Mother Carey's Chicken Part 17

"Mark, my lad. Hist! don't make a noise."

"What's the matter, Mr Gregory?"

"Nothing much, my lad; only that dog of yours is somewhere below howling dreadfully. I want you to come and quiet him."

"Won't he lie down when you speak, sir?" said Mark drowsily.

"No. Come: wake up my lad!"

"All right, sir!"

"Nonsense, boy! you're going to sleep again. Come, now, rouse up!"

"All--yes, sir, I'm awake," said Mark, springing out of his berth.

"I'll slip on something and come."

"I'll wait for you," said the mate dryly.

It was a wise decision, for Mark was so confused with drowsiness that he dressed mechanically, and suffered himself to be led out on to the deck where the comparative coolness made him a little more aware of what was going on.

"Now, are you awake?"

"Yes, sir. Quite awake now, sir," said Mark wonderingly. "What do you want? Is the ship going down?"

"Nonsense, boy!" said the mate laughing. "Why, you sleepy-headed fellow, didn't you understand what I said?"

"That I was to get up?" said Mark.

"Yes, and quiet your dog. There, do you hear that?"

A long piteous howl now fell upon Mark's ears, and recalling how the dog had gone below, he concluded that the animal was eager to escape on deck, but after his experience in falling down the steps he did not care to attack them again.

"What a noise!" cried Mark, as the long persistent howl came up. "Has he got stuck somewhere in the cargo?"

"No; he could not be, I think. Hark, there's the monkey too."

An angry chattering sound came up, followed by another howl and an angry bark.

"There, go down and quiet him. The men in the forecastle can't sleep."

Mark, now thoroughly awake, went sharply to the hatchway and descended, wondering why one of the sailors had not been sent down to quiet Bruff, and of course ignorant of the fact that they had one and all declined to go and face him, for certain reasons a.s.sociated with the sharpness of his teeth and strength of his jaws, while the mate felt that it would be an easier way of solving the difficulty to send down the dog's master than to go himself.

It was very dark below, and the dog's howl came once more as Mark took a lantern from where it was swinging.

"Why, where can he be? Here, Bruff, Bruff!"

Mark dropped the lantern with a crash, and the candle within it flickered for a moment and went out, as a horrible thought struck him, and turning back to the ladder he sprang up, and was about to shout, but his better sense prevailed, and he ran to where the first-mate stood by the bulwarks talking to one of the men.

"Well, have you quieted him?"

"Mr Gregory! Here! I want to speak to you," said Mark huskily.

"What, has he bitten you?"

Mark dragged at his arm, and as soon as they were on the other side, panted out in a low whisper:

"There's something on fire down below."

"What!" shouted the mate in his surprise and horror. Then recovering himself, and knowing the risks attending a scare, "Poor boy!" he cried aloud. "Well, we shall be obliged to have that dog shot."

This quieted the men, who were advancing, and they went back to their places, while Mr Gregory walked Mark slowly by him to the cabin-door.

"Are you sure you smelt fire?" he whispered.

"Yes, sir, and there is smoke coming out from between those lower hatches."

"If I go down to make sure the men will take alarm and there may be a rush," said the mate coolly. "Here, go and rouse up Morgan quietly.

Don't say what's wrong. I want him."

"And my father?" panted Mark.

"Be cool, boy; everything depends on coolness now. I'm going there."

In two minutes the captain and second-mate were out on deck, and Mark caught a glimpse of a pistol in his father's breast, and saw him slip two into the officers' hands.

"Gregory, Morgan," he said, "you stop with the men. You, Gregory, with the watch; you, Morgan, keep guard over the forecastle hatch."

"Ay, ay, sir."

The next minute the captain was below, Mark following him, and he heard him utter a deep sigh, almost a groan.

"Is it fire, father?" whispered Mark.

"Yes, my lad, somewhere down in the hold. Heaven help us! we are in a sore strait now. Who first noticed the fire?"

"It was Bruff, father; he is howling now."

"Poor dog! he must not be burned to death. Go and try and find him; but if you find there is any smoke or strange smelling vapour, come back at once."

"Yes, father."

"No, stop; I'll go with you. Where is the dog?"

"Somewhere below."

"Then he must wait. I have the ship and people to try and save."

"Then let me go, father."