King o' the Beach: A Tropic Tale

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

  To Carey's rage and discomfiture he found that their captor treated himas the ship's boy, following Bostock to the store-room and ordering himto carry the most solid of the provisions to the blacks.

  "They won't want any knives and forks and plates, young 'un. Wait amoment. Where's the tobacco?"

  This was produced in its tub, and in obedience to his orders Carey tookout twenty of the long square compressed cakes.

  "That's right. Twenty of 'em, and don't let either of the warmintsnatch two."

  "How am I to stop them?" said Carey, bitterly.

  "Got a fist, haven't you?"

  Carey nodded shortly.

  "Hit the first as does in the mouth."

  "To be knocked down with a club," said the boy, bitterly.

  "No one dare touch you, my lad, unless I give 'em leave. I'm king here,I tell you, and the black dogs know it. Be off."

  "You hideous, red-eyed brute!" said the boy to himself, as he took hisload and turned to go. "How I should like to--"

  He did not mentally say what, for he was brought up short by the word"Stop!" roared in a bullying tone.

  "Here, you," cried the man to Bostock, "light a lanthorn; it's dark ondeck. Follow him, and hold it till he's done. And look here, bring itaway again, or they'll be setting the ship afire. They can see in thedark like cats. They want no light."

  Bostock fetched a lanthorn, lit it in a surly way, and then went first,closely followed by Carey, who just caught sight of their captor pouringhimself out a tumbler of rum from a half-emptied bottle; but there wasno water near.

  "Bob," panted the boy, as they reached the deck, "are we going to put upwith this?"

  "Dunno yet, my lad," growled the old sailor. "Not for long, I hope.Seems to me like me knocking that there red and white savage's head off,and then blowing up the ship."

  "But why doesn't the doctor do something?"

  "Aren't made up his mind yet what to do, my lad, seemingly. He'shatching. That's what I think he's a-doing of. I s'pose we'd betterwait."

  "I can't wait," whispered Carey, "I feel in such a rage, I must dosomething."

  "Take the prog to them black beasts then, sir, now. They aren't muchbetter than annymiles."

  "Look sharp, you two, and come back to the cabin," came in a fierce,hoarse voice from the cabin stairs, proving that they were watched.

  "Come on, and get the dirty job done, Master Carey," whispered Bostock."I shall 'ave to kill somebody over this before I've done."

  Carey said nothing, but walked forward with his load, hearing thesavages, who were chattering loudly, suddenly cease as if listening, andthe next moment Black Jack came bounding to their side, looking eagerlyfrom one to the other.

  "Why can't you walk?" growled Bostock. "Can't you get over the deck,and not come hopping like a hingy-rubber ball, or one of yourkangaroos?"

  "Kangaroo? Wallaby?" said the black. "Over there. Lots."

  "Go and join 'em then, you sable son of a three-legged pitch-pot."

  "Got meat?"

  "Yes," said Carey, and he served out the big lumps cut ready, whileBostock held the light, the blacks taking it steadily enough till allwere served, and Carey stood looking at them.

  Then a murmur arose, Black Jack shouting the one word "'bacco," and hisfellows all joining.

  "Can't you wait a minute, you set o' undressed nigger minstrels?"growled Bostock. "There, give 'em the cakes o' 'bacco, sir, and I wishit would make 'em sick."

  Carey had placed the oblong squares of compressed leaf in his pocket,and he now took out half-a-dozen, the light being cast upon his handsand giving the boy a glimpse of one of the party in the act of making asnatch.

  Carey recalled his orders, and he was in the right humour for takingadvantage of it, for his blood was up, and he jumped at the opportunityof getting a little satisfaction out of his enemies.

  The black was quick, but the boy was equally so, and as the savage madea snatch, Carey's disengaged fist flew out in good school-boy fashion.There was the sound of a heavy blow, a yell, and the black bounded offthe deck, to come down again club in hand and grinning ferociously as heraised it as if to strike.

  Carey did not pause to think.

  "Ah, would you?" he cried, and he struck out again quick as lightning,striking the black on the right cheek and drawing back quickly,expecting a general attack for his pugnacity.

  But to his great surprise and satisfaction there was a yell of laughter,and the party danced round him, shouldering their fellow away, as in aseries of strange antics they displayed their delight at hisdiscomfiture.

  "'Bacco, 'bacco!" they kept on shouting, as they pressed round, eachtaking his portion eagerly enough, but there was no snatching, till allhad received a cake save the one who had been made to give way.

  "There you are," cried Carey, holding out the last, but standing on hisguard so as to avoid an expected blow.

  But it did not come. The black took his cake and joined the others, togo back chattering to partake of their meal, while Carey and Bostockturned to go back to the cabin.

  "Now, I call that there plucky," said the old sailor, gruffly.

  "What?" said Carey, wondering.

  "You hitting that walking blacking bottle twice over in the mouth. Idon't know as I should ha' dared."

  "Plucky!" said Carey, wonderingly. "You don't know what a fright I feltin when I did it; but I was in such a passion that I was obliged to hitsomething."

  "And so you did, sir, a regular smeller. I don't believe a French or aJarman boy would ha' done it."

  "Nonsense, Bob."

  "Oh, no, it aren't, my lad; it's some sense, and it's taught me a deal."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Why, it's give me a feeling as we're going to get out o' this jobwithout being cooked and eaten. You see how they go down on their kneeslike to old Bottle-nose yonder?"

  "Yes."

  "Well, it's because he's a white man and not a bit afraid of 'em."

  "Yes, of course; but we--I mean, I am."

  "Not you, sir. Didn't look like it just now. Well, you're a white un.I won't call you a white man; that would be gammoning you, because manyou aren't yet. But you're a plucked un, and they was all delighted tosee you hit their mate. Well, you go on like that, and they'll beafraid of you. There's something in a white skin as is too much forthem, and you've only got to let 'em see that you don't care a quid o''bacco for their blunt wood sticks and knob clubs, to keep 'em wherethey ought to be, down--right down. For they're only good enough tomake door-mats to wipe your shoes on. Eat us? I should like to ketch'em at it!"

  "I shouldn't, Bob."

  "Ah, well, I didn't quite mean that, sir; it was only a way o'speaking."

  "Are you two chaps going to be all night?" came in a fierce voice fromthe cabin stairs.

  Carey stepped up to the speaker directly.

  "My black pack haven't worried you, then?" said the man, with a grinwhich showed two or three yellow teeth. "I began to think they'd eatenyou raw, as you didn't come back. There, I don't want to starve you;get below and have your supper along with your mate. I've half donemine."

  They went into the saloon, to find the doctor waiting for them with somefood ready at one end of the table, while at the other the beachcomber'sstood, consisting of a ship's biscuit and about half of the bottle ofrum, which he had taken possession of before they came back.

  "Get your prog, my lads, and then go to sleep. And look here, don't youeither of you try any games, or maybe you won't see daylight again."

  As may be supposed, the trio had not much appetite for their suppers,but they made pretence of eating, and saw that their captor was watchingthem all the time, sipping his neat rum and nibbling a little of thehard biscuit, which he softened a little at times by dipping it in hisrum glass.

  "Now then," he said at last, "is that your cabin?"

  "It is mine," said the doctor.

  "All right. Go in then, al
l three of you."

  "I don't sleep here," growled Bostock. "I've got a bunk below."

  "You'll go in there," said the man, fiercely.

  "But there aren't room."

  "Sleep on the floor then."

  Bostock turned to the doctor, but the latter's eye was averted, and hemade no sign, nor spoke.

  "All right," growled the old sailor, and he turned to Carey. "I won'tsnore more'n I can help, sir," he said. "It aren't my fault."

  "In with you all," said the beachcomber, roughly; "and look here, I'mgoing to sit here a bit to finish my physic, so don't come out anddisturb me. My black pack used to come prowling round sometimes of anight, but they never do now."

  As he spoke he took out a revolver and cocked it, before laying it downbeside his tumbler of spirits with a meaning look.

  "Are we to consider ourselves prisoners, sir?" said the doctor, speakingat last.

  "Dunno," was the reply, shortly given. "All depends. If you ride thehigh horse I may tell my pack to set you ashore somewhere else, but ifyou're civil--well, we shall see. Only just recollect this, and don'targue. These are my islands all round here, and all that comes ashore'smine. Now go to bed."

  He threw himself back in his chair and raised the glass to his lips, andwithout a word the three prisoners filed into the state-room, and thedoor swung to and clicked behind them.