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Dutch Admirals, Tromp, Evertson, and De Ruyter, as I heard

afterwards, came up in turn. We did not know who they were, but we

knew they were Admirals by their flags, and pounded them with all our

hearts; and so good was our aim that I myself saw two of the

Admirals' flags brought down, and they say that all three of them

were lowered. But you may guess the pounding was not all on our side,

and we suffered very heavily.

"Four men were hurt at the gun I worked, and nigh half the crew were

killed or wounded. Two of our masts were shot away, many of our guns

disabled, and towards the end of the fight we were towed out of the

line. How the day would have gone if Van Tromp had continued in

command of the Dutch, I cannot say, but about noon he was shot

through the body by a musket-ball, and this misfortune greatly

discouraged the Dutchmen, who fight well as long as things seem to be

going their way, but lose heart very easily when they think the

matter is going against them.

"By about two o'clock the officers shouted to us that the Dutch were

beginning to draw off, and it was not long before they began to fly,

each for himself, and in no sort of order. Some of our light

frigates, that had suffered less than the line-of-battle ships,

followed them until the one Dutch Admiral whose flag was left flying,

turned and fought them till two or three of our heavier ships came up

and he was sunk.

"We could see but little of the chase, having plenty of work, for,

had a gale come on, our ship, and a good many others, would assuredly

have been driven ashore, in the plight we were in. Anyhow, at night

their ships got into the Texel, and our vessels, which had been

following them, anchored five or six leagues out, being afraid of the

sands. Altogether we had burnt or sunk twenty-six of their ships of

war, while we lost only two frigates, both of which were burnt by

their fire-ships.

"As it was certain that they would not come out for some time again,

and many of our ships being unfit for further contention until

repaired, we returned to England, and I got my discharge and joined

Captain Dave again a fortnight later, when his ship came up the

river.

"Monk is a good fighter, Master Cyril, and should have the command of

the Fleet instead of, as they say, the Duke of York. Although he is

called General, and not Admiral, he is as good a sea-dog as any of

them, and he can think as well as fight.

"Among our ships that day were several merchantmen that had been

taken up for the service at the last moment and had guns slapped on

board, with gunners to work them. Some of them had still their

cargoes in the hold, and Monk, thinking that it was likely the

captains would think more of saving their ships and goods than of

fighting the Dutch, changed the captains all round, so that no man

commanded his own vessel. And the consequence was that, as all

admitted, the merchantmen were as willing to fight as any, and bore

themselves right stoutly.

"Don't you think, Master Cyril, if you go with the Fleet, that you

are going to see much of what goes on. It will be worse for you than

it was for me, for there was I, labouring and toiling like a dumb

beast, with my mind intent upon working the gun, and paying no heed

to the roar and confusion around, scarce even noticing when one

beside me was struck down. You will be up on the poop, having naught

to do but to stand with your hand on your sword hilt, and waiting to

board an enemy or to drive back one who tries to board you. You will

find that you will be well-nigh dazed and stupid with the din and

uproar."

"It does not sound a very pleasant outlook, John," Cyril laughed.

"However, if I ever do get into an engagement, I will think of what

you have said, and will try and prevent myself from getting either

dazed or stupid; though, in truth, I can well imagine that it is

enough to shake anyone's nerves to stand inactive in so terrible a

scene."

"You will have to take great care of yourself, Cyril," Nellie said

gravely.

Captain Dave and John Wilkes both burst into a laugh.

"How is he to take care of himself, Nellie?" her father said. "Do you

suppose that a man on deck would be any the safer were he to stoop

down with his head below the rail, or to screw himself up on the

leeward side of a mast? No, no, lass; each man has to take his share

of danger, and the most cowardly runs just as great a risk as the man

who fearlessly exposes himself."

CHAPTER XI

PRINCE RUPERT

The next day Cyril went down to breakfast in what he had often

called, laughingly, his Court suit. This suit he had had made for him

a short time before his father's death, to replace the one he had

when he came over, that being altogether outgrown. He had done so to

please Sir Aubrey, who had repeatedly expressed his anxiety that

Cyril should always be prepared to take advantage of any good fortune

that might befall him. This was the first time he had put it on.

"Well, truly you look a pretty fellow, Cyril," the Captain said, as

he entered. "Don't you think so, Nellie?"

The girl nodded.

"I don't know that I like him better than in his black suit, father.

But he looks very well."

"Hullo, lass! This is a change of opinion, truly! For myself I care

not one jot for the fashion of a man's clothes, but I had thought

that you always inclined to gay attire, and Cyril now would seem

rather to belong to the Court than to the City."

"If it had been any other morning, father, I might have thought more

of Cyril's appearance; but what you were telling us but now of the

continuance of the Plague is so sad, that mourning, rather than Court

attire, would seem to be the proper wear."

"Is the Plague spreading fast, then, Captain Dave?"

"No; but it is not decreasing, as we had hoped it would do. From the

beginning of December the deaths rose steadily until the end of

January. While our usual death-rate is under three hundred it went to

four hundred and seventy-four. Then the weather setting in very

severe checked it till the end of February, and we all hoped that the

danger was over, and that we should be rid of the distemper before

the warm weather set in; but for the last fortnight there has been a

rise rather than a fall--not a large one, but sufficient to cause

great alarm that it will continue until warm weather sets in, and may

then grow into terrible proportions. So far, there has been no case

in the City, and it is only in the West that it has any hold, the

deaths being altogether in the parishes of St. Giles's, St. Andrew's,

St. Bride's, and St. James's, Clerkenwell. Of course, there have been

cases now and then for many years past, and nine years ago it spread

to a greater extent than now, and were we at the beginning of winter

instead of nearing summer there would be no occasion to think much of

the matter; but, with the hot weather approaching, and the tales we

hear of the badness of the Plague in foreign parts one cannot but

feel anxious."

"And they say, too, that there have been prophecies of grievous evils

in London," Nellie put in.

"We need not trouble about that," her father replied. "The

Anabaptists prophesied all sorts of evils in Elizabeth's time, but

naught came of it. There are always men and women with disordered

minds, who think that they are prophets, and have power to see

further into the future than other people, but no one minds them or

thinks aught of their wild words save at a time like the present,

when there is a danger of war or pestilence. You remember Bill Vokes,

John?"

"I mind him, yer honour. A poor, half-crazed fellow he was, and yet a

good seaman, who would do his duty blow high or blow low. He sailed

six voyages with us, Captain."

"And never one of them without telling the crew that the ship would

never return to port. He had had dreams about it, and the black cat

had mewed when he left home, and he saw the three magpies in a tree

hard by when he stepped from the door, and many other portents of

that kind. The first time he well-nigh scared some of the crew, but

after the first voyage--from which we came back safely, of

course--they did but laugh at him; and as in all other respects he

was a good sailor, and a willing fellow, I did not like to discharge

him, for, once the men found out that his prophecies came to naught,

they did no harm, and, indeed, they afforded them much amusement.

Just as it is on board a ship, so it is elsewhere. If our vessel had

gone down that first voyage, any man who escaped drowning would have

said that Bill Vokes had not been without reason in his warnings, and

that it was nothing less than flying in the face of Providence, to

put to sea when the loss of the ship had been so surely foretold. So,

on shore, the fools or madmen who have dreams and visions are not

heeded when times are good, and men's senses sound, whereas, in

troubled times, men take their ravings to heart. If all the

scatterbrains had a good whipping at the pillory it would be well,

both for them and for the silly people who pay attention to their

ravings."

A few minutes later, Cyril took a boat to the Whitehall steps, and

after some delay was shown up to Prince Rupert's room.

"None the worse for your exertions yester-even, young gentleman, I

hope?" the Prince said, shaking hands with him warmly.

"None, sir. The exertion was not great, and it was but the

inconvenience of the smoke that troubled me in any way."

"Have you been to inquire after the young ladies who owe their lives

to you?"

"No, sir; I know neither their names nor their condition, nor, had I

wished it, could I have made inquiries, for I know not whither they

were taken."

"I sent round early this morning," the Prince said, "and heard that

they were as well as might be expected after the adventure they went

through. And now tell me about yourself, and what you have been

doing. 'Tis one of the saddest things to me, since I returned to

England, that so many good men who fought by my side have been made

beggars in the King's service, and that I could do naught for them.

'Tis a grievous business, and yet I see not how it is to be mended.

The hardest thing is, that those who did most for the King's service

are those who have suffered most deeply. None of those who were

driven to sell their estates at a fraction of their value, in order

to raise money for the King's treasury or to put men into the field,

have received any redress. It would need a vast sum to buy back all

their lands, and Parliament would not vote money for that purpose;

nor would it be fair to turn men out of the estates that they bought

and paid for. Do you not think so?" he asked suddenly, seeing, by the

lad's face, that he was not in agreement with him.

"No, sir; it does not seem to me that it would be unfair. These men

bought the lands for, as you say, but a fraction of their value; they

did so in the belief that Parliament would triumph, and their

purchase was but a speculation grounded on that belief. They have had

the enjoyment of the estates for years, and have drawn from them an

income which has, by this time, brought them in a sum much exceeding

that which they have adventured, and it does not seem to me that

there would be any hardship whatever were they now called upon to

restore them to their owners. 'Tis as when a man risks his money in a

venture at sea. If all goes as he hopes he will make a great profit

on his money. If the ship is cast away or taken by pirates, it is

unfortunate, but he has no reason to curse his ill-luck if the ship

had already made several voyages which have more than recouped the

money he ventured."

"Well and stoutly argued!" the Prince said approvingly. "But you must

remember, young sir, that the King, on his return, was by no means

strongly seated on the throne. There was the Army most evilly

affected towards him; there were the Puritans, who lamented the upset

of the work they or their fathers had done. All those men who had

purchased the estates of the Royalists had families and friends, and,

had these estates been restored to their rightful owners, there might

have been an outbreak that would have shaken the throne again. Many

would have refused to give up possession, save to force; and where

was the force to come from? Even had the King had troops willing to

carry out such a measure, they might have been met by force, and had

blood once been shed, none can say how the trouble might have spread,

or what might have been the end of it. And now, lad, come to your own

fortunes."

Cyril briefly related the story of his life since his return to

London, stating his father's plan that he should some day take

foreign service.

"You have shown that you have a stout heart, young sir, as well as a

brave one, and have done well, indeed, in turning your mind to earn

your living by such talents as you have, rather than in wasting your

time in vain hopes and in ceaseless importunities for justice. It may

be that you have acted wisely in thinking of taking service on the

Continent, seeing that we have no Army; and when the time comes, I

will further your wishes to the utmost of my power. But in the

meantime there is opportunity for service at home, and I will gladly

appoint you as a Volunteer in my own ship. There are many gentlemen

going with me in that capacity, and it would be of advantage to you,

if, when I write to some foreign prince on your behalf, I can say

that you have fought under my eye."

"Thank you greatly, Prince. I have been wishing, above all things,

that I could join the Fleet, and it would be, indeed, an honour to

begin my career under the Prince of whom I heard so often from my

father."