_Chap. 14._
CAP'N JOE _and_ CAP'N BILL]
The rooms Zog had given his prisoners were as handsome as all otherparts of this strange, enchanted castle. Gold was used plentifully inthe decorations, and in the Rose Chamber occupied by the mermaids andTrot, golden roses formed a border around the entire room. The seamaidens had evidently been expected, for the magician had providedcouches for them to recline upon, similar to the ones used in themermaid palaces. The frames were of mother-of-pearl and the cushions ofsoft, white sponges. In the room were toilet tables, mirrors, ornamentsand many articles used by earth people, which they afterward learnedhad been plundered by Zog from sunken ships and brought to his castleby his allies, the sea devils.
While the mermaids were examining and admiring their room, Cap'n Billwent to the Peony Room to see what it was like, and found his quartersvery cosy and interesting. There were pictures on the walls--portraitsof grave-looking porpoises, bashful seals, and smug and smilingwalruses. Some of the wall panels were formed of mirrors and reflectedclearly the interior of the room. Around the ceiling was a frieze ofimitation peonies in silver, and the furniture was peony-shaped, thebroad leaves being bent to form seats and couches.
Beside a pretty dressing table hung a bell cord, with a tassel at theend. Cap'n Bill did not know it was a bell cord, so he pulled it to seewhat would happen and was puzzled to find that nothing seemed to happenat all, the bell being too far away for him to hear it. Then he beganlooking at the treasures contained in this royal apartment, and wasmuch pleased with a golden statue of a mermaid, that resembled PrincessClia in feature. A silver flower vase upon a stand contained a bouquetof gorgeous peonies, "as nat'ral as life," said Cap'n Bill, although hesaw plainly that they must be made of metal.
Trot came in just then to see how her dear friend was located. Sheentered from the doorway that connected the two rooms, and said:
"Isn't it pretty, Cap'n? And who'd ever think that awful creature Zogowned such a splendid castle, and kept his prisoners in such lovelyrooms?"
"I once heard tell," said the sailor, "of a foreign people thatsacrificed human bein's to please their pagan gods; an' before theykilled 'em outright they stuffed the victims full o' good things toeat, an' dressed 'em in pretty clothes, an' treated 'em like princes.That's why I don't take much comfort in our fine surroundin's, Trot.This Zog is a pagan, if ever there was one, an' he don't mean us anygood, you may depend on't."
"No," replied Trot, soberly; "I'm sure he doesn't expect us to be happyhere. But, I'm going to fool him and have just as good a time as I can."
As she spoke they both turned around--an easy thing to do with a singleflop of their flexible tails--and Cap'n Bill uttered a cry of surprise.Just across the room stood a perfect duplicate of himself. The roundhead, with its bald top and scraggly whiskers, the sailor cap andshirt, the wide pantaloons--even the wooden leg--each and every onewere exact copies of those owned by Cap'n Bill. Even the expression inthe light blue eyes was the same, and it is no wonder the old sailorstared at his "double" in amazement. But the next minute he laughed,and said:
"Why, Trot, it's _me_ reflected in a mirror. But, at first, I thoughtit was some one else."
Trot was staring, too.
"Look, Cap'n!" she whispered; "look at the wooden leg."
"Well, it's _my_ wooden leg, ain't it?" he inquired.
"If it is, it can't be a reflection in a mirror," she argued, "for_you_ haven't got a wooden leg. You've got a fish's tail."
The old sailor was so startled by this truth that he gave a great flopwith his tail that upset his balance, and made him keel a somersault inthe water before he got right side up again. Then he found the othersailorman laughing at him, and was horrified to find the "reflection"advancing toward them, by stumping along on its wooden leg.
"Keep away! Git out, there!" yelled Cap'n Bill. "You're a ghost--theghost o' me that once was--an' I can't bear the sight o' you. Git out!"
"Did you ring jes' to tell me to git out?" asked the other, in a mildvoice.
"I--I didn't ring," declared Cap'n Bill.
"You did; you pulled that bell cord," said the one-legged.
"Oh; did pullin' that thing ring a bell?" inquired the Cap'n, a littleashamed of his ignorance and reassured by hearing the "ghost" talk.
"It surely did," was the reply; "and Sacho told me to answer your bellan' look after you. So I'm a-lookin' after you."
"I wish you wouldn't," protested Cap'n Bill. "I've no usefer--fer--ghostses, anyhow."
YOU'RE A GHOST!]
The strange sailor began to chuckle at hearing this, and his chucklewas just like Cap'n Bill's chuckle--so full of merry humor that itusually made every one laugh with him.
"Who are you?" asked Trot, who was very curious and much surprised.
"I'm Cap'n Joe," was the reply. "Cap'n Joe Weedles, formerly o' thebrig 'Gladsome' an' now a slave o' Zog at the bottom o' the sea."
"J--J--Joe Wee--Weedles!" gasped Cap'n Bill, amazed; "Joe Weedles o'the 'Gladsome'! Why, dash my eyes, mate, you must be my brother!"
"Are _you_ Bill Weedles?" asked the other. And then he added: "But,no; you can't be. Bill wasn't no merman. He were a human critter, likemyself."
"That's what _I_ am," said Cap'n Bill, hastily; "I'm a human critter,too. I've jes' borrered this fishtail to swim with while I'm visitin'the mermaids."
"Well, well," said Cap'n Joe, in astonishment; "who'd 'a' thought it!An' who'd ever 'a' thought as I'd find my long lost brother in Zog'senchanted castle, full fifty fathoms deep down in the wet, wet water!"
"Why, as fer that," replied Cap'n Bill, "it's _you_ as is the long lostbrother, not me. You an' your ship disappeared many a year ago, an'ain't never been heard of since; while, as fer me, I'm livin' on earthyet."
"You don't look it, to all appearances," remarked Cap'n Joe, in areflective tone of voice. "But I'll agree it's many a year since I sawthe top o' the water, an' I'm not expectin' to ever tramp on dry landagain."
"Are you dead, or drownded, or what?" asked Cap'n Bill.
"Neither one nor t'other," was the answer. "But Zog gave me gills,so's I could live in the water like fishes do, an' if I got on land Icouldn't breathe air any more 'n a fish out o' water can. So I guess aslong as I live I'll hev to stay down here."
"Do you like it?" asked Trot.
"Oh, I don't objec' much," said Cap'n Joe. "There ain't much excitementhere, fer we don't catch a flock o' mermaids ev'ry day; but the work iseasy an' the rations fair. I might 'a' been worse off, you know, forwhen my brig was wrecked I'd 'a' gone to Davy Jones's Locker if Zoghadn't happened to find me an' made me a fish."
"You don't look as much like a fish as Cap'n Bill does," observed Trot.
"P'raps not," said Cap'n Joe; "but I notice Bill ain't got any gills,an' breathes like you an' the mermaids does. When he gets back to landhe'll have his two legs again, an' live in comfort breathin' air."
"I won't have two legs," asserted Cap'n Bill, "for when I'm on earthI'm fitted with one wooden leg, jes' the same as you are, Joe."
"Oh; I hadn't heard o' that, Bill; but I'm not surprised," repliedBrother Joe. "Many a sailor gets to wear a wooden leg, in time. Mine'shick'ry."
"So's mine," said Cap'n Bill, with an air of pride. "I'm glad I've runacross you, Joe, for I often wondered what had become of you. Seems toobad, though, to have you spend all your life under water."
"What's the odds?" asked Cap'n Joe. "I never could keep away from thewater since I was a boy, an' there's more dangers to be met floatin'on it than there is soakin' in it. An' one other thing pleases me whenI think on it: I'm parted from my wife--a mighty good woman with atongue like a two-edge sword--an' my pore widder'll get the insurancemoney an' live happy. As fer me, Bill, I'm a good deal happier than Iwas when she kep' scoldin' me from mornin' to night every minute I washome."
"Is Zog a kind master?" asked Trot.
"I can't say he's kind," replied Cap'n Joe, "for he's as near a devilas any livin' critter _can_ be. He g
rumbles an' growls in his softvoice all day, an' hates himself an' everybody else. But I don't seemuch of him. There's so many of us slaves here that Zog don't pay muchattention to us, an' we have a pretty good time when the ol' magicianis shut up in his den, as he mostly is."
"Could you help us to escape?" asked the child.
"Why, I don't know how," admitted Cap'n Joe. "There's magic all aroundus, and we slaves are never allowed to leave this great cave. I'll dowhat I can, o' course; but Sacho is the boy to help you, if anyonecan. That little chap knows a heap, I can tell you. So now, if nothin'more's wanted, I must get back to work."
"What work do you do?" Cap'n Bill asked.
"I sew buttons on Zog's clothes. Every time he gets mad he busts hisbuttons off, an' I have to sew 'em on again. As he's mad most o' thetime, it keeps me busy."
"I'll see you again, won't I, Joe?" said Cap'n Bill.
"No reason why you shouldn't--if you manage to keep alive," said Cap'nJoe. "But you mustn't forget, Bill, that Zog has his grip on you, an'I've never known anything to escape him yet."
Saying this the old sailor began to stump toward the door, but trippedhis foot against his wooden leg and gave a swift dive forward. Hewould have fallen flat had he not grabbed the drapery at the doorway,and saved himself by holding fast to it with both hands. Even then herolled and twisted so awkwardly before he could get upon his legs thatTrot had to laugh outright at his antics.
"This hick'ry leg," said Cap'n Joe, "is so blamed light that it alwayswants to float. Agga-Groo, the goldworker, has promised me a gold leg,that will stay down; but he never has time to make it. You're mightylucky, Bill, to have a merman's tail, instead o' legs."
"I guess I am, Joe," replied Bill; "for in such a wet country thefishes have the best of it. But I ain't sure I'd like this sort o'thing always."
"Think o' the money you'd make in a side show," said Cap'n Joe, withhis funny chuckling laugh. Then he pounded his wooden leg against thehard floor, and managed to hobble from the room without more accidents.
When he had gone, Trot said:
"Aren't you glad to find your brother again, Cap'n Bill?"
"Why, so-so," replied the sailor. "I don't know much about Joe, seein'as we haven't met before for many a long year; an' all I remember aboutour boyhood days is that we fit an' pulled hair most o' the time. Butwhat worries me most is Joe's lookin' so much like me myself--woodenleg an' all. Don't you think it's rather cheeky an' unbrotherly, Trot?"
"Perhaps he can't help it," suggested the child. "And, anyhow, he'llnever be able to live on land again."
"No," said Cap'n Bill, with a sigh, "Joe's a fish, now, an' so he ain'tlikely to be took for me by any of our friends on the earth."