CHAPTER XXV.
A DECLARATION OF WAR.
If Robert was surprised, Ben Haley had even more reason forastonishment. He had supposed his young enemy, as he chose to considerhim, quietly living at home in the small village of Millville. He wasfar from expecting to meet him on shipboard bound to India. There wasone difference, however, between the surprise felt by the two. Robertwas disagreeably surprised, but a flash of satisfaction lit up the faceof the mate, as he realized that the boy who had wounded him was on thesame ship, and consequently, as he supposed, in his power.
"How came you here?" he exclaimed, hastily advancing toward Robert.
Resenting the tone of authority in which these words were spoken, Robertanswered, composedly:
"I walked on board."
"You'd better not be impudent, young one," said Ben, roughly.
"When you tell me what right you have to question me in that style,"said Robert, coolly, "I will apologize."
"I am the mate of this vessel, as you will soon find out."
"So I supposed," said Robert.
"And you, I suppose, are the cabin-boy. Change your clothes at once, andreport for duty."
Robert felt sincerely thankful at that moment that he was not thecabin-boy, for he foresaw that in that case he would be subjected tobrutal treatment from the mate--treatment which his subordinate positionwould make him powerless to resent. Now, as a passenger, he feltindependent, and though it was disagreeable to have the mate for anenemy, he did not feel afraid.
"You've made a mistake, Mr. Haley," said our hero. "I am not thecabin-boy."
"What are you, then?"
"I am a passenger."
"You are telling a lie. We don't take passengers," said Ben Haley,determined not to believe that the boy was out of his power.
"If you will consult the captain, you may learn your mistake," saidRobert.
Ben Haley couldn't help crediting this statement, since it would havedone Robert no good to misrepresent the facts of the case. He resolved,however, to ask the captain about it, and inquire how it happened thathe had been received as a passenger, contrary to the usual custom.
"You will hear from me again," he said, in a tone of menace.
Robert turned away indifferently, so far as appearance went, but hecouldn't help feeling a degree of apprehension as he thought of the longvoyage he was to take in company with his enemy, who doubtless wouldhave it in his power to annoy him, even if he abstained from positiveinjury.
"He is a bad man, and will injure me if he can," he reflected; "but Ithink I can take care of myself. If I can't I will appeal to thecaptain."
Meanwhile the mate went up to the captain.
"Captain Evans," said he, "is that boy a passenger?"
"Yes, Mr. Haley."
"It is something unusual to take passengers, is it not?"
"Yes; but this lad is a friend of the owner; and Mr. Morgan has given medirections to treat him with particular consideration."
Ben Haley was puzzled. How did it happen that Mr. Morgan, one of themerchant princes of New York, had become interested in an obscurecountry boy?
"I don't understand it," he said, perplexed.
"I suppose the boy is a relation of Mr. Morgan."
"Nothing of the kind. He is of poor family, from a small country town."
"Then you know him?"
"I know something of him and his family. He is one of the most impudentyoung rascals I ever met."
"Indeed!" returned the captain, surprised. "From what I have seen ofhim, I have come to quite a different conclusion. He has been verygentlemanly and polite to me."
"He can appear so, but you will find out, sooner or later. He has notthe slightest regard for truth, and will tell the most unblushingfalsehoods with the coolest and most matter-of-fact air."
"I shouldn't have supposed it," said Captain Evans, looking over at ourhero, at the other extremity of the deck. "Appearances are deceitful,certainly."
"They are in this case."
This terminated the colloquy for the time. The mate had done what hecould to prejudice the captain against the boy he hated. Not, however,with entire success.
Captain Evans had a mind of his own, and did not choose to adopt anyman's judgment or prejudices blindly. He resolved to watch Robert alittle more closely than he had done, in order to see whether his ownobservation confirmed the opinion expressed by the mate. Of the latterhe did not know much, since this was the first voyage on which they hadsailed together; but Captain Evans was obliged to confess that he didnot wholly like his first officer. He appeared to be a capable seaman,and, doubtless, understood his duties, but there was a bold and recklessexpression which impressed him unfavorably.
Ben Haley, on his part, had learned something, but not much. He hadascertained that Robert was a _protege_ of the owner, and wasrecommended to the special care of the captain; but what could be hisobject in undertaking the present voyage, he did not understand. He wasa little afraid that Robert would divulge the not very creditable parthe had played at Millville; and that he might not be believed in thatcase, he had represented him to the captain as an habitual liar. Aftersome consideration, he decided to change his tactics, and induce ourhero to believe he was his friend, or, at least, not hostile to him. Tothis he was impelled by two motives. First, to secure his silencerespecting the robbery; and, next, to so far get into his confidence asto draw out of him the object of his present expedition. Thus, he wouldlull his suspicions to sleep, and might thereafter gratify his malicethe more securely.
He accordingly approached our hero, and tapped him on the shoulder.
Robert drew away slightly. Haley saw the movement, and hated the boy themore for it.
"Well, my lad," he said, "I find your story is correct."
"Those who know me don't generally doubt my word," said Robert, coldly.
"Well, I don't know you, or, at least, not intimately," said Haley, "andyou must confess that I haven't the best reasons to like you."
"Did you suffer much inconvenience from your wound?" asked Robert.
"Not much. It proved to be slight. You were a bold boy to wing me. Icould have crushed you easily."
"I suppose you could, but you know how I was situated. I couldn't runaway, and desert your uncle."
"I don't know about that. You don't understand that little affair. Isuppose you think I had no right to the gold I took."
"I certainly do think so."
"Then you are mistaken. My uncle got his money from my grandfather. Apart should have gone to my mother, and, consequently, to me, but hedidn't choose to act honestly. My object in calling upon him was toinduce him to do me justice at last. But you know the old man hasbecome a miser, and makes money his idol. The long and short of it was,that, as he wouldn't listen to reason, I determined to take the law intomy own hands, and carry off what I thought ought to come to me."
Robert listened to this explanation without putting much faith in it. Itwas not at all according to the story given by Mr. Nichols, and he knew,moreover, that the man before him had passed a wild and dissolute youth.
"I suppose what I did was not strictly legal," continued Ben Haley,lightly; "but we sailors are not much versed in the quips of the law. Tomy thinking, law defeats justice about as often as it aids it."
"I don't know very much about law," said Robert, perceiving that somereply was expected.
"That's just my case," said Ben, "and the less I have to do with it thebetter it will suit me. I suppose my uncle made a great fuss about themoney I carried off."
"Yes," said Robert. "It was quite a blow to him, and he has been nervousever since for fear you would come back again."
Ben Haley shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
"He needn't be afraid. I don't want to trouble him, but I was bound heshouldn't keep from me what was rightly my due. I haven't got all Iought to have, but I am not a lover of money, and I shall let it go."
"I hope you won't go near him again, for he got a se
vere shock the lasttime."
"When you get back, if you get a chance to see him privately, you maytell him there is no danger of that."
"I shall be glad to do so," said Robert.
"I thought I would explain the matter to you," continued the mate, in anoff-hand manner, "for I didn't want you to remain under a falseimpression. So you are going to see a little of the world?"
"Yes, sir."
"I suppose that is your only object?"
"No. I have another object in view."
The mate waited to learn what this object was, but Robert stopped, anddid not seem inclined to go on.
"Well," said Haley, after a slight pause, "as we are to be together on along voyage, we may as well be friends. Here's my hand."
To his surprise, Robert made no motion to take it.
"Mr. Haley," said he, "I don't like to refuse your hand, but when I tellyou that I am the son of Captain Rushton, of the ship, _Norman_, youwill understand why I cannot accept your hand."
Ben Haley started back in dismay. How could Robert have learnedanything of his treachery to his father? Had the dead come back from thebottom of the sea to expose him? Was Captain Rushton still alive? He didnot venture to ask, but he felt his hatred for Robert growing moreintense.
"Boy," he said, in a tone of concentrated passion, "you have done a boldthing in rejecting my hand. I might have been your friend. Think of mehenceforth as your relentless enemy."
He walked away, his face dark with the evil passions which Robert'sslight had aroused in his breast.