Sail Ho! Part 3

"Thank you. Just wait till we've been a month at sea, and I'll race you all through the rigging."

"All right," I said, "you shall. My father says there's nothing like a sea trip when you've been ill. He took me in his yacht after I had had fever."

"And you got well in no time, didn't you?"

I nodded, as I looked at his wasted figure, and noted his eager, anxious way.

"There, Lena, hear that," he said quickly. "I told you so." Then turning to me again--"Come and sit near us in the cabin; I shan't be so nasty and snappish when I've had my breakfast."

He laughed in a forced way, and promising that I would if I could, I drew back to leave the brother and sister together, for Walters gave my jacket a twitch.

"I say, I shall never get you round the ship," he said, in an ill-used tone. "Now look here," he began, "this is the saloon-deck, that's the mizzen-mast, and come along here and I'll show you the binnacle."

"Why, I know all these," I said, laughing merrily. "Come, I'll box the compa.s.s with you."

"Tuppens as you can't do it right, young gent," said a rough-looking elderly sailor, who was coiling down the rope which had nearly overset the sick pa.s.senger.

"You keep your place, sir, and speak when you're spoken to," said Walters, sharply.

"Certeny, sir. Beg pardon, sir, of course. Here, you Neb Dumlow, and you Barney Blane," cried the man to a couple of his fellows, who were busy tightening the tarpaulin over a boat which swung from the davits.

The two men, whose lower jaws were working ox-fashion as they ruminated over their tobacco, left off and faced round; the first addressed, a big, ugly fellow, with a terrific squint which made his eyes look as if they were trying to join each other under the Roman nose, held a tarry hand up to his ear and growled--

"What say, mate?"

"These here's our two noo orficers, and you've got to be wery 'spectful when you speaks."

"Look here, young man," said Walters, haughtily, "I've been to sea before, and know a thing or two. If you give me any of your cheek I'll report you to the first mate. Come on, Dale."

He turned away, and the bluff-looking sailor winked at me solemnly as I followed, and muttered the words, "Oh my!"

"Nothing like keeping the sailors in their places," continued Walters, "and--"

"Morning," said a handsome, keen-looking man of about thirty.

"Morning, sir."

"Our two new middies, eh? Well, shall you want me to-morrow?"

He looked at me as he spoke.

"Want you, sir!" I replied. "Are you one of the mates?"

"Every man's mate when he's on his back," was the laughing reply. "I'm the doctor."

"Oh!" I cried, catching his meaning, "I hope not, sir, unless it's very rough, but I think I can stand it."

"So do a good many folks," he continued. "Morning."

This was to a big, heavy-looking gentleman of about eight-and-twenty, who came up just then and shook hands with the doctor, holding on to him it seemed to me in a weak, helpless, amiable fashion, as if he was so glad he had found a friend that he didn't like to let go.

"Good--good-morning, doctor," he said, and as he spoke, I felt as if I must laugh, for his voice was a regular high-pitched squeak, and it sounded so queer coming from a big, stoutish, smooth-faced man of six feet high.

Walters looked at me with a grin.

"Oh, here's a Tommy soft," he whispered.

"Don't," I said with my eyes, as I screwed up my face quite firmly.

"I'm so glad I met you, as every one is so strange, and I don't like to question the servants--I mean the stewards--because they are all so busy. How long will it be to breakfast?"

"Quite half-an-hour," said the doctor, smiling, as he looked at his watch. "Hungry?"

"Oh no; I wanted to know if there would be time to see to my little charges first."

"Your little--Oh yes, I remember the captain told me. You have quite a collection."

"Yes, very large, and I am anxious to get them all across safely."

"I wish you success, I'm sure," said the doctor quietly. "You naturalists take a great deal of pains over your studies."

"Oh, we do our best," said the big man mildly, and it was just as if a girl was speaking. "Perhaps your two young gentlemen would like to see them."

"To be sure they would," said the doctor. "Let me introduce them. Let me see, your name is--"

"Preddle--Arthur Preddle."

"To be sure, you told me last night in the cabin. Then here are two of our embryo captains, Mr--"

"Nicholas Walters," said my companion, trying to speak gruffly.

"And--"

"Alison Dale."

"That's right; I like to know the name of my patients present or to be.

Let me make you known to Mr Arthur Preddle, FZS."

"And FLS," said the big pa.s.senger, mildly.

"To be sure, forgive my ignorance," said the doctor. "Now let's go and see the fish."

Mr Preddle led the way--that is, his words and looks were eager, but his body was very slow and lumbering as he walked with us to the steps, and then down to the main-deck, and forward; and all the time, as he moved his feet, I could not for the life of me help thinking about the way in which an elephant walked onward in his slow, soft way. It put one in mind of india-rubber, and all the time our new acquaintance gave a peculiar roll from side to side.

There was still a great deal of lumber about the deck, but the officers were rapidly getting everything cleared, and we soon reached a well-protected and sheltered spot forwards, where several large frames had been fitted up on purpose, and the boards which had been screwed on when they were brought on board having been removed, there they were, several shallow trays of little fish swimming hurriedly about in shoals in the clear water, but ready enough to dash at the tiny sc.r.a.ps of food Mr Preddle threw in.

"For fresh food, sir?" said Walters. "Won't they be very small?"

The doctor laughed, while the naturalist's eyes opened very wide and round, so did his mouth.