CHAPTER NINE.
A RIVAL COLLECTOR.
Nothing could have been better than the appearances of wind and weathernext morning--that long-wished-for "to-morrow," which had at last come,in spite of the Captain's perpetual procrastination.
The bright sun was glowing in a clear blue sky overhead, that wasunflecked by a single cloud, while a fresh breeze blowing from thewestwards to prevent the air from becoming stagnant; and the barometer,at "set Fair," made all prophets of evil, if such there were about, keeptheir lips tightly closed and say nothing to damp the spirits of theexpectant voyagers.
"Hullo, Nell!" shouted Bob, drumming on the balustrade of the staircaseoutside his bedroom to attract her attention and rouse her up. "Are youawake yet?"
Nellie's answer to this question was a "staggerer" to Master Bob, as hetermed it in his choice phraseology.
She appeared in the passage that passed her door fully dressed.
"I got up when Sarah rose, and have been ready to go downstairs for thelast hour," she said calmly, with a conscious pride. "You'd better looksharp with your dressing, Bob, for it is past six o'clock. Unless youstart off soon to the beach, too, for your bathe, you'll never be backin time for breakfast, which is going to be earlier this morning so thatwe may catch the steamer comfortably."
"My good gracious!" exclaimed Bob, jamming his right foot into his leftboot in his hurry and wasting a minute or more in wriggling it outagain. "I thought I was ever so early, and up before any one!"
"Ah, me dear," cried out Mrs Gilmour from below; "you'll have to catcha weasel asleep, sure, before you can hope, sir, to get ahead of us inthis house. I called Sarah long ere either of you were stirring!"
This was a climax; and so, without making any reply to aunt Polly'spertinent statement of fact, save a stifled laugh at the expense of MissNell, who had prided herself on having, as she thought, got the start ofthem all, Bob expediting his dressing in the most summary fashion,hurried off as speedily as possible across the common for his matutinaldip.
He was accompanied, as a matter of course, by Rover, who was ready andwaiting for him on the terrace outside, barking and bounding about likea demented dog who had parted company with his usual stock of common-sense.
"Down, Rover!" cried Bob, when the faithful fellow, in the exuberance ofhis joy on seeing his young master come out of the house, leaped up andlicked his face, preventing him from closing the door properly as he wasabout to do. "Behave yourself, sir!"
Rover, however, thought there were different ways of "behaving himself,"the chief in his estimation being to show his affection to those whowere kind to him, whom he loved with all the intensity of his greatcanine heart; and so, ranking obedience to orders as only second to thispotent law of his life, he frisked and jumped and playfully tousled Bobuntil he finally made him start at a swinging trot for the beach, thefrolicsome retriever galloping in advance one moment, the next stoppingin his mad career onward to give out a loud bark and wag his tail inencouragement to his master to try and catch him up, if he could!
Bob bent his steps towards the coastguard-station on the eastern side ofthe sea-wall, near the new pier, which was the regular meeting-place forhim and Dick every morning for their bathe; and here, punctually at "sixBells," or seven o'clock, he found on the present occasion his fellow-swimmer along with the Captain.
The latter, he could hear as he approached, was having an animateddiscussion with Hellyer, the chief boatman, on the subject of torpedoes,which Hellyer believed in, but which the Captain utterly pooh-poohed,saying that in his opinion they were of little, if any, use in navalwarfare.
He was laying down the law with great unction when Bob came up to them.
"Don't tell me," he cried, "of your `whitehead' going twenty knots anhour and exploding its charge of gun-cotton under a ship's bottom; for,where and what would those on board the ship be doing all the time--standing still, I suppose, to be shot at and doing nothing in their owndefence?"
"Aye, that's true, sir," said Hellyer; "but--"
"Remember, too," continued the Captain, "the torpedo, even of the mostimproved type, can only keep up this speed of twenty knots for adistance of five hundred yards, within which range the boat dischargingit would have to approach before sending it off at the vessel attacked,which of course would be fool enough to let it come to such closequarters without riddling it? Oh, yes, you tell that to the marines!"Hellyer laughed.
"You carry too many guns for me, sir," said he good-humouredly. "Ican't stand up against you, Captain, once you tackle me fairly!"
"Too strong, eh?" rejoined the Captain, triumphant at getting the betterof his opponent. "Of course I am! Your argument, Hellyer, won't holdwater. Besides, should one of those spiteful little inventions succeedin getting near an ironclad without being seen and sunk, the torpedonets of the ship would prevent the infernal machine, as these new-fashioned fallals were called in the old days, from exploding againsther hull. I, for my part, would be quite content to stand the brunt ofa torpedo attack on board a ship fitted with protecting nets and quick-firing guns. By Jove, I'd guarantee that Jack Dresser wouldn't be theone that was licked!"
"I'd bet that same, sir," agreed Hellyer heartily, but seeing Bob headded, "Ah, here's the young ge'man I fished out of the sea t'othernight. He doesn't look any the worse for being nigh drownded. He warn'hurt, sir, much, were he?"
"Not he," said the Captain. "He's learnt to swim, though, since then,and the other boy, too; so, if they choose to tumble in again off theramparts and get into deep water, there won't be so much bother inhauling them out; eh, Bob?"
"No, Captain," replied Bob, who was busy undressing; and, within a fewmoments he had plunged into the sea, and was swimming out with a bravefirm stroke in a way that fully justified the Captain's praise of hisnatatory powers, shouting out at intervals his customary war-cry--"Jolly!"
Nor was Dick far behind, although perhaps not quite so plucky inventuring beyond his depth, now that he had no especial motive as onthat memorable evening already alluded to by Hellyer the coastguardsman,for running the risk; while, as for Rover, he fairly revelled in thewater, paddling round and round Bob and Dick, thereby executing a seriesof concentric circles never dreamt of by the Egyptian mathematicianwhose problems have been the torment of the boys of all ages.
The sea was so warm and pleasant that they stopped in such anunconscionable time as to necessitate the Captain's hailing them threetimes to come out before they obeyed the order, and even then did solothfully, making the old sailor sing out to them the moreimperatively--
"Come out, come out of that, you young rascals!" he cried, shaking hisstick menacingly. "If you are not out and dressed in five minutes, byJove I'll start without you; for, I can't keep the ladies waiting. ByJove, I will!"
This threat had the desired result of quickening the boys' movements;Dick, if the slowest in the water, being the sharper of the two ingetting into his clothes. Rover was even speedier still, having only togive himself one good shake, administering in the action a shower-bathof drops to the Captain, when, there he was all ready, with a smart newcurly black coat, glistening from his dip, as if he had just been to thehairdresser's and had a brush up for the occasion!
On the way back to Mrs Gilmour's house to breakfast, the Captain andDick being specially invited this morning, so that they might leavetogether immediately afterwards for the steamer without losing any time,the boys had great fun with Rover and the towels.
These the retriever was always in the habit of carrying home, though Bobwould not let him have them at once, right out, to take in his mouth ashe left the beach.
He would first show them to Rover, with a "Look here, good dog!"
Then Bob would put the bundle of towels in a hole in the shingle, orunder some big boulder, which did not improve them, by the way; Roverobserving everything his young master did with the keenest attention,barking the while, and with every hair of his mane bristling withexcitement.
After th
us hiding the towels, if it could be called hiding where everydetail of the operation was watched by the dog, Bob would, as he did onthe present occasion, set out on his return across the common; MasterRover prancing in front of him, and anxiously keeping his speaking browneyes fixed on his face, awaiting the order which he knew to be impendingfor him to go back and fetch the bundle left behind.
It was always a struggle for Bob to keep his countenance steady, theslightest suspicion of a smile being interpreted by Rover as anintimation that he was at liberty to "go and fetch," without a wordbeing uttered; and, this morning, the struggle was intensified by thepresence of the Captain, who was in a joking mood, and tried all hecould to draw off Rover's attention from Bob.
However, in spite of these difficulties, the latter succeeded inrepressing any signs of emotion in his face until they got to thelandmark in the middle of the common, when, opening his mouth at last,Bob said, almost in a whisper, the magic words, "Go and fetch!"
Low as was the tone in which the command was given, Rover heard it; andthen, in an instant, off he flew, like an arrow from the bow, with hisbushy tail stretched out straight behind, bottle-brush fashion, makinghim resemble a dark-coloured fox in the distance, with the hounds infull cry after him.
The last they saw of him was the end of his tufted tail disappearingover the sea-wall at the place where Bob had secreted the towels, so onthey went in the expectation of Rover presently overtaking the partywith the towels, which he seldom failed to do before the roadwayskirting the other side of the common was reached, the retriever beinggenerally very rapid in his movements.
On this occasion, however, the Captain with the boys not only got as,far as the terrace, but arrived at the gate of Mrs Gilmour's house,without there being any appearance of Rover's return.
He and the towels were alike "conspicuous by their absence."
What could have happened?
Listening attentively, they could hear presently the sound of a dogbarking in the direction of the sea, and to Bob's mind, at least, therewas no doubt that the bark was the bark of Rover.
"He cannot get the towels from under the stone," cried Bob, turningback. "It is either that, or somebody has stolen them, or something. Imust go and see what's the matter."
"We'll all come," said the Captain. "I should like to see the affairout."
So saying, he wheeled round too, and with Dick started off in pursuit ofBob, who, going at the run, was already some distance ahead, on hisreturn journey to the beach.
The Captain stepped out well, however, and he and Dick got up just intime to settle a little dispute, in which Bob, Rover, and an ugly-looking man, very like a gipsy and evidently a tramp, were the partiesinterested.
The man had one end of the bundle of towels grasped in both his hands,while Rover was holding on like grim death to the other; the doggrowling, and tugging away so violently between each growl, that thetramp had hard work to keep hold of his prize.
Bob, on his part, had caught up a piece of broken timber, and wasadvancing to the faithful dog's aid.
But a boy like Bob, even with the help of such a valiant protector asthe retriever, could do little or nothing against a burly, ruffianlygiant, six feet high, and broad in proportion.
The arrival of the Captain on the scene with Dick, however, altered theaspect of affairs considerably.
The gipsy tramp, who had sworn to Bob, and at him too, that the bundlewas his own, and that he was walking quietly along the shore in searchof work, when he was assailed by "that savage dog o' yourn there," nowsaid, on the Captain's telling him curtly to drop the towels, or hewould have him locked up, that he had "only picked 'em up on the beach,and didn't mean no harm by it to nobody, that he didn't."
"Then the sooner you are off out of this, the better for you, myfriend," said the Captain, on the man's letting go the bundle of towels,which Rover at once carried off in triumph and laid at Bob's feet. "Beoff with you, you rascal, at once!" The man took his advice, andslouched away round the castle, soon disappearing from their sight;when, much excited by the unexpected little incident that they now wouldhave to detail to Mrs Gilmour and Nellie, besides being full of Rover'sbravery and sagacity, they took their way home again, for the secondtime, across the common, the clock of old Saint Thomas's church in thedistance striking as they turned their faces homeward--"One--two--three--four--five--six--seven--eight--*Nine*!"
"Look sharp, lads, or we'll be late for the steamer!" cried the oldsailor, as they hurried along, setting the example by hastening onwardsas fast as his little legs, aided by his ever-present malacca cane,could carry him. "I'm told that the _Bembridge Belle_ will leave thepier at ten o'clock without fail, wind and weather permitting, and ithas just struck nine--all through your loitering and skylarking in thewater, Master Bob and you Dick, and that long palaver we had afterwardswith your friend the towel-thief."
On reaching the house, where breakfast was all ready awaiting theirarrival, the old Captain, while hurrying through the meal, found time tochaff Nellie about this "rival collector," as he called the prowlingtramp when narrating all about the adventure that had detained them;telling her she would have to look to her laurels, and gather up all theodds and ends she could find, on the beach, or else this gentleman, whohad displayed such zeal that morning in trying to add to his collection,would certainly outvie hers.
"Now, children," said Mrs Gilmour, when breakfast and chaff had bothcome to an end, repeating the Captain's favourite word of command, "Looksharp!"
Her preparations had all been made beforehand; and without losinganother moment, she and the Captain, with Bob and Nellie behind them,started off, Dick, who had been taken care of meanwhile by Sarah in thekitchen, bringing up the rear with a substantial-looking hamper on hisshoulder.
Almost breathless, alike from excitement and their rapid pace, they madetheir way seawards, to where the _Bembridge Belle_ was blowing off hersteam alongside the pier, sounding her whistle to tell belatedpassengers like themselves that they had better put their best footforemost if they wished to reach her in time.
"All aboard?" inquired the captain of the steamer from his post on theport paddle-box, hailing the porter of the pier ashore, when they, thevery last of the late-comers, had scrambled across the gangway; and theporter having signified that no one now was in sight, the blue-cappedgentleman standing on the paddle-box touched the engine-room telegraph,and gave the signal to "Go ahead!"
In another minute, the fore and aft hawsers that had previously made herfast to the pier were cast-off, and her paddles began to revolve with aheavy splashing sound, like that of flails in a farmyard threshing outthe grain.
"Starboard!" sang out her skipper, now mounting from the paddle-box tothe bridge above. "Hard over, my man!"
"Starboard it is, sir," replied the helmsman, rapidly twirling thespokes of the wheel as he spoke. "It's right over, sir."
"Steady!" now sang out the skipper, meaning that the vessel's head hadbeen sufficiently turned in the direction he desired. "Steady; keep herso."
"Steady it is, sir," repeated the man at the wheel like a parrot, toshow that the order had been understood and acted upon. "Steady it is."
"Port a trifle now."
"Aye, aye, sir," returned the helmsman, reversing the wheel. "Port itis, sir; two points over."
"Steady."
"Steady it is."
Whereupon, a straight course being now laid for the little port to whichthey were bound on the Isle of Wight opposite, the _Bembridge Belle_steamed ahead, splashing and dashing through the water, that rippledover with laughter in the bright sunshine, lightening up its translucentdepths, and leaving a broad silvery wake of dancing eddies behind her.