The Ocean Cat's Paw Part 79

"Why, Morny," cried Rodd, catching his companion sharply by the arm, "where are the n.i.g.g.e.rs?"

"Where are the n.i.g.g.e.rs?" said the young Frenchman, staring.

"Yes; they have always been ready waiting till we finished our meals.

They were there last night."

"Yes," said Morny; "they were there last night."

"Then where are they this morning?"

Morny looked across the river and back at his companion, while the doctor, who had been conversing with the men, came hurriedly up and joined them.

"What are you two talking about?" he said.

"About those two blacks, uncle," said Rodd, whose voice sounded rather husky.

"What about them, sir?"

"They have always been hanging about, uncle, till we had done our meals, and then waited for what was left."

"Yes. True. I saw them paddle across last night in the dark and fetch what was put for them, in a curious animal-like way."

"But you didn't see them go back, uncle?"

"Yes, I did, sir, and I remember thinking how cat-like they were in their actions, pouncing upon the food and eating it there and then. I watched them till they had done, so as to see them steal off again with their boat, and I meant to write a note about it in my paper regarding this trip."

"Well, they are not waiting this morning, uncle," said the boy meaningly.

"No," said the doctor, glancing in the direction of the wild banana leaf.

"Well, uncle, what do you make of that?"

"I don't know, my lad. What do you make of it?"

"I don't quite know, uncle. They are savages."

"Yes, boy, they are savages."

"And they've got spears, uncle," said the boy meaningly.

"There you go again, sir!" cried Uncle Paul, irascibly now. "You know perfectly well, Rodney, how this sort of thing annoys me. I suppose the next thing you will be telling me is that one of them came with his spear and behaved as one of Captain Cook's friends says the Australian blacks behaved to the girls they wanted to steal for their wives."

"No, I don't, uncle," cried the boy ill-humouredly. "I don't know what Captain Cook's friends say. I hardly know who Captain Cook is--Yes, I do: he's the man who sailed round the world."

"Well, then, I'll tell you, sir. He said the blacks come in the dark, twist their spears in the girls' hair, and carry them away. And I suppose you mean to infer that that's what has become of the Spanish captain?"

"I don't, uncle," cried Rodd.

"But if you do, sir, you are wrong; for the Don, as you two lads nicknamed him, had hardly a bit of hair on his head. There, there, there; being cross won't make any better of it. Hope to goodness that nothing has happened to the poor fellow. Can't have got up in the night and walked away in his sleep, can he?"

"Well, but if he had, uncle, he must have woke up by this time, and then he'd walk back again."

"Well, we can't go without him, my dear lads. He has been a very faithful servant to us, and it would be a mean, cowardly, despicable act for us to leave him in the lurch. Oh, it's impossible. It would be little better than murder to leave a man here without a boat."

Rodd looked hard at Morny, as if questioning him with his eyes; and so the French lad took it to be, for he made a deprecating gesture with his hands.

The doctor was watching his nephew keenly, and now clapped him sharply on the shoulder.

"What are you thinking about, sir?" he cried.

"About what you said, uncle," said the lad, rather confusedly.

"I didn't say anything, sir. I was listening to you."

"Yes, you did, Uncle Paul," said the boy sternly. "You said that it would be murder to leave a man here without a boat."

"Oh, of course. So I did. And so it would be, sir. But now look here, Rodd. I haven't known you, sir, since you were little more than a baby without being able to read some of the changes which come over your face. What were you thinking about that boat?"

"I was thinking, uncle, suppose he had one."

"But he hadn't one. Look here, sir; you are thinking something, and suspecting something."

"Yes, uncle, I am; but I don't know what."

"I suppose that's because you were prejudiced against the Spaniard by what Chubb said."

"I suppose so, uncle. You know how he said he wouldn't trust that man a bit?"

"Yes, yes."

"Well, I always felt that I couldn't trust him a bit."

"Prejudice, boy--prejudice."

"I dare say it was, uncle; and when I found how he showed us everything we wanted I tried to believe in him; but my head felt as if it wouldn't go."

"He hadn't got a boat; he hadn't got a boat," said the doctor, as if to himself.

"No, uncle; but suppose he had got a canoe?"

"That's it," cried Morny excitedly. "You are right, Rodd. You think those were his two men?"

"Yes," said Rodd. "Two black fellows out of his schooner."

"And--and--" panted Morny, as the doctor's jaw fell and he stood staring at the two lads, utterly speechless--"you believe that he has led us right out here in this wild maze of a place to lose us, while he goes back to--to--"

The poor fellow broke down, and Rodd caught him by the hand; but Morny in the pa.s.sion of his emotion s.n.a.t.c.hed his away.

"Don't--don't say it!" he cried.--"While he has gone back for who knows what? Oh, father, father, why did I come away?"