Hunting the Skipper: The Cruise of the «Seafowl» Sloop
“I’m not going to argue about that at a time like this, but I do wonder at a big sensible fellow like you are, Tom – a sailor I always feel proud of – beginning to talk about ghosts and rooms being haunted, just like some silly superstitious old woman.”
Tom May drew himself up proudly and smiled at the first portion of his young officer’s speech, but frowned at the latter and shook his head.
“Ah, it’s all very well, sir, for a young gentleman like you to talk that how, and you and Mr Roberts, sir, has been at me before and laughed at me and my messmates; but, you see, we’re a deal older than you are, and been at sea two or three times as long. We’ve seen bad storms, and all sorts o’ wonders such as young people don’t come across.”
“No doubt, Tom,” said Murray quietly; “but come along outside. I want to station my posts.”
“Ay, ay, sir!” said the man, with a sigh of relief; but before he followed his officer he stepped on tiptoe to the opening leading up to the loft, and made an offer, so to speak, shrank back, then advanced again, and ended by sharply and shrinkingly closing the screen-like door and backing away with a sigh of relief.
“Feel better, Tom?” said the middy, with mock seriousness, as they stood out in the full light of day again.
“Ah, you’re a-laughing at me, sir,” said the big sailor, shaking his head. “I know, sir, though you’re a-pretending to look as serious as a judge.”
“Enough to make me look serious, Tom. But are you sure that any of the restless ones didn’t slip down after you before you shut the door?”
“Eh? What, sir?” whispered the man hurriedly.
“You don’t think as – ” He looked behind and round about him, before continuing. “Why, of course I am, sir. You’re a-making fun of a fellow, sir. But if you’d been up yonder and heered ’em – ”
“I should have poked about with the barrel of my musket and found that the rustling was made by birds or rats.”
“Nay, sir,” said the man confidently, “’twarn’t neither o’ they things. If it had been they’d ha’ skilly wiggled away at once. And besides, sir, they wouldn’t ha’ made a man feel so ’orrid squirmy like. I felt all of a shudder; that’s what made me know that they were something as didn’t ought to be.”
“Snakes, perhaps, Tom.”
The man started, stared, snatched off his straw hat, and gave his head a vicious rub, before having another good look back at the thatch-roofed summer-house of a place.
“Say, Mr Murray, sir,” he said at last, “did you say snakes?”
“Yes, Tom; perhaps poisonous ones.”
The man gave his head another rub, and then ejaculated in a strange long-drawn way the one word —
“Well!”
“I’ve read that in places like this they creep in under the flooring, and then make their way up the holes and into the thatch after the birds or rats upon which they live.”
“Do they now, sir?” said the man excitedly.
“Yes, and some of them are horribly poisonous; so you must take care how you deal with them.”
“Poisonous, sir?” continued Tom. “Them sort as if they bite a man it’s all over with him and the doctor arn’t able to save his life?”
“Yes, Tom,” continued Murray; “in one of these islands particularly the people call the serpent the fer de lance, a bite from which is very often fatal.”
“Kills a man, sir?”
“I believe so.”
“Then I arn’t surprised at them calling it so, sir. Nothing could be too bad for it. That’s it, sir, and now I arn’t a bit surprised at my feeling as I did, sir. I wondered what made me come so all-overish like and fancy there was something about as oughtn’t to be. I arn’t a chap as gets skeared about a bit o’ danger, sir; now, am I, sir?”
“No, Tom; I believe you to be a brave fellow that your officers can always trust.”
“Thankye, sir; that’s what I want to be – chap as can stand a bit o’ fire, sir, eh?” said the man, with a broad grin.
“Yes, Tom, and that’s what made me feel vexed at your being so superstitious.”
“Sooperstitious, sir?” said the man, giving his head another rub. “That’s what you call it, is it, sir? Well, but arn’t it enough to make a fellow feel a bit creepy, sir, to have them dry-land eels squirming about overhead ready to give him a nip as means Dr Reston shaking his head all over you and calling your messmates to sew you up in your hammock with a twenty-four pound shot at your feet, and the skipper reading the sarvice over you before the hatch upon which you lays is tilted up, and then splash, down you goes out o’ sight at gunfire. I don’t see, sir, as a fellow has much to be ashamed of in being a bit shivery.”
“Nor I, Tom, if he shivered from an instinctive fear of a poisonous serpent. But you were not afraid of that, eh?”
Tom May screwed up his face again with a comical grin, shook his head, and then, after a glance here and there at his messmates who were to be stationed as sentries —
“Well, not azackly, sir,” he said. “I was reg’larly skeared at something, and I did not know what; but I see now, sir. It was my natur’ to – what you called ’stinctive.”
“Well, we’ll leave it there, Tom,” said Murray smiling, “but I’m not quite satisfied. I’ll go and have a look by and by.”
“Ah! But Mr Murray, sir, you won’t go and think I was a bit – ”
“Never mind what I thought, Tom; and now come on. I want to see about the positions the men are to be in. To begin with, I should like the two men in the cutter to lie off a bit further.”
The order was given, and a fresh position was taken up before the middy walked carefully all round the planter’s rest-house and carefully stationed his men on duty, adding a few words about keeping a sharp lookout for the approach of danger, and at a whisper from the big sailor, including snakes.
This done, the lad began to amuse himself by examining the attempts that had been made to render the place beautiful, and it was while thus engaged, and noting that the forest all round the clearing and cultivation was apparently impenetrable, giving the idea that the cottage could only be approached by water, that Tom followed up three or four rather peculiar sniffs by one that was most suggestive of a desire to call his officer’s attention to something he wished to say.
Murray, who was pretty well acquainted with the sailor’s peculiarities, turned upon him at last sharply —
“Well, Tom,” he said, “what is it?”
“Oh, nothing, sir, on’y I didn’t want to seem imperent.”
“I’m glad to hear it, my lad; but what did you want to say?”
“I was on’y thinking, sir.”
“What about?”
“Why, sir, it seemed to me as if we was taking so much trouble to keep watch over this here sick gentleman.”
“Well, go on; don’t hesitate so.”
“Beg pardon, sir; I hesitate like ’cause I don’t want to seem imperent.”
“Then I’ll forgive you if it is, Tom. Now then, what were you going to say?”
“Only this, sir; wouldn’t it have been handier like to ha’ kep’ him aboard the Seafowl where the watches are going on reg’lar, and the doctor could ha’ looked in upon him now and then?”
“Perhaps it would, Tom,” replied Murray, “but Captain Kingsberry and the first lieutenant may have had special reasons for what they are doing.”
“Of course, sir; azackly, sir; but somehow this here does seem a bit quiet like after what we was doing before.”
“Less exciting, Tom?”
“Yes, sir. Don’t think it likely, do you, sir, that the Yankee chap who has been giving the gent inside so much trouble and nearly wherriting his life out over the slaver, may drop in to see him, do you, sir?”
“No, Tom, I don’t,” said the middy shortly. “Neither do you.”
Tom May shook his head and looked very hard at his officer.
“Beg pardon, sir, but you arn’t quite right like, because that’s just what I was thinking, and that you might like for us all to be quite ready for him if he did come.”
“What more could I do, Tom?” said the lad anxiously, for the man’s words made him think that he had been neglecting some precaution. “A good lookout is being kept, isn’t it?”
“Seaward, sir,” replied the man, “but I was thinking as the lads round the back arn’t in sight of one another.”
“Oh!” cried Murray. “And you think that the enemy might come stealing down one of the paths through the forest?”
“Didn’t see no paths, sir,” said the man, looking at him wonderingly.
“Neither did I, Tom.”
“O’ course not, sir,” said the man, giving himself a punch in the ribs with his doubled fist. “Here, I don’t know what I could be thinking of.”
“Nor do I, Tom. Mine’s rather a curious duty, namely, to take care that this gentleman does not leave this place, and to treat him as it seems to me so that while he is a prisoner he shall not in his state of health fancy that he is one.”
“Skipper wants to keep friends with him so as he’ll show us where all the niggers are, sir, and give us a chance to make a good haul of prize money?”
“Perhaps so, Tom.”
“Well, sir, captain knows best, and the first luff knows what’s second best. I dunno about Mr Munday, sir, but I wish some un else had my watch, that I do, sir. Our job burning out the black chief’s place over yonder was a bit too hot a job, but I’d rather have orders to do the same sort o’ thing again than be doing this here. It’s too sleepy for me. Can’t you set me ’sploring, sir, or something of that kind? For I’m no good at all onless I’m on active sarvice.”
“You’ll have plenty to do by and by, Tom, depend upon it.”
“Hope so, sir, but I want something to do now. Couldn’t do a bit o’ fishing, could I, sir?”
“No, Tom; we have no hooks and lines.”
“That’s a pity, sir. Seems to me that one might catch a good dish for the gunroom mess, and a few over for the men, judging from the way they bit out in the lagoon there, sir.”
“We’re on duty, Tom.”
“O’ course, sir. What do you say to me and a couple of the lads cutting bamboos and routing out the snakes I heered yonder in the roof. Too dangerous, perhaps, sir?”
“Much, Tom, and I don’t think it would accord with our duty here.”
“No, sir; o’ course not, but you’ll excuse me, sir?”
Murray nodded, and then, feeling hot and drowsy with the heat and silence, he suddenly recalled what the planter had said about summoning the servants if he wanted anything.
“Fruit!” he said to himself. “Well, I’ll begin with a good drink of water. – I’m going to have a look round, Tom,” he said quietly.
“Thankye, sir; I’m glad of it,” said the man eagerly; and he followed his officer promptly as he walked round the cottage, and said a few words to his sentries, who seemed to gladly welcome the coming of some one to relieve the silence and monotony of their task.
As he passed round the extreme pale of the garden-like clearing, Murray noted more than ever how the grounds were enclosed by a natural hedge of the densest kind, so that it was like a wall of verdure which was admirably tended and for the most part of the tropical kind, being kept clipped and intertwined to such an extent that it would have been impossible for wild creatures if they haunted the island to pass through.
Returning to the front, and after glancing at his boat, Murray signed to the big sailor to follow him, and entered through the verandah and the porch into the armoury-like hall, where he stood listening for a few moments before making a gesture to silence his man, who was about to speak. For Tom stood with wrinkled brow gazing hard at the screen which covered the way up to where the hammocks hung, as if rather uneasy in his mind about what that screen covered.
“I’ll be back directly, Tom,” said Murray, and then he went on tiptoe into the room he had mentally dubbed the study, and found that apparently the planter had not stirred, but was plunged in the deep sleep of exhaustion.
“I will not wake him,” thought the lad, and after gazing down at the worn and wasted countenance before him, his eyes again wandered over the walls and their decorations. He again noted the case upon the table, and then stepped back to where his man stood musket in hand watching the screen.
“Well, Tom,” said the lad; “heard anything of the snakes?”
“No, sir, and I’ve been listening for ’em for all I’m worth. I don’t think they’ll stir onless they hear the way up shook. Seems a rum place to get up and sleep. I should expect to find the snakes had took the hammocks first.”
“Well, we’re not going to disturb them, my lad; but come into that other room; I want a glass of water, and I suppose you could manage a drink too.”
“Thankye, sir; I just could – a big one. I should ha’ ventured to ask if I might get one, only I’m pretty sure that lake water’s as salt as brine.”
“There must be a spring somewhere,” said the lad, and making his way into the room that was used for meals, he advanced to the table at one side, where there was another hand-bell. “I don’t want to awaken our prisoner, Tom,” he said. “Here, take up the bell and go through to the back where the pantry place is, and ring gently.”
“Ay, ay, sir!” And the man softly raised the bell, thrusting in his hand so as to secure the tongue, and then the pair stepped back into the hall and through the door at the back, Murray closing it after them, before he signed to his follower to ring.
The man obeyed, at first gently, but as there was no reply he rang more loudly, and followed up his summons by thrusting the bell through a window at the back and sounding it vigorously.
“Can’t be no one at home, sir,” said the big sailor, turning to gaze at his officer.
“So it seems,” said Murray, as he stood in the intense silence listening; “but that Mr Allen said that his servants would come and attend to any of my wants.”
“Them chaps as rowed was all his servants or slaves, I suppose, sir?” said the man.
“Yes; but it is the hottest time, and these people out here always sleep in the middle of the day. Go out and follow up the side of that stream where they poled up the boat.”
Tom May looked at him in a peculiar way.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” said Murray.
“I warn’t with you when the blacks pulled the boat away.”
Murray started, and stared at his man in turn.
“Neither was I there,” he said, with a strange feeling of being puzzled assailing him.
“You said poled up the stream, not pulled, sir,” said the man. “I didn’t think when I spoke.”
“How absurd!” said Murray. “Here, let’s go out this way round to the front and hail the cutter. The boat-keepers will know.”
“It’s all right, sir,” said May, for there was a rustling sound at the back and light steps, and the man exclaimed, “Here’s one of them.”
“Why, it’s one of our lads,” said Murray excitedly.
“There’s a bell ringing somewhere, sir,” said the sailor, who now came out of the deep shadow at the back of the cottage. “Was it you, messmate?”
“Yes, my lad,” said Tom, speaking to his brother sailor, but staring hard at his officer the while. “This here’s the bell, lad, and it was me.”
Chapter Thirty Three.
Boiling over
“Have you seen any of the black servants about?” asked Murray.
He was going to say slaves, but the word sounded so repugnant that he changed it.
“Them black chaps, sir?” replied the man. “You mean them as rowed the boat?”
“Yes, or any other ones about the place.”
“No, sir, only them as rowed, sir, and I was wondering where they got to. They seemed to go out, boat and all, like a match. I see ’em one minute, and the next they’d gone in amongst the trees; but where it was I couldn’t make out, and when I asked one of my messmates he didn’t seem to know neither.”
“Go back to your post, my lad,” said Murray. “Keep a sharp lookout, and report everything you see.”
“Ay, ay, sir!” said the man, saluting and going back amongst the trees, watched by Murray and May till he disappeared, when their eyes met in a questioning look.
The sailor was the first to speak.
“Yes, sir!” he said. “Was you saying anything?”
“No, Tom; I thought you were going to speak.”
“No, sir. I was only thinking it seemed precious queer.”
“Yes, it does – queer is the word, Tom. I can’t quite make it out.”
“That’s what’s the matter with me, sir. Seems so lonesome like. Makes me feel as if somebody was dead here, and I was precious glad when you spoke. Something arn’t right somehow.”
“The place is lonely because the people have taken fright at our coming and gone off into the forest, I suppose. It is a lonely place, as we found out for ourselves when we had lost our way.”
“Oh, that’s it, is it, sir? Well, I’m glad to know it, but somehow that don’t seem quite enough for me. I still keep feeling as something’s wrong, and as I said sir, – don’t laugh at me, sir, ’cause I can’t help it. I arn’t got a head like you as eggsplains everything for you. I get a bit silly and puzzled like sometimes, and just now it seems to me like a man might feel if some one was dead here.”
As the sailor spoke he pushed his straw hat back from his forehead and wiped the big drops of perspiration away.
“Tom,” said Murray sharply, “you’re about the most superstitious fellow I ever ran against. You’re frightened of shadows.”
“Yes, sir, you’re right,” whispered the man eagerly, and he glanced sharply about him. “Shadders – that’s it, sir; that’s just what I am: things as I can’t understand and feel like. I allers was, sir, and fell foul o’ myself for it; but then, as I says to myself, I ain’t ’fraid o’ nothing else. I’m pretty tidy and comf’table in the wussest o’ storms, and I never care much if one’s under fire, or them black beggars is chucking their spears at you, because you’ve got some’at to shoot at again.”
“No, Tom; you’re stout enough then.”
“Thankye, sir; I am, arn’t I? But at a time like this, when you’ve got pyson sarpents crawling about over your head, and what’s worse, the sort o’ feeling comes over you that you’re in a place where as we know, sir, no end of them poor niggers as was torn away from their homes has come to a bad end, I’m that sooperstitious, as you call it, that I don’t know which end of me’s up’ards and which down. I don’t like it, Mr Murray, sir, and you may laugh at me, sir, but I’m sure as sure that there’s something wrong – some one dead, I believe, and pretty close to us too.”
“Not that Mr Allen, Tom?” said Murray, starting, and in spite of his fair share of common sense, lowering his voice, as for the moment he seemed to share the sailor’s fancies.
“Him, sir?” whispered the man. “Like as not, sir. He looked bad enough to be on his way for the locker.”
“Yes,” agreed Murray; “he looked bad enough. But pooh! Nonsense!”
“Pooh! Nonsense it is, sir. But mightn’t it be as well to go in and see how he is, sir, and ask him ’bout where the black servants is?”
“Wake the poor fellow up from a comfortable sleep just because you have taken a silly notion into your head, Tom? Why, you are going to make me as fanciful as you are yourself!”
“Yes, sir, I wish you was,” said the man. “I should feel a deal better then.”
“But I don’t know, Tom,” said Murray suddenly. “I don’t want to disturb him; still, as he told me to do just as I pleased here, and when I wanted anything to ring for the servants – ”
“Yes, sir, and they don’t obey orders, sir, as they should; it’s like doing him a good turn, sir, to let him know that his crew’s a bit mutinous, being on’y slaves, you know, and like us, sir, agen him.”
“Come with me, Tom,” said the lad, yielding to a sudden resolve. “I will just wake him and ask a question or two.”
“Come with you, sir!” said the man to himself. “I just think I will! You don’t ketch me letting you leave me all alone by myself in this here unked old place;” and after a sharp glance in the direction of the way up, he followed his young officer on tiptoe into the room where they had left the planter asleep; and then both started back in astonishment, to stare one at the other. For the couch was vacant, and for a few minutes the surprise sealed the middy’s lips.
“Why, Tom,” he said at last, “we left that Mr Allen there asleep!”
“He’d got his eyes shut, sir,” said the sailor dubiously.
“And now he has gone, Tom.”
“Well, he arn’t here ’t all events, sir.”
“But where can he be?” cried Murray. “I did not see him come out.”
“No, sir, I didn’t neither,” said the man, shaking his head very solemnly.
“I – I can’t understand it, Tom. Can he have – ”
“Gone up-stairs to get a nap there, sir, ’cause the hammocks is more comf’table?” suggested the man.
“Impossible.”
“I dunno, sir. He’s used to snakes, o’ course, and they knows him.”
“But we must have seen him go, Tom. We have been about all the time.”
“Must ha’ been when we was out at the back, sir, ringing the bell. That’s it, sir; you woke him up, and he turned grumpy like and went somewheres else so as not to be disturbed.”
“That must be it, Tom, and you have hit the mark. There, slip up the stairs quietly and see if he is in one of the hammocks.”
The sailor’s face crinkled up till it resembled the shell of a walnut; then he twisted his shoulders first to the left, then to the right, and followed up that movement by hitching up his trousers, staring hard at his young officer the while.
“Well, Tom, look sharp!” cried the latter.
“Ay, ay, sir!” replied the sailor.
“Why don’t you go?” cried Murray severely. “What are you thinking of?”
“Snakes, sir,” said the man laconically.
“Bah!”
“And I was a-thinking, sir, that p’raps you’d do it easier than me.”
“Why, Tom,” cried Murray angrily, “that is disobeying your officer’s orders.”
“Disobeying, sir?” said the man sharply. “Nay, sir; not me. Only you see, sir, you was a-telling me about the way in which them snakes pricked a man with their tails.”
“Tails! Nonsense, man! Teeth.”
“I didn’t ’member for sartin, sir, which end it was; but you said they did it so sharp, sir, that it killed a man out-and-out before the doctor could ’stract the sting.”
“Yes, I did tell you something of the kind, Tom.”
“Nay, sir, not something of the kind,” cried the sailor reproachfully; “that’s what it was azackly. And then you see, sir, I don’t want to brag, but you telled me yourself another time that I was a werry useful man.”
“That must have been a mistake, Tom, for you are not proving it now,” said Murray, speaking sternly but feeling amused by the man’s evasions all the while. “Why, Tom, I thought you were not afraid of anything that was solid.”
“No, sir, but you can’t call them squirmy tie-theirselves-up-in-a-knot things solid; now, can you?”
“Tom May, you’re a sham, sir,” said Murray sternly. “There, I am deceived in you. I’ll go myself;” and he made for the screen quickly.
But the man was quicker, and sprang before him.
“Nay, you don’t, sir! I am mortal skeared of snakes and sarpints, but I arn’t going to let my officer think me a coward and call me a sham. Case I do get it badly, sir, would you mind ’membering to tell Dr Reston, sir, as they say whiskey’s the best cure for bites? And as there’s no whiskey as I knows on aboard, p’raps he wouldn’t mind trying rum.”
“I’m sure the doctor wouldn’t like me meddling with his prescribing, Tom,” said Murray shortly. “Now then, up with you!”
“Ay, ay, sir!” cried the man, in tones which sounded like gasps; and Murray stood by, dirk in hand, ready to make a chop at any reptile which might appear, while Tom drew himself up into the shadowy loft, and after a good look round lowered himself down again with a sigh of relief.
“No Mr Allen’s up there, sir,” he said.
“Then where can he be?” cried the middy excitedly, and he ran back across the hall and into the study, to pass his hand over the couch, which still felt slightly warm.
“P’raps he’s gone into the gunroom, sir,” said Tom respectfully.
“What, the hall where the guns and things are?”
“Nay, nay, sir; I meant the eating quarters – the dinin’-room, as you call it.”
Murray ran back across the hall to see at a glance that no one was beyond, and he turned upon his follower again.
“Tom,” he exclaimed angrily, “what do you make of this?”
The man shook his head.
“But he can’t have come out of the study while we were looking out at the back.”
“That’s so, sir,” said the man, shaking his head the while. “It’s quite onpossible, sir, but he did.”
“Tut, tut, tut!” ejaculated Murray quickly. “We must visit all the posts and see if any one saw him pass.”
