Fitz the Filibuster Part 82

"What have you got to say about the leakage, Mr Burnett, sir?"

whispered the carpenter after the cable task was ended, and the fans of the propeller showed clearly in the water just below the surface, and had been set whirling round in both directions to churn up the water, and prove that the shaft had not been wrenched or dragged from its bearings.

"Nothing at present, Chips," replied the middy.

"Because I'd take it kindly, sir, if you'd drop a fellow a hint or two.

This is a big job, sir, and means my making or my breaking, sir."

"But you shouldn't ask me, my man," replied the middy. "You are old and experienced, while I'm only a boy."

"Yes, sir, I knows that," said the man; "but you're come out of a gunboat, sir, and you've got your head screwed on the right way, sir. I never see a young gent with such a head as yours, nor yet one as was screwed on so tight."

"Oh, nonsense, Chips," cried the boy, flushing. "It's your job, not mine."

"Nay, sir, it aren't nonsense, it's sound sense. I like a bit of the first as well as any man when larking helps to make hard work go easy.

Often enough a bit o' fun acts like ile to a hard job, but it won't ile this one. And as I said afore, sir, I'd take it kindly if you'd put in a word now and then over the rest o' the job same as you did over the cable."

"But you ought to consult with Mr Burgess or the captain, my man," said Fitz, uneasily.

"Nay, I oughtn't, sir. I'd a deal rayther have a word or two from you when you see things going wrong."

"Why?" said Fitz quickly.

"I've telled you, sir. Doesn't all you say come right? I've kinder got a sort o' confidence in you, Mr Burnett, sir, as makes me feel as if I should like to be under you in some ship or another, and I aren't the on'y one aboard as feels that, I'm sure."

"Well, it's very kind of you to put so much faith in me," said the middy; "but don't say any more, please, and don't believe in me too much for fear I should make some horrible blunder, and disappoint you after all."

"Ah, you won't do that, sir," said the carpenter confidently.

"Of course I shall be only too glad to help you if I can, for I should be very glad to see you float the vessel."

"And you will keep an eye on what I do, sir, and put in a word if you think I'm going wrong?"

"If you wish it, yes," replied Fitz.

"Thanky, sir," whispered the man earnestly. "It may be the making of me, sir, and anyhow, as I have took up this job, I don't want these Spaniel chaps to see an Englishman fail."

"They shall not, Chips, if I can help it," cried Fitz, warmly. "There now, let's see whether the donkey-engine is able to keep the water down, or whether she's lower in the water than she was."

"There, sir," whispered the man, "hark at you! Call yourself a boy! why you couldn't ha' spoken better if you'd been a hold man of a 'undered.

You made me want to give you a shout, only I had to keep quiet, and let the Spaniels think I'm doing it all to rights. I don't mind about our lads. They all know me, and what I can do and what I can't. I don't want to try anything and chuck dust in their eyes--not me; but I do want to show off a bit and let these Spanish Mullotter chaps see what an Englishman can do, for the sake of the old country and the British flag."

"Then let's go below, Chips," said Fitz, "and see what the pumping has done."

Poole, who had been aft with the mate during this conversation, rejoined them now, and together they went below to sound the well.

"Good luck to us, gentlemen," said the carpenter, rubbing his hands.

"Good luck," cried Poole eagerly. "You don't mean to say she's making less water?"

"Nay, sir, but I do say that the engine's lowering it. There's a foot less in her now than when we began pumping, and that means we win."

A few hours later, after the donkey-engine had kept on its steady pumping, Chips made another inspection, and came up to where Fitz and Poole were together, pulling a very long face.

"Why, what's the matter, Chips?" cried Fitz anxiously. "You don't mean to say that anything is wrong?"

"Horribly, gentlemen," cried the man. "It's always my luck! Chucking away my chances! Why, she's as good as new!"

"Well, what more do you want? Isn't that good enough for you?"

"Yes, sir, it's good enough; but Mr b.u.t.ters here and me, we was half asleep. We ought to have formed ourselves into a company--Winks and Co., or b.u.t.ters and Co., or b.u.t.ters and Winks, or Winks and b.u.t.ters, or Co. and Co."

"Why not Cocoa and Cocoa?" said Fitz, laughing.

"Anyhow you like, gentlemen, only we ought to have done it. Bought the gunboat cheap, and there was a fortune for us."

"Never mind that," said Poole. "You'll be all right, Chips. Don Ramon will be presenting you with a bra.s.s tobacco-box, or something else, if you get her off."

"Go and ast him to order it at once, so as to have it ready, for we shall have her off to-morrow as soon as them 'hogany lubbers have got the steam up."

"You don't mean that?" cried Poole.

"Ask Mr b.u.t.ters here, and see what he says."

"Yes," said the boatswain coolly; "and I thought we should have to lighten her by a couple of hundred tons or so. But it makes a man feel very proud of being an English sailor. These half-breeds here give up at once. Why, if she'd had an English crew aboard, that cable wouldn't have stopped round the screw, and the lads wouldn't have sat down to smoke cigarettes and holloa. Why, they might have had her off a score of times."

"But what about getting her safely into the channel again?" said Poole.

"What about getting old Burgess aboard to con her; she going slow with a couple of fellows at work with the lead in the chains? Why, it's all as easy as b.u.t.tering a bit of biscuit."

Not quite, but the next evening the gunboat was well out in deep water, comparatively undamaged, and flying Don Ramon's colours, making her way towards Velova Bay, towing a whole regiment of boats, the _Teal_ proudly leading under easy sail.

CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN.

A STARTLER.

"Ah," said Don Ramon to the skipper, the morning after their arrival, "if only that gun were perfect!"

"Well, it ought to be in two months' time. You'll have to get command of the telegraph at San Cristobal."

"To get command?" cried the Don. "I have full command. Resistance to my rule is dead, and I have only to wait to be acknowledged by the Powers. But go on with what you were saying."

"Oh, it was only this. You can wire to the makers of the gun to send you out a new breech-block by the first steamer. They will honour your order, I'll be bound."

"It shall be done," said Don Ramon eagerly.

This took place in the princ.i.p.al building of the little port, where the Don was entertaining the skipper and the two lads; and he seemed quite disturbed when, after a short communication had pa.s.sed, Fitz and Poole got up and asked their host to excuse them.