Syd Belton Part 47

In another quarter of an hour the other would be ready, he knew, and then his chance would be gone.

The first lieutenant pa.s.sed along the deck, and Syd thought he looked very severe. He came back, and he looked worse. It was impossible to ask him, and Syd shrank away and went to where Roylance was busy speaking to the c.o.xswain of his boat.

"I say," whispered Syd, taking him by the sleeve.

"Yes."

"Ask the luff to let me go with you, there's a good fellow."

Roylance gave him a merry look.

"Well, you are a queer one, Belt," he said. "Not afraid to stand up before Mike Terry, and yet daren't go and ask the luff to let you go ash.o.r.e."

"I'm not exactly afraid," said Syd.

"But you daren't go."

"Yes, I dare," he said; and he went up boldly now.

"Beg pardon, sir," he said, touching his hat.

"Eh? Yes, Mr Belton; what is it?"

"May I go with the second cutter, sir?"

"You? Mr Roylance is going."

"Yes, sir. I wanted to go too."

"Like to take Mr Jenkins as well as Mr Bolton for a good game?"

"Yes, sir; very much," said Syd, eagerly, in astonishment that the severe officer was so amiable.

"Humph! of course. Look here, Mr Belton, do you know what the old proverb says?"

"About idleness, sir?"

"No, not that one. This:--A boy is a boy."

"Yes, sir."

"Two boys are half a boy."

"Yes, sir."

"And three boys are no boy at all. I want some work done, so I send one boy with each boat. Hi! bo'sun; better take another breaker of water; you may not find any, and we do not want to communicate for some hours."

"Ay, ay, sir," cried Strake, and he busied himself about the order.

"Got your arms all right, and plenty of ammunition?"

"Yes, sir," said Roylance.

"May I go, sir?" said Syd, tentatively.

But the lieutenant did not appear to have heard him, and stood giving order after order to the officer and the boat's crew, asking endless questions about the stores they had on board.

"And I should so like to have gone," thought Syd, as he gazed longingly at the rock, standing up grey and brown and green against the deep blue sea, whose waters washed with creamy foam the bottom of the huge ma.s.s of stone.

He turned with a sigh to watch the first lieutenant, who was now busily talking to Lieutenant Dallas and Roylance, and Syd knew that in another minute or two the boat, would be pushed off, when the boatswain came up behind him.

"Aren't you going with us, Master Syd?"

"No, Barney," he replied, sadly; "I'm not going."

"Why don't yer ask the luff to let yer go, sir? Be a bit of a change."

"I did ask him, Barney."

"And did he say you warn't to go, sir?"

"No; he seemed as if he wouldn't answer me."

"Didn't say downright as you shouldn't go?"

"No."

"Well, sir, you're a young gent, and the capen's son, and course I wouldn't tell yer to do nothin' wrong; but in the old days when we was goin' to cut out ships from under the guns of a fort, or to land and upset some town, the young gents used to smuggle theirselves into the boat and get down among the men's legs, and the skipper and the luff wouldn't see 'em."

"Wouldn't see them--why?"

"'Cause bein' very young gents they wouldn't send 'em or give 'em leave to go 'cause o' the danger, but they liked 'em to go all the same, 'cause it showed they'd got sperret in 'em."

"Barney!" whispered Syd, looking at the bo'sun searchingly.

"No, sir; I won't say go," was whispered back. "You can't 'spect it.

But--"

Syd's eyes sparkled and he gave a cautious look round to see that the captain was on the quarter-deck, and that the first lieutenant had his back to him and was energetically insisting upon something to Roylance.

The next moment Syd was over the side, and down amongst the crew.

"Hide me somewhere, lads," he whispered eagerly. There was a laugh.

"Arn't you scared about meeting Jack Shark again, sir?" said one of the men.

"Hold your row, Jim," said another. "This way, sir." There was a little scuffling about, and the next minute, half fearing that he was playing ostrich and had only concealed his head, Syd was listening. He had hardly ceased moving when he heard the first lieutenant saying something to Lieutenant Dallas, who was evidently descending the side.

"I wouldn't depend too much on that tackle. The guns are very heavy.