The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

  THE KING'S MIDDY.

  Rodd, full of excitement, was burning to follow too and see what helooked upon as the officer's discomfiture; but there was that middy, whoseemed to be left in command of the marines, and he felt a peculiarsensation which completely mastered him, filling him as it did with adesire to have what he afterwards called a good fall out with thatfellow, who seemed to make him metaphorically set up his feathers allround his neck and go at him as a strange young cockerel of a differentbreed who had suddenly appeared in the poultry-yard where he dwelt.

  So Rodd stayed on deck, thrust his hands into his pockets, ignored thepresence of the middy, and with something of a strut marched up to thetwo marines in the gangway, whistling softly the while, gave each afriendly nod, examined their grounded arms and their stiff uniform withits abundant pipe-clay, and ended by spreading his legs a little,swinging himself slowly toe and heel, and saying patronisingly--

  "Rather hot toggery that, my lads, for weather like this."

  "Well, of all the impudence!" cried the young officer hotly; and he tooka step towards where Rodd was standing.

  Rodd faced slowly round, looked at the boy superciliously, then said ascoolly as could be--

  "Hullo, midshipmite! Not gone below?"

  "No, puppy, I have not gone below," and as he spoke the lad pressed thehilt of his dirk involuntarily and sharply downward.

  "Ha, ha!" laughed Rodd. "Why, that looks like wagging your tail like amoorhen. I say, why didn't you draw that skewer just now? My word, youdid look fierce!"

  One of the marines tittered, and the other spread his mouth into a broadgrin, while, convulsed with rage, the young officer turned upon bothfuriously, making them draw themselves up as stiff as their muskets.

  "How dare you!" cried the middy, turning back to Rodd, and now becomingfully conscious of the fact that the schooner's crew gathered forwardwere gazing at the scene with intense enjoyment.

  "What's the matter, reefer?" said Rodd, whose face was scarlet, butwhose words sounded as cool and indifferent as if he were calm in theextreme.

  "Matter, you insolent blackguard!" cried the midshipman. "If I were noton duty, and too much of a gentleman to soil my hands with a schooner'sloblolly boy, I would give you a sound thrashing with my belt."

  "Would you?" said Rodd coolly. "That's the worst of you reefers. Youare nearly all of you like that when you come ashore at Plymouth. It'syour uniform and the wearing of a skewer that makes you all so cocky.Now, do you know you have said what a fellow just your age once said tome at Saltash--but he didn't. He had an accident, and then we shookhands, and I took him home to my uncle's and helped him to bathe hisface. It was such a hot day that his nose bled a good deal. But westopped it. Nice fellow he was too, afterwards. So I dare say you'd beif I had taken you in tow a bit."

  "I understand you, sir," panted the middy; "and look here, I shall notforget this."

  "Pooh! Yes you will," said Rodd, with a mocking laugh. "I wish youwere going to stop on board. We have got a spare cot here. Get yourold man to give you leave when your lieutenant has done smelling in allthe lockers below. You come while the two vessels are in company, andI'll teach you how to use the gloves."

  "Oh, if I wasn't on duty!" panted the middy furiously. "I haven't got acard with me, but give me yours. We may meet again."

  "Hope we shall, I'm sure," said Rodd. "I say, reefer, don't be so jollydisappointed because you won't have the price of half a nigger forprize-money."

  "Pah!" ejaculated the middy furiously; and turning his back upon Rodd hestepped to the side and looked over into the boat, to run his eyefuriously over her crew, who were all sitting upon the alert, ready forany order that might be given.

  But as he turned away and faced inboard, to his annoyance he found Roddclose up, smiling carelessly in his face.

  "I say, reefer," he said, "you do look hot."

  "Sir!" snapped out the middy, trying to look the boy down.

  "I say, don't be so waxy because you are disappointed."

  "I beg, sir, that you will not address your remarks to me; and pleaserecollect that you and yours are not out of the wood yet."

  "All right; only look here; your lads have had a long row, and you havegot another one back. Let's give the poor fellows a bucket of water,and I'll pour a bottle of our lime-juice in and some syrup. It makes asplendid drink. Look there; those two red herrings of yours have begunlicking their dry lips at the very thought of it."

  The midshipman seemed to give himself a snatch, but he glanced at thetwo marines, and then turned and looked over into the boat, for he washorribly thirsty himself.

  "Dry, my lads?" he said. "Like some water?"

  "Thankye, sir!" came in chorus, and Rodd called out at once--

  "Joe Cross! Bucket of fresh water--two pannikins! And is the stewardthere?"

  "Ay, ay, sir!"

  "Two bottles of lime-juice and some syrup for the boat's crew andmarines."

  Just then Uncle Paul's head appeared above the cabin hatch, and hestepped on deck, coming forward to where the two lads were, Rodd smilingand good-humoured, the middy wearing the aspect of the celebrated dogwhich had been pelted with big marrow-bones, upon each of which reposeda thick juicy bit of beef.

  "Lieutenant Branscombe says will you step down and join us for a fewminutes, Mr Lindon."

  "Does he want me, sir?"

  "Only to partake of a little refreshment this thirsty night."

  "That's right," cried. Rodd. "You go on down with uncle. I'll seethat your lads have plenty."

  "Er--er--no grog, please," said the middy hastily.

  "Not a drop, honour bright," said Rodd, laughing. "You shan't bemastheaded for that;" and he clapped the young officer merrily on theback.

  The stay would have been longer, but the darkness was coming on fast;still it had been long enough for all to become the best of friends, andwhen the two officers came on deck it was to find the two crews engagedin a hearty game of repartee, the schooner's men casting jokes down intothe boat, and the man-of-war's men hurling them back.

  "Yes, a very smart crew, Captain Chubb," said the lieutenant, "but if ithadn't been for the doctor's papers here, we should have been obliged tolighten you of about half-a-dozen, for you know you have no business tohave such men as this whilst his Majesty runs short."

  Just then the two lads were talking together hard.

  "Oh, don't you take any notice of that, Harding. Cocky, you called it.You should drop that; it's too schoolboy-like. You know a fellow may beonly a midshipman, still the ship's roll does call him a man, and when afellow's an officer in command of a lot of sailors, he's obliged to putit on a bit, else he'd never be able to keep them in their places."

  "Yes, I see," said Rodd.

  "That's right; and before I go I just want to say it was very thoughtfulof you to promise that the lads shouldn't have any drink. I got intoseveral rows when I was young and green, and went ashore with boats'crews. They used to try on all sorts of dodges to get away to thepublic-house. I say, get that uncle of yours to stop about here fishingfor a bit. I want to get you aboard the _Di_ and spend an evening withus at the mess. Do. I shall get to like you."

  "All right; I will try," said Rodd. "It wouldn't be the first time I'vebeen aboard a man-of-war."

  "Eh? Where?"

  "Plymouth harbour."

  "Oh yes, I forgot. That's where you live when you are at home. Whydon't you join altogether? You are just cut out for a middy."

  "Couldn't leave uncle. Going to be a naturalist."

  "A what?"

  "Scientific gentleman."

  "But serve the King!"

  "What, and be sent down here hunting after the blackbirdingblackguards?"

  "Pshaw! That's not really what we are here for; only if we see asuspicious-looking craft we board her."

  "Then what are you here for?"

  "King's business. Mum. Mustn't say."


  "Now, Mr Lindon! Good-evening, Captain Chubb; and good-evening,doctor. Glad to have met you, sir, and I hope you won't put me down inyour black books as _homo durissimus_, or some other scientific name.Give way, my lads. Mr Lindon! Do you want to be left behind?"

  "All right, sir," cried the middy, springing into the boat and comingdown into the arms of a couple of the men. "Good-night, Harding! Weshall expect you on board the _Di_."

  Down dropped the oars on either side, and then splash, splash, inregular movement the blades tossed up the beautiful pale lambent water,while here and there they broke up the reflection of the stars that weregradually appearing in the soft violet sky, while the boat glided onfarther and farther from the schooner, making its way towards the lightsof the sloop, from which all of a sudden there was a sharp flash,followed at a perceptible interval by the report of a musket.

  This was answered a few seconds later by a flash and smart crack fromthe sloop's cutter, whose course Rodd leaned over the side to watch tillit was invisible, when he turned from the side, to find Joe Crosswaiting and evidently watching him.

  "Rather close shave, sir," he said. "I began to feel as if some of uswas going to have our 'oliday come to an end. Wouldn't have been sobad, though, for there are some very jolly fellows there, and it aren'thalf a dusty life aboard a man-of-war when you have got over the firstfew days, and being what they calls homesick. Aren't no fear of theircoming back for us, is there?"

  "Not the least, Joe. You are all safe enough."

  "We are a-going to give the doctor, sir, such a cheer when he comes ondeck again--three times three, and one in for you. My word, sir, thelads did laugh to see you take the starch out of that there youngreefer! It was fine!"

  "Oh, never mind about that, Joe. But I say, you have been aboard aman-of-war. What would a sloop like that be doing down here?"

  "Why, you know, sir; looking after the blackbird catchers--the slavers."

  "Oh no; they are not on this station for that."

  "Must be, sir."

  "No, Joe."

  "Well, but, sir, you heard what the lufftenant said to our old man.That's what they were after, sir, and a bit disappointed too, until youand the doctor made them so friendly. They thought they'd got hold ofthis fine craft, nice little prize, for she'd sell well just as shestands after being condemned. Handy little bit of pocket-money for themin these days when the war is over. Rather a puzzler to them at first.The second luff--that's what he was--had never tackled a natural historycraft before, and he wouldn't believe it. That's what they are herefor, sir, trying to put a stop to the slave trade. We come upon one inthe _Naaera_ once--the nearer and dearer we used to call her, sir. Justabout such a sloop as that is. It wasn't our business, but we boardedher, the slave ship, I mean, in a calm, and the blackguards aboard ofher showed fight and beat our boat off in trying to get away with theirsweeps. They were making for one of these swampy rivers out eastward,rowing as hard as they could, and bringing up a lot of the poor niggersfrom below to help pull at the sweeps. Sweeps, indeed! Nice sweepsthey were! And if they once got into the river we should have lostthem."

  "Well?" said Rodd. "And they beat you back?"

  "That they did, sir. Took us quite by surprise. We never thought theywould have the cheek to resist; and we lay off, rubbing our sore earsand growling and spitting like angry cats, not knowing what to do,feeling that we should get worse off if we pursued, and ashamed to goback to face our old man; and just as we were feeling at our worst weknew that our skipper had been watching us all the time with his glass,and there was our launch coming full swing, chock-full of men showingtheir teeth. That set us all up again, and we were like new men. Roundwent our boat's head, and we were off in full pursuit of the slaver, thelads pulling so hard that we got alongside before the launch couldovertake us, swarmed over her low gunwale, and went at the slaver's crewtooth and nail, so savage that every man of us showed them the cutlasspractice in fine style, driving them back step by step till if we hadhad strength enough we should have driven them overboard or down below;but they were too strong for us. Put half-a-pound weight in a scale,sir, if there's a pound in t'other it is too much for it, and so it washere, sir. We boarded her from the starn, and had driven them right upinto the bows, but being a bit india-rubbery, when they could get nofarther they bounced back on us and we were being driven step by stepalong the deck, farther and farther aft, till they gathered theirselvestogether with a rush, yelling like demons, and the next thing would havebeen that such of us as could stand would have been driven over into ourboat again. But there was a regular hearty British cheer when we leastexpected it, for we had forgotten all about our other boat, and therewere the launchers swarming over her bows and taking them in the rear.That made our lads take heart again. We cheered back, and charged, andthere were the slavers, blacks, half-breeds and Portuguese, took, as youmight say, between the jaws of a big rat-trap, every one of whose teethwas a British sailor; and to save being chopped in two, down they alltumbled into the slaver's hold, trapped themselves like the poorwretches the hold was packed with. My word, Mr Rodd, sir, there aresome things as a fellow never can forget, and that was one of them. Itwas just awful, sir!"

  "What, did you kill them all?" cried Rodd, horror-stricken.

  "Nay, sir, not one. We might have killed some of them if they had kepton showing fight; and I don't say, mind you, as some of them hadn't gotsome very awkward cuts, for when a British tar's fighting in a goodcause, and been knocked about till his monkey's well up, his habit is tohit hard; but there, as soon as we had driven that lot below theychucked their knives and axes and pikes away and began to howl formercy. What I meant was so awful was that place down below--that therehold with the slaver's crew trampling about and trying to hidethemselves amongst the chained-up cargo. Awful aren't the word for it,sir! The lads couldn't stand it: let alone the sick and dying, therewere some there that must have been dead for days, and that in a closehold in a sea like this! But I believe it was much hotter. Even theslaver's crew themselves begged to be let out--and there, I won't sayany more about it. It was quite time even then that our old countrybegan to put a stop to the slave trade, and I am sorry to say theyaren't done it yet. That's what made us chaps to-night so free-and-easywith that there boat's crew. You see, you can't help liking fellows whoare trying to put a stop to things like that."

  "No, Joe, of course not. But that's not what they are down here for."

  "Who says so, sir?"

  "Why, that midshipman, Mr Lindon, told me so."

  "Well, he ought to know, sir. What did he say they were here for,then?"

  "He didn't say, only that it was private and he couldn't speak."

  "Well, I don't know, then, only a man-of-war wouldn't be down here fornothing; that's pretty sure. Maybe we shall run into company with themagain some day, and then I dare say we shall know. They gave us lads afright, but I aren't sorry we met them, sir, for it was a bit of achange. Yes, Mr Rodd, sir, they are down here on some businesspertickler secret and sealed orders; but you wait a bit, sir, and I daresay one of these days you'll find out."