The Project Gutenberg EBook of True Blue, by W.H.G. Kingston

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Title: True Blue

Author: W.H.G. Kingston

Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21481]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TRUE BLUE ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

True Blue--A British Seaman of the Old School, by W.H.G. Kingston.

________________________________________________________________________

From an Introduction by Herbert Strang.

The present volume gives a capital description of life in the Navy in
days of the old three-decker, and many interesting particulars of the
naval warfare in the revolutionary period, including the battle of the
"glorious first of June." It differs from the average boys' story in
one important respect. The hero, instead of gaining a title and a
fortune, refuses to rise above the class in which he was born, and
attains no higher rank than that of a warrant-officer. The author
skilfully introduces little touches and incidents, such as True Blue's
conduct when at a theatrical performance, which make his career seem
entirely natural and reasonable, and enlists the sympathy and approval
of the reader. "He had not aimed high, in one sense of the word," says
Kingston in the closing pages, "and yet he had in another sense always
aimed high and nobly--to do his duty." In Kingston's eyes no mariner,
nor any other man, could have higher praise.

________________________________________________________________________

TRUE BLUE--BY W.H.G. KINGSTON.

CHAPTER ONE.

TRUE BLUE--A BRITISH SEAMAN OF THE OLD SCHOOL.

The old _Terrible_, 74, was ploughing her way across the waters of the
Atlantic, now rolling and leaping, dark and angry, with white-crested
seas which dashed against her bows and flew in masses of foam over her
decks. She was under her three topsails, closely reefed; but even thus
her tall masts bent, and twisted, and writhed, as if striving to leap
out of her, while every timber and bulkhead fore and aft creaked and
groaned, and the blocks rattled, and the wind roared and whistled
through the rigging in chorus; and the wild waves rolled and tumbled the
big ship