The Ocean Cat's Paw Part 43

As the doctor spoke he took out his pocket-book, drew forth a card, and held it between two fingers in doctor's fashion towards the officer.

"Humph! MD, Plymouth. Oh, well, Dr Robson, I hope to find that I have been labouring under a mistake;" and he raised his hand to his c.o.c.ked hat. "But I have my duty to do."

"Don't apologise, sir," said the doctor, who had changed as in a moment from the st.u.r.dy naturalist into the urbane medical man. "I quite see your necessity for guarding against imposture. Pray proceed."

The lieutenant nodded sharply, and leaving his guard of a couple of marines at the gangway, and the boat's crew ready to spring up the side at the slightest alarm, he followed the skipper to the cabin hatch, the doctor hesitating as if in doubt for a moment or two, and then following deliberately down the cabin stairs.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

THE KING'S MIDDY.

Rodd, full of excitement, was burning to follow too and see what he looked upon as the officer's discomfiture; but there was that middy, who seemed to be left in command of the marines, and he felt a peculiar sensation which completely mastered him, filling him as it did with a desire to have what he afterwards called a good fall out with that fellow, who seemed to make him metaphorically set up his feathers all round his neck and go at him as a strange young c.o.c.kerel of a different breed who had suddenly appeared in the poultry-yard where he dwelt.

So Rodd stayed on deck, thrust his hands into his pockets, ignored the presence of the middy, and with something of a strut marched up to the two marines in the gangway, whistling softly the while, gave each a friendly nod, examined their grounded arms and their stiff uniform with its abundant pipe-clay, and ended by spreading his legs a little, swinging himself slowly toe and heel, and saying patronisingly--

"Rather hot toggery that, my lads, for weather like this."

"Well, of all the impudence!" cried the young officer hotly; and he took a step towards where Rodd was standing.

Rodd faced slowly round, looked at the boy superciliously, then said as coolly as could be--

"Hullo, midshipmite! Not gone below?"

"No, puppy, I have not gone below," and as he spoke the lad pressed the hilt of his dirk involuntarily and sharply downward.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Rodd. "Why, that looks like wagging your tail like a moorhen. I say, why didn't you draw that skewer just now? My word, you did look fierce!"

One of the marines t.i.ttered, and the other spread his mouth into a broad grin, while, convulsed with rage, the young officer turned upon both furiously, making them draw themselves up as stiff as their muskets.

"How dare you!" cried the middy, turning back to Rodd, and now becoming fully conscious of the fact that the schooner's crew gathered forward were gazing at the scene with intense enjoyment.

"What's the matter, reefer?" said Rodd, whose face was scarlet, but whose words sounded as cool and indifferent as if he were calm in the extreme.

"Matter, you insolent blackguard!" cried the midshipman. "If I were not on duty, and too much of a gentleman to soil my hands with a schooner's loblolly boy, I would give you a sound thrashing with my belt."

"Would you?" said Rodd coolly. "That's the worst of you reefers. You are nearly all of you like that when you come ash.o.r.e at Plymouth. It's your uniform and the wearing of a skewer that makes you all so c.o.c.ky.

Now, do you know you have said what a fellow just your age once said to me at Saltash--but he didn't. He had an accident, and then we shook hands, and I took him home to my uncle's and helped him to bathe his face. It was such a hot day that his nose bled a good deal. But we stopped it. Nice fellow he was too, afterwards. So I dare say you'd be if I had taken you in tow a bit."

"I understand you, sir," panted the middy; "and look here, I shall not forget this."

"Pooh! Yes you will," said Rodd, with a mocking laugh. "I wish you were going to stop on board. We have got a spare cot here. Get your old man to give you leave when your lieutenant has done smelling in all the lockers below. You come while the two vessels are in company, and I'll teach you how to use the gloves."

"Oh, if I wasn't on duty!" panted the middy furiously. "I haven't got a card with me, but give me yours. We may meet again."

"Hope we shall, I'm sure," said Rodd. "I say, reefer, don't be so jolly disappointed because you won't have the price of half a n.i.g.g.e.r for prize-money."

"Pah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the middy furiously; and turning his back upon Rodd he stepped to the side and looked over into the boat, to run his eye furiously over her crew, who were all sitting upon the alert, ready for any order that might be given.

But as he turned away and faced inboard, to his annoyance he found Rodd close up, smiling carelessly in his face.

"I say, reefer," he said, "you do look hot."

"Sir!" snapped out the middy, trying to look the boy down.

"I say, don't be so waxy because you are disappointed."

"I beg, sir, that you will not address your remarks to me; and please recollect that you and yours are not out of the wood yet."

"All right; only look here; your lads have had a long row, and you have got another one back. Let's give the poor fellows a bucket of water, and I'll pour a bottle of our lime-juice in and some syrup. It makes a splendid drink. Look there; those two red herrings of yours have begun licking their dry lips at the very thought of it."

The midshipman seemed to give himself a s.n.a.t.c.h, but he glanced at the two marines, and then turned and looked over into the boat, for he was horribly thirsty himself.

"Dry, my lads?" he said. "Like some water?"

"Thankye, sir!" came in chorus, and Rodd called out at once--

"Joe Cross! Bucket of fresh water--two pannikins! And is the steward there?"

"Ay, ay, sir!"

"Two bottles of lime-juice and some syrup for the boat's crew and marines."

Just then Uncle Paul's head appeared above the cabin hatch, and he stepped on deck, coming forward to where the two lads were, Rodd smiling and good-humoured, the middy wearing the aspect of the celebrated dog which had been pelted with big marrow-bones, upon each of which reposed a thick juicy bit of beef.

"Lieutenant Brans...o...b.. says will you step down and join us for a few minutes, Mr Lindon."

"Does he want me, sir?"

"Only to partake of a little refreshment this thirsty night."

"That's right," cried. Rodd. "You go on down with uncle. I'll see that your lads have plenty."

"Er--er--no grog, please," said the middy hastily.

"Not a drop, honour bright," said Rodd, laughing. "You shan't be mastheaded for that;" and he clapped the young officer merrily on the back.

The stay would have been longer, but the darkness was coming on fast; still it had been long enough for all to become the best of friends, and when the two officers came on deck it was to find the two crews engaged in a hearty game of repartee, the schooner's men casting jokes down into the boat, and the man-of-war's men hurling them back.

"Yes, a very smart crew, Captain Chubb," said the lieutenant, "but if it hadn't been for the doctor's papers here, we should have been obliged to lighten you of about half-a-dozen, for you know you have no business to have such men as this whilst his Majesty runs short."

Just then the two lads were talking together hard.

"Oh, don't you take any notice of that, Harding. c.o.c.ky, you called it.

You should drop that; it's too schoolboy-like. You know a fellow may be only a midshipman, still the ship's roll does call him a man, and when a fellow's an officer in command of a lot of sailors, he's obliged to put it on a bit, else he'd never be able to keep them in their places."

"Yes, I see," said Rodd.