1 Chapter 1

In the year of our Lord 18—, I was delighted one morning by receiving a letter from my father, who was captain and owner of the brig Petrel, telling me that he had arrived safely at Bristol with a valuable cargo, and that both he and my brother Willie, who was second mate of the Petrel, were well. The letter went on to say that my father had decided on taking me to sea with him, and had written to my schoolmaster, the Rev. Stephen Poynter of Clifton, to announce his intention. The letter also said that in two days' time Willie would come to take me away from school, and that I was to have everything ready for starting when he came. According to the custom of the school, I had received my letter in the ten minutes which were given to us for a run in the playground before commencing our work after breakfast, and, as may be imagined, I lost no time{10} in announcing its contents to my school-fellows, considering myself a very fine and important fellow to have finished my school days. The bell stopped short a description of the Petrel in which I was indulging, and we all had to hurry in and take our places at prayers, and when they were finished, to commence our ordinary tasks. I took my place at my desk, and opened my books. I must own, however, I did not think much of what they contained, and, under their cover, I tried to read over again my father's letter which had announced the coming change in my life. I could not help thinking that it was very wrong for the head-master to keep such an important personage, as I had now in my own estimation become, sitting on a hard bench at a black desk to con over rules of arithmetic, and I kept looking at the door of the class-room to see if old Abe the porter would not come to summon me to the head-master's presence.

Indeed, my inattention became so marked that twice the usher of the room said, "Baldwin, if you don't go on with your work I shall have to punish you." He was just on the point of leaving his seat to come over to me, when at last the door opened, and old Abe appeared, calling out, "Master Baldwin, wanted in the head-master's study." Usually, such a summons was the reverse of pleasant, for it meant, as a rule, that the boy who was called out had to answer for some mischief, and he was loath to answer the call. I, however, having a free conscience, jumped up at once;{11} and the usher, who did not know of my approaching departure, said, "There, Baldwin, you're wanted by the head-master. I suppose you have been up to some mischief, and that anticipation of your punishment has caused you to be inattentive."

I smiled to those of my comrades to whom I had shown my letter, and went past the usher with a sort of swaggering show of independence; and he very rightly made me return to my seat and leave the room properly. As soon as I left, old Abe led the way to the double doors which separated Mr. Poynter's private residence from the schoolrooms, and of which only he and the masters had the keys, and opened them, saying with a grin as he did so,—

"He hasn't chosen the cane yet; what is it you have been up to?"

"Nothing, Abe. I'm going to leave."

"Going to leave are you, and the holidays a month off yet! What is it for?"

I somewhat resented old Abe's familiarity, with whom the boys were on the best of terms, and said in as dignified manner as I could, "I'm going to sea."

"Going to sea, is it? Well, you'll wish yourself back here before long. Going to sea! Salt beef and weevilly biscuit won't suit as well as what you get to eat here."

"I shan't have salt beef and weevilly biscuit; I'm going in my father's ship the Petrel."

"Well, I never heard of a ship yet where there was{12}n't salt beef. But now the master mustn't be kept waiting; just you hurry on to his study."

I went along a passage on which the doors opened, and crossing the hall, knocked at Mr. Poynter's study door. As soon as I had knocked I heard Mr. Poynter say, "Come in;" and, opening the door, I found him sitting in his arm-chair, with my father's letter in his hand. He motioned to me to sit down in a chair opposite to him, and said,—

"Frank, my boy, you know why I have sent for you, as your father tells me he has written to you that you are to leave us in a couple of days. Now, this will be a great change in your life; and although I think that most boys should stop at school till they are at least eighteen, you are now old enough to commence the life of a sailor. You are sixteen, are you not?"

"Yes, sir; I was sixteen two months ago."

"I have little to say about the temptations to which you will be exposed, for as you will be under your father's own eye, you will be shielded from many which usually assail the young; but remember always that, even if you are tempted to do what is wrong by the thought that your earthly father will know nothing about it, your heavenly Father's eye is all-seeing, and that no thought or deed can escape him. For the five years you have been here you have given me satisfaction; but still, I have seen symptoms of self-will, and an inclination not always to obey with readiness. Remember that in a sailor instant and prompt obedience