Dick Leslie's Luck Part 3

returned Potter. "As I was saying, that argument don't apply to you, seein' that the men know how short of accommodation we are aft. Now, how d'ye think the longboat arrangement will suit ye?"

"Oh, I have no doubt it will do well enough," answered Leslie, although, for some reason that he could not quite explain to himself, he felt that he would rather have been berthed below. "As you say, I shall at least have the place to myself; I can turn in and turn out when I like; and I shall disturb n.o.body, nor will anybody disturb me. Yes; the arrangement will do quite well. And many thanks to you for making it."

"Well, that's settled, then," agreed the skipper, in tones of considerable satisfaction. "Mr Purchas," he continued, "let some of the hands turn-to at once to get those planks off the top of the galley and into the longboat, while others rouse a few of the oldest and softest of the sails out of the locker to make Mr--Mr Leslie a good, comfortable bed. And, with regard to payment," he continued, turning rather shamefacedly to Leslie, "business is business; and if you don't mind we'll have the matter down on paper, in black and white. If you were poor folks, now, or you an ordinary sailor-man," he explained, "I wouldn't charge either of ye a penny piece. But it's easy to see that you're a n.o.b--a navy man, a regular bra.s.s-bounder, if I'm not mistaken-- and as such you can well afford it; while, as for the lady, anybody with half an eye can see that she's a regular tip-topper, thoroughbred, and all that, so she can afford it too; while I'm a poor man, and am likely to be to the end of my days."

"Quite so," a.s.sented Leslie. "There is not the least need for explanation or apology, I a.s.sure you. Neither Miss Trevor nor I will willingly be indebted to you for the smallest thing; nor shall we be, upon the terms that I have suggested. I shall feel perfectly easy in my mind upon that score, knowing as well as you do that we shall be paying most handsomely for the best that you can possibly give us. And now, at last, I hope we very clearly understand each other."

So saying, he turned away and, walking forward to where Purchas was superintending the removal of the planks referred to by the skipper, he asked the mate if he could oblige him with the loan of a pipe and the gift of a little tobacco.

"Of course I can," answered Purchas, cordially. "At least, I can give ye a pipe of a sort--a clay; I buys about six shillin's worth every time I starts upon a voyage. I get 'em at a shop in the Commercial Road, at the rate of fifteen for a shillin'! I find it pays a lot better than buyin' four briars at one-and-six apiece; for, you see, when you've lost or smashed four briars, why, they're done for; but when you've lost or smashed four clays--and I find that they last a'most as long as briars-- why, I've still a good stock of pipes to fall back upon. If a clay is good enough for ye, ye're welcome to one, or a dozen if ye like."

"Oh, thanks," laughed Leslie; "one will be sufficient until I have lost or broken it; then, maybe, I will trespa.s.s upon your generosity to the extent of begging another."

"Right you are," said the mate, cordially. "I'll slip down below and fetch ye one, and a cake o' baccy. I'll not be gone a moment."

And away the man went, eager, as most British sailors are, to do a kindness to a fellow-sailor in distress. He speedily returned with a new short clay, and a cake of tobacco, which he handed to Leslie with the remark that he knew what it was to be without pipe or tobacco, and could therefore sympathise with him. Leslie was soon deep in the enjoyment of the first smoke that he had had for some eighteen hours; and while he was still at it he saw Miss Trevor emerge from the companion and gaze somewhat anxiously about her.

As she stepped out on deck, Potter, who had been leaning moodily over the quarter-deck rail, puffing away at a strong cigar, sprang upright and advanced eagerly toward her, with one hand held out, and his cap in the other. She returned his somewhat grotesque bow with a cold stateliness for which Leslie felt that he could have hugged her; and then, seeing that the man would not be denied, she allowed her hand to rest in his for just the barest fraction of a second. As Leslie approached, he heard Potter anxiously inquiring after her welfare, and doing the honours of his ship generally, with a ludicrous affectation of manner that amused him greatly, and even brought the ghost of a smile to the face of the girl.

Leslie made the polite inquiries demanded by the occasion, learning in return that Miss Trevor felt very much better for her long rest; and then he turned to the skipper, and said--

"Before going below I mentioned to your mate that some wreckage-- apparently from the _Golden Fleece_--was floating at no great distance; and I left a message with him for you, suggesting that you should run down and examine it, upon the off-chance that there might be some people clinging to it. Did you do so?"

"I did not, sir," answered Potter. "I'd have you know, in the first place, Mister--Leslie--if that's your name--that I'm cap'n aboard my own ship, and take orders from n.o.body but my owners. In the next place, I took a good look at the wreckage through the gla.s.s, and saw that there was n.o.body on it; so, you see, there was no use in running the brig away off her course."

"But, my good fellow--" remonstrated Leslie.

"Now, look here," broke in Potter, "don't you try to come the officer over me, and dictate to me what I shall do, or what I shan't do; because I won't have it. I satisfied myself that there was n.o.body upon that wreckage; and that's enough."

"I presume you have no objection to my satisfying _myself_ also that there is n.o.body upon it?" returned Leslie, keeping his temper admirably in face of the other's offensive manner. "If you will kindly lend me the ship's gla.s.s, I will go up into the main-top and have a look for myself."

"So you don't trust me, eh?" sneered Potter. "Well, you'll just have to, whether you like it or not. I refuse to let you use the ship's gla.s.s; I forbid you to touch it; it's the only gla.s.s aboard; and I'm not going to risk the loss of it by trusting it to a man who may clumsily drop it overboard for aught that I can tell."

"Very well," said Leslie; "if you choose to be uncivil and offensive, I cannot help it. At all events, I will take a look for myself."

And, so saying, he sprang into the main rigging and danced up the ratlines at a pace that made the sh.e.l.lbacks on deck stare in wonderment.

"Come down out of my rigging, you; d'ye hear?" roared Potter. "Come down, I say. How dare you take such liberties aboard my ship? D'ye hear what I say?" as Leslie grasped the futtock shrouds and lightly drew himself over the rim of the top. "If you don't come down at once I'll send a couple of hands aloft to fetch ye."

Taking not the slightest notice of the man's ravings, Leslie stood, lightly grasping the topmast rigging in one hand while he shaded his eyes with the other, gazing intently away to the westward meanwhile. At first he could see nothing; but presently, being remarkably keen of sight, he caught what he was looking for, some three miles away. At this distance it was of course quite impossible to discern details with the unaided eye; but as he gazed the impression grew upon him of something moving there; the suggestion conveyed was that of a fluttering or waving movement, as though some one were endeavouring to attract the attention of those on board the brig. And the longer he gazed, the stronger grew the conviction that there really was some living thing upon that floating ma.s.s of wreckage. He stared at it until his eyes ached; and finally he hailed--

"On deck there! I am almost certain that you are mistaken in your supposition that there is no one on that wreckage. I cannot of course be absolutely sure without the gla.s.s; but _with_ it, there could be no possibility of mistake. Captain Potter, I appeal to you, as one sailor to another; I appeal to your humanity; send me up the gla.s.s that I may set this question at rest. Surely you would not willingly or knowingly leave a fellow-creature to perish miserably, rather than take the trouble to investigate--"

"Will you come down out of that, or won't you?" demanded Potter, angrily:

Then, seeing that Leslie was again gazing eagerly out across the gla.s.sy surface of the water, the skipper shouted--

"Bill and Tom, up with you both into the main-top and fetch that man down. If he won't come peaceably, heave him down! I'm cap'n of this ship, and I don't mean to allow anybody aboard her to disobey my orders.

Now, hurry, you swabs; no skulking, or I'll freshen your way for you with the end of this fore-brace." And he threateningly threw a coil of stout rope off a belaying-pin by way of hastening the movements of the two men.

Looking down on deck, Leslie saw the seamen spring with some alacrity into the main rigging, and then continue their ascent with exaggerated deliberateness, mumbling to each other meanwhile. And as they did so, he saw Miss Trevor step quickly to Potter's side and lay her hand upon his arm as she spoke to him--pleadingly, if he might judge by her whole att.i.tude, and the low-toned accents of her voice. He saw Potter seize her hand and tuck it under his arm, patting it caressingly for an instant ere she s.n.a.t.c.hed it away indignantly and walked from him to the other side of the deck; and then the heads of the two men, Bill and Tom, showed over the rim of the top.

"Better come down, sir," said one of them. "The skipper 've got a very queer temper, as you may see, sir; and if you don't come he'll lay the blame on to us; and'll think nothin' of takin' it out of us with a rope's-end."

"Come up here into the top, both of you," commanded Leslie. "Never trouble about your skipper and his temper. I believe there is some one alive, on that wreckage away yonder, and I shall be glad to have your opinions upon the matter. Now," as they joined him in the top, "there is the wreckage, about two points on the starboard quarter. Do you see it?"

"Ay, ay sir; I sees it, plain enough," answered the man named Bill; while his companion, Tom, replied, "Yes; I can see something afloat out there, certingly; but I wouldn't like to take it upon me to say what it is."

"Very well," said Leslie, turning to Bill; "you appear to have tolerably good eyes--"

"Main-top, there," interrupted Potter, "are you coming down out of that, or aren't you? If you're not, say the word, and I'll come up myself and start the lot of you."

"For the Lord's sake, sir, go down, I beg ye; or there'll be something like murder up here in a brace of shakes, if the skipper keeps his word," exclaimed Tom, in accents of consternation.

"Leave your skipper to me; I will undertake to keep him in order if he is ill-advised enough to come up here. Now," he resumed, turning again to Bill, "you seem to have reasonably good eyes. Look carefully at that wreckage, and tell me whether you can see anything having the appearance of a man waving a shirt, or something of the kind."

The man looked long and intently, gazing out under the sharp of his hand; and presently he turned to Leslie and said--

"Upon my word, sir, I do believe you're right; there _do_ seem to be something a wavin' over there--"

The sharp crack of a pistol and the whistle of a ballet close past them interrupted the man's speech; and, looking down, they saw Potter standing aft near the lashed wheel with a smoking revolver in his hand, which he still pointed threateningly at the top.

The two men, without another word, flung themselves simultaneously over the edge of the top and made their way precipitately down the rigging, while Leslie, swinging himself on to the topmast-backstay, slid lightly down it, reaching the deck some seconds ahead of them. He alighted close alongside Miss Trevor, who, with her hands clutched tightly together, stood, the image of terror, gazing with horrified eyes at the skipper.

In two bounds Leslie reached Potter's side.

"You scoundrel! you infernal scoundrel!" he exclaimed, as with one hand he wrenched away the revolver, while with the other he seized the fellow by the throat and shook him savagely. "What do you mean by such infamous conduct? Do you realise that you might have killed one of us?

Have you gone mad; or what is the matter with you? Answer me, quick, or I will choke the life out of you!"

And, with a final shake that went near to dislocating Potter's neck, Leslie flung the fellow furiously from him, dashing him against the rail with such violence that, after staggering stupidly for a moment, he sank to the deck, sitting there in a dazed condition.

The mate and three or four of the crew came running aft at this juncture, with some indefinite idea of interfering; then paused, gazing uncertainly from one to the other, evidently undecided as to what action, if any, they ought to take. They looked at the mate; and the mate looked at Leslie.

"You had better take him below, and let him lie down for a while, Mr Purchas," said Leslie, a.s.suming quite naturally the direction of affairs. "And when you have done so," he continued, "I shall be obliged if you will kindly afford me the opportunity for a few minutes'

conversation."

"All right," answered the mate, "I will. Yes, that'll be best; let's take him below into my cabin. Lay hold here, Bill, and give me a hand to get the skipper down the companion ladder."

With some difficulty they got Potter below and into the mate's cabin, where they laid him in the bunk and, making him as comfortable as they could, left him to recover his scattered faculties. Meanwhile, Leslie, catching sight of the ship's telescope hanging in beckets in the companion-way, took possession of it and, slipping the revolver into his jacket pocket, again ascended to the main-top; from which elevation, and with the aid of the telescope, he quickly satisfied himself that there certainly _was_ at least one living person clinging to the wreckage and intermittently waving what looked like a strip of canvas, with the evident design of attracting the brig's attention.

By the time that he had a.s.sured himself of this fact, Purchas had returned to the deck; seeing which, Leslie beckoned him up into the top.

"Look here, Purchas," he said, as the mate scrambled over the rim and stood beside him, "I was right in my surmise, there _is_ some living person, or persons, on that wreckage. Take the gla.s.s and satisfy yourself of the truth of my statement."

The mate took the gla.s.s, and presently, removing the instrument from his eye, turned to Leslie.

"You are right, Mr Leslie," he said, "there _is_ somebody there, I can see him wavin' something. Now, the question is, what's to be done? The sun's pretty near settin', and it'll be dark in half an hour or thereabouts."

"The more need that you should arrive at a prompt decision," interrupted Leslie. "Now, if I may advise, what I would suggest is this. Let me have the quarter-boat and four hands. I will go down to the wreck and bring off anybody who may be upon it, and if it falls dark before we return, hoist a lantern to the peak, as a guide to us, and we shall then have no difficulty in finding the brig."