On the Wings of the Wind

Front matter

ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND "'What's yer name, man?' asked the stout passenger." [Page 16^. ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND BY HENRY FRITH author of "through flood, through fire j j " jack o* lanthorn ; " "ascents and adventures;" "unacIthe Indian;" "a race for life;" &c, &c., &c. LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS Broadway, Ludgate Hill NEW YORK: 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE BY THE SAME AUTHOR. SCHOOLBOYS ALL THE WOELD OVEE. With 50 Illustrations. THE HOLIDAY ALBUM FOR BOYS. With 92 Full-Page Illustrations. KING AETHUE AND HIS KNIGHTS OP THE BOUND TABLE. With 50 Illustrations by F. A. Fraser. ASCENTS AND ADVENTUEES. A Record of Hardy Mountaineering in every Quarter of the Globe. With 57 Illustrations. TO JOSEPH TICKELL, ESQ., OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, BARRISTER-AT-LA W, Ei)tit a&b.ntiiws" aw IBfKtcat.K BY HIS FRIEND THE AUTHOR.

Preface

. The adventures of our imaginary hero as pourtrayed in the following pages are not altogether imaginary, though we do not assert that Jacob Brammer, or any other lad, ever went through the perils and dangers he endured. But in the course of a varied experience, in the company of engine-drivers, firemen, and guards on locomotives, and elsewhere, we have been enabled to pick up sufficient crumbs which, with the leaven of some early technical education, have enabled us to knead the mixture of fact and fancy into what, we Preface. VIU trust, will prove a tasty addition to the literary fare of young people. It may be objected that the adventures described are impossible. We would merely reply, " Truth is stranger than fiction." We believe we could find "chapter and verse " for most of the incidents ; and curiously enough, two or three nearly similar occur rences have actually happened since we imagined them as happening to our hero.

As to our own experience we may add that having been educated for the profession of Civil Engineer, we had many opportuni ties of learning the management of a locomotive, and there are no circumstances — barring accident — in which we have not travelled on the engines. In rain, fogs, snow-storms, thunder-storms : in daylight, Preface. IX moonlight and darkness we have stood on the footplate, and imagined the incidents which might occur on the Iron Road. We have ventured to make this rather personal explanation lest it should be thought that we are rushing in upon a line, foolishly, where better informed writers " fear to tread " ; and that our authority was no better than that of the mere scribe. HENRY FRITH. Wandsworth Common, September, 1884. CONTENTS. ON THE WINGS OF THE WIND. TACE Introductory i Chap. I. — the little house under the hill. 4 ,, II. — NIGHT WORK. — "STOLE AWAY !

" . 20 „ III. — ADRIFT 42 ,, IV. — THE FIGHT IN THE CHANNEL . . . 56 ,, V. — AFTER THE ACTION 74 „ VI. — A BEGINNING. — THE MAIL TRAIN, CAUGHT ! S5 „ VII. — ROBERT PARKINS 101 „ VIII. — WHICH IS WHICH? . . . .113 ,, IX. — "TOUCH AND GO!" — A FIGHT ON THE FOOTPLATE 124 ,, X. — A DANGER SIGNAL . . . I3S ,, XI. — A NIGHT WITH A GOODS TRAIN ; AND WHAT HAPPENED AT THE JUNCTION I48 ,, XII. — AN UNEXPECTED MEETING . . . 16S ,, XIII.— ROBERT'S CONFESSION. — JACOB RETIRES. — CONCLUSION iSo Contents. XI 1 SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR. PAGE CHAr. I.— A CLEVER TRICK 193 II. — AGAINST TIME 209 ,, III. — LEFT ALONE— TRICKED AGAIN — FOUND 2lS AT LAST — AN ENGAGEMENT AN ENGINE-DRIVER'S STORY =31 TOLD IN THE TRAIN 261 THE PLATE-LAYER'S REVENGE . . . .287 INTRODUCTORY. Perhaps a few introductory remarks may not be out of place before we proceed with our tale.

In the following pages we shall seek to depict the daily life and experiences of an engine-driver. Many persons who think about drivers and firemen at all, imagine that their life is extremely pleasant, and by no means a hard one, except in winter. To " turn a handle," or " shovel in some coal," cannot be a very laborious occupation for a few hours a day ; while the excitement and " fun " of running up and down the line, the fresh air and continual change of scene, is much more pleasant than sitting at a desk. B But those who think thus see only the upper side of the engineer's life, and cannot realize the heavy responsibilities and the hardships which he supports. Putting aside the inclemency of the weather, and the bodily fatigue of standing on the foot-plate with brain on the rack — eyes, ears, and hands ever ready to catch and remedy the least defect, or avoid an impending danger — there is the heavy responsibility depen dent upon him for his passengers' safety.

As our tale proceeds we will endeavour to explain, as simply as possible, not only the duties of this most useful public servant, but also the construction and workings of the locomotive engine; as far as we can, avoiding technicalities. So many boys are attracted by locomo tives, and have such a fondness for trains, that we feel assured this tale will meet a hearty welcome at their hands. They will find our typical engine-driver will meet with many curious adventures, generally founded on fact, some of which have come within the knowledge of the writer. Nothing in Introductory. 3 the following pages is related without the authority of experience, and the thanks of the author are due to those kind friends who permitted him to " rub up " his former somewhat "rusty" knowledge of engine driving, by permitting him to renew his acquaintance with the drivers and firemen on the foot-plates of their locomotives.

The writer wishes particularly to acknow ledge his indebtedness to Mr. Reynolds, the talented and practical author of " Locomo tive Engine Driving," a book to be com mended to all amateurs and professional engineers. B

Chapter I. The Little House Under The Hill

Half-way up on the side of a breezy cliff on the south coast of England stood a small cottage, known to all the surrounding parishes as " The Little House under the Hill." It was the dwelling place of Widow Brammer and her son Jacob, a boy about fourteen Here, for many years, Mrs. Brammer had lived very much alone ; for her son, like many boys of his time, was deeply imbued with a great love for the sea, and passed many of his youngest years play ing on the beach or lending a hand to haul up a lugger at eventide. As he grew up he was sent on board a fishing-boat, and in the occupation of fisher-man, or boy rather, he grew up. Every creek and rock was known to young Jacob ; not a shoal or reef escaped his quick eye ; and by the time he was thirteen he was, for his age, accounted the smartest lad in the parish of Coombe Strickland.

But this very smartness tended to unsettle our hero. He began to fancy that he was indispensable to his master's interests. He thought because he was quick and sharp that he was also talented. This conviction, whether truly or falsely entertained, at length made him conceited, as it is apt to do ; and so it happened that by taking too much upon himself on one occasion he got into difficulties with his master, and was dismissed. This was a great disappointment to his widowed mother. His father he had never seen. Jacob Brammer, senior, had myste riously disappeared one Sunday night when he was busily engaged running a cargo of choice spirits, with a crew of " choice spirits " like himself. Whether he had been snapped up by the Preventive Men, or whether he had been drowned, or " pressed " while in a state of " glorious uncertainty," remained a mystery.

From On the Wings of the Hind. 6 that evening Mrs. Brammer was a widow, and grieved for her " man," as she called him. When her son was born she deter mined to call him Jacob in memory of his father. We are bound to confess that the moral training to be picked up on the beach and in the hamlet of Martin's Coombe was not the highest that could be wished, but it was no worse than many more ambitious centres of civilization, and did the youth no real harm. Honest in all their dealings with their fellow creatures, Jacob and his friends still looked upon smuggling as venial. No sermons, no amount of reasoning, could persuade those sturdy fisher-folk that running a cargo was running in the face of either the moral law or the law of the land. Their vocabulary did not contain the verb " to smuggle."

It was softened down into the verb " to run." It would have been curious had not this obliquity of moral vision also distinguished Mrs. Brammer, and, not to put too fine a point upon it, The Little House under the Hill was a very notorious public-house indeed. At the backhand beneath the flooring, were extensive cellars, which people said pene trated miles under the chalky cliff, and had winding passages and mysterious hiding places far inland on yonder down. Whence came those curious sounds and sights on wintry nights ? That sea-bird's cry, that raven's croak, the neigh of some wander ing colt, all carried a meaning to Jacob Brammer. As the hoarse waves beat in never ceasing thunder upon the rocks below his mother's house, Jacob would perch aloft in his eyrie. Up in that nook he had scooped out of the cliff above the chimney, young Jacob, now out of employment, sat glass in hand, and swept the offing for the dreaded cruiser or coast-guard boat, ready to whistle the news a-down the wind to his comrades below.

One day, as he was perched as usual on the cliff after dinner, he descried a thin cloud of smoke arising beyond the rocky promontory to the westward. " Hullo," thought Jacob, " is that smoking Jack coming in here, I wonder ? No such luck," he added, as he caught sight of the small steamer — " why should she ? " Why, indeed, no one could tell, but she did. The smoke blew away to leeward, and the little coasting steamer puffed and splashed and dashed up tiny waves as she made her way to the rough jetty below The House under the Hill. This was an occurrence so unprecedented, that Jacob immediately descended the cliff by the shortest path, and almost as soon as the steam was loosed from the safety valve, he was at the gangway. Stragglers from Martin's Coombe had already arrived, and the fishermen were striding slowly, hands in pockets, pipe in mouth, to the jetty.

What was the matter ? A tall man clad in the usual pilot jacket, thick boots, serge trousers, and black shiny hat stepped ashore. Greetings were ex changed as soon as the light rope was made fast. " Does any o' you lads know a lady The Little House wider the Hill. 9 called Susannah Brammer ? " asked the skipper. "Aye, aye; no fear. What of her?" said two or three of the assembled fishermen. " I want to see her. Where does she live ? " " Yonder," was the reply, as several pipes were removed, and stems pointed in the di rection of The Little House under the Hill. "All right; thank ye, my lads," replied the skipper, as he trudged manfully up the steep and winding path that led to Widow Brammer's cottage. " Who be he, I wonder," said Nicholas Brandt, as he watched the sturdy skipper's departing figure.

" Shouldn't wonder, eh ?" " Shouldn't wonder what ? Not the old man ? " " Ave, him sure enough. Lad's father." " Avast yer rubbish," cried another. "That's Ben Lattimer. I knows him well." " Uncle Lattimer. My uncle ! " exclaimed Jacob, who had been listening unobserved. " Oh, Queenie !" This was an exclamation peculiar to Jacob. Where he had picked it up he could not tell. It was his pass-word, and the only strong expression he ever permitted himself, for to the credit of both mother and son, it must be stated that she had been careful to train him up free from all bad words and worse than useless interjec tions, to which rule Jacob was careful to conform. By this time Benjamin Lattimer had got up to The Little House under the Hill. He paused a moment at the open door to take breath, and then knocked.

The door of an inner room opened and Ben crossed the threshold at the same time. Mrs. Brammer and Benjamin met in the centre of the tap room. " My gracious, Ben ! where did you spring from?" exclaimed Mrs. Brammer. "You have given me quite an upset." " Sorry for that, Susannah," replied Ben as he embraced his sister. " But I'm a bit blown. Can ye give us a glass o' gro°- ? " "Well, I think I can," replied Susannah with an arch smile which age and trouble had not entirely deprived of its charm. She disappeared, and in a moment or two re turned with the spirits and cold water. "Now, lass, bring yourself to an anchor, and listen to me. I ain't come into this death's head and cross-bones bay only to make a mornin' call, you bet ! " " I suppose not, Ben," replied his sister. " Well, I am quite ready to listen.

We are all alone here." Ben nodded to her as he took a pull at the grog, and having put down the tumbler with a sigh of satisfaction, he said abruptly — " How's your lad gettin' on ? " "Not over well, I'm sorry to say," replied the widow. " He's idling just now. He's a good lad though — a good lad. A bit wild at times, but good at heart — he is, sure." " I'm glad to hear it. Now I want a lad aboard my cockle-shell yonder. I'll teach him how to run a steamer and navigate the channel. I'll show him an injin at work, Ou the Wings of the Wind. 12 and make a man of him. There — what d'ye say ? " " Say ? Oh, Ben, you are too kind ! I accept your offer with joy, and thank you warmly. Poor lad ! I misdoubt how he will like your smoke-jack, as he calls it. He's all for ships, I know, and sailing, but this will be quite new to him !

" " Well, ye see, I have a lad aboard, but he ain't so much use as he might be. He has taken a dislike to cleanin' up my injins, but he's good at the wheel. I want another lad. I'm willin' to take your Jacob and 'prentice him like, free, gratis, for nothin' for your sake. I can't say fairer than that." " Indeed no. I am very thankful to you. But when do you want Jacob ?" "Now. At once. As soon as ye can, at any rate," he added, as he saw the widow's expression. " Say, on my trip up. Next Saturday afternoon." " Very well, I will try to get him ready by then. He has not much to take, but his clothes want a little mending. Will he be away long ? " " All depends. I may get another berth. But I'll give ye notice if I change, be sure." "Thank ye, Ben. Must ye be goin' ? " she added, as the skipper rose.

"Aye, I must be off before the ebb. It will be a dirty night, and I must run up to Carradore afore dark. I should like to have seen Jacob though." " He'll be hanging about the boats. You hail him below, and he'll come fast enough. Good-bye, Ben, and thank ye kindly." " Good-bye, lass, good-bye, and luck attend ye." Then he stooped and whis pered, " Mind what you're after, Susannah ; there's some of the coast-guard on the cliffs yonder, I know. I hear a thing or two sometimes, and I passed a lugger outside, d'ye mind ? " Mrs. Brammer blushed a little. Her eyes sank before her brother's gaze as she replied — " Once Jacob is safe and provided for, I'll be off too. I don't like this place. I'm too old for the business." " That's right, Susannah. Sell the good Ou the Wings of the Wind. 14 will or bad will, whichever it is, and go up to Exeter.

You'll find the old people have not forgot ye. Good-bye. Saturday's flood, remember." " I'll not forget, depend upon it," was the reply. And the skipper departed. Meantime Jacob had ventured aboard the Francis Drake, as the small steamer was named. Finding no one on board, he pushed his researches down into the engine-room. Not a sound except the low rushing of the steam escaping from the valve was.heaixl on board. There was nobody to interfere with him. He would examine this " Smoke Jack" of which he had heard so much. "What a lot of handles," he thought. "What's the good o' them, I wonder, and those great arms coming up out of those big round pots. Beautiful smooth they are," he added, as he touched them. " My eye, ain't they hot too ? I shouldn't wonder if they'd cook dinner here. Snug place in winter.

How am I to get round this ingin I don't know. There ain't no place to move in. Here, you come up ! " As he spoke this, half aloud, he violently pushed the handle nearest him, and finding another lever somewhat in his way he pushed it aside. Immediately, to his great astonish ment, a loud " fizz " was heard, and "the two great arms in the large pots " began to move, one up and one down ! Jacob gazed at them in terror. What were they going to do ? As he stood looking at them a loud snap was heard outside, and then a shouting from the jetty. He ran on deck as quickly as he could. The steamer was running away. The paddles were slowly beating the water, and the vessel was going, stern first, out to sea. " Ahoy ! " shouted Jacob in terror ; "help, I say. Hoy, ahoy!" A great commotion was visible on the jetty.

The steamer was swinging round and commencing to describe a circle. In five minutes she would have run stern on to the rocks under the look-out station. Jacob ran to the wheel, but as he reached it the bow just grazed the extreme end of the pier, where only a few timbers represented the Ou the Wings of the Wind. 16 former structure. A tall lad had run to this point, and with a desperate spring leaped on board. In two seconds he had stopped the engines, and as Jacob had the wheel in hand, the little steamer was brought up in mid-channel without having done any mis chief to speak of. The lad who had leaped on board took not the slightest notice of Jacob until the vessel had stopped again. Then he walked aft, and without a word of anger or remonstrance or greeting of any kind, he deliberately clenched his fist and smote Jacob a severe blow between the eyes.

"That's for a lubber," he exclaimed, as he delivered the attack; "and this is for a fool." He was about to repeat the blow, but Jacob was by no means inclined to submit tamely to castigation. He had not time to effectually ward off the first blow, but the second he stopped very cleverly, and re turned his hard knuckles sharply upon his antagonist's right eye. Before more than ten stars had been kindled in that organ, he followed up the attack with such fury that the tall lad was forced to give way. This was his ruin. In attempting to parry a blow his foot caught in a ring bolt and over he went flat on the deck, while Jacob stood over him flushed with victory, and letting the crimson drops from his swollen nose drip one by one upon the half-senseless lad's face. " Who's the lubber now, I wonder ?

" said Jacob, as he wiped his injured face. " Who's the fool this time ? Come get up ! " This last remark was addressed to the prostrate boy, who moved uneasily and then sat up apparently confused. " I'll pay you out, ye lubberly fish scraper," muttered the injured lad; "you wait till I get up." " Who's afraid of a son of a sea-cook like you ? " was the conciliatory reply ; " get up again and I'll knock ye into Davy Jones's locker. Oh-h " This exclamation in a very piteous tone was caused by the sudden compression of his ear between the finger and thumb of a c On the Wings of the Wind. new and hitherto unseen adversary. A swinging box on the other ear sent our poor hero staggering to the side of the vessel, and, looking up, he beheld Benjamin Lattimer. " I've a good mind to knock your meddling head off.

Get ashore this moment, ye young rascal. Here ! come here first. What's your name, eh ? " "Jacob," replied the boy sullenly, as he rubbed his head. "Jacob what? speak up, or — — ," a threatening gesture completed the sentence significantly. " Brammer," roared Jacob wrathfully. The skipper was astonished. "Where do you live ? " " Yonder. In The Little House under the Hill." " Wait for me here," was all the reply the skipper vouchsafed. He went below, turned on the steam, sent the other lad to the wheel, and in a few moments was again alongside the rude jetty, where a large crowd had assembled. "Who's this boy?" asked Ben of the people nearest him as he landed, holding our hero tightly by the arm. " Young Jacob," was the reply. " So you are my nephew then," said old Ben. "You're a nice lad, I do not think.

Go home to your mother and hear what she has to say to you. I have not done with you yet, my lad." So saying he returned on board, whither the three men belonging to the steamer had preceded him. Having rated them soundly for leaving their posts, and having picked up the broken hawser, the skipper turned the vessel's head to sea. Jacob sauntered up the steep path, but did not enter his mother's cottage. He washed his face at a rivulet close by, and then went up the cliff to his post of observation and scanned the horizon to windward. c

Chapter II. Night Work

"STOLE AWAY ! " For a long time Jacob's sharp eyes could not discern anything worth reporting, but at length he caught sight of a sail. None but the most practised vision could have dis tinguished it. It might have been a breaking wave or the flutter of a sea-bird's wing to a landsman. But Jacob knew better. No one could deny that his eye was correct, and on this occasion he was right once more. " It's the Lively Polly for sure," he muttered. " Right on time too. There'll be work to-night." He waited for a quarter of an hour lono-er •L <__> to make certain, and then, feeling quite con vinced on the point, he descended to the jetty. "What cheer, my lad?" enquired one of the sailors. I" 21 " Polly's put the kettle on," was the ambiguously worded answer. " We can have tea to-night." " Aye, aye," said the man, " where away ?

" " Beating in round Deadman's Point. Fetch round about sundown I expect ! " " Like enough. I'll stir the stumps." As he spoke the sailor walked away to give his chums the information that the Lively Polly lugger, laden with tobacco and various contraband, as well as more legitimate articles of trade, was in the offing. Smuggling had almost died out, but, whether because of the excitement or out of mere defiance, some of the inhabitants of the little fishing-village persisted in keeping up a contraband trade, and much Eau de Cologne, many pairs of gloves, some silks, cigars, tobacco, and such things, found their way to the chemist's and to other less important shops in other places. In this traffic Jacob Brammer particularly delighted. He was usually the first to espy the lugger and to give information of her approach.

So well understood was this that, by tacit consent, he had been delegated to the very important position of " scout," more parti cularly as he was entirely unsuspected by the coast-guard. He often made himself useful to them also, so he was a valuable ally in conveying information as to their proceedings to his more intimate friends. But he was never known to betray any secrets if imparted to him as secrets, though he did not hesitate to inform his associates of any intended movements of which he had become cognisant by his own observation. The afternoon was fine, and the lusher could easily have run in closer, but she preferred to make little headway until sun down, when she would probably pay off a bit and run into a sheltered cove a mile or two below the point which formed one horn of the crescent of the bay.

So well was this understood that ere the glowing orb touched the water in the west, some rough carts were proceeding slowly over the clown, while the fishermen wandered as if aimlessly along the beach or pulled out in punts, ostensibly to fish in the bay. ! " 23 But these preparations were not unob served at the coast-guard signal station. A sturdy sailor had his telescope directed to wards the Lively Polly, and was watching her intently. Now and then he gave vent to his opinions or challenged those of his mates. "Ah! there she is," he remarked; "no mistakin' that craft. Smart sailor she is, too. But why don't she run in at once ? " " Can't afford it," said another. " She's waiting to know where she's to run to." " I could tell her that ; she'll run into the the Limestone Cave." " Not she.

She's bound for Deadman's Point. Ah ! there I told you — she's falling off now — and see them carts yonder. Dead man's the point for us." It was now getting dusk and the lugger was scarcely visible. But the practised coast-guard could distinguish her even against the darkening line of cliff. " Now lads," said the commander, " we'll just try conclusions with that fellow. Some of you will go along the shore. I'll take three hands in the boat and run across in the dark. If you hear me fire a shot you'll know that you are to make a rush." "Aye, aye, sir," was the answer. Then the whole force, with the exception of the look-out man on duty, proceeded to equip themselves for the expedition. The sun had gone down and the evening clouds came heavily up over the sea. Faint flashes of lightning were occasionally visible behind the darkening mass.

The wind fell almost to a calm, but the sea broke in a heavy roll upon the beach and rattled the pebbles noisily about as each wave retreated. The surface was smooth as glass, and the sails of the lugger hung listlesslv from the mast and were reflected in the heaving sea. Two bodies of men were now swiftly and silently proceeding towards Deadman's Point. On the darkened down the country carts had turned away from the farms and hurried to the coast. Along the beach the fishermen were hastening on scot, and out side were some boats drifting very slowly towards the point or were gently sculled in that direction. The coast-guard boat lay off under the shade of the opposite point ready to make a dash if necessary, while the detachment on land, screened by the formation of the ground, was advancing to overhaul the carts.

Ten o'clock. — Mrs. Brammer had been alarmed by hearing Jacob singing " Polly put the kettle on," for she well knew what that domestic ditty betokened. She had begged and implored him to remain at home ; but the lad, usually obedient, on this occasion paid no attention to her somewhat timidly expressed wishes, and taking a thick stick Jacob departed. He was not long in reaching the scene of action by the short cut known only to an initiated few. He found the rocks quite animated by the moving figures, flitting like shadows from stone to stone, laden and returning empty. The lugger lay a little distance off shore, and was rapidly transferring her cargo to the attendant boats, which in their turns carried it ashore for conveyance to the waiting carts in the gully. It was extremely dark and it would have been difficult to distinguish friend from foe but for the humming of the tune " Polly put the kettle on," which told each fisherman as he approached whether the man near him was a friend or foe.

Suddenly one of the men was observed to stop abruptly. Dropping a small cask which he was carrying, he seized a man beside him by the throat, and brought him down "with a run." No time to call out. The preventive man had been so well and dexterously "throttled " that he was practi cally powerless for a moment. This en counter took place on a large rock somewhat above the beach, close to the gully where the carts were in waiting. But the coast guardsman was a powerful fellow, and grappled with his wary antagonist, who did not utter a sound for fear of his voice being __> recognized. Before anyone could interfere the combatants had rolled off the rock and fallen into the water locked in a deadly embrace. Jacob perceived them, but before any of the smuggler's companions could go ■" Stole Away!" 27 to his assistance the coast-guard charged upon them, and a general fight ensued.