Mother Carey's Chicken Part 2

"He looks as if he would," said the sailor after a few moments' pause.

"I say, youngster, I'd rayther be ins with him than outs."

"What! rather be friends than enemies?"

"That's it, youngster. I say, what are you going to be--first-mate, and skipper arter?"

"No," said Mark, speaking in the same low tone as his questioner; "I'm not going to be a sailor."

"Lor!"

"It is not decided what I'm to be yet."

"Arn't it now? Why, if you'd come to sea along o' us what a lot I could ha' taught you surety. Why, I could ha' most made a man of you."

"Here, Widgeon," said the captain sharply, "take that back to Mr Gregory, and tell him I shall be aboard to-morrow."

"Right, sir," said the sailor, giving his head a duck and his right leg another kick out--courtesies called forth by the well-furnished room and the soft carpet, for on the bare deck of the ship he put off his manners with his sh.o.r.e-going clothes. "Day, sir. Day, youngster. Day, shipmet."

This last was intended for the dog; but, a few moments before, Bruff had slowly risen, crossed the room, and drawn the door open by inserting one paw in the crack, and then pa.s.sed through.

"Why, he arn't there!" said Billy Widgeon after a glance round. "My sarvice to him all the same," he added, and went out.

The door had hardly closed when there was the sound of a rush, a roar, the fall of a chair, a crash of china, and a stentorian "Ahoy!"

"I shall have to kill that dog," cried the captain, as he and Mark rushed into the hall, where Bruff was barking and growling savagely.

"Down, Bruff!" shouted Mark, seizing the dog by the collar and enforcing his order by pressing his head down upon the oil-cloth, and setting one knee upon his side. "Why, where's--"

Mark did not finish, but burst into a roar of laughter, in which his father joined, as they both gazed up at the little sailor.

Explanation of the state of affairs was not needed, for matters spoke for themselves.

It was evident that Bruff had, for some reason, made a rush at Billy Widgeon, who had leaped upon a hall chair, from thence upon the table, upsetting the chair in his spring. From the table he had leaped to the top of a great cabinet, knocking down a handsome Indian jar, which was shattered to fragments on the oil-cloth; and from the cabinet springing to the bal.u.s.ters of the first-floor landing of the staircase.

There he hung, swinging by first one hand, then by the other, so as to get a good look down at his a.s.sailant, who was barking at him furiously as Mark rushed out; but Bruff had not the brains to see that if he rushed up stairs he could renew his attack.

"Got him safe?" said Billy Widgeon, as he swung by one hand as easily as would a monkey, and unconsciously imitating one of these active little creatures in the pose of his head.

"Yes; he sha'n't hurt you now," cried Mark.

"'Cause dogs' bites don't come in one's pay, eh, cap'n?"

"The dog's all right now, Widgeon," said the captain. "Here, Mark, shut him in the parlour."

"All right, father! but he won't stir now."

"Come down, my lad," said the captain. "You can climb over the bal.u.s.trade."

"Bee-low!" cried the sailor in a gruff, sing-song tone, and loosening his hold he dropped lightly on to the oil-cloth within a couple of yards of the dog.

Bruff's head was pressed close down to the floor, but he showed his teeth and uttered a growl like a lilliputian peal of thunder.

"Quiet!" cried Mark, as Billy Widgeon struck an att.i.tude with his fists doubled, ready for attack or defence.

"Lor', if you was aboard our ship, wouldn't I heave you overboard fust chance!" cried the sailor.

"What did you do to the dog?" said the captain angrily.

"I never did nothing at all, sir. I only wanted my umbrella as I stood up in the corner. Soon as I went to take it he come at me, and if I hadn't done Jacko and nipped up there he'd have had a piece out of my leg."

As he spoke he went to take the umbrella from the corner, when, looking upon the movement as an attempt to carry out a robbery, Bruff uttered another savage growl aid struggled to get free.

"All, would yer!" cried Billy Widgeon, s.n.a.t.c.hing up his umbrella and holding it by the toe in cudgel-fashion. "Now, then, youngster, lot him go. Come on, you ugly big-headed lubber. I'm ready for you now."

As he spoke Billy Widgeon did Jacko, as he termed it, again, hopping about, flourishing his weapon, and giving it a bang down upon the floor after the fashion of a wild Irishman with his shillelagh.

It was a risky proceeding, for it infuriated the dog, who began to struggle fiercely, while Mark laughed so heartily that he could hardly retain his hold.

"That will do, Widgeon," said the captain, wiping his eyes. "Here, Mark, make that dog friends with him."

"Here, give me the umbrella," said the lad.

"Nay, if I do you'll let him go at me," said the sailor doubtingly.

"Nonsense, man! Give him the umbrella," cried the captain.

The sailor obeyed; and as Mark took it he held it down before the dog, and then returned it to its owner.

Bruff did not say "All right!" but he gave three pats on the oil-cloth with his long bushy tail, a sign that he accepted the position, and then he was allowed to get up.

"Who's afeard!" cried Billy Widgeon, looking from one to the other. "I say, I was too many for him, sir."

"Yes," said the captain; "and what about my Indian jar?"

"Ah! that was the dog's fault, cap'n," said the man earnestly.

"Dog's fault!" said Captain Strong. "You knocked it down and broke it, and I shall stop the cost out of your pay."

Billy Widgeon stood for a moment looking solemn. Then, as if he had suddenly been engaged as a dentist's specimen, he bared all his fine white teeth in the broadest of broad grins.

"Nay, skipper," he said, "you wouldn't do that. Me and my shipmets wouldn't want to make another v'yge with you if you was that sort o'

capt'n. I'll buy you another one when we gets to Chany. Here's off!"

He nodded to all in turn, went out of the door, rattled his umbrella on the iron railings in front, making Bruff utter a low discontented growl, and then, as the door was closed, the growl became a deeply-drawn breath like a sigh, while putting his nose to the crack at the bottom, he stood with his ears twitching, giving forth a faint whine now and then, apparently not quite satisfied as to whether he had done his duty, and uneasy in his mind about that umbrella. "You will have to be careful with that dog, Mark," said the captain. "He must be tamed down, or we shall have worse mischief than a broken jar."

"He thought the man was stealing the umbrella," pleaded Mark on behalf of his favourite.

"Then he must be taught to think sensibly, my lad. Billy Widgeon's one of my best fore-mast men, and I can't afford to have my sailors used to feed your dog."