The Adventures of Don Lavington Part 46

"Now, now, Mas' Don, you mustn't speak like that."

"And you must not speak like that, Jem,--_Master Don_. You'll have some of the men hear you."

"Well, I'll mind; but you mustn't think any more about that, my lad.

He's captain, and can do as he likes. You were going to hit him, weren't you?"

"Yes, Jem, I'm afraid I was. I always feel like that if I'm hurt."

"But you mustn't now you're a sailor. Say, my lad, things looks rather ugly, somehow. Think the captain will punish you?"

"We shall see, Jem."

"But hadn't we better--I say, my lad," he whispered, "we could swim ash.o.r.e."

"And the shark?"

"Ugh! I forgot him. Well, take a boat, and get right away, for I've been thinking, Mas' Don, it's a very horrid thing to have hit your officer."

"But I didn't hit him. He hit me."

"But you were going to, Mas' Don," whispered Jem. "Strikes me the time's come for running away."

Don shook his head.

"Why, you was red hot on it the other day, my lad."

"Yes, but I've been thinking a great deal about it since, Jem; and it seems to me that it would be too cowardly to run now we are king's sailors."

"But not if you were going to be punished for doing nothing."

"N-o, Jem," said Don hesitatingly.

"And for being hit as the captain hit you."

"N-no, Jem; but--but somehow--There, don't say any more about it now."

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

BEFORE THE CAPTAIN.

Bosun Jones was right in his hint. The captain forgot all about Don's offence as soon as he was comfortable and rested. He had struck out in his hasty irritation, but his anger soon pa.s.sed, and had the matter been brought to his notice again, he would have laughed, and said that it was the boy's nature to resent being struck, and that he would make the better sailor.

The time pa.s.sed pleasantly enough in the beautiful harbour, and every day a boat went ash.o.r.e with a surveying or exploring party, all of whom were examined and cross-examined by their messmates on their return, as to the habits of the New Zealand savages, and many a yarn was invented about the Maoris' acts.

Both Don and Jem found their messmates rough, but good-tempered enough, and the days glided by rapidly; but the opportunity was never given Don for joining one of the exploring parties. In every case he was told he was too much of a boy.

"Never mind, Mas' Don. You'll grow into a man some day," Jem used to say.

The Maoris were quite friendly, and the very stringent rules made at first were relaxed. The officers and men who went ash.o.r.e were always armed, and limits were placed to the number of savages allowed to visit the ship; but the boarding netting was dispensed with, and it was not deemed necessary to double the sentries.

More than once parties of men were allowed on sh.o.r.e, and upon these occasions Don and Jem encountered the tattooed Englishman.

"Haven't made up your minds to come and join us?" he said, laughing; and Don shook his head.

"Ah, well! I won't persuade you, my lad. P'r'aps you're best where you are. But if you do make up your mind, come to me."

"How should we find you?" said Jem, who was careful to acquire knowledge that might be useful.

"Ask the first man you see for Tomati Paroni, and he'll bring you to me."

"Tomati Paroni," said Don thoughtfully; "is that New Zealand for Tom-- Tom--?"

"Tom Brown," said the chief, laughing. "They have all sorts of English words like that."

The country was so beautiful, and the sh.o.r.e presented so many attractions, that the officers kept a strict watch over the men for fear of desertion; but there was something which acted more as a deterrent than anything that the officers could say or do, and that was the report that the natives were cannibals.

"Lots of 'em would desert," Jem said one night, as he lay in his hammock so close to Don's that they touched, "only--"

"Well, only what?" said Don.

"They say they'd rather stick on board, and be roasted and basted by the captain and officers, than by the blacks."

"They're not blacks, Jem; and I don't believe about the cannibal work."

"Well, they arn't blacks certainly, Mas' Don; but I'm pretty suspicious about the other thing. I once thought as Tomati was laughing at us, but it's all true. Why, what d'yer think I see only yes'day?"

"Numbers of things. But what in particular?"

"Why, one of the big chiefs who come ash.o.r.e in that long canoe. You know; the one with a figure-head with its tongue sticking out?"

"Yes; I know."

"Well, he'd got a flute."

"What of that? Men have flutes at home. Uncle Josiah had one."

"What was it made on?" whispered Jem.

"Box-wood, with ivory mountings."

"Well, this chiefs flute was of ivory altogether--I mean, of bone."

"Well?"

"Guess what bone it was."