The Ocean Cat's Paw Part 38

"Well," said Uncle Paul, "I have for a long time had my doubts, and now I am no longer a sceptic."

He looked very hard at the skipper as he spoke, and feeling that he was called upon to answer, the st.u.r.dy captain shook his head and brought his big hand down heavily upon the cabin table.

"That you are not, sir," he said; "your head's too full of science and knowledge and larning to be what you say. I don't quite exactly know what it means, but I'll answer for it you are not that; and now if you don't mind I should like for us to go up on deck again and have a good look round. It's 'most as light as day, and if a thing like that is playing around we are just as likely as not to sight it again. What do you say, sir, to taking your gla.s.s and being on the look-out?"

"By all means," said the doctor. "Get the gla.s.s, Rodd. Hullo! What's the matter with you?"

"Oh, nothing, uncle," said the boy, hastily rising.

"Why, you took hold of the table as if you felt dizzy."

"No, no, uncle. I am all right."

"Not afraid, are you?"

"I--I was for a moment, uncle."

"Good lad and true! Naught to be ashamed on, and spoke out like a man,"

grunted the skipper.

"But I tell you I am all right now," cried Rodd angrily, and he darted a fierce look at the speaker.

"Of course you are, youngster; but you felt a bit skeart again, and 'nough to make you."

"Yes," said Rodd sharply, "I did feel startled for a moment, but it's all gone now. Come on, uncle; I have got the gla.s.s;" and the boy made a dash for the cabin stairs.

"I say," whispered the skipper, "that's better than brag, doctor."

"Yes," said Uncle Paul, drawing a deep breath; "a great deal."

They both then hastened up the stairs, to find Rodd half-way along the deck, hurrying with the gla.s.s under his arm to join the men, who were all gathered together at the bows, save their solitary messmate at the wheel.

"Well, my lads, did you make it out again?" shouted the skipper.

"No, sir," replied Joe Cross, who took upon himself the part of spokesman. "Aren't seen a sign of it. We have been casting it up among us that it got more than it liked in the shape of that bullet, and after going down, it turned waxy-like and come up again to have something to say to us, but turned worse and went down."

"Humph!" grunted the skipper. "Then you think we hit it?"

"Yes, sir; and some of the lads have been saying that if they was you they'd load the big gun well with a lot of grape-shot, and if the beggar come up again be on the look-out and let him have it."

"Some on us, Joe Cross; not all."

"Nay, but you meant it, Ikey Gregg," said Joe.

"Not me, messmate. I says it's dangerous to be safe to get meddling with things like that."

"Ay, ay!" came from two or three of the other men, but only in a half-hearted way.

But it was encouragement enough for slow, quiet, fat Isaac Gregg to continue--

"You see, gentlemen, it's like this. That there long-necked sarpint thing has only got to make a rush and chuck itself out of the water aboard us here, and break the schooner's back, and where should us be then?"

"I don't know," said the skipper shortly. "But what do you say, doctor?"

"Well, for my part, speaking for the advancement of natural history, Captain Chubb, I should like to see that creature lying dead upon the surface, and left floating long enough for you and your men to take measurements, while my nephew and I did the best we could with pen and pencil to describe what might very well be called one of the wonders of the world."

"And what do you say, squire?" asked the skipper, speaking eagerly.

"I say you'd better load the gun again, Captain Chubb," replied Rodd, speaking very hurriedly. "We might hit it if it came up, and then we could try and do what my uncle says."

"Right," growled the skipper. "Man the gun again, and you, Cross, come below with me and fetch a canister of grape-shot and a full business charge to load the piece. You lads who are not wanted for the gun, each of you take a musket and an axe. It aren't likely that we shall come to close quarters, but if we do--well, you know what."

Every man on board joined in a hearty cheer, and in a very short time the preparations were made, even the cook playing his part of keeping the galley fire ready, while directly afterwards he edged up to where Joe Cross was in conversation with Rodd.

"Thought I would come the old-fashioned dodge as well, sir," he said.

"Old-fashioned? What do you mean?"

"For firing the gun, sir. I've left the poker in between the bars to get red-hot. Put that to your touch-hole. Beats slow match hollow; don't it, Joe?"

"Ay, that it do, mate, if you have got the fire, and the poker's hot; but you have to come back to the slow match if neither one nor t'other's ready. Well, Mr Rodd, sir, it don't look as if any of us is going to have the watch below to-night."

"No, Joe, it doesn't. Do you think the monster will come up again?"

"Can't say, sir, I'm sure, and to speak honest, there are times when I hope it will and there are times when I hope it won't. Sea-sarpints aren't much in my line. I have had a turn in a whaler, and though a right whale is a nasty kind of a bird to tackle when she is in her flurry, you know what you are about. There's the harpoon in her, and you have got her at the end of your line, and you're waiting for her with your lances ready to put her out of her misery. But even if you have got a few shot in her, a sea-sarpint's different sort of cattle altogether, and I didn't like the looks of this 'ere one at all. She came up quite vicious-like to look after us. You see her eye, Mr Rodd, sir? I did, sir, for a moment. There was a sort of leery look about it, and it seemed to me as if she had just picked you out and meant to have you. All the lads here know I'm one as never brags, but if there's a bit of fighting on I am always ready to stick to my mates, just as I would now."

"Ay, ay, Joe! That's a true word," came in chorus.

"Thank you, messmates," said Joe modestly. "Well, then, I'll speak out.

Between you and me and the post, my lads, I hope this 'ere annymile won't come up to give us a shot."

There was a low murmur at this which sounded very much like a.s.sent.

"It's narvous sort of work, you see. If the schooner had been fitted out as a sea-sarpinter with the right and proper sort of tackle, why, that's another thing. But then you see, she aren't been. We haven't got the proper sort of tools, and we aren't been drilled to use them even if we had."

"That's a true word, messmate," came in chorus.

"And that's why I says I hope she won't look us up to-night; but if she is following us up and keeping one of them great sarcer eyes upon our keel somewheres far away down below, I hope she'll leave it till morning. After sunrise we shall be able to see better, and have had time to get rid of a nasty unked sort of feeling which rather bothers me just now, though I don't know how it is with you. There, Mr Rodd, sir, you faced the thing splendid. I see you, sir. You didn't turn round and run away like Ikey Gregg. You stood fast there with your hands resting on the rail, staring the thing straight in the face. How you managed to do it I don't know. But do it you did, and I admired you, sir."

It was moonlight, and the change in Rodd's face pa.s.sed un.o.bserved, but it was scarlet, and felt so hot that the boy involuntarily raised his hand to his cheek, while a feeling of annoyance pervaded him as he looked at Joe Cross suspiciously, in the belief that the man must be bantering him; but as far as the boy could make out, Joe Cross's frank countenance was quite innocent of guile and he was speaking exactly as he felt.

But Rodd was not at rest, and in the calm still watch that followed, with every one on the look-out and ready to imagine that each phosph.o.r.escent flash in the sea meant the moving upwards of the uncanny enemy, Rodd waited till all was still and restful and they seemed likely to be undisturbed, to make his way to Joe Cross's side and get him alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

QUERY--A COWARD?