-cock on the
top of the Block-house in front of him.—
`We will have a brave day for our
fishing trip down to half-way rock, so
have all ready to start bright and early,
by eight bells at the latest.'
This was said to a young girl about
nineteen years of age, with the most perfect
face and figure poet ever immortalised
in verse, or artist ever limned on
canvass. Her eyes were a deep, celesial
blue, the pure cloudless violet tent,
that always indicates a sweet temper and
generous heart. Her brow was open
and fair as the lily, and her sweet lips
were richer in tint than the crimson
coral of the Moorish seas. Her eyes
were not merely beautiful for their exquisite
blue colour, but they were expressive
of tenderness and feeling, and
yet sparkled with the love of mirth, and
the light of joy.
She was standing in the door, just behind
her father, looking through his spy-glass
down the river, as if she were expecting
to discover some very interesting
object.
`Every thing is ready, father,' she
answered; `but I fear you will find me
a dull fisher to-morrow.'
`I'll teach you, girl. I'll make a
sailor of you, yet. You can reef and
steer my sail-boat now as well as I can,
and better too, for that matter, for I am
hauled into dock and out of repair. But
what do you see below? You seem to
have discovered a sail or some craft or
other? You have been on the look out
all this afternoon! What do you see,
hey?'
`Nothing, father.'
`Well, let us go in! The sun is now
fairly down, and my pipe is smoked out.
This evening air makes me think o' the
rheumatiz.'
Thus speaking, the old sea-captain
rose up, and leaning on the ready arm of
his fair child, returned into the parlour
and took a seat by the window, upon a
well-stuffed easy chair. The daughter
placed a cricket embroidered with her
own fingers for his gouty foot, and then
placed in his hand a little note-book,
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which he called his log, and in which he
daily chronicled the winds and weather,
the rise and fall of the mercury in his
thermometer, and the state of his barometer.
He now proceeded to make the
usual record upon a leaf which had been
ingeniously attached to the arm of his
chair, to serve in place of a writing desk.
Leaving him making his record, his
daughter went to the tea-table, where sat
a maiden aunt, the sister of the captain,
washing the tea cups and silver spoons,
for the good lady was the house-keeper, and mother—in kindness and love—to
her beautiful niece.
`Aunt, shall I help you?' she asked in
a kind tone.
`No, dear child! I have almost got
through.'
`Then I believe I will just run across
the bridge to the Post-office. I heard
the post-horn full five minutes ago.'
`Five minutes, dear. It has then
hardly got into the village, much more
the mail opened. How very anxious
you are to get letters the last week.—
One would think your father or I was
absent, and you were expecting to hear
from us. Those are your scissors, dear,
that you are snuffing the candle with, instead
of the snuffers.'
`Dear me. How careless I am!' said
the laughing, blushing girl, for she had
a rich colour in her cheeks all the while
her aunt was speaking. `You know,
aunt, the war is over, and one would like
to know about the news of peace.'
`That we shall get in good time.'
`There, this is the fourth day the wind
has been S.S.W. at sunset! Never saw
it so steady from one point in the latitude
before. Sign of settled weather!
There is my day's work done up! Here,
Blanche.'
The maiden hastened to receive the
`log-book' and pencil, which she laid
over the mantle-piece upon a small shelf,
put up for the purpose by the captain,
who loved to have every thing as he said,
`ship-shape.'
`What is that you was saying about
the peace, Sarah, hey? I heard you and
Blanche talking.'
`Blanche wanted to go over to the
Post-office, and said she was anxious to
know if peace was accepted.'
`Accepted! Bless my timbers!—
England wont dare for her own sake to
refuse to ratify it. She is sick o' the
war; for she has got more hard knocks
than glory in it. Why she has been
whipped every where on the sea, and
half the time on shore. It has been a
glorious war, and our gallant navy has
gained glory enough for any nation. We
can afford to propose peace. England
will be glad to accept it. She wont look
at the terms. She'll make her ministers
sign without reading. I am glad the war
is over, for we have had fighting enough,
but it has done one good thing for us, it
has shown John Bull that our success in
the revolution wasn't by accident; for
two accidents don't usually happen alike.
After this, our flag will be respected, and
I guess it will be a long time before a
King's ship presses another American
citizen. Have you put my spy-glass into
the beckets in the companion-way,
Blanche?'
`Yes, father,' answered the maiden,
who was standing in the outer door of the
front entry, which the old seaman called
the companion-way.
`You'll take cold, Blanche, out there!'
`No, father. It is a lovely evening.
The moon is beginning to shine as if a
silver shower was falling.'
`Sixpences or Spanish mills, girl,'
said the captain, laughing heartily.—
`Well, you are right; when the air is
clear and the moon is full, I've seen it
look in the Southern latitude as if the atmosphere
was full of silver dust. But
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there is dew on the moon-beams, dear
Blanche. Take care of your health when
you are young, and you will not need to
be taken care of when you are old.—
Where is Nep?'
`He went down on board the Chebec
with Jack,' answered his sister, as she
placed the shining tea-spoons in a silver
cream-pot by her left hand, not omitting,
from habit, to count them first to see that
none were missing.
`Did you tell Jack about the bait and
demijohn, and to put into the cuddy the
things in the basket?' asked the captain.
`Yes. All will be ready, brother, as
you ordered.'
`I saw Jack, father, and told him exactly
what to do. He'll be up bright and
early and dig the hait, and bend the sails
and get aboard all that we need.'
`That is right. It is best always to
get every thing ready over-night. I hope
we shall find salmon to-morrow, that you
may have a chance to spear one.'
`I spear a salmon, father?'
`I'll teach you. You can do every
thing else, and why shouldn't you spear
a salmon. What are you putting your
bonnet on for? Where are you steering
now, hey?'
`Just across the bridge, father,' cried
Blanche, as she darted out of the door,
and went tripping across the green; she
had not gone twenty steps before there
came, bounding and barking towards her,
a fine large dog, the same we have seen
an hour and a half afterwards, pacing
the deck of the little shallop at the Block-house
pier, like an old tar on his watch.
`Ah, Nep, so you are always on the
alert to go with your mistress,' she said,
as she patted his noble head and caressed
him. `Your master was asking for
you, just now! Ah, Jack, well have you
obeyed orders?'
`Yes, Miss Blanchy, I has,' answered
an old man-of-wars man, who came roll
ing up after the dog to meet her; and
as he spoke he touched his little, jaunty
tarpaulin with a respectful air. `I've
got the harpoon sharpened, and bent a
lanyard on the grains, and I'm going
over to the village store to get some
sinnet to bend the hooks on with. But,
Miss, the capti'n is fittin' out the little
basky as if we was bound on the Georges
a'ter cod! We ain't going only to fish
in the river, be we?'
`That is all, Jack. But you know
father will have every thing just so. He
says, you know, that there is no knowing
what he might fall in with.'
`Yes, Miss, I ha'nt sailed with the old
gent'lum full and by for the last twenty-six
years not to know his sailin' qualities,
and just how he steers to a quarter of a
pint! If you're wantin' any thing over
on the street, Miss, I'll save you the
trouble!'
`Thank you, Jack, it is but a step, and
I shall be over and back before you get
through with your purchases!'
With these words the maiden tripped
on her way towards the bridge, followed
by Neptune who had to trot to keep up
with her. She soon reached the bridge,
and was half way over it ere the old tar,
who was a heavy sailor, came up with it.
`Bless her pretty little heart! She
sails just like one o' them Baltimore
clipper built craft. What a neat, tight
built, little barky she is. I wonder how
old Captain Tom Talbot, with sich a ugly
figur head as he has o' his own, and
heavily timbered as he is, ever came to
have sich a nice little quarter-boat as
this Miss Blanche. She has eyes as
blue as the sea off-soundings, and there
is always a smile for old Jack sparklin'
in em. God bless her and give her a
safe voyage through this world into the
anchoring ground above. If she han't
got clear over the bridge out o' sight
while I've only got abeam o' the toll-house
here.'
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Jack kept on his way at his best pace
and, as she said, he had even not got to
the other side before she met him, holding
in her hands two or three newspapers.
He saw at once that she looked disappointed,
as if her errand, whatever it
was, had been unsuccessful.
`Jack,' she said, touching him upon
the shoulder, look sharply down the
river!'
`Well, I is, Miss Blanche. What do
you want me to see?' answered Jack,
leaning over the bridge railing, and
looking as she directed.
`Can you see any thing like a boat?'
`Nothing in sight, Miss, this side the
Half-way Rock.'
`Well, I hope for the best! Come,
Neptune!' said the young girl, hastening
on over the bridge. `If he has not written
he will certainly come! I will trust
to that! But it is so late he can't be
here to night. Come, Neptune!' she
added to her dog, as two men passed
her on the bridge. The dog came up
and walked between her and the men,
erecting his head and carrying himself
with a menacing and proud look of protection.
The men passed on, one merely
remarking to the other,
`That is Captain Talbot's handsome
daughter. She needn't be afraid to walk
out evenings with that dog of her father's.
I'd as lief have a lion come at me!'
Blanche hastened on, and soon reached
the door in which her aunt stood waiting
for her.
`No letters Aunt,' she said, forgetting
herself, and speaking out what was upper-most
in her thoughts.
`And who did you expect a letter
from, Blanche? There is some mystery
going on, dear, I fear!'
`You shall know all in good time,
Aunt,' answered Blanche, in a voice that
seemed to be tremulous with anticipated
happiness.
Well, dear, I will wait your own
time! Who was that who spoke to you
on the bridge?'
`It was only Jack, Aunt. He has
gone to the street to make some purchase
for to-morrow. Dear me! I really believe
you think I have a lover hid away
some where!' she said, laughing.
`No, no! I don't think so! You
know for that matter all is settled by
your father's promise to the two young
men. How singular it is we have not
heard from either of them since they
went away to the war, now three years
ago! Well your time will be up in a
month, dear!'
`Yes, Aunt!' answered the maiden,
dropping her eyes, and appearing a little
confused, but rather with sweet pleasure
than otherwise. `There comes Jack
back again!'
`I am waiting to see him. Have you
got the newspapers in your hands?'
`Yes, Aunt!'
`Well, take them in to the Captain, for
this is just the time he loves to have his
papers read to him. I will give an order
or two to Jack and then come in and
hear the news too.'
Blanche entered the little sitting roam
while her aunt waited till the old sailor
came across the green, when she called
to him, and gave him sundry orders
about household duties, for Jack was the
general serving-man, hostler, boat-steerer,
errand boy, gardener and footman of
the captain's domestic establishment.
At times he even assisted the woman in
the kitchen in cooking dinner, on which
occasions he acquitted himself with no
little credit to himself. Indeed there
were certain sea-dishes which the captain
liked at times to have on his table,
and Jack was always called upon to
cook them, notwithstanding Mistress
Sarah assured her brother that she had
receipts for such dishes and could
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prepare them quite as potably as Jack. But
the captain said that there was `a certain
sea taste about Jack's duff, corned
beef and chowders that no shore cooking
by shore folks could get the hang of!'
Jack having now received his orders
from Mistress Martha, took his way down
to the river followed by Nepture, who,
when not attending on Blanche as her
gallant, was the inseperable companion
of the old tar, who had, as he asseverated,
taught him all the ropes in `the
barky' and to stand watch like a christian-man.
The barky in question, towards which
Jack now made his way, was a small
pink-stern shallop of ten tons, belonging
to the captain, and which lay at the
small wooden pier below the block-house.
It was schooner rigged, carried a flying
jib in addition to her jib, and by the captain's
orders Jack had rigged a gaft topsail
aft, and crossed a yard for a fore-topsail;
but the sail, which would not
have been longer than a table-cloth, had
never been bent.
This little vessel which the Captain
had built to suit his own fancy, was accomodated
with a fore-castle just large
enough to hold Jack and Neptune, and a
cabin that four persons might sleep or
dine in very comfortably. The cabin
was neatly furnished with bird's eye
maple pannels and mahogany transum,
fitted up as a side-board with decanters
and tumblers in beckets as in sea-vessels,
though the barky had never smelt salt
water.
There were charts of the river hanging
in the cabin, and overhead was a
tell-tale compass. On deck there was a
binnacle and compass also, though in a
river not four hundred yards wide and
bordered by bold and romantic shores,
the compass was little likely ever to be
called into requisition. But it was the
captain's fancy: he would have it so,
and that was enough.
The name of the barky was `The
Wind-Eater,' a formidable appellation;
and not unmerited by her qualities as a
close sailer. The name was also the
captain's own fancy.
Jack having passed the old Block-house,
giving it a wide berth, for he
faithfully believed it was haunted—he
having heard, as he stoutly maintained,
strange noises coming from it at night,
as nothin on airth but some sinner's
ghost could make!' Jack found, however,
no one to believe him but the captain,
who said that for his part he believed
the old Block-house was more
likely to be haunted than not to be; for
from all accounts about spirits, they
loved to stay about just such places. And
then the captain would remind his incredulous
sister of the tradition that one
trader had murdered another there to
get his money, and that all ghosts walked
about the place where they were murdered
till their deaths were avenged!
This defence of his master confirmed
Jack in his superstitious fear of the old
Block-house. As he now passed it, Neptune
went smelling round it, which quickened
the old tar's apprehensions, and his
pace, which was not a little accelerated
at hearing the dog utter a low howl as
he came away from the building.
Upon reaching the shallop, Jack proceeded
to get things ready for the early
jaunt; and as the moon shone bright, he
could see to work as well as in the day;
and at length having bent on his fish
hooks and got every thing prepared so
that he should have nothing to do in the
morning but bend the sails and get underweigh,
he returned on shore to get his
bai tready, leaving Neptune to keep guard
on the quarter deck. The dog at once
proceeded to pace up and down the deck
with the gravity of Jack himself.
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Ingraham, J. H. (Joseph Holt), 1809-1860 [1847], Blanche Talbot, or, The maiden's hand: a romance of the war of 1812 (Williams Brothers, New York) [word count] [eaf205].
