which this mischance happened being about a mile from Oldbury,
my best plan seemed to be to ride thither and hire a horse at the
inn and then ride back to the Hall and acquaint Mr. Allardyce with
what had befallen me. This I did, and found my friend much less
vexed at the loss of his horse (though 'twas a noble animal) than
at the escape of Vetch. He sent off a man at once to Bridgenorth to
ask his lawyer to raise a hue and cry after the fugitive, and
promised to take like measures in Shrewsbury. I spoke of it to the
town authorities and to Captain Galsworthy, and since I was leaving
on the morrow, he agreed to enlist some of his old pupils in the
business, who would ride here and there about the neighborhood and
try to track Vetch down. And thus, having done all I could, I set
off next day once more for Bristowe, to take ship for Portsmouth.

Chapter 21: I Meet Dick Cludde.

Captain Samuel Vincent gave me a reception warm indeed, but not in
the way of kindness. After making me repeat my name, he asked me
under what captain I had served as a midshipman, and when I said
that I had never been a midshipman, and was proceeding to explain
the manner of my appointment he cut me short.

"Not a midshipman!" he cried, running together all three syllables
of the word. "You bin to school, I s'pose?"

"Yes, indeed," I said, "at Shrewsbury."

"Now hark to me," he cries, again interrupting me. "I never went to
no school, and I hain't got no philosophies nor any other useless
cargoes in my hold, nor Mr. Benbow neither; and if ever you say a
word against Mr. Benbow you'll wish you wasn't Humphrey, nor Bold,
'cos you'll wish as how you'd never bin born. I bid you good
mornin'."

I left him, in a fine heat of resentment, thinking that a few years
at Shrewsbury school might have improved both his language and his
manners. But when I came to know him better, and to understand the
motive of his rough address to me, I forgave the bluff seaman
heartily. He was a keen partisan in the feud that then divided the
navy, the one faction being for Benbow, the other against him; and
being ignorant of my antecedents, he supposed from my not having
been a midshipman that I was one of the fine gentlemen who were
foisted on the King's service by their high connections and
despised plain seamen of the Benbow school. I might have undeceived
him very soon had I so pleased, but I thought it best to win his
approval by the manner in which I perf