Crown and Anchor Part 14

This order was instantly carried out by the ship's corporal, with the a.s.sistance of the master-at-arms, who had now arrived on the scene, when the incident terminated; but we could hear the Jew still cursing and swearing, and calling on his patron saint, Father Moses, for a long while after, as he was being rowed ash.o.r.e.

Shortly before evening quarters, all strangers were ordered also to go ash.o.r.e; and, later on, the captain came off, bringing word that we were to sail early the following morning.

I heard him tell Commander Nesbitt that he had better begin shortening in cable at daylight, so that we might weigh anchor immediately after breakfast.

"Very good, sir," the commander replied. "But who is this with you, sir--another youngster?"

"Yes; he's Admiral Mills's son," said Captain Farmer, much to my delight, for I had not noticed my old friend, Master Tom, who was the very last fellow I expected to see. "I have taken him to oblige his father, though he hasn't quite completed his time on board the _Ill.u.s.trious_."

"Oh, he won't lose anything by that," rejoined Commander Nesbitt, who did not have a very high opinion of my old training-ship, as I have already pointed out; and, just then, seeing me standing by, he said, "Take this young gentleman down to the gunroom, Vernon, and make him comfortable. I suppose you are already acquainted, both of you coming from the same ship?"

"Oh yes, sir," I answered glibly enough, overjoyed at having little Tommy Mills as a messmate once more. "He and I are old chums, sir."

"Indeed? Then there's no need for my introducing you," said the commander, with his genial laugh, which it was quite a pleasure to hear sometimes, it put one so much at one's ease. "Mind though, youngster, not too much skylarking when you get below. We don't want any more of that overboard business on board here, you know."

Of course I sn.i.g.g.e.red at this, understanding the allusion; but, naturally, Tom was not in the secret, and I had a good deal to tell him when I got him below.

The two of us took our seats on one of the lockers in a quiet corner of the gunroom and had such a very long chat, that we were only interrupted by Larkyns flinging a boot at us at Four Bells, calling out that it was high time for us to turn in to our hammocks.

He wanted to go to sleep he told us; for he would have to go on deck to take the middle watch at midnight, which was as close-handy as the boot he had sent at our heads to remind us!

This set us both giggling, which brought the companion boot to our corner, where it thumped against the bulkhead, grazing little Tom's nose and making him sniff.

However, this second missile had the desired end of sending us off; and so we left Master Larkyns to enjoy his repose undisturbed any longer by our chatter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

"SHORTENING IN CABLE."

"Rouse out, port watch and idlers! Rouse out! rouse out!" hoa.r.s.ely shouted out the boatswain's mates along the lower deck; and this call, mingled with the shrill piping wail of their whistles and the tramp of hurrying feet as the men straggled up the hatchway to stow their hammocks in the nettings above, awoke me from my slumbers next morning in the dreary semi-darkness of the so-called daylight.

I was so tired and sleepy that I was hardly half-roused even by all this uproar. Indeed, I was just dropping off again, when d.i.c.k Andrews, one of my fellow cadets from the training-ship, who had joined the _Candahar_ the same time as myself and was rather a b.u.mptious and overbearing sort of chap, shook me violently.

"Turn out, you lazy lubber, turn out," he shouted. "It's long past Eight Bells, and old Bitpin, who has taken Joe Jellaby's watch and is looking after the men scrubbing decks, has been asking for you. He's in a fine temper this morning, Master John Vernon, I can tell you; so, you'd better look sharp, my lad, or you'll 'catch Tommy' when he sees you."

"Oh, bother!" I cried, with a yawn that nearly dislocated my jaw, shoving a leg over the side of my hammock lazily enough, loth to leave my snug, warm nest for the cold, uncomfortable quarter-deck, where I knew there would be a lot of water sluicing about and the men holystoning, to make it more unpleasant. "I wish you wouldn't call me names, Andrews! You're not so awfully smart at rousing out yourself, that you can afford to brag about it! Why, Larkyns had to drag you round the gunroom last night in your nightshirt before he could make you wake up."

"Larkyns is a bully!" exclaimed Andrews, angrily. "He's a mean, cowardly bully!"

"Is he, my joker?" said that identical individual, whose approach was unnoticed by either of us, catching his slanderer a crack on the head which sent him spinning. "There, take that in proof of your statement!

If I'm a bully, Mr Andrews, I must act as such, or you'll call me a liar next!"

"I was only joking," snivelled d.i.c.k, picking himself up and rubbing his cheek ruefully. "I didn't mean anything."

"Neither did I," replied Larkyns, drily, as he peeled off his jacket and the thick woollen comforter he had wrapped round his neck to keep out the chilly night air, and prepared to turn in after his watch on deck so as to have a nice snooze before breakfast. "I only gave you a striking proof of my devoted friendship for you, old chappie, that's all!"

With which parting words, he dexterously jumped into his hammock, rolling himself up like a worm in the blankets within; and, such was the facility of habit, I declare he was snoring like a grampus ere I had completed my dressing, although I scrambled into my clothes as quickly as I could, and hurried out of the steerage.

I left d.i.c.k Andrews still rubbing his cheek disconsolately and muttering impotent threats against his now unconscious a.s.sailant; but, he didn't do this until he was certain Larkyns could not hear good wishes on his behalf!

On going up the hatchway, I found all hands busy scrubbing and washing down the decks, which were in a precious mess.

There was a fair division of labour in carrying out the operation, the topmen and after-guard scouring the planks with sand; after which the decks were flushed fore and aft with floods of water pumped up by the "idlers."

Those are really a most useful and industrious cla.s.s of misnamed men consisting of the carpenters, sailmakers, coopers, blacksmiths and other artificers, besides the cook's mates and yeomen of stores.

In our ship the lot numbered no less than some seventy in all, who every morning a.s.sisted in this praiseworthy task!

Creeping up as quietly as I could and trying to avoid observation from the squinting eye of Mr Bitpin, our fourth lieutenant, who was the oldest in seniority although he occupied such a subordinate position, I made my way to the side of Ned Anstruther, the midshipman of the watch, who stood on the weather side of the quarter-deck on a coil of rope so as to keep his feet out of the way of the water that was swishing round.

Ned nodded me a greeting; and, I fancied myself safe, when in an instant my presence was noted by the lieutenant, who turned on me.

"Hullo, youngster!" he called out, looking down from the break of the p.o.o.p, whence he had been surveying operations, finding fault with the men beneath in quick succession, according to his general wont, and having a snap and a snarl at everyone. His temper, never a good one originally, had been soured by a bad digestion and ill luck in the way of promotion, the poor beggar having been pa.s.sed over repeatedly by men younger than himself. "How is it you were not here when the watch was mustered?"

"I'm very sorry, sir," said I, apologetically. "I overslept myself, sir."

"Oh, indeed? You'd better not be late again when I'm officer of the watch, or I'll have you spread-eagled in the mizzen rigging as a warning to others, like they nail up crows against a barn door ash.o.r.e. That'll make you sharper next time, my joker! Do you hear me, youngster?"

"Yes, sir," said I, touching my cap. "I hear you, sir."

"Very well, then. Mind you heed as well as hear!" he replied snappishly, rather disappointed, I thought, at my making no further answer, or trying to argue the point with him. "You can go down now to the wardroom steward and tell him to get me a cup of coffee as quickly as he can. Now, don't be a month of Sundays about it! Say it must be hot and strong, and not like that dish-water he brought me yesterday; or, I'll put him in the list and stop his grog! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," I said respectfully as before, giving no occasion for offence so as to come in for more grumbling on his part. "I hear you, sir."

"Confound that youngster, I can't catch him anyhow!" I heard him mutter to himself as if uttering his thoughts aloud, as I turned away with another touch of my cap and left the quarter-deck to fulfil my errand.

"He's like those monkeys at the Rock--too artful to speak. Keeps his tripping lines too taut for that!"

He was quite right; for, three weeks' a.s.sociation on board, though I had been brought little in contact with him, had taught me to know his character pretty well. I had learnt that the best way to get on with Mr Bitpin was, to let him do all the talking and only to answer him when necessity required.

It was advisable also that the reply should be made in the fewest words possible, such a course giving him no ground for further complaint.

When I returned, some few minutes later, with the desired refreshment for the lieutenant, which I brought up myself, thus saving the wardroom steward, who was a very decent fellow, a probable wigging besides getting a cup of coffee myself as a bonus for performing the service, I found the decks swabbed and almost dry; the ropes, too, were all coiled and flemished down handsomely, and everything around looking as neat as a new pin.

Mr Bitpin, also, was in a better humour, a sip of the smoking coffee, which apparently was just to his taste, adding to his content at the scrubbing operations having been accomplished to his satisfaction.

"Thank you, my boy, for bringing this," he said, with a smack of his lips as he took a good long gulp of the grateful fluid, giving an approving nod to me. "That lazy steward would have taken half-an-hour at least if you had left it to him. When I'm as young as you are, I'll do as much for you."

I grinned at this, as did Ned Anstruther, who likewise winked in a knowing way to me behind Mr Bitpin's broad back; but, before I could reply to the lieutenant's complimentary speech, Commander Nesbitt made his appearance on the p.o.o.p, having come up the after-hatchway and gone into and out of the captain's cabin again, without either of us seeing him.

"Ah, good morning, Mr Bitpin," he said, looking somewhat surprised at seeing that gentleman there. "I thought Mr Jellaby had the morning watch to-day?"

"So he had, sir," answered the lieutenant, hastily putting down his empty cup under the binnacle out of sight of the commander, who he knew disliked anything out of order on deck. "But, sir, Mr Jellaby was late off last night from the admiral's ball, and he begged me to take the duty for him. It is a great nuisance; for, I only turned in at Two Bells in the middle watch, myself. Of course, though, I couldn't be disobliging, you know, sir."

"Of course not, Mr Bitpin," said Commander Nesbitt, amused at this unexpected piece of good nature from one who very seldom put himself out for anybody. "It does not matter in the least; but, I told Jellaby I wished to shorten in cable as soon as the decks were washed down."

"He didn't tell me anything about that, sir, when he came on board this morning; for I met him at the gangway," growled out the crusty lieutenant in his usual surly way. "He was full of some Miss Thingamy's dancing and made me sick by telling me at least twenty times over what a 'chawming gurl' she was!"