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The Black Bar, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 11. "Soup" And "Taters" |
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_ CHAPTER ELEVEN. "SOUP" AND "TATERS" "Hooray!" cried Bob Howlett, about a week later, as he burst into the cabin. "What is it?" cried Mark, excitedly. "Why are they getting the anchor up?" "Don't know. Nobody knows but the skipper, but we're off somewhere, thank goodness, and you're to come on deck to-day, and old Russell too." "That is good news." "Yes, I shall have you all right now, in no time, getting the breeze away from this dismal shore. Here, I've told your lady's-maid--
"Here, what do you mean about the lady's-maid?" "I've told Tom Fillot to come. He's to attend to you down here. I've got some one else for you on deck." "Tell him to make haste, then." "Come in," cried Bob; and Tom Fillot came in, pulled his forelock, and kicked out one leg behind, as he stood grinning, but looking rather white and pulled down. "Ah, Tom," cried Mark, "glad you have got well again. Coming to help me?" "Yes, sir! Mr Howlett said I was to come and wally de sham you, as he calls washing yer down and dressing of yer up. Same to you, sir, only you don't look quite as I should like to see yer." Half an hour later Mark was on deck in a long cane chair, the awning above his head, the monotonous-looking coast off astern, and forward and to right and left the blue dancing water, rippled by a light breeze which made the _Nautilus_ careen over and glide through the little waves. "And how beautiful it all looks!" sighed the lad. "I never thought the ship so delightful, nor the sea so bright before." Just then, Dance the coxswain came by, and saluted, Bob Howlett passing them the same moment. "Here you are, then, skipper," he said. "What do you think of Joe Dance? Looks yellow about the gills, don't he? Here comes the captain. Can I do anything for you, Vandean?" "Morning, Mr Vandean," said the captain. "Come, that's better. Now then, be smart and get well." "I almost think I am well, sir," replied Mark, "and feel ashamed of being so idle." "Humph!" said Mr Staples, from behind him, "first midshipman I ever knew with so fine a conscience. But come, he does look better, sir." "Oh yes. Only wants time," said the captain. "You'll be ready to help take the next slaver, Vandean--eh?"--this to the lieutenant; "well, say the next but one. By the way, Mr Vandean, you can send your attendant to the cabin for any books you like to read. Look here, Staples." They went aft together talking, and then descended to the cabin, when Bob Howlett hurried up. "Why, you're holding quite a levee, old chap. I want to introduce two gentlemen to you, only I don't know about bringing them on the quarter-deck. All right, I will. It can be to move your chair." Before Mark could say a word, the lad was off, and a minute later he returned with a couple of black sailors in white duck shirt and trousers--big built, fierce-looking fellows, whose black faces, hands, and feet showed strangely in contact with their snowy clothes. They followed Bob Howlett on deck and to the chair occupied by Mark, stopping at a sign given by the midshipman who led them up. "Here we are," he said. "You two don't understand a word I say, and I can't make out a word of yours, so we're free and equal there. Now, look here, this is Captain Vandean, and I'm Captain Howlett. That is, we shall be some day. Now then, listen." The two blacks gazed at him intently, as if trying hard to understand him. "This, I say, is Captain Vandean, and I'm Captain Howlett, and we came in the boat and saved your lives when you were pitched overboard out of the slaver." "Are these the two men?" said Mark, eagerly. "Right, my lord. These are they. I've had 'em holy-stoned and fresh painted. They seemed to want to stay, and the skipper said as he was short-handed he'd give 'em a trial. Of course, I took their parts; and I said to Maitland--" "Yes, what did you say to Maitland, Mr Howlett?" said the captain, who had returned unobserved. Bob's jaw dropped. He was as a rule ready enough, but he was so completely taken aback that he was now speechless. "Ah," said the captain, "your memory is so short that you cannot recollect. But try and bear this in mind, Mr Howlett. Don't vapour and don't brag. These things are not becoming to an officer and a gentleman." He passed on, and Bob's face was a study. "There, it's all over," he said, dismally. "Don't laugh at a fellow. You might have said he was coming up." "I can't help laughing, and I didn't know, Bob, really," said Mark, merrily, "Oh, I say, you did look a muff." "So would you," said Bob, angrily. "There, I can't say what I was going to say to you, only that their names are Soup and Taters. This is the one you brought aboard--Soup. And this is my one--Taters. Soup-- Taters," he said again, and he touched the two men on the shoulders as he spoke, both smiling faintly as they heard his words, and gazing from one to the other as if striving hard to catch the meaning. "Now then, what do you think of them?" "They both seem to be big, strong, healthy fellows." "Yes, and I shall make first-class seamen of them." "I suppose so," said Mark, smiling. "There you go again--chaffing. Ah, you're ever so much better," grumbled Bob. Then turning to the two blacks--"Now then, you may both go below, only recollect that we've got a sort of right in you, because Mr Van here saved one of you, and I saved the other." The two blacks gazed hard at the speaker, the man who had been dragged into the first cutter through Mark, bending forward a little, with his soft opal eyeballs gleaming and a wonderful intense look in his swart face. There was a twitching about the temples, and his lower lip trembled a little, while one hand was raised; but as Bob Howlett finished, he uttered a low sigh, muttered a few words to his companion, and drew himself up, folding his arms across his broad chest. "Well done, noble savage," said Bob. "We very nearly understand each other. Here, Soup." The black started at the word, and looked inquiringly at the speaker. "Don't worry the poor fellows," said Mark. "Who's going to worry them? Look here, Soup, you're going to serve the Queen, and the sooner you understand the Queen's English the better. I'm going to suit the action to the word. Now then, see here." Bob glanced sharply round, to see that only the officer of the watch was on deck, and then, going through a kind of pantomime with great rapidity, he made believe to be struggling with an assailant toward the bulwarks, and being pitched overboard, while the blacks looked on in astonishment. "Here, they think you're going mad, Bob," cried Mark. "Drop it." "Sha'n't! Look at 'em! They understand. Look here, Soup. Now then, Taters, I'm swimming for my life." He struck out and swam drily, going through all the actions till he pretended to grow weak, threw up his hands, made believe to splash, and then let his head droop as he reached Mark's chair. "Now then," he said, "pretend to pull me into the boat." Mark laughed and obeyed, helping to finish the pantomime, which was quite comprehended by the two blacks, when Bob pointed to his messmate, and said: "Here, Soup, this is the noble being who saved you." The man uttered a few softly liquid words, smiled, and with his eyes full of thankfulness he took a step forward, his companion imitating his acts, and dropped down on his knees before Mark's chair. "There," cried Bob, "what do you say to--Oh, I say, stow that, Taters; not to him. I saved you. Don't give him all the honour and glory." But his explanation was in vain. Both the poor fellows had interpreted his words to mean that Mark had saved them both, and they crouched before him, making signs that he was their lord and they his humblest slaves. "Well! I do call this sickening," cried Bob. "That's just my luck. Look here, Taters. I should just like to peel you and give you three dozen, you nasty black-looking, ungrateful swab. Hi! jump up! Here comes old Staples. Now then, both of you, come along." He seized one with each hand by the sleeves of their duck frocks, and dragged them forward; but in an instant, they had snatched themselves free, and returned to Mark, speaking softly in their own tongue, and with a good deal of gesticulation, till Mark ended Bob's perplexity by pointing to the lower deck, when they walked obediently after the midshipman right away to the forecastle hatch, and went below. Five minutes later Bob was back again by his messmate's side. "That's just my luck," he said, sourly. "I beat the bush and somebody else catches the bird. Oh, here's Mr Russell coming; we shall have the whole quarter-deck on the sick list directly." But all the same Bob ran across to offer the second lieutenant his arm, as he walked feebly toward where Mark was seated, and eagerly stretched out his hand to grasp that of the young brother officer who had shared the peril of what had so nearly been their last adventure. Mark heaved a sigh, but it was one full of satisfaction as they two sat quietly talking together, with first one and then another to come up and utter a few words of congratulation; and when sailors and marines passed and saluted with a friendly smile, there was no mistaking the popularity of the two convalescents. Meanwhile the _Nautilus_ glided along due south, and there was a good deal of speculation as to her next destination, till Mr Staples came up, and in the conversation which ensued, announced that they were to search for a river about sixty miles along the coast, one which was not marked down in any chart, but was supposed to exist, and to be a stronghold of those engaged in the slave trade. It was getting toward evening, and the two invalids had pleaded for the doctor's permission to stay longer on deck, for the soft air was delicious, and gave them fresh strength at every breath. They were very silent as they sat watching with keen delight the varied business of the ship, doubly interesting to them now that they could not take part in it, when the wind began to drop, and the course of the vessel to grow more sluggish. There was nothing for the men to do, and permission had been given to a party of them, just towards sundown, to take the grains forward and try to harpoon some of the swift fish playing about their bows in the golden water; but instead of going and perching himself somewhere to take part in the sport, Bob Howlett hung about the chair of his brother middy. "Why don't you go and join in the fishing, Howlett?" said Mr Russell. "Oh, I don't know," he said. "It'll be quite dark directly, and I was wishing, sir, for something to happen to make me an invalid." "Because you have such an affection for Doctor Whitney's doses?" said Mark, laughing. "No, so you needn't make nasty remarks," replied Bob. "I thought so, because middies who have been a little out of sorts get all kinds of attentions, and those who are quite well get bullied by first lieutenants, and are spoken to by captains as if they weren't worth their salt, as Mr Staples calls it." "I shall have to report Mr Robert Howlett's insubordinate language," said Mark's fellow-invalid, when all at once there came a cry of rage, followed by a loud shouting somewhere forward. Then more cries, and confusion, and directly after there was a desperate scuffle going on by the forecastle hatch. "What's that?" cried the first lieutenant; and in a few minutes, after a desperate fight, the two blacks were dragged forward, pushed by four of the men, and held by main force while the captain, who had hurried on deck, called for an explanation. This was given by a dozen voices at once, but in obedience to a command there was silence, in which the heavy panting breathing of the blacks could be plainly heard. "Now then," said the captain, "one man speak. You, Dance, step forward. What does this mean?" "Beg pardon, sir," said the coxswain of the first cutter; "some of the lads got skylarking and playing tricks with the two black hands." "_Who_ did?" said the captain, sternly. "Beg pardon, sir, didn't see, sir, but it made the two niggers wild, and one got a knife and the other a marlin-spike; and if they hadn't been held there'd ha' been murder done, and--" "Man overboard!" was yelled from right forward where the fishing had been going on, and following a loud splashing from just beneath the ship's counter came that most thrilling of cries to send the blood coursing back even from the strongest man's cheek. "Boat, boat--Help--help!" In tropic waters just as the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the rapid darkness was coming on. _ |
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