When Leslie awoke the warm and mellow glow of the light that streamed in
through the small scuttle in the ship's side prepared him for the
discovery that he had slept until late in the afternoon; and as he lay
there reflecting upon the startling events of the previous twenty-four
hours the sound of eight bells being struck on deck confirmed his
surmise by conveying to him the information that it was just four
o'clock. He raised himself in the bunk, striking his head smartly
against the low deck-planking above him as he did so. He looked for his
clothes where he had flung them off before turning in, but they were not
there; casting his eyes about the little apartment, however, he
presently recognised them hanging, dry, upon a hook screwed to the
bulkhead. Thereupon he dropped out of the bunk, and proceeded forthwith
to dress, noting, as he did so, by the slow, gentle oscillations of the
brig, that the sea had gone down to practically nothing while he slept,
while the occasional flutter and flap of canvas, heard quite distinctly
where he was, told him that the wind had dropped to a calm.
Dressing quickly, he hurried on deck, wondering whether he would find
Miss Trevor there. She was not; but the skipper and mate were both in
evidence, standing, one on either side of the companion; neither of them
speaking. The sky was cloudless; the wind had dropped to a dead calm;
the surface of the sea was oil-smooth, but a low swell still undulated
up from the south-east quarter. The ship had swung nearly east and
west; and the sun's beams, pouring in over the starboard quarter, bit
fiercely, although the luminary was by this time declining well toward
the horizon.
"Well, mister, had a good sleep?" inquired the skipper, with some
attempt to infuse geniality into his voice.
"Excellent, thank you," answered Leslie, as with a quick glance he swept
the entire deck of the brig. "Miss Trevor is still in her cabin, I take
it, as I do not see her on deck. She has had a most trying and
exhausting experience, and I hope, sir, you will afford her all the
comfort at your command; otherwise she may suffer a serious breakdown.
Fortunately, I am not without funds; and I can make it quite worth your
while to treat us both well during the short time that I hope will only
elapse ere you have an opportunity to trans-ship us."
"Is Miss Trevor any relation of yours?" asked Potter, his tone once more
assuming a suggestion of aggressiveness.
"She is not, sir," answered Leslie, showing some surprise at the
question. "She was simply a fellow-passenger of mine on board the
_Golden Fleece_; and it was by the merest accident that we became
companions, after the ship went down. Had you any particular object in
making the inquiry, may I ask?"
"Oh no," answered Potter; "I just thought she might be related to you in
some way; you seem to be pretty anxious about her welfare; that's all."
"And very naturally, I think, taking into consideration the fact that I
have most assuredly saved her life," retorted Leslie. "Having done so
much, I feel it incumbent upon me to take her under my care and
protection until I can find a means of putting her into the way of
returning to England, or of resuming her voyage to Australia--whichever
she may prefer."
"Very kind and disinterested of you, I'm sure," remarked Potter,
sneeringly. "But if she's no relation of yours there's no call for you
to worry any more about her; she's aboard my ship, now; and _I'll_ look
after her in future, and do whatever may be necessary. As for _you_,
I'll trans-ship you, the first chance I get; never fear."
The fellow's tone was so gratuitously offensive that Leslie determined
to come to an understanding with him at once.
"Captain Potter," he said, turning sharply upon the man, "your manner
leads me to fear that the presence of Miss Trevor and myself on board
your ship is disagreeable or inconvenient--or perhaps both--to you. If
so, I can only say, on behalf of the young lady and myself, that we are
very sorry; although our sorrow is not nearly profound enough to drive
us over the side again; we shall remain aboard here until something else
comes along to relieve you of our unwelcome presence; then we will go,
let the craft be what she will, and bound where she may. And,
meanwhile, so long as we are with you, I will pay you two pounds a day
for our board and accommodation, which I think ought to compensate you
adequately for any inconvenience or annoyance that we may cause you.
And Miss Trevor will continue to be under my care; make no mistake about
that!"
The offer of two pounds per diem for the board and lodging of two people
produced an immediate soothing and mollifying effect upon the skipper's
curious temper; he made an obvious effort to infuse his rather
truculent-looking features with an amiable expression, and replied, in
tones of somewhat forced geniality--
"Oh, all right, mister; I'm not going to quarrel with you. You and the
lady are quite welcome aboard here; and I'll do what I can to make you
both comfortable; though, with our limited accommodation, I don't quite
see, just at this minute, how it's going to be done. The lady can have
my cabin, and I'll take Purchas's; you, Purchas," turning to the mate,
"can have the steward's berth, and he'll have to go into the fo'c's'le.
That can be managed easy enough; the question is, Where are we going to
put you, mister?"
"Leslie," quickly interjected the individual addressed, who was already
beginning to feel very tired of being called simply "mister."
"Mr Leslie--thank you," ejaculated the skipper giving Leslie his name
for the first time, in sheer confusion and astonishment at being so
promptly pulled up. "As I was saying, the question is, Where can we put
you? We haven't a spare berth in the ship."
"Pray do not distress yourself about that," exclaimed Leslie; "any place
will do for me. I am a sailor by profession, and have roughed it before
to-day. The weather is quite warm; I can therefore turn in upon your
cabin lockers at night if you can think of no better place in which to
stow me."
"Oh, the cabin lockers be--" began Potter; then he pulled himself up
short. "No," he resumed, "I couldn't think of you sleeping on the
lockers; they're that hard and uncomfortable you'd never be able to get
a bit of real rest on 'em; to say nothing of Purchas or me coming in,
off and on, during the night to look at the clock, or the barometer, or
what not, and disturbing you. Besides, you'd be in our way there. No,
that won't do; that won't do at all. I'll be shot if I can see any way
out of it but to make you up a shakedown in the longboat. She's got
nothing in her except her own gear--which we can clear out. The
jolly-boat is turned over on top of her, making a capital roof to your
house, so that you'll sleep dry and comfortable. Why, she'll make a
first-rate cabin for ye, and you'll have her all to yourself. There's
some boards on the top of the galley that we can lay fore and aft on the
boat's thwarts, and there's plenty of sails in the sail locker to make
ye a bed. Why," he exclaimed, in admiration of his own ingenuity, "when
all's done you'll have the most comfortable cabin in the ship! Dashed
if I wouldn't take it myself if it wasn't for the look it would have
with the men. But that argument don't apply to you, mister."
"Leslie," cut in the latter once more, detecting, as he believed, an
attempt on the part of the skipper to revert to his original
objectionable style of address.
"Yes, Leslie--thanks. I think I've got the hang of your name now,"
returned Potter. "As I was saying, that argument don't apply to you,
seein' that the men know how short of accommodation we are aft. Now,
how d'ye think the longboat arrangement will suit ye?"
"Oh, I have no doubt it will do well enough," answered Leslie, although,
for some reason that he could not quite explain to himself, he felt that
he would rather have been berthed below. "As you say, I shall at least
have the place to myself; I can turn in and turn out when I like; and I
shall disturb nobody, nor will anybody disturb me. Yes; the arrangement
will do quite well. And many thanks to you for making it."
"Well, that's settled, then," agreed the skipper, in tones of
considerable satisfaction. "Mr Purchas," he continued, "let some of
the hands turn-to at once to get those planks off the top of the galley
and into the longboat, while others rouse a few of the oldest and
softest of the sails out of the locker to make Mr--Mr Leslie a good,
comfortable bed. And, with regard to payment," he continued, turning
rather shamefacedly to Leslie, "business is business; and if you don't
mind we'll have the matter down on paper, in black and white. If you
were poor folks, now, or you an ordinary sailor-man," he explained, "I
wouldn't charge either of ye a penny piece. But it's easy to see that
you're a nob--a navy man, a regular brass-bounder, if I'm not mistaken--
and as such you can well afford it; while, as for the lady, anybody with
half an eye can see that she's a regular tip-topper, thoroughbred, and
all that, so she can afford it too; while I'm a poor man, and am likely
to be to the end of my days."
"Quite so," assented Leslie. "There is not the least need for
explanation or apology, I assure you. Neither Miss Trevor nor I will
willingly be indebted to you for the smallest thing; nor shall we be,
upon the terms that I have suggested. I shall feel perfectly easy in my
mind upon that score, knowing as well as you do that we shall be paying
most handsomely for the best that you can possibly give us. And now, at
last, I hope we very clearly understand each other."
So saying, he turned away and, walking forward to where Purchas was
superintending the removal of the planks referred to by the skipper, he
asked the mate if he could oblige him with the loan of a pipe and the
gift of a little tobacco.
"Of course I can," answered Purchas, cordially. "At least, I can give
ye a pipe of a sort--a clay; I buys about six shillin's worth every time
I starts upon a voyage. I get 'em at a shop in the Commercial Road, at
the rate of fifteen for a shillin'! I find it pays a lot better than
buyin' four briars at one-and-six apiece; for, you see, when you've lost
or smashed four briars, why, they're done for; but when you've lost or
smashed four clays--and I find that they last a'most as long as briars--
why, I've still a good stock of pipes to fall back upon. If a clay is
good enough for ye, ye're welcome to one, or a dozen if ye like."
"Oh, thanks," laughed Leslie; "one will be sufficient until I have lost
or broken it; then, maybe, I will trespass upon your generosity to the
extent of begging another."
"Right you are," said the mate, cordially. "I'll slip down below and
fetch ye one, and a cake o' baccy. I'll not be gone a moment."
And away the man went, eager, as most British sailors are, to do a
kindness to a fellow-sailor in distress. He speedily returned with a
new short clay, and a cake of tobacco, which he handed to Leslie with
the remark that he knew what it was to be without pipe or tobacco, and
could therefore sympathise with him. Leslie was soon deep in the
enjoyment of the first smoke that he had had for some eighteen hours;
and while he was still at it he saw Miss Trevor emerge from the
companion and gaze somewhat anxiously about her.
As she stepped out on deck, Potter, who had been leaning moodily over
the quarter-deck rail, puffing away at a strong cigar, sprang upright
and advanced eagerly toward her, with one hand held out, and his cap in
the other. She returned his somewhat grotesque bow with a cold
stateliness for which Leslie felt that he could have hugged her; and
then, seeing that the man would not be denied, she allowed her hand to
rest in his for just the barest fraction of a second. As Leslie
approached, he heard Potter anxiously inquiring after her welfare, and
doing the honours of his ship generally, with a ludicrous affectation of
manner that amused him greatly, and even brought the ghost of a smile to
the face of the girl.
Leslie made the polite inquiries demanded by the occasion, learning in
return that Miss Trevor felt very much better for her long rest; and
then he turned to the skipper, and said--
"Before going below I mentioned to your mate that some wreckage--
apparently from the _Golden Fleece_--was floating at no great distance;
and I left a message with him for you, suggesting that you should run
down and examine it, upon the off-chance that there might be some people
clinging to it. Did you do so?"
"I did not, sir," answered Potter. "I'd have you know, in the first
place, Mister--Leslie--if that's your name--that I'm cap'n aboard my own
ship, and take orders from nobody but my owners. In the next place, I
took a good look at the wreckage through the glass, and saw that there
was nobody on it; so, you see, there was no use in running the brig away
off her course."
"But, my good fellow--" remonstrated Leslie.
"Now, look here," broke in Potter, "don't you try to come the officer
over me, and dictate to me what I shall do, or what I shan't do; because
I won't have it. I satisfied myself that there was nobody upon that
wreckage; and that's enough."
"I presume you have no objection to my satisfying _myself_ also that
there is nobody upon it?" returned Leslie, keeping his temper admirably
in face of the other's offensive manner. "If you will kindly lend me
the ship's glass, I will go up into the main-top and have a look for
myself."
"So you don't trust me, eh?" sneered Potter. "Well, you'll just have
to, whether you like it or not. I refuse to let you use the ship's
glass; I forbid you to touch it; it's the only glass aboard; and I'm not
going to risk the loss of it by trusting it to a man who may clumsily
drop it overboard for aught that I can tell."
"Very well," said Leslie; "if you choose to be uncivil and offensive, I
cannot help it. At all events, I will take a look for myself."
And, so saying, he sprang into the main rigging and danced up the
ratlines at a pace that made the shellbacks on deck stare in wonderment.
"Come down out of my rigging, you; d'ye hear?" roared Potter. "Come
down, I say. How dare you take such liberties aboard my ship? D'ye
hear what I say?" as Leslie grasped the futtock shrouds and lightly drew
himself over the rim of the top. "If you don't come down at once I'll
send a couple of hands aloft to fetch ye."
Taking not the slightest notice of the man's ravings, Leslie stood,
lightly grasping the topmast rigging in one hand while he shaded his
eyes with the other, gazing intently away to the westward meanwhile. At
first he could see nothing; but presently, being remarkably keen of
sight, he caught what he was looking for, some three miles away. At
this distance it was of course quite impossible to discern details with
the unaided eye; but as he gazed the impression grew upon him of
something moving there; the suggestion conveyed was that of a fluttering
or waving movement, as though some one were endeavouring to attract the
attention of those on board the brig. And the longer he gazed, the
stronger grew the conviction that there really was some living thing
upon that floating mass of wreckage. He stared at it until his eyes
ached; and finally he hailed--
"On deck there! I am almost certain that you are mistaken in your
supposition that there is no one on that wreckage. I cannot of course
be absolutely sure without the glass; but _with_ it, there could be no
possibility of mistake. Captain Potter, I appeal to you, as one sailor
to another; I appeal to your humanity; send me up the glass that I may
set this question at rest. Surely you would not willingly or knowingly
leave a fellow-creature to perish miserably, rather than take the
trouble to investigate--"
"Will you come down out of that, or won't you?" demanded Potter,
angrily:
Then, seeing that Leslie was again gazing eagerly out across the glassy
surface of the water, the skipper shouted--
"Bill and Tom, up with you both into the main-top and fetch that man
down. If he won't come peaceably, heave him down! I'm cap'n of this
ship, and I don't mean to allow anybody aboard her to disobey my orders.
Now, hurry, you swabs; no skulking, or I'll freshen your way for you
with the end of this fore-brace." And he threateningly threw a coil of
stout rope off a belaying-pin by way of hastening the movements of the
two men.
Looking down on deck, Leslie saw the seamen spring with some alacrity
into the main rigging, and then continue their ascent with exaggerated
deliberateness, mumbling to each other meanwhile. And as they did so,
he saw Miss Trevor step quickly to Potter's side and lay her hand upon
his arm as she spoke to him--pleadingly, if he might judge by her whole
attitude, and the low-toned accents of her voice. He saw Potter seize
her hand and tuck it under his arm, patting it caressingly for an
instant ere she snatched it away indignantly and walked from him to the
other side of the deck; and then the heads of the two men, Bill and Tom,
showed over the rim of the top.
"Better come down, sir," said one of them. "The skipper 've got a very
queer temper, as you may see, sir; and if you don't come he'll lay the
blame on to us; and'll think nothin' of takin' it out of us with a
rope's-end."
"Come up here into the top, both of you," commanded Leslie. "Never
trouble about your skipper and his temper. I believe there is some one
alive, on that wreckage away yonder, and I shall be glad to have your
opinions upon the matter. Now," as they joined him in the top, "there
is the wreckage, about two points on the starboard quarter. Do you see
it?"
"Ay, ay sir; I sees it, plain enough," answered the man named Bill;
while his companion, Tom, replied, "Yes; I can see something afloat out
there, certingly; but I wouldn't like to take it upon me to say what it
is."
"Very well," said Leslie, turning to Bill; "you appear to have tolerably
good eyes--"
"Main-top, there," interrupted Potter, "are you coming down out of that,
or aren't you? If you're not, say the word, and I'll come up myself and
start the lot of you."
"For the Lord's sake, sir, go down, I beg ye; or there'll be something
like murder up here in a brace of shakes, if the skipper keeps his
word," exclaimed Tom, in accents of consternation.
"Leave your skipper to me; I will undertake to keep him in order if he
is ill-advised enough to come up here. Now," he resumed, turning again
to Bill, "you seem to have reasonably good eyes. Look carefully at that
wreckage, and tell me whether you can see anything having the appearance
of a man waving a shirt, or something of the kind."
The man looked long and intently, gazing out under the sharp of his
hand; and presently he turned to Leslie and said--
"Upon my word, sir, I do believe you're right; there _do_ seem to be
something a wavin' over there--"
The sharp crack of a pistol and the whistle of a ballet close past them
interrupted the man's speech; and, looking down, they saw Potter
standing aft near the lashed wheel with a smoking revolver in his hand,
which he still pointed threateningly at the top.
The two men, without another word, flung themselves simultaneously over
the edge of the top and made their way precipitately down the rigging,
while Leslie, swinging himself on to the topmast-backstay, slid lightly
down it, reaching the deck some seconds ahead of them. He alighted
close alongside Miss Trevor, who, with her hands clutched tightly
together, stood, the image of terror, gazing with horrified eyes at the
skipper.
In two bounds Leslie reached Potter's side.
"You scoundrel! you infernal scoundrel!" he exclaimed, as with one hand
he wrenched away the revolver, while with the other he seized the fellow
by the throat and shook him savagely. "What do you mean by such
infamous conduct? Do you realise that you might have killed one of us?
Have you gone mad; or what is the matter with you? Answer me, quick, or
I will choke the life out of you!"
And, with a final shake that went near to dislocating Potter's neck,
Leslie flung the fellow furiously from him, dashing him against the rail
with such violence that, after staggering stupidly for a moment, he sank
to the deck, sitting there in a dazed condition.
The mate and three or four of the crew came running aft at this
juncture, with some indefinite idea of interfering; then paused, gazing
uncertainly from one to the other, evidently undecided as to what
action, if any, they ought to take. They looked at the mate; and the
mate looked at Leslie.
"You had better take him below, and let him lie down for a while, Mr
Purchas," said Leslie, assuming quite naturally the direction of
affairs. "And when you have done so," he continued, "I shall be obliged
if you will kindly afford me the opportunity for a few minutes'
conversation."
"All right," answered the mate, "I will. Yes, that'll be best; let's
take him below into my cabin. Lay hold here, Bill, and give me a hand
to get the skipper down the companion ladder."
With some difficulty they got Potter below and into the mate's cabin,
where they laid him in the bunk and, making him as comfortable as they
could, left him to recover his scattered faculties. Meanwhile, Leslie,
catching sight of the ship's telescope hanging in beckets in the
companion-way, took possession of it and, slipping the revolver into his
jacket pocket, again ascended to the main-top; from which elevation, and
with the aid of the telescope, he quickly satisfied himself that there
certainly _was_ at least one living person clinging to the wreckage and
intermittently waving what looked like a strip of canvas, with the
evident design of attracting the brig's attention.
By the time that he had assured himself of this fact, Purchas had
returned to the deck; seeing which, Leslie beckoned him up into the top.
"Look here, Purchas," he said, as the mate scrambled over the rim and
stood beside him, "I was right in my surmise, there _is_ some living
person, or persons, on that wreckage. Take the glass and satisfy
yourself of the truth of my statement."
The mate took the glass, and presently, removing the instrument from his
eye, turned to Leslie.
"You are right, Mr Leslie," he said, "there _is_ somebody there, I can
see him wavin' something. Now, the question is, what's to be done? The
sun's pretty near settin', and it'll be dark in half an hour or
thereabouts."
"The more need that you should arrive at a prompt decision," interrupted
Leslie. "Now, if I may advise, what I would suggest is this. Let me
have the quarter-boat and four hands. I will go down to the wreck and
bring off anybody who may be upon it, and if it falls dark before we
return, hoist a lantern to the peak, as a guide to us, and we shall then
have no difficulty in finding the brig."