Dick Cheveley Part 20

In moderate weather they were tolerably comfortable, but with the sun beating down on the deck they were fearfully hot. In a gale of wind, as the seas dashed against the bows or she pitched into them, the noise and movement were tremendous. However, to that I in time got accustomed.

Sometimes the decks and upper works leaked, and the water coming in wetted the clothes and bedding. However, in other respects they were better than the forepeak in a flush-decked ship, which is generally close and hot, full of horrible odours, and totally dest.i.tute of ventilation, and often wet into the bargain, from unseen leaks which are not of sufficient consequence to trouble the officers, as they do not affect the safety of the ship.

At length, one day Tom told me that we were within sight of the Cape de Verde Islands, at which he believed the captain intended to call. He was very glad, he said, of this, as he hoped to be able to get me a supply of oranges and limes, which he thought would do me more good than anything else.

The very name of fruit made my mouth water, and I thought I would give a great deal just to have one good suck at an orange. Great was my disappointment, therefore, when shortly afterwards Mark came in, and said that a strong north-easterly wind had sprung up, and that we were standing away from the islands, but that the captain, he believed, intended to put into Rio de Janeiro.

"I must wait patiently till we get there," I said. "I hope it won't take us long."

"We have to pa.s.s through the horse lat.i.tudes, and to cross the line first, and Rio is some way to the south of that, so I'm afraid you must suck your fingers instead of oranges," he answered.

I was now rapidly getting better, and I began to pine for fresh air and exercise.

"You'll be wiser to stay where you are, Master d.i.c.k," said Mark. "No one believes that you're a gentleman's son, and if they did I'm very sure it would make very little difference. I should, perhaps, benefit by your getting about, as you would have all the dirty work to do which now falls to my lot. It's only surprising that the captain has allowed you to remain so long in the berth, for he knows that you're aboard, though he takes no notice of you. Still I'd advise you, as long as you can, to stay where you are."

I had not long the opportunity. Two days afterwards the third mate came into the berth with a short, knotted rope in his hand.

"Come, youngster, you have been long enough malingering here," he exclaimed; "I find the cook has been serving out no end of good grub to you, and you've done nothing for it. We don't want idlers aboard the 'Emu;' show a leg there pretty smartly."

I attempted to rise. Tom had washed and dried my clothes. I got hold of my trousers, and slipt my legs into them. When I attempted to stand upright, my knees gave way and down I sank. At the same moment the mate's colt descended on my back. I was taken so completely by surprise that I shrieked out with pain. I tried to lift myself up by the supports of the bunk, and succeeded in getting on my feet.

"I thought I'd cure you. Do you want another dose of this rope?"

"Oh! No, sir! No, sir! Don't! I'll dress as fast as I can," I called out.

The moment I let go I felt that I must slip down again. Still the fear of another lash made me exert myself in a way I could not otherwise have done, and I tried very hard to put on my waistcoat and jacket, and to tie my handkerchief, by sitting down on a lower bunk.

"Now, come along!" said the mate; "the captain wants to speak to you."

I attempted to walk, but as I tottered on my knees again failed me, and I should have fallen had not the mate caught me by the shoulders and dragged me along the deck.

It was a severe discipline, but it was effective, for the air and the necessity of moving quickly brought back strength to my limbs, and by the time I reached the quarterdeck I was able to keep my feet, though I should have fallen had not the mate still held me.

We there found the captain pacing to and fro. On turning he stopped when he saw me.

"Is this the young stowaway, Mr Huggins?" he asked, eyeing me very sternly. "What business had you to come aboard, boy, without leave?"

"Please, sir, I couldn't help it," I said, and I told him that when merely intending to look round the ship I had fallen into the hold.

"A likely story, youngster, which I don't intend to believe. You came on board to please yourself, and now you'll learn to please me, and do the work you're set to do."

"I'll do my best, sir," I answered, for I saw he was not a man to be trifled with; "but I am not fit for much at present."

"You contrived to live down in the hold in an extraordinary manner--how did you manage it?"

I told him in a few words.

"Another likely story," he remarked. "In other words, you stole the ship's provisions as long as you could get at them, or you had an accomplice who kept you fed--he'll be made to smart for it."

On hearing this, I began to tremble for the consequences to Mark.

Though the captain didn't mention his name, I guessed that he pointed at him. I was much inclined to say who I was, and to speak of Mr b.u.t.terfield, but shame prevented me, and the captain made no inquiries on the subject.

"Now go forward," he said; "look out sharp, get back your strength, and make yourself useful."

He turned on his heel, not deigning to hold any further conversation with so insignificant a person as he considered me.

The mate let me go. I tried to walk, but staggered like a drunken man, and could only just manage to reach the side, and catch hold of a belaying-pin. I remained there until the captain turned round, when, afraid of his looks, I once more set off to make my way along the deck, the mate taking no trouble to help me, while the crew jeered and laughed at me; till Tom Trivett, who had been at work on the other side, crossing over, took my arm and led me along to the forehatch, where he bade me sit down.

"There goes the baby and his nurse," said one of the men.

"Tom will be getting him some pap presently," said another--at which they laughed in chorus.

The third mate, seeing Tom standing over me, ordered him back to his work. Mark made an attempt to join me, but was sent to perform some task or other, and I was left alone and forlorn to endure the gibes of my hardhearted shipmates.

Caesar, however, came out of his caboose, and whispered as he pa.s.sed--

"Neber you mind, d.i.c.k, as long dey only use der tongue."

He grinned and pointed with his finger, so that the rest fancied that he was only mocking me as they were.

Notwithstanding this, the fresh air and the necessity of exerting myself did me good, and after I had taken some food that Caesar brought me when the men went into their berth to dinner, I felt quite another creature.

At nightfall I was allowed to slink into my bunk, of which Tom still refused to deprive me.

"I'm very well where I am. I'm accustomed to it, and you are not, d.i.c.k," he said, when I begged him to let me change places.

The next day I was still better, and after this I rapidly recovered my strength, notwithstanding the cuffs and kicks and rope's-endings I frequently received, and the hard work I had to perform.

My clothes were soon again as dirty as they were when I came out of the hold, and torn and tattered besides.

"Never mind, d.i.c.k," said Tom; "I'll rig you out in a suit of mine, which I'll cut down to suit you when we get into colder lat.i.tudes. It doesn't much matter about having old clothes now the weather is so hot."

Mark regretted that he could not help me, as he had only the clothes he stood up in, which would have been almost as bad as my own had they not been of stronger material, and thus held out better.

Though the rest of the crew ill-treated Mark and me, and Tom also when they had the chance, the captain and officers tyrannised over them in the most brutal fashion. It was no unusual occurrence for the first mate to heave a handspike at one of the men when he did not go about his work in a way to please him, and both captain and mates swore at the men on all occasions in the most fearful way.

At first I was horrified, but in time I got as much accustomed to it as they were, and was only thankful that the oaths were not accompanied by a rope's-ending.

All this time the discipline was really very slack, and the men behaved to each other as they pleased, and never failed to neglect their duty whenever the mates' eyes were off them. Still they resented, notwithstanding, the treatment they received, growling fiercely, if not loudly, when the quality of their provisions had begun to fall off. At first the food had been pretty good, but it now became worse and worse, and the men swore that they would stand it no longer. At last, when some rancid pork had been served out with musty peas and weevilly biscuits, the men went aft in a body, headed by the boatswain, Sa.s.s Jowler, and Growles, who were deputed to be spokesmen, to the quarterdeck, where the captain was walking.

"I axes you, Captain Longfleet, whether you think this ere stuff is fit food for British seamen?" said the boatswain, holding up a piece of the pork at the end of a two-p.r.o.nged fork.

"It makes um sick to cook it," said Caesar, who was standing behind the rest.

"And I wants to know, in the name of the crew, whether this 'ere biscuit as is all alive with maggots, is the stuff we poor fellows forward should be made to put into our mouths?" cried Growles.

"What's that you're talking about, you mutinous rascals?" cried the captain; "stop a bit, and I'll answer you."

Saying this, he sprang back into the cabin, and while the men stood staring at the door without advancing, he reappeared with a pistol in the one hand and a cutla.s.s in the other. I observed that he had a second pistol in his belt.