King o' the Beach Part 48

It seemed a long time to one suffering from a parched throat, and the pale light of dawn was beginning to steal in through the broken opening and the cabin ports, when there was the click of a teacup on the deck, and Jack.u.m said softly:

"Cookey make billy boil. Car-ee tea."

_Crash_!

Down went the tray with the refreshing cup on the deck, and Bostock thrust his head through the broken light.

"Master Carey, sir, ahoy! Three cheers, and another for luck. If ever there was a sight for sore eyes it's now. Sail ho, sir, not three mile out, lying just beyond the reef. A small steamer, dear lad, as must ha'

seen the fire last night."

"Help at last!" panted Carey.

"Ay, my lad, they've kept their fires banked up, and the smoke's pouring out of her funnel and hanging to leeward like a flag."

"Iss. Ship come," said Jack.u.m, who had bounded up and inspected the vessel. "Jack.u.m fess all aboy. Car-ee going fight him?"

"No, no," cried the boy; "they must be friends," and, utterly worn out now, he broke down and hid his face.

"Don't do that, dear lad," whispered Bostock. "Keep it up a bit longer, for I must leave you now. Jack.u.m and I must go off in the whale-boat and pilot them inside. Can't you keep it up just an hour more?" and the old sailor's voice shook as he spoke.

"Yes," said Carey, as his teeth grated together. "Go on."

"Right, my lad. I don't think there's anything to fear, but take my gun, and if that old ruffian does rouse up and crawl to the saloon door--'tarn't likely, or he'd ha' been here before, but I says it, my lad, because it would be your dooty, and you must--shoot, sir; shoot him. He aren't a human man, only a something in a man's shape; a murderer, that's what he is, and you must shoot him as if he was a wild beast. Now, Jack.u.m, give him the gun, and come with me."

The black obeyed with alacrity, and a few minutes later Carey heard the faint plash of oars, and sat there in the utter silence, watching the doctor's pallid thin features, as he still slept deeply, and listening for the sounds from below which did not come.

It must have been close upon two hours before that silence was broken by the sound of voices, the grating of a boat against the steamer's side, and the trampling of feet on deck.

"Jack.u.m back.u.m," cried the black, as he dropped down, with his face shining with excitement.

"Ahoy there!" cried Bostock. "How goes it, my lad? Here we are.

Boat's crew well armed, and we're going to have Old King Cole out before many more minutes are gone."

"Take care," cried Carey, excitedly. "Think of the danger. What are you going to do?"

"Roosh him, sir, somehow or another," cried the old sailor, "and I'm a-going first."

"What! He will shoot you."

"Let him try," cried Bostock, grimly. "I aren't forgot what he did to me with one of the n.i.g.g.e.r's clubs. I've got Jack.u.m's here, and maybe I shall get its big k.n.o.b home quicker than he can put in a shot."

Carey had no further protest ready, and he sat in agony, hardly realising that it was strange the various sounds had not awakened the doctor.

But his every sense was on the strain, as he listened to a sudden rush down past the saloon door, expectant of shot after shot from the beachcomber's revolver.

But no shot was fired, though a revolver was fast clenched in the old ruffian's hand.

There was, however, to be no hand-cuffing and carrying off to the justice of man, for the spirit of Dan Mallam the beachcomber had pa.s.sed out that morning, as the old sailor said, with the tide.

The small steamer lying anch.o.r.ed close by in the lagoon had after a long and dangerous search at last achieved her purpose, having been despatched, with Carey's father and the captain and chief officer of the _Chusan_ on board, in search of the wreck if it were still on the reef, and the meeting was a joyful one.

"I never could think you were dead, my boy," was whispered in Carey's ear; "and your dear mother always felt the same. I knew I should find you, and I have, thank G.o.d! thank G.o.d!"

"Car-ee's ole man?" said a voice just after, and Mr Cranford turned sharply round to stare at the shining black face.

"Yes," he said, frowning; "I am Carey's--er--old man."

"Me Jack.u.m! You shake han'?"

"Next to Bostock and the doctor, father, my best friend," said Carey, eagerly.

"Then he is mine," said Mr Cranford.

"Here's a canoe of savages off from the island," shouted the captain of the _Chusan_ from the deck. "Does this mean a fight?"

"Jack.u.m boy come back," cried the black. "No shoot; all good boy.

Jack.u.m take you Big Dan island. Plenty sh.e.l.l, plenty copra, plenty old ship 'tuff. Big Dan mumkull. Jack.u.m give all Car-ee now."

But no start was made for the other portion of the King's domain, for a few days were necessary in the way of rest for the doctor; and the captain of the _Chusan_ and the mate had to satisfy themselves of the impossibility of getting the vessel off. During these days, though, there were busy times, for the specie the _Chusan_ had been bearing was all hoisted out in safety and transferred to the smaller vessel.

Not much else was done save the taking on board of the pearl sh.e.l.ls as the freight belonging to the doctor and Carey. The pearls were already in safety, and Bostock made a greater haul with the help of a chum and the blacks from the tubs ash.o.r.e.

"Twice as many as the first go, my lad," said the old sailor, rubbing his hands, "and, I say, oughtn't you and the doctor to lay claim to what we're a-going to find?"

"No," said Carey, "and besides, we have not found it yet. If there is much worth having it will go, I should think, to the company that owns the _Chusan_. But we shall see."

Carey Cranford saw the great treasures in pearls, pearl sh.e.l.l, and valuables collected from wrecked vessels in the course of some twenty years, during which Dan Mallam had reigned paramount in a lonely island off the north-west coast of Australia, for Jack.u.m piloted the steamer there in triumph, and looked proud of his achievement, while he pointed out everything he thought of value to Carey, and could not understand the lad's hanging back from helping himself to articles he did not want.

The steamer was nearly laden with valuable pearl sh.e.l.l and the boxes of pearls h.o.a.rded up by the old beachcomber, who was supposed to have escaped from Norfolk Island with a party of his fellows who had all pa.s.sed away.

These must have been enough, with their insurance, to quite compensate the company for their loss. In fact, voyage after voyage was made to the _Chusan_ and to Jack.u.m's island during the following twelve months on salvage business, and with excellent results.

But we have nothing to do with that. It is enough to state that the boats on the night of the wreck had been carried in safety to a western Australian port; that the doctor rapidly began to mend; that Carey's injured chest was doctored by a sick man; and that Jack.u.m wanted badly to follow the young adventurer when the time came for saying good-bye, and was only stopped by its being impressed upon him that he was King of Pearl Island now, and was to go on collecting till Carey came to see him some day on a voyage with his father, to trade for all his copra, sh.e.l.l, and pearls.

Jack.u.m nodded and grinned.

"Get big lot. You come some day," he cried.

"Some day, Jack.u.m, if my father will fit out a vessel."

"Iss," said Jack.u.m. "No Big Dan. Killa feller. Mumkull eberybody.

You come sit along Jack.u.m. Jack.u.m show Car-ee how fro boomerang next time. Ha, ha!"

The last Carey saw of him then was the tall black figure waving his boomerang as he stood up in his canoe, before showing his teeth and then hurling the weapon, to fly far after the retreating steamer, to curve up and return--to the canoe--not quite, for it dropped into the sea some fifty feet away, to be lost somewhere in the lovely submarine gardens of the reef along by whose side the steamer glided.

A fortnight later, with the doctor steadily gaining strength, the vessel glided into Moreton Bay. Then Brisbane was soon reached; but the message had flown before on wire to the lonely watcher, waiting for the son she would not believe to be dead, month after month, till three-quarters of a year had pa.s.sed.

And when the house was in sight there was a figure at an open door, and Carey dashed off, his father hanging back, while Robert Bostock, mariner, who was laden with luggage, placed it in the road, turned his back, sat upon it, and began to fill his pipe. This done, he struck a match, but somehow when he held it to the tobacco there was a sudden _ciss_, and the match went out.