The Two Shipmates

The Two Shipmates, by William
H. G. Kingston

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Title: The Two Shipmates
Author: William H. G. Kingston
Release Date: October 17, 2007 [EBook #23051]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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The Two Shipmates, by William H.G. Kingston.
CHAPTER ONE.
The stout trading brig Amity, Samuel Mudge master and part owner,

was gliding up Plymouth Sound on a summer's evening towards her
accustomed berth in Catwater, a few years before the termination of the
last war between England and France. She had no pilot on board;
indeed, her crew averred that the old craft could find the way in and out
of the harbour by herself; at all events, her master knew it better than
most men trading from the port, as did his young mate, Ralph
Michelmore.
The last rays of the setting sun were glancing on the topgallant
mast-heads of the brig when her anchor was dropped, and by the time
her sails were furled and all was made snug the gloom of night had
settled down on the Pool, and twinkling lights began to appear from the
houses on shore.
"You'll be wishing to go on shore, my boy," said the old master, as
Ralph, the duties for the day over, came into the cabin to join him at tea,
which the boy had just placed on the table. "There'll be some one who'll
be right glad to see thee, lad;" and the speaker looked up at the mate,
whose handsome countenance beamed with pleasure, a slight blush
rising on it as he answered--
"Thank you, sir; thank you heartily. I should very much like to pay
Mistress Treviss--and--and her granddaughter a visit. I had few
opportunities of seeing them when we were last in port, and as we have
been long on this trip they may be anxious about us. But would not you
prefer going on shore yourself, captain? It's my duty to remain on
board."
"No, do you go, as I tell ye," replied the kind old master. "I'll stay on
board and look after the ship. But I say, lad, take your protection with
you. The press-gangs are sure to be out, and you may chance to fall in
with one of them."
"Thank you, sir, I have it here," said Ralph, producing a tin case from
his pocket; and hurriedly swallowing his tea without sitting down, he
went into his cabin to rig himself in his shore-going suit.
Ralph's father, the commander of a merchant vessel, and an old friend

and shipmate of Captain Mudge, had been lost at sea, washed from the
deck in a heavy gale, leaving his wife and young child but ill provided
for. The widow, a truly Christian woman, exerted herself to the utmost
of her strength to support and educate her boy, but when he was about
fourteen years of age her health gave way, and she died, committing
him to the charge of good Captain Mudge.
Ralph, who had set his heart on going to sea, was taken as an
apprentice on board the Amity the next voyage she made. By his
steadiness, intelligence, and activity, he soon became a prime seaman.
When on shore he studied navigation, and as soon as his time was out,
Captain Mudge, the berth being vacant, made him his mate. Most of the
crew heartily congratulated Ralph on his promotion, for they
acknowledged him, young as he was, to be the best seaman among
them. The only one who grumbled was Dick Bracewell, who had also
been an apprentice on board the Amity, and being a year older than
Ralph, and a very fair sailor, considered that he had superior claims to
promotion.
"I'm not going to quarrel with you about the matter, Ralph," he said,
though he looked very much inclined to do so. "If the skipper chooses
to favour you that's not your fault; but you can't expect me, as good a
man as yourself you'll allow, to be jumping here and there at your
orders; and so as soon as we get back to Plymouth I shall take my chest
and clear out of the old ship for good. I shall easily get a berth as mate
on board another craft, and if we meet again we shall be as good friends
as ever, I hope."
"No doubt about that, Dick,"