Jackson threw himself back in his bed-place and was silent. So was I,
for I was recalling all that he had told me, and my doubts were raised
as to the truth of it. I did not like his hurrying over the latter
portion of his narrative in the way which he had done. What he had said
about my mother was not satisfactory. I had for some time been
gradually drawing towards him, not only shewing, but feeling, for him a
great increase of goodwill; but suspicion had entered my mind, and I
now began to feel my former animosity towards him renewed. A night's
sleep, however, and more reflection, induced me to think that possibly
I was judging him too harshly, and as I could not afford to quarrel
with him, our intercourse remained as amicable as before, particularly
as he became more and more amiable towards me and did everything in his
power to interest and amuse me.
I was one day reading to him the account of a monkey given in the book
of Natural History, in which it is said that that animal is fond of
spirits and will intoxicate itself, and Jackson was telling me many
anecdotes of monkeys on board of the vessel he had sailed in, when it
occurred to me that I had never thought of mentioning to him or of
ascertaining the contents of the cask which had been thrown into the
bathing-pool with the seaman's chest, and I did so then to Jackson,
wondering at its contents and how they were to be got at.
Jackson entered into the question warmly, explaining to me how and
where to bore holes with a gimlet, and making two spiles for me to stop
the holes with. As soon as he had done so, curiosity induced me to go
down to the pool where the cask had been lying so long, in about a
foot-and-half water. By Jackson's directions I took a pannikin with me,
that I might bring him a specimen of the contents of the cask, if they
should prove not to be water. I soon bored the hole above and below,
following Jackson's directions, and the liquor, which poured out in a
small stream into the pannikin, was of a brown colour and very strong
in odour, so strong, indeed, as to make me reel as I walked back to the
rocks with the pannikin full of it. I then sat down, and after a time
tasted it. I thought I had swallowed fire, for I had taken a good
mouthful of it. "This cannot be what Jackson called spirits," said I.
"No one can drink this--what can it be?" Although I had not swallowed
more than a table-spoonful of it, yet, combined with the fumes of the
liquor which I had inhaled when drawing it off into the pannikin, the
effect was to make my head swim, and I lay down on the rock and shut my
eyes to recover myself. It ended in my falling asleep for many hours,
for it was not much after noon when I went to the cask, and it was near
sunset when I awoke, with an intense pain in my head. It was some time
before I could recollect where I was, or what had passed, but the
pannikin full of liquor by my side first reminded me; and then
perceiving how late it was, and how long I must have slept, I rose up,
and taking the pannikin in my hand, I hastened to return to the cabin.
As I approached, I heard the voice of Jackson, whose hearing, since his
blindness, I had observed, had become peculiarly acute.
"Is that you, Frank?"
"Yes," replied I.
"And what has kept you so long--how you have frightened me. God forgive
me, but I thought that I was to be left and abandoned to starvation."
"Why should you have thought that?" replied I.
"Because I thought that some way or another you must have been killed,
and then I must have died, of course. I never was so frightened in my
life, the idea of dying here all alone--it was terrible."
It occurred to me at the time that the alarm was all for himself, for
he did not say a word about how sorry he should have been at any
accident happening to me, but I made no remark, simply stating what had
occurred, and my conviction that the contents of the cask were not
drinkable.
"Have you brought any with you?" inquired he, sharply.
"Yes, here it is," said I, giving him the pannikin.
He smelt it, and raised it to his lips--took about a wine-glassful of
it, and then drew his breath.
"This is delightful," said he; "the best of old rum, I never tasted so
good. How big did you say that the cask was?"
I described it as well as I could.
"Indeed, then it must be a whole puncheon--that will last a long while."
"But do you mean to say that you really like to drink that stuff?"
inquired I.
"Do I like to drink it? yes, it is good for men, but it's death to
little boys. It will kill you. Don't you get fond of it. Now promise me
that you will never drink a drop of it. You must not get fond of it, or
some sad accident will happen to you."
"I don't think you need fear my drinking it," replied I. "I have had
one taste, as I told you, and it nearly burnt my mouth. I shan't touch
it again."
"That's right," replied Jackson, taking another quantity into his
mouth. "You are not old enough for it; bye-and-bye, when you are as old
as I am, you may drink it, then it will do you good. Now, I'll go to
bed, it's time for bed. Bring the pannikin after me and put it by my
side. Take care you don't spill any of it."
Jackson crawled to his bed, and I followed him with the pannikin, and
put it by his side, as he requested, and I returned to my own
resting-place, without however having the least inclination to sleep,
having slept so long during the day.
At first Jackson was quiet, but I heard him occasionally applying to
the pannikin, which held, I should say, about three half-pints of
liquor. At last he commenced singing a sea song; I was much surprised,
as I had never heard him sing before; but I was also much pleased, as
it was the first time that I had ever heard anything like melody, for
he had a good voice and sang in good tune. As soon as he had finished,
I begged him to go on.
"Ah!" replied he, with a gay tone I had never heard from him before.
"You like songs, do you? my little chap. Well, I'll give you plenty of
them. 'Tis a long while since I have sung, but it's a 'poor heart that
never rejoiceth.' The time was when no one in company could sing a song
as I could, and so I can again, now that I have something to cheer my
heart. Yes, here's another for you. I shall rouse them all out
by-and-bye, as I get the grog in--no fear of that--you find the stuff,
and I'll find songs."
I was surprised at first at this unusual mirth; but recollecting what
Jackson had told me about his intemperance, I presumed that this mirth
which it produced was the cause why he indulged so much in it; and I
felt less inclined to blame him. At all events, I was much pleased with
the songs that he sang to me one after another for three or four hours,
when his voice became thick, and, after some muttering and swearing, he
was quite silent, and soon afterwards snored loudly. I remained awake
some time longer, and then I also sank into forgetfulness.
When I awoke the next morning, I found Jackson still fast asleep. I
waited for him for our morning meal; but, as he did not wake, I took
mine by myself, and then I walked out to the rock, where I usually sat,
and looked round the horizon to see if there was anything in sight. The
spy-glass, from having been in sea water, was of no use, and I did not
know what to do with it; nor could Jackson instruct me. After I had
been out about an hour I returned, and found Jackson still snoring, and
I determined to wake him up. I pushed him for some time without
success; but, at last he opened his eyes, and said:
"My watch already?"
"No," said I; "but you have slept so long, that I have waked you up."
He paused, as if he did not know my voice, and then said:
"But I can't see anything; how's this?"
"Why, don't you know that you're blind, Jackson?" replied I, with
amazement.
"Yes, yes; I recollect now. Is there anything in the pannikin?"
"Not a drop," replied I; "why, you must have drunk it all."
"Yes, I recollect now. Get me some water, my good boy; for I am dying
with thirst."
I went for the water; he drank the whole pannikin, and asked for more.
"Won't you have something to eat?" said I.
"Eat? oh no; I can't eat anything. Give me drink;" and he held out his
hand for the pannikin. I perceived how it trembled and shook, and I
observed it to him.
"Yes," replied he, "that's always the case after a carouse, and I had a
good one last night--the first for many a year. But there's plenty more
of it. I wish you would get me a little more now, Frank, just to steady
me; just about two or three mouthfuls, no more; that is, no more till
night-time. Did I make much noise last night?"
"You sang several songs," replied I, "with which I was much amused."
"I'm glad that you liked them. I used to be considered a good singer in
my day; indeed, if I had not been such good company, as they term it, I
had not become so fond of drinking. Just go and fetch me about half an
inch high of the pannikin, my good fellow, that's all I want now."
I went down to the cask, drew of the quantity that he requested, and
brought it to him. He drank it off; and, in a few moments, appeared to
be quite himself again. He then asked for something to eat, and
commenced telling me a variety of stories relative to what he termed
jolly parties in his former days; so that the day passed very
agreeably. As the night closed in, he said:
"Now, Frank, I know you want to hear some more songs; so go down and
bring me up a full pannikin, and I will sing you plenty."
I complied with his request, for I was anxious to be again amused as I
was the night before. The consequence was that this night was, in the
early portion of it, but a repetition of the previous one. Jackson took
the precaution to get into his bed-place before he commenced drinking;
and, as soon as he had taken his second dose, he asked me what sort of
songs I liked. My reply naturally was, that I had never heard any one
sing but him, and therefore could not say.
"What did I sing to you last night?" said he.
I replied as well as I could.
"Ah," said he, "they were all sea songs; but now I will give you
something better."
After a little thought, he commenced singing a very beautiful and
plaintive one, and certainly much better than he had sung the night
before; for he now was sober. The consequence was, that I was still
more delighted; and, at my request, he sang several others; but at last
his speech became rapid and thick, and he would not sing any more,
using some very coarse expressions to me when I asked him. For a time
he was silent, and I thought that he was going to sleep, and I was
reflecting upon the various effects which the liquor appeared to have
upon him, when I heard him talking and muttering, and I listened.
"Never mind how I got them," said he; "quite as honestly as other
people, Old Moshes. There they are, do you choose to buy them?" Then
there was a pause, after which he commenced: "They're as pure diamonds
as ever came out of a mine. I know that, so none of your lies, you old
Jew. Where did I come by them? that's no concern of yours. The question
is, will you give me the price, or will you not? Well, then, I'm off.
No, I won't come back, you old thief." Here he swore terribly, and then
was silent.
After a while he recommenced--
"Who can ever prove that they were Henniker's diamonds?"
I started up at the mention of my father's name; I rested with my hands
on the floor of the cabin, breathless as to what would come next.
"No, no," continued Jackson, "he's dead, and food for fishes--dead men
tell no tales--and she's dead, and the captain's dead, all dead--yes,
all;" and he gave a bitter groan and was silent.
The day was breaking, and I could just see him as he lay; but he said
no more, and appeared to breathe heavily. As the sun rose, I got out of
my bed-place; and, now that it was broad daylight, I looked at Jackson.
He was lying on his back; his brow was covered with large drops of
perspiration, and his hands were clenched together. Although asleep, he
appeared, by the convulsive twitching of the muscles of his face, to be
suffering and in great agony. Occasionally he groaned deeply, and his
lips appeared to move, but no sound proceeded from them. I perceived
that the pannikin of liquor was not finished, one-third at least having
been left.