1830.J The Demon Ship. 6-13 



found no correspondent emotion in my own bosom. As I descended to 

 my berth, I fancied I descried among the sailors one Girod Jaqueminot, 

 whose face I had not before remarked. He was a Frenchman, to whom 

 I had,, during my residence abroad, rendered some signal services, and 

 who, though but a wild fellow, had sworn to me eternal gratitude. He 

 skulked, however, behind his fellows, and did not now, it appeared, 

 choose to recognize his benefactor. 



I believe I slept profoundly that night. When I woke, there was a 

 sound of dashing waves against the vessel, and a bustle of sailors' voices, 

 and a blustering noise of wind among the sails and rigging ; and I soon 

 perceived that our ship was scudding before a stiff, nay, almost stormy 

 gale. I peeped through the seaward opening of my little cabin. The 

 scene was strangely changed. It was scarcely dawn. Dim and grey 

 clouds obscured the heaven I had so recently gazed on. I looked for 

 the white sails of our accompanying vessels, and our convoy. All had 

 disappeared. We seemed alone on those leaden-coloured billows. At 

 this moment I heard a voice in broken English say, " Confound while 

 I reef tose tammed topsails my pipe go out." " Light it again then at 

 the binnacle, Monseer," said a sailor. (f Yes, and be hanged to de 

 yard-arm by our coot captain for firing de sheep. Comment- faire ? 

 Sacre-bleu ! I cannot even tink vidout my pipe. De tought ! Monsieur 

 in de leetle coop dere have always de lamp patent burning for hees lec- 

 ture. He sleep now. I go enter gently light my pipe." He crept 

 into my cabin as he spoke. " How's this, my friend ?" said I, speaking 

 in French ; <f does not your captain know that we are out of sight of 

 convoy." Girod answered in his native language, " Oh ! that I had 

 seen you sooner. You think, perhaps, I have forgotten all I owe you ? 

 No no but 'tis too late now !" The man's face shewed so much horror 

 and anguish, that I was startled. He pointed to the horizon. On its 

 very verge one sail was yet visible. A faint rolling noise came over the 

 water. " It is the British frigate," said Girod, " firing to us to put our 

 ship about, and keep under convoy. But our captain has no intention 

 of obeying the signal ; and if you get out of sight of that one distant 

 sail, you are lost." " Think you, then, that the Demon Ship is in these 

 seas ?" said I, anxiously. Girod came close to me. With a countenance 

 of remorse and despair which I can never forget, he grasped my arm, 

 and held it towards heaven, " Look up to God !" he whispered ; " you 

 are on board the Demon Ship !" A step was heard near the cabin, and 

 Girod was darting from it ; but I held him by the sleeve. " For 

 Heaven's sake, for miladi's sake, for your own sake/' he whispered, 

 " let not a look, a word, shew that you are acquainted with this secret. 

 If our captain knew I had betrayed it, we should at this moment be 

 rolling fathom-deep over one another in the ocean. All I can do is to 

 try and gain time for you. But be prudent, or you are lost !" He pre- 

 cipitately quitted the cabin as he spoke, leaving me in doubt whether 

 I were awake or dreaming. When I thought how long, and how fear- 

 lessly, the " Elizabeth" had lain amid the trading-vessels at Valetta, 

 and how she had sailed from that port under a powerful convoy, I was 

 almost tempted to believe that Girod had been practising a joke on me. 

 As, however, I heard voices near, I determined to lie still, and gather 

 what information I could. " What have you been doing there ?" said a 

 voice I had never heard before, and whose ruffianly tones could hardly 

 be subdued by his efforts at a whisper. " My pipe go out," answered 



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