Harry Milvaine Part 25

"But there was no help for it."

Book 2--CHAPTER SIX.

THE SURGEON'S YARN CONTINUED--THE PLEASANT HOME OF A ROBBER CHIEF--FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.

"The poet Daniel calls sleep 'son of the sable night,' and brother to Death.

"'Care charmer sleep, son of the sable night, Brother to Death, in silent darkness born.'

"I might add that sleep is also the brother to sorrow and care, and a kind and gentle brother he is.

"No sooner had Captain Brackenbury and his supercargo, O'Brady, been shown to their apartment on that memorable night, and left in the dark, than--

"'Well, Brackenbury,' said O'Brady, 'here's a nice wind-up to a windy day. But I vote we make the best of a bad job. I'm dog-tired and as sleepy as an old owl. I'm going to turn in, even if I have to turn out in the morning to get my head taken off.'

"'So shall I,' replied Brackenbury. 'But what an uncivil brute of a black servant that is! Why, he might as well have left the light!'

"'No doubt he's acting according to orders, my friend,' said O'Brady.

'And duty is duty, of course, on board a ship or out of it.'

"'Oh yes,' Brackenbury acquiesced, 'duty is duty, as you say. But can you find the head of your bed?'

"'Yes, mine is towards the fireplace, and yours is towards the door.'

"'Good-night,' said Brackenbury.

"'Umph!' grunted O'Brady, for he was all but asleep already.

"'Hark!' cried Brackenbury, a few minutes after. 'Are you asleep, O'Brady?'

"'No, I'm listening. Hush!'

"Had anyone come into the apartment with a light just then, they would have seen both men sitting bolt upright in bed, with not only their eyes, but even their mouths open.

"'I heard footsteps in the pa.s.sage,' hissed Brackenbury; 'they surely can't be going to hang us to-night!'

"His voice was somewhat shaky.

"'Hang us! no! Nonsense, Brackenbury! Dolosa knows much better than to hang us. You're not afraid, are you?'

"'Hark!' was the reply; 'but now I heard a whisper. It seems in the room. Sure you locked the door? You see, O'Brady, that with a sword in my hand, in daylight, and with my foot on my own quarter-deck, I'm fit for anything. But I'm not a rat, jigger me if I am. I believe Dolosa would do anything. Now those monster n.i.g.g.e.rs of his, what would hinder half a dozen of them from smothering us, time about, with a feather-bed?

Ugh! fancy a feather-bed on top of you, and half a dozen hulking black murderers on top o' that. Ugh, I say!'

"The sound of whispering and of footsteps had ceased, but both officers still sat up, straining their ears.

"O'Brady laughed low. 'Bedad, Brackenbury, it wouldn't take half a dozen hulking n.i.g.g.e.rs to cook your goose. I guess two would do it, bedad, I do; _Honolulu_!' The last word was almost shrieked.

"'Goodness be near us!' cried Brackenbury, now fairly chattering with fear. 'What _is_ the matter, my friend?'

"'My hand,' replied O'Brady, 'was lying over the edge of the bed, and a cold nose touched it. Egad! Brackenbury, it did give me the shivers!'

"'Hullo!' cried Brackenbury next. 'What's this? Murder! Police!

Guard! Fire!' he roared.

"Then Captain Brackenbury became suddenly quiet.

"'What is it at all, at all? Speak, friend, speak! Are the n.i.g.g.e.rs killing you? Have they smothered you alive? Are you dead entirely?

Speak, then!'

"But his friend did not answer immediately; when he did reply, O'Brady was more puzzled than ever, and would have given a whole month's pay for a farthing box of matches, or half a second's light from a purser's dip, just to see what his companion in darkness and misery was about.

"'My pretty darling, then,' Brackenbury was saying, in a fond and wheedling voice. 'Come into my arms, then, you cosy-mosy little pet.

Now, now then, now then, now!'

"'Brackenbury,' cried O'Brady, 'what _are_ you saying? Is it leave of your seven senses you're taking? Have the trials of the day been too much for you? Or is it asleep and dreaming you are?'

"'Ha! ha! ha!' laughed the captain. ''Pon my soul, O'Brady, I'm astonished at _you_, being afraid of a mongoose. Ha! ha! ha!'

"'A mongoose! eh? What? Who's afraid?' spluttered O'Brady.

"'Yes, a mongoose! That was the cold nose you felt. It jumped on top of my bed, it is now nestling round my neck. Darling, then, pretty pet!'

"'Very well explained,' said the old captain, 'very well indeed. Quite accounts for the milk in the cocoanut. Good-night--good-night!'

"Both awoke at the same moment next morning, sat up in their beds-- facing each other--and rubbed their eyes. They gave one glance up at the tall window, through which the sunlight was streaming in many-coloured rays, then rubbed their eyes, then looked at each other again.

"'I couldn't make out where I was for a moment,' said O'Brady.

"'Nor I,' replied Brackenbury.

"There was a knock at the door.

"'Can I come in, geentlemans?' said a voice with a strong foreign accent.

"'Pull the latch,' said O'Brady, seeing that his companion hesitated.

"Brackenbury did as told, and a servant glided into the room, a dark little pale-faced Portuguese.

"'I bring you de water for shave,' he said, mildly. 'Also de _navaja_, what you call it, de knife for rasp. Shall I rasp you?'

"'Thanks, no,' said both; 'we will prefer to rasp ourselves.'

"'Vell den, geentlemans, I have also for you de complimentes of de great Count de Dolosa, and he will be mooch please to see you at breekwust.

In one leetle half-hour de gong veel soun', den I come again and conduct you to de breekwust-room.'

"'By the way,' cried Brackenbury, as the polite little man was about to leave, 'what is your name?'

"'Name, senor? si senor, my name ees Marco.'