MEN OF SOLID TIMBER
Mr. Mordacks was one of those vivacious men who have strong faith in
their good luck, and yet attribute to their merits whatever turns out
well. In the present matter he had done as yet nothing at all ingenious,
or even to be called sagacious. The discovery of “Monument Joe,” or
“Peg-leg Joe,” as he was called at Flamborough, was not the result of
any skill whatever, either his own or the factor's, but a piece of as
pure luck as could be. For all that, however, Mr. Mordacks intended to
have the whole credit as his sole and righteous due.
“Whenever I am at all down-hearted, samples of my skill turn up,” he
said to himself as soon as Joe was gone; “and happy results come home,
on purpose to rebuke my diffidence. Would any other man have got so far
as I have got by simple, straightforward, yet truly skillful action,
without a suspicion being started? Old Jellicorse lies on his bed of
roses, snoring folios of long words, without a dream of the gathering
cloud. Those insolent ladies are revelling in the land from which they
have ousted their only brother; they are granting leases not worth a
straw; they are riding the high horse; they are bringing up that cub
(who set the big dog at me) in every wanton luxury. But wait a bit--wait
a bit, my ladies; as sure as I live I shall have you.
“In the first place, it is clear that my conclusion was correct
concerning that poor Golconda; and why not also in the other issue? The
Indiaman was scuttled--I had never thought of that, but only of a wreck.
It comes to the same thing, only she went down more quietly; and that
explains a lot of things. She was bound for Leith, with the boy to be
delivered into the hands of his Scotch relatives. She was spoken last
off Yarmouth Roads, all well, and under easy sail. Very good so far.
I have solved her fate, which for twenty years has been a mystery. We
shall have all particulars in proper time, by steering on one side of
the law, which always huddles up everything. A keen eye must be kept
upon that scoundrel, but he must never dream that he is watched at all;
he has committed a capital offense. But as yet there is nothing but
his own raving to convict him of barratry. The truth must be got at by
gentle means. I must not claim the 500 pounds as yet, but I am sure of
getting it. And I have excellent hopes of the 5000 pounds.”
Geoffrey Mordacks never took three nights to sleep upon his thoughts (as
the lawyer of Middleton loved to do), but rather was apt to overdrive
his purport, with the goad of hasty action. But now he was quite
resolved to be most careful; for the high hand would never do in such a
ticklish matter, and the fewer the hands introduced at all into it, the
better the chance of coming out clear and clean. The general factor had
never done anything which, in his opinion, was not thoroughly upright;
and now, with his reputation made, and his conscience stiffened to the
shape of it, even a large sum of money must be clean, and cleanly got
at, to make it pay for handling.
This made him counsel with himself just now. For he was a superior man
upon the whole, and particular always in feeling sure that the right
word in anything would be upon his side. Not that he cared a groat for
anybody's gossip; only that he kept a lofty tenor of good opinion. And
sailors who made other sailors tipsy, and went rolling about on the
floor all together, whether with natural legs or artificial, would do no
credit to his stairs of office on a fine market-day in the morning. On
the other hand, while memory held sway, no instance could be cited of
two jolly sailors coming to see the wonders of this venerable town,
and failing to be wholly intoxicated with them, before the Minster bell
struck one.
This was to be avoided, or rather forestalled, as a thing inevitable
should be. Even in York city, teeming as it is with most delightful
queerities, the approach of two sailors with three wooden legs might
be anticipated at a distant offing, so abundant are boys there, and
everywhere. Therefore it was well provided, on the part of Master
Mordacks, that Kitty, or Koity, the maid-of-all-work, a damsel of
muscular power and hard wit, should hold tryst with these mariners in
the time of early bucket, and appoint a little meeting with her master
by-and-by. This she did cleverly, and they were not put out; because
they were to dine at his expense at a snug little chop-house in
Parliament Street, and there to remain until he came to pay the score.
All this happened to the utmost of desires; and before they had time
to get thick-witted, Mordacks stood before them. His sharp eyes took in
Sailor Bob before the poor fellow looked twice at him, and the general
factor saw that he might be trusted not to think much for himself. This
was quite as Mr. Mordacks hoped; he wanted a man who could hold his
tongue, and do what he was told to do.
After a few words about their dinner, and how they got on, and so forth,
the principal came to the point by saying: “Now both of you must start
to-morrow morning; such clever fellows can not be spared to go to sleep.
You shall come and see York again, with free billet, and lashings of
money in your pockets, as soon as you have carried out your sailing
orders. To-night you may jollify; but after that you are under strict
discipline, for a month at least. What do you say to that, my men?”
Watchman Joe looked rather glum; he had hoped for a fortnight of
stumping about, with a tail of admiring boys after him, and of hailing
every public-house the cut of whose jib was inviting; however, he put
his knife into his mouth, with a bit of fat, saved for a soft adieu to
dinner, and nodded for his son to launch true wisdom into the vasty deep
of words.
Now Bob, the son of Joe, had striven to keep himself up to the paternal
mark. He cited his father as the miracle of the age, when he was a long
way off; and when he was nigh at hand, he showed his sense of duty,
nearly always, by letting him get tipsy first. Still, they were very
sober fellows in the main, and most respectable, when they had no money.
“Sir,” began Bob, after jerking up his chin, as a sailor always does
when he begins to think (perhaps for hereditary counsel with the sky),
“my father and I have been hauling of it over, to do whatever is laid
down by duty, without going any way again' ourselves. And this is the
sense we be come to, that we should like to have something handsome
down, to lay by again' chances; also a dokkyment in black and white, to
bear us harmless of the law, and enter the prize-money.”
“What a fine councillor a' would have made!” old Joe exclaimed, with
ecstasy. “He hath been round the world three times--excuseth of him for
only one leg left.”
“My friend, how you condemn yourself! You have not been round the world
at all, and yet you have no leg at all.” So spake Mr. Mordacks, wishing
to confuse ideas; for the speech of Bob misliked him.
“The corners of the body is the Lord's good-will,” old Joe answered,
with his feelings hurt; “He calleth home a piece to let the rest bide
on, and giveth longer time to it--so saith King David.”
“It may be so; but I forget the passage. Now what has your son Bob to
say?”
Bob was a sailor of the fine old British type, still to be found even
nowadays, and fit to survive forever. Broad and resolute of aspect, set
with prejudice as stiff as his own pigtail, truthful when let alone,
yet joyful in a lie, if anybody doubted him, peaceable in little things
through plenty of fight in great ones, gentle with women and children,
and generous with mankind in general, expecting to be cheated, yet not
duly resigned at being so, and subject to unaccountable extremes of
laziness and diligence. His simple mind was now confused by the general
factor's appeal to him to pronounce his opinion, when he had just now
pronounced it, after great exertion.
“Sir,” he said, “I leave such things to father's opinion; he hath been
ashore some years; and I almost forget how the land lays.”
“Sea-faring Robert, you are well advised. A man may go round the world
till he has no limbs left, yet never overtake his father. So the matter
is left to my decision. Very good; you shall have no reason to repent
it. To-night you have liberty to splice the main-brace, or whatever
your expression is for getting jolly drunk; in the morning you will be
sobriety itself, sad, and wise, and aching. But hear my proposal, before
you take a gloomy view of things, such as to-morrow's shades may
bring. You have been of service to me, and I have paid you with great
generosity; but what I have done, including dinner, is dust in the
balance to what I shall do, provided only that you act with judgment,
discipline, and self-denial, never being tipsy more than once a week,
which is fair naval average, and doing it then with only one another.
Hard it may be; but it must be so. Now before I go any further, let me
ask whether you, Joseph, as a watchman under government, have lost your
position by having left it for two months upon a private spree?”
“Lor', no, your honor! Sure you must know more than that. I gived a old
'ooman elevenpence a week, and a pot of beer a Sunday, to carry out the
dooties of the government.”
“You farmed out your appointment at a low figure. My opinion of your
powers and discretion is enhanced; you will return to your post with
redoubled ardor, and vigor renewed by recreation; you will be twice the
man you were, and certainly ought to get double pay. I have interest; I
may be enabled to double your salary--if you go on well.”
This made both of them look exceeding downcast, and chew the bitter quid
of disappointment. They had laid their heads together over glass number
one, and resolved upon asking for a guinea a week; over glass number
two, they had made up their minds upon getting two guineas weekly; and
glass number three had convinced them that they must be poor fools to
accept less than three. Also they felt that the guineas they had spent,
in drinking their way up to a great discovery, should without hesitation
be made good ere ever they had another pint of health. In this
catastrophe of large ideas, the father gazed sadly at the son, and the
son reproachfully reflected the paternal gaze. How little availed it to
have come up here, wearily going on upon yellow waters, in a barge where
the fleas could man the helm, without aid of the stouter insect, and
where a fresh run sailor was in more demand than salmon; and even
without that (which had largely enhanced the inestimable benefit of
having wooden legs), this pair of tars had got into a state of mind to
return the whole way upon horseback. No spurs could they wear, and no
stirrups could they want, and to get up would be difficult; but what is
the use of living, except to conquer difficulties? They rejoiced all the
more in the four legs of a horse, by reason of the paucity of their
own; which approves a liberal mind. But now, where was the horse to come
from, or the money to make him go?
“You look sad,” proceeded Mr. Mordacks. “It grieves me when any good
man looks sad; and doubly so when a brace of them do it. Explain your
feelings, Joe and Bob; if it lies in a human being to relieve them, I
will do it.”
“Captain, we only wants what is our due,” said Bob, with his chin up,
and his strong eyes stern. “We have been on the loose; and it is the
manner of us, and encouraged by the high authorities. We have come
across, by luck of drink, a thing as seems to suit you; and we have told
you all our knowledge without no conditions. If you takes us for a pair
of fools, and want no more of us, you are welcome, and it will be what
we are used to; but if your meaning is to use us, we must have fair
wages; and even so, we would have naught to do with it if it was against
an honest man; but a rogue who has scuttled a ship--Lor', there!”
Bob cast out the juice of his chew into the fire, as if it were the
life-blood of such a villain, and looked at his father, who expressed
approval by the like proceeding. And Geoffrey Mordacks was well content
at finding them made of decent stuff. It was not his manner to do things
meanly; and he had only spoken so to moderate their minds and keep them
steady.
“Mariner Bob, you speak well and wisely,” he answered, with a superior
smile. “Your anxiety as to ways and means does credit to your intellect.
That subject has received my consideration. I have studied the style of
life at Flamborough, and the prices of provisions--would that such they
were in York!--and to keep you in temperate and healthy comfort, without
temptation, and with minds alert, I am determined to allow for the two
of you, over and above all your present income from a grateful country
(which pays a man less when amputation has left less of him), the sum of
one guinea and a half per week. But remember that, to draw this stipend,
both of you must be in condition to walk one mile and a half on a
Saturday night, which is a test of character. You will both be fitted
up with solid steel ends, by the cutler at the end of Ouse Bridge,
to-morrow morning, so that the state of the roads will not affect you,
and take note of one thing, mutual support (graceful though it always
is in paternal and filial communion) will not be allowed on a Saturday
night. Each man must stand on his own stumps.”
“Sir,” replied Bob, who had much education, which led him to a knowledge
of his failings, “never you fear but what we shall do it. Sunday will
be the day of standing with a shake to it; for such, is the habit of the
navy. Father, return thanks; make a leg--no man can do it better. Master
Mordacks, you shall have our utmost duty; but a little brass in hand
would be convenient.”
“You shall have a fortnight in advance; after that you must go every
Saturday night to a place I will appoint for you. Now keep your own
counsel; watch that fellow; by no means scare him at first, unless you
see signs of his making off; but rather let him think that you know
nothing of his crime. Labor hard to make him drink again; then terrify
him like Davy Jones himself; and get every particular out of him,
especially how he himself escaped, where he landed, and who was with
him. I want to learn all about a little boy (at least, he may be a
big man now), who was on board the ship Golconda, under the captain's
special charge. I can not help thinking that the child escaped; and I
got a little trace of something connected with him at Flamborough. I
durst not make much inquiry there, because I am ordered to keep things
quiet. Still, I did enough to convince me almost that my suspicion was
an error; for Widow Precious--”
“Pay you no heed, Sir, to any manoeuvring of Widow Precious. We find her
no worse than the other women; but not a blamed bit better.”
“I think highly of the female race; at least, in comparison with the
male one. I have always found reason to believe that a woman, put upon
her mettle by a secret, will find it out, or perish.”
“Your honor, everybody knows as much as that; but it doth not follow
that she tells it on again, without she was ordered not to do so.”
“Bob, you have not been round the world for nothing. I see my blot, and
you have hit it; you deserve to know all about the matter now. Match me
that button, and you shall have ten guineas.”
The two sailors stared at the bead of Indian gold which Mordacks pulled
out of his pocket. Buttons are a subject for nautical contempt and
condemnation; perhaps because there is nobody to sew them on at sea;
while ear-rings, being altogether useless, are held in good esteem and
honor.
“I have seen a brace of ear-rings like it,” said old Joe, wading through
deep thought. “Bob, you knows who was a-wearing of 'em.”
“A score of them fishermen, like enough,” cautious Bob answered; for
he knew what his father meant, but would not speak of the great
free-trader; for Master Mordacks might even be connected with the
revenue. “What use to go on about such gear? His honor wanteth to hear
of buttons, regulation buttons by the look of it, and good enough for
Lord Nelson. Will you let us take the scantle, and the rig of it, your
honor?”
“By all means, if you can do so, my friend; but what have you to do it
with?”
“Hold on a bit, Sir, and you shall see.” With these words Bob clapped
a piece of soft York bread into the hollow of his broad brown palm,
moistened it with sugary dregs of ale, such as that good city loves, and
kneading it firmly with some rapid flits of thumb, tempered and
enriched it nobly with the mellow juice of quid. Treated thus, it took
consistence, plastic, docile, and retentive pulp; and the color was
something like that of gold which had passed, according to its fate,
through a large number of unclean hands.
“Now the pattern, your honor,” said Bob, with a grin; “I could do it
from memory, but better from the thing.” He took the bauble, and set it
on the foot of a rummer which stood on the table; and in half a minute
he had the counterpart in size, shape, and line; but without the
inscription. “A sample of them in the hollow will do, and good enough
for the nigger-body words--heathen writing, to my mind.” With lofty
British intolerance, he felt that it might be a sinful thing to make
such marks; nevertheless he impressed one side, whereon the characters
were boldest, into the corresponding groove of his paste model; then he
scooped up the model on the broad blade of his knife, and set it in the
oven of the little fire-place, in a part where the heat was moderate.
“Well done, indeed!” cried Mr. Mordacks; “you will have a better
likeness of it than good Mother Precious. Robert, I admire your
ingenuity. But all sailors are ingenious.”
“At sea, in the trades, or in a calm, Sir, what have we to do but to
twiddle our thumbs, and practice fiddling with them? A lively tune is
what I like, and a-serving of the guns red-hot; a man must act according
to what nature puts upon him. And nature hath taken one of my legs from
me with a cannon-shot from the French line-of-battle ship--Rights of
Mankind the name of her.”