Sail Ho! Part 8

"Would--would you mind helping me on with a few of my things, Mr Dale?"

he said hurriedly, as he began to creep out of his berth. "It's so awkward dressing when the ship sways about so. It makes me feel giddy."

"Oh yes; I'll help you," I said.

"Thank you; it's very kind of you. The captain is quite right, and I'm not doing what I ought about those fish. I will go and see to them. So much time and expense was devoted to--oh, my gracious!"

I tried to save him, but he was too heavy, and we went down together with him half over me; but I didn't feel it much, for he was very soft.

You see he had got one leg half-way into his trousers, when the Burgh Castle gave a lurch, and bang he went up against the bulk-head, and then on to the floor.

"Hurt yourself much, sir?" I said, as we both struggled up.

"Oh, horri--no, no, not much, thank you," he muttered. "I--I--haven't quite got my sea-legs yet, as you sailors call it. That's better. Now if you wouldn't mind, Mr Dale."

I didn't mind, of course, and I helped him all I could, thinking all the while he was like a big fat boy we used to have at school, only Mr Preddle was nearly three times the size. And all the time, though he must have felt very faint and poorly, he kept a good face upon his troubles, trying to laugh and make light of them, till I said, merrily--

"That's the way, Mr Preddle. Now, if you get up on deck and don't think about the ship rolling, you will soon be better."

"Yes," he said; "I believe I should if I only could keep from thinking about the ship rolling. But it won't let me." This was while he was rubbing his big, round, smooth face, which looked as good-natured as possible, though the smile upon it was only forced.

"Oh, but you'll soon get over it," I cried. "I'll stop and help you up."

"Yes, do please stop," he said hurriedly; "but don't try and help me up.

I'm going to walk up and balance myself. I shall keep close to the bulwarks, don't you call them, and hold on. Which is the best side?"

"I should go along on the weather side," I replied. "You may get splashed a bit; but you'll soon learn not to mind that. I've often been drenched when out in the yacht with father, but one soon got dry again."

"Didn't you catch a bad cold?" he said, out of the towel.

"Oh no."

Then he looked in his little gla.s.s as he steadied himself with one hand, and then in his highly-pitched voice he said, as he looked round at me with a faint laugh, and pa.s.sed his hand over his chin--

"It's a very good job, isn't it, that I don't have to shave? I'm sure I couldn't use a razor with the ship rising and falling like this."

Thud! Whish!

The little round window was darkened for a few moments, and Mr Preddle held on with both hands.

"What's that?" he cried, excitedly. "Is there any danger?"

"Danger? No," I said with a laugh. "It was only a wave. Good job you hadn't opened your window. Don't you ever shave, then, sir?"

"No," he said with a sigh; "my beard never came."

"Then it never will," I remember thinking to myself as I looked at his smooth cheeks and chin, while he carefully combed and brushed his hair as he stood in his trousers and shirt, and then opened a little box and took out three neckerchiefs, all different in colour.

"Which one would you wear, Mr Dale?" he said, as he looked up at me.

"Oh, I don't know," I cried merrily; "which you like best--the blue one.

There's plenty of blue sky and blue sea now."

"Yes, you're right," he said, eagerly. "And--you wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Mind what, sir?"

"Showing me how to tie a sailor's knot. I never could manage it properly."

I showed him, and then he put on a white waistcoat and a blue serge jacket, like that worn by a yachting-man, b.u.t.toned up tightly, and looked at me again.

"It's very kind of you to help me," he said; "but do you think it's fine enough for a straw hat?"

I shook my head as I pictured his round, plump, white face under the straight brim, and thought how comic it would look.

"I should wear that," I said, pointing to a yachtsman's blue woollen peaked cap. "There's so much wind, and it will keep on better."

"Of course; you are quite right," he said. "It's because you have had so much experience of the sea. But it isn't quite so becoming as the straw, is it?"

I stared at him wonderingly as I thought how vain he must be; but I said it looked right enough.

"I should keep the straw hat for when we get down into the hot parts, sir," I said.

"To be sure; so I will. Do you know, that wash seems to have done me a lot of good, Mr Dale. I really think I feel better."

"Then you'll be all right now, sir. I should get the steward to give me a basin of soup."

He shuddered, and gave me a look of horror.

"I couldn't touch it," he whispered. "Don't ask me. Not now."

"Wait till you've been on deck a bit, sir."

"Yes, yes," he said, excitedly; and after another look in the gla.s.s he told me he was ready, and we went out to go on deck: but he declined to go up the steps to where the captain would be with the other pa.s.sengers, and said he would go forward to have a look at the fish; but before he had gone many steps, he altered his mind.

"I do feel better, Mr Dale," he said, with a half-laugh, "and I think I will go up and pay my respects to the captain and--and the other pa.s.sengers," and then, talking eagerly to me about his fish, and carefully preserving his balance, we went up on the p.o.o.p-deck, with the ship gliding along swiftly and more easily.

The captain saw us, and came to meet him along with Mr Brymer, the first mate, and both shook hands warmly.

"Glad, to see you on deck, sir. There, you've got over your bit of trouble. It was rather a rough beginning."

"Yes, and of course I'm not much used to the sea, Captain Berriman,"

said Mr Preddle, as he walked on by his side with legs rather widely apart, I following behind with Mr Brymer.

It seemed to me then that Mr Preddle was managing so as to get up to where Mr Denning sat with his sister, and the next minute they were abreast of them, and the captain said in his bluff way--

"There, Mr Denning, another of your fellow-pa.s.sengers has found out the advantage of coming on deck."

"Yes," said Mr Preddle, hastily, as he took off his cap to Miss Denning, and then bowed to her brother. "So fresh and bright after the clo--clo--clo--Oh dear me!"