Sail Ho! Part 72

"Yes, and that's what bothered me. If it had been any one else it would ha' been all right, but one can't quite believe in a cook being your friend at any time. After what has taken place just lately I should say he was the worsest enemy we ever had."

"No, no," I cried eagerly, "the man could not help it. He was innocent enough. It was that scoundrel who did the mischief."

"All right, sir; have it your own way. I'm willing."

"Then we have one friend on deck."

"Yes, sir, and s'pose he'll doctor the lot of 'em this next time and have us all up on deck again. Good luck to him. I hope he'll look sharp about it."

"Hist! What's that?"

It was the three knocks again plainly heard from forward somewhere, and plain proof that we had other friends who would gladly join us in a combination against our common enemy.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

We answered the knocks, which were repeated, and we soon found that we could signal to or talk to our friends forward, for we had pretty well made out now which was fore and which aft, though it was evidently a dead calm again, and the ship was rolling slowly from side to side.

But though we could signal and converse, there was no code for the signals, and our conversation was in an unknown tongue.

I suppose it was the heat, or the fact that I had gone through so terrible an experience from the narcotic, which made me feel so intensely irritable, for after our knocking and tapping had gone on for some time, I exclaimed--

"I wish to goodness they wouldn't. What is the good of their keeping on doing that? It means nothing, and does no good."

"Oh, but it do mean something, sir," said Bob.

"Well, then, what?"

"They keep on tapping to show us where they are, and means us to go to them."

"Why don't they come to us?" I said, in a tone full of vexation.

"'Cause they can't, sir."

"And we can't go to them," I cried pettishly.

"Well, I don't know, sir; I've been thinking as perhaps we could."

"But how, man? We can't get through all these cases and barrels and things."

"No, sir; but praps we might manage to creep along over 'em. One on us ought to volunteer to try."

"All right; volunteer it is," growled Dumlow. "I'll go."

"There you are, Mr Dale, sir. Never say die. Wait a minute, Neb, old man, and let's set my fingers and thumbs to work to try whether they can see a hole as 'll soot you to go along by."

"There can't be any holes, Bob," I said.

"Mebbe not, sir; but I tell you what cargo does in a voyage, specially if you get a storm or two to shake it together. You may pack it and jam it as much as you like when you're in dock, but it's sure to settle a bit, and leave some room up at the top. I'm going to try whether there arn't some o' that room here."

We waited almost breathlessly, and listened to our fellow-prisoner as he rustled about; and then my heart gave a bound, for he exclaimed--

"Here's plenty o' room here, sir, just at the top, but it goes aft.

This can't be toward the bows. But it was this way as the knocking came, warn't it?"

"No, no, no," we all cried. "The other way."

"Look at that," growled Bob. "My head can't be right yet, or else it's the darkness as confooses a man. It's like being in a thick fog and having to steer."

"Try again," I said.

"Ay, ay, sir; I'll try again, o' course."

"I say, don't kneel on a man's chesty like that, messmate," grumbled Dumlow.

"Then why don't you put your chesty somewheres else?" growled Bob.

"You're allers lying about all over the deck."

"Nay, I arn't, matey," remonstrated Dumlow. "Speak the truth, my lad, if you can."

"Why, you're spreadin' about on your back now, arn't yer?"

"Course I am, mate; I was trying how flat I could make myself 'fore I started on the adwenter."

"Try, pray try the other way, Bob, and don't quarrel so--"

"Now hark at that, Barney, when I'm trying all I can to be as civil and smooth as b.u.t.ter, on'y Neb let out at me."

There was a pause, and we could hear Bob grunting as he felt about in the other direction, sending joy into all our hearts directly, just as the tapping began again.

"It's just as I said, Mr Dale, sir," he whispered. "The knocking comes along over the cargo here, and there is just room for a man to creep along."

"Hush! let me answer the knocking first," I whispered.

"Never mind the knocking, sir; let's get to 'em 'fore we misses the chance. Now, Neb, lad; ready?"

"Ready it is, messmate."

"Here you are then; on'y go face downwards."

"Would yer? Can't breathe so well if you turns yer fizzy mahogany down."

"And yer can't crawl so well if yer goes with it up."

"You had better crawl, Dumlow," I whispered; "but try and go straight toward where the knocking came from."

"He'll be 'bliged to, sir. No doubt about that, 'cause there arn't no other way. Now then, I'll give yer a hyste. Can you manage it?"