Old Gold Part 16

"That I didn't. I found the door open when I left the berth where I lay down when I first came aboard. Pretty sort of a thick-headed chap it was who stowed that cask. Made me mad as a bull in fly-time. There were the holes to guide him to keep this side upwards, but he put the poor fellow upside down. Nice job I had to turn him right in the dark, and all wedged in among casks. I hope he ain't dead, because it would be awkward for you, skipper."

"Look here, sir," cried Sir Humphrey angrily, while Brace stood fuming; "do you mean to tell me in plain English that you did such a barbarous, criminal act as to shut up a man or boy in a cask to bring him aboard this brig?"

"Barbarous! criminal! Nonsense, sir. He liked the fun of it, and I made him as comfortable as I could. Plenty of air-holes, cushion and a pillow to sit on and rest his head. Plenty to eat too, and a bottle of water to drink. I told him he'd better go to sleep as much as he could, and he said he would. He must have been asleep when I came up a bit ago, for I couldn't make him hear."

"Captain Banes," cried Brace excitedly, "give orders for the hatches to be taken off at once."

"Just what I'm going to do, squire," said the captain. "Here, Dellow, see to it. But I call you all to witness that I wash my hands of this business. If the man's dead I'm going to sail back to port and hand this man over to the authorities."

"We'll settle that afterwards, Captain Banes," said Sir Humphrey stiffly.

"Right, sir; I'll lose no time," said the captain, and all present stood looking on while, under the first mate's orders, the hatches were opened, more lanthorns lit, and a couple of men sent below with a rope running through a block.

"Make it fast, my lads, and be sharp," cried the mate, as he leaned over the opening in the deck, swinging a lanthorn so that the sailors could see to hitch the rope about the cask. "Ready?"

"One moment, sir," came from below. Then:

"Haul away."

"Keep him right side upwards, you sir," said the American coolly.

"Right side upwards, sir!" growled the captain fiercely. "You deserve to be headed up in the cask yourself and thrown overboard."

As he spoke, the big cask appeared above the combings of the hatchway, was swung clear of the opening, and lowered again, to come down with a b.u.mp upon the deck.

"Here, quick," cried the captain. "Bring an axe and knock off those top hoops."

"Nay, nay!" cried the American coolly.

"Don't interfere, sir," said Sir Humphrey; "it is to get the head out."

"I know," said the American; "but one of those borings is a round keyhole. He'll open the head from inside if he's awake: and if he don't I can."

"If he's awake!" said Brace bitterly.

"P'raps he isn't, for he's a oner to sleep. Stand aside, skipper."

The captain turned upon the man fiercely, but it had not the slightest effect upon him, for he kept his cigar in his mouth and smoked away, as he drew out a key like that used for the boot of a coach, thrust it into one of the holes in the head, gave it a turn, and the head of the cask opened outward in two pieces which turned upon hinges; while as the first mate thrust forward the lanthorn he held, it was nearly knocked out of his hand by the skull-cap-covered head which shot up, sending a thrill of relief through the circle of lookers-on.

"Well, Dan, how goes it?" said the American.

The fresh arrival, who seemed to be a thin diminutive-looking fellow of any age, whose perfectly smooth face looked peculiarly yellow, planted his hands one on either side of the cask, sank down, and then sprang up again, cleverly pa.s.sed his legs over the side and landed himself--as if shot out by a spring--upon the deck, where he stood shrinking from the light, yawned long and widely, and then said slowly:

"Oh, all right, boss. Bit hot and sleepy. What's o'clock?"

"Time you and your precious master were over the side," cried the captain angrily.

The man or boy, whichever he was, turned in the direction of the voice, blinking quickly in the faint rays of the lanthorn light as if even they dazzled him, and went on:

"Who's him, boss?"

"That, Dan? That's the captain."

Brace burst into a hearty fit of laughter, in which his brother joined, and after a brief pause this was taken up by the two mates and followed by the men who were looking on.

"Ho!" cried the captain angrily: "it's a capital joke. Very funny, no doubt; but it strikes me somebody's going to laugh on the wrong side of his mouth. Just wait till it's daylight."

"Oh, it's all right, skipper. You can't set us ash.o.r.e now," said the American, laughing.

"Can't I? Oh! we shall see about that, my fine fellow. If you think I'm going on this voyage with a couple of lunatics on board you're preciously mistaken. I'd sooner sail to Egypt with a cargo of black cats."

"Hark at him," said the American merrily to Sir Humphrey and his brother. "He likes his joke."

"Joke, sir?" cried the captain. "You'll find this no joke, Mr Yankee Doodle."

"Go along with you, captain. Yankee Doodle knows John Bull better than he knows himself. You're not going to make me believe you'll set me and my man ash.o.r.e and leave us in a savage place to die of starvation and ague."

"You soon will believe it, though, sir," said the captain; but in spite of his annoyance he could not thoroughly infuse his tones with sincerity.

"You're only blowing, skipper, when you might be taking pity on that poor chap of mine who's been shut up in the barrel all these hours without giving a single squeak; and all because he'd risk anything so as to go with his master. That's true, isn't it, Dan?"

"Yes, that's right, boss," replied the little fellow, who kept pa.s.sing his tongue over his lips.

"Hungry, Dan?"

"No, boss. Thirsty. Horrid."

"Did you finish your bottle of water?"

"No, boss; I couldn't get the cork in proper, and when I knocked it over while I was asleep the cork came out and all the water ran away."

"Not amongst my cartridges, I hope, Dan?"

"I dunno, boss. I never see where it run to in the dark. Only know it didn't run where I wanted it to go. I _am_ thirsty."

The second mate handed him a pannikin which he had fetched from the cask lashed amidships, and the American's servant took it and began to drink with avidity.

"Here, you, Lynton," cried the captain: "who ordered you to do that?"

"Common humanity, sir," said Brace quickly.

"Then it was like his uncommon impudence to order my officers about, squire," said the captain gruffly, but without so much of his former fierceness.

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the drinker, as he drained the tin; "never knowed water was so good before. Thank-ye, mister. Ketch hold."

The second mate took the tin, and to the astonishment of all, the uncasked servant threw himself flat upon his chest and stretched himself out as much as he could, took a few strokes as if swimming, and then turned quickly over upon his back, went through similar evolutions, grunted, and stretched again.

"What's the matter, Dan?" said his master quietly.