Hunting the Skipper Part 34

"Yes," said the lieutenant shortly.

"Then good luck to you, sir! Hoist off those hatches my lad; the officer thinks we're fitted up below for the blackbird trade. No, no, no, sir. There, send your men below, or go yourself, and I'll come with you. You've got the wrong pig by the ear this time, and you ought to be off the coast river yonder where they pick up their cargoes. No, sir, I don't do that trade."

The lieutenant was soon thoroughly satisfied that a mistake had been made, and directly after, to his satisfaction, the skipper asked whether the captain would favour him with a small supply of medicine for his crew.

"I'm about run out of quinine stuff," he said. "Some of my chaps had a touch or two of fever, and we're going amongst it again. It would be an act of kindness, sir, and make up for what has been rather rough treatment."

"You'd better come on board with me, and I've no doubt that the captain will see that you have what is necessary; and he will be as apologetic as I am now for what has been an unpleasant duty."

"Oh, come, if you put it like that, squire, there's no need to say any more. To be sure, yes, I'll come aboard with you. I say; took many slavers?"

"No; not one."

"That's a pity. Always search well along the river mouths?"

"Yes."

"Hah! They're about too much for you. Now, if I was on that business, say I was on the lookout for these gentlemen, I shouldn't do it here."

"Where, then?" said the lieutenant eagerly.

"Well, I'll tell you. As I said, they're a bit too cunning for you. Of course you can sail up the rivers and blow the black chiefs' huts to pieces. Them, I mean, who catch the n.i.g.g.e.rs and sell 'em or swap 'em to the slave skippers; but that don't do much good, for slavers slip off in the dark, and know the coast better than you do."

"Yes. Well, what would you do?" said the lieutenant eagerly.

"Do? Why, I'd go across to the plantations, sir, and lay wait for them there. They wouldn't be half so much on the lookout."

"There's a good deal in what you say, sir," said the lieutenant thoughtfully. "But where would you watch--round Jamaica?"

"Nay-y-y!" cried the skipper. "I'd study up my charts pretty thoroughly, and then cruise about those little islands that lie nigh the Cays. There's plenty of likely places where these folk land their cargoes; and you'd find them easier to work than the West Coast, where there's a wilderness of mangrove creeks and big and little rivers where a slaving schooner can lie up and hide. You go west and try. Why, I could give your captain half-a-dozen plantations where it would pay him to go--places where I've seen often enough craft about the build of mine here."

"Indeed!" cried the lieutenant.

"Yes, sir," said the skipper thoughtfully. "Why, of course; I never saw before how likely you were to take me for one of 'em. Well, you want to go, so I'll have one of my boats lowered down and come over to your brig. I'll ask your skipper for a bit of quinine, and then if he'll lay out his charts before me, I'll put his finger upon three or four likely spots where the slavers trade, and if he don't capture two or three of their fast boats loaded with the black fellows they've run across, why, it won't be my fault. I should like to see the whole lot sunk, and the skippers and crews with them. Don't sound Christian like o' me, but they deserve it. For I've seen them landing their cargoes. Ugh! It has been sickening, and they're not men."

The skipper's words were broken in upon by the report of a gun from the _Seafowl_, whose commander had grown impatient from the long delay of the boat; and hence the imperious recall.

Captain Kingsberry's countenance did not look calm and peaceful when the boat returned, but the clouds cleared away when the skipper came on board and a long conversation had taken place over the charts of the West Indian Islands and the Caribbean Sea.

"Quinine, captain?" he exclaimed at last. "My good sir, you may have all the medicine--well, nearly--that I have on board!"

"Thankye, sir," said the bluff skipper, laughing. "Enough's as good as a feast of that stuff."

"And I'm very sorry," said the captain politely, "that I had to overhaul your schooner."

"I arn't," said the skipper. "I'm very glad, and thankful too for the physic stuff. Fever's a nasty thing, sir, and as I said, I'm very glad.

Good luck to you, sir, and good-bye."

"There's no doubt this time, Mr Anderson," said the captain, as soon as the skipper had gone over the side, "that man's as honest as the day."

"That he is, sir, and so is his schooner."

"Yes, Mr Anderson. Now, then, let's go back to those charts, and we'll then make right for the plantations. I begin to think that we shall do some business now."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

RATHER FISHY.

"What!" said the first lieutenant sharply. "Now, look here, Mr Roberts--and you too, Mr Murray, for you are just as bad. You both give yourselves airs, and though you say nothing you are always showing off, trying to impress the men with the idea that you are men grown."

"I beg your pardon, sir--" began Roberts.

"Now, don't deny it, sir. I know it for a fact. Do you think that I can't read you through and through--you in particular, Mr Roberts, for you are far the worst. Not that you have much to boast about, Mr Murray."

"I am very sorry, sir," said the latter. "No, you are not, sir," said the chief officer abruptly. "Let's have deeds, not words. If you were really sorry that you had been playing the imitative monkey you would pitch the antics overboard."

"Antics, sir?" cried Roberts. "Yes, sir--antics. I said antics," cried the officer sharply, "so don't repeat my words and force me to do the same. A boy's a boy, sir, and a man's a man. A good boy is a rarity on shipboard, but very valuable when you get him; and a good man--a really good man at sea is worth his weight in gold; but I detest a hobbledehoy who apes the man, and I generally look upon him as worthless. Don't grunt, Mr Roberts. It's disrespectful to your superior officer. You might very well follow the example of Mr Murray, who never resents reproof when he deserves it. There, you need not make that disparaging grimace. You might follow Mr Murray's example in a good many things.

Now, I am sure he would not have come and asked leave like you did. It must have been your idea alone."

"I'm afraid I had as much to do with it as Roberts, sir," said Murray frankly.

"More shame for you to have to own it, sir," said the first lieutenant; "but I like you to own up all the same. Still, I don't like two young fellows who are trying to impress their elders that they are men to be seizing every opportunity to prove that they are mere boys with all the instincts wide awake of children."

"I'm very sorry, sir," said Roberts again, this time very stiffly. "I am sorry I asked for permission."

"I don't believe you, Mr Roberts," said the officer stiffly. "Now, both of you tell me this--are you perfectly efficient in your navigation?"

Roberts uttered a snort.

"No, sir," said Murray, "of course not. I'm a long way off being perfect."

"Then why in the name of common sense don't you seize upon every opportunity to master that grand study, like a man, and not come bothering me like a little boy who wants to go out to the pond to catch t.i.ttlebats? I'm ashamed of you both."

"It was only to have a little recreation, sir," said Murray.

"What do you want with recreation, I should like to know? Do you ever see me running after recreation?"

"No, sir," said Murray; "but then, sir, you're a first lieutenant."

"Yes, sir, and that's what you will never be so long as you hanker after childish pastimes."

"I'm very sorry, sir--" began Murray.

"Don't keep saying you are very sorry; it only makes the matter worse, when I have so much upon my mind. It's absurd, gentlemen. I wonder at you. Just because you see a few dolphins and albicores swimming below the ship's counter you must want to begin playing with the grains.

There, be off, both of you. What would be the good of the fish if you harpooned them?"