"Why, Jake!" I cried out. "How have you contrived to come here?"
"Am dat you, Mass' Tom?" he answered catching sight of me behind the
captain. "Golly, I tole you so; I'se tole you I come 'board ship wid
you somehow or nudder. Who 'peak de trute now, hey? golly, yah, yah,
I'se so berry glad!" and the poor faithful fellow commencing with one of
his hearty African laughs ended in his voice breaking into a sob of joy
that evidently came from the bottom of his heart.
From hearing his words Captain Miles immediately began to "smell a rat,"
as the saying goes.
"You impudent black rascal!" he said, half in joke, pretending to be
angry, and yet partly in earnest. "What the dickens do you mean by
shipping yourself aboard my vessel in this fashion without leave or
license?"
"I'se come for to go wid Mass' Tom," answered Jake meekly.
"But how did you get off from the shore and overhaul the ship?"
continued Captain Miles, pursuing his inquiries, the hands around
meanwhile commencing to nudge one another and exchange grins as the
colloquy waxed warm between the two principal performers.
"I tell you for true, massa, beliebe me," said Jake earnestly. "Dis
forenoon wen I see Mass' Tom agwine I'se go down to de warf an' dere I
see um lilly boat lyin' widout nobody a-mindin' it; so I'se jump in and
row out ob de harbor an' git roun' by de ole fort till I see de ship
make sail. Den I'se pull, an' pull, an' pull, like de debbel, to come
up wid you, an' I tinks I nebber reach de bessel, wen, jus' as I'se git
'longside an' cotch you up, de ship gib one big lurch an' squash in de
boat, wen I'se trown in water an' you fish um out; dere, massa, dat's de
trute, s'help me!"
"Lucky for you you didn't go squash, too," observed the captain grimly.
"But, was there no one else with you?"
"No, massa, only me," replied Jake.
"Thank God for that!" said Captain Miles fervently. "I was afraid I had
run down one of those fishing sloops from Cariacou, and that all hands
were drowned but you. Whose boat was it?"
"Dunno, massa, I'se tell you," answered Jake with great nonchalance,
apparently giving but little thought to the little craft whose broken
timbers were now floating away, far astern of us.
"Well, you're a cool hand anyway!" exclaimed Mr Marline the first mate
drily, whereat Moggridge and the rest of the crew burst into a general
shout of merriment. In this even the captain himself could not help
joining, although he still tried to preserve a grave demeanour before
Jake, as if annoyed at his coming on board.
Jake, however, was much hurt at being laughed at; and he went on now to
justify his conduct with such native dignity that those who had been
making fun of him before seemed almost ashamed of their ill-judged
ridicule.
"I'se know Mass' Tom ebber since he was lilly pickaninny, an' I lub
him," he said, speaking with a feeling and earnestness which no one
would have thought of his possessing, and uttering the words in a thick
choked voice. "I took de boat 'cause de boat was dere; but if dere was
no boat, I'd hab swam off to de ship, for I'se boun' to go were Mass'
Tom go, an' if he go in ship I'se go too!"
"But, my poor fellow," put in Captain Miles kindly to him, "your young
master does not want a servant to wait on him on board the _Josephine_,
and we haven't room for any idlers. I shall have to put you ashore at
Saint Vincent, from whence you'll be easily able to get a passage back
home again."
"For de Lor' sake don't do dat, Massa Cap'en!" implored Jake, utterly
overwhelmed at such an unexpected downfall of his hopes, falling on his
knees on the deck and holding up his hands in the most supplicating
manner. "Only let dis poah nigger go wid you an' Mass' Tom an' he do
any ting you want."
"But, what can you do?" said Captain Miles, who, I could see, was
relenting. He really had no idea of carrying out the stern intention
which his words implied. "We've got no horses to groom here."
"Ah, you dunno all I can do, Massa Cap'en," replied the darkey eagerly,
rising again to his feet now, all animation. "'Fore I go wid Mass'
Eastman, I'se help my fadder in fishin'-boat, an' know how to make sail
an' reef an' steer. You jus' try dis chile an' see!"
"Very good, we will try you," said Captain Miles good-humouredly. "But,
mind, my darkey friend, you'll have to work for your passage!"
"All right, Massa Cap'en, me work safe 'nuff. See now, I'se handy boy
aboard ship!" So saying, Jake at once scrambled up the rigging and in a
minute or two was away up in the foretop, waving his arms about and
shouting with laughter in great glee.
"Yah, yah!" he cried. "I'se go higher, if um like."
"No, that will do now," sang out Captain Miles, "you can come down and
go and warm yourself, after your wetting, by the galley fire, where
you'll find another darkey to keep you company. You must enter his name
in the list of the crew, Mr Marline," added the captain, turning to the
first mate; "and see, too, about messing him in the fo'c's'le. I
daresay we'll make something out of him during the voyage."
During this little interlude, the _Josephine_ had been making away from
Grenada with the land breeze, aided by a current setting to the westward
at the rate of a couple of knots an hour; so that, by the time it got
dark, we had sunk the island to windward, Captain Miles having caused
the royals to be hoisted, in order to take every advantage of the light
air, for we had to make the best of a north-east course on the starboard
tack.
Towards nine o'clock, however, the wind freshened, and as the navigation
was rather ticklish, we being not yet in the open sea, the lighter
canvas had to be taken in, the vessel proceeding during the remainder of
the night under double-reefed topsails, courses, topgallant-sails, and
her jib and spanker--for, these could be easily handed in case of any
sudden shift of wind, which frequently veers round without warning under
the lee of the land.
I, of course, only learnt all this afterwards, picking up my nautical
knowledge by degrees from my old friend Moggridge, who took me under his
tuition, promising to make a sailor of me ere the voyage was over, for I
was told to turn in by Captain Miles at nine o'clock, when the lights
were put out in the cabin.
In the morning, when I came on deck again, we were off Saint Vincent;
but, as the current and wind were both against us, although our port was
well in sight we had to beat up to make the harbour, not dropping our
anchor until late in the afternoon.
It was a beautiful spot, for we lay as it were in a circle of mountains,
the tall Souffriere with its volcano peak overtopping them all.
Although we arrived late, Captain Miles did not lose any time in
shipping his cargo of rum, going on shore immediately in his gig, which
was still hanging to the davits astern, not having been taken on board
with the other boats before leaving "my island," as I always call
Grenada. Soon afterwards, a couple of heavy launches manned by negroes
and each stored with several big puncheons came off to us, the rum being
at once hoisted in and lowered away into the hold--the operation being
achieved in less time nearly than I can describe it, for it was
necessary for us to be off again by nightfall to take advantage of the
land breeze; or else we might be detained at Saint Vincent another day.
Besides the puncheons of rum another piece of cargo was brought on
board. This subsequently caused quite a little commotion as well as
giving us all a good deal of entertainment.
Our new freight was a cow.
Captain Miles, you must know, was a bit of a gourmand, liking to have
good eating and drinking when he could get them; and, as he was
particularly fond of coffee with plenty of milk in it, he always carried
a cow with him in his different voyages.
During his last trip from home, however, his old milk purveyor had died;
and, as such animals are rather scarce in the West Indies, he was not
able to procure one either for love or money at Grenada, and was at a
complete nonplus till we got to Saint Vincent.
Here, fortunately, or unfortunately as it happened eventually for the
poor cow, the captain heard at the last moment of a fine Alderney which
a planter was anxious to dispose of, and had brought down to the town to
send off to Barbadoes, hoping to find a market there for her. Captain
Miles, therefore, at once closed with the planter, and the last of the
launches conveying the rum puncheons to the _Josephine_ brought off in
addition this cow.
But, taking an animal of this sort away from the shore, and out to a
ship lying some distance from the land is one thing, and getting it on
board is another! This the captain found presently, when, having
completed all his business ashore and cleared the last of his cargo, he
was rowed out in his gig to regain the vessel. He had intended making
sail the moment he stepped on the deck again; but, instead of finding
everything stowed and the anchor tripped ready for the _Josephine_ to
start on his arrival, he saw that her cable was still out, while the
barge containing the cow was yet alongside.
Captain Miles was awfully angry. Everybody could see this; as he
ordered the men in the gig to row her astern, and in a very harsh tone
of voice, as he scuttled up the side-ladder and turned into the main-
deck port; hook on the falls ready for hoisting her up again to the
davits.
"Mr Marline!" he cried out to the first mate when he reached the deck,
"what is the meaning of this? I expected you'd have been all ready to
sail, and here is that launch alongside yet and the cargo not aboard!"
"All the rum's in, sir," replied Mr Marline quietly, for he was a dry
old stick and seldom said a word more than necessary.
"But the cow, man, the cow!" retorted the captain. "Why is she not
hoisted inboard as well?"
"We couldn't manage her, sir," replied Mr Marline with a sly grin.
"The brute butts everybody that comes near her."
"Why didn't you sling her?" inquired Captain Miles.
"We tried to, but couldn't," said the mate. "She kicks so that she
tumbled back twice and nearly went into the sea."
"Oh, you're all a parcel of nincompoops!" exclaimed the captain quite
roused at this. "I'll show you how a seaman can manage it!" With that,
catching hold of the side lines, he went down the ladder again like
winking and into the launch alongside.
Here, the cow, which looked even more enraged than Captain Miles, stood
in the centre of the boat, with the negroes who had pulled out the live
load from shore, standing up in the bows and on the gunwales, so as to
be out of the reach of the infuriated animal, which every now and then
made a rush at some black leg or other, making the owner yell out and
try to avoid the butt.
"Pass down a whip with a spare bit of canvas," sang out the captain,
sitting down in the stern-sheets; and on receiving these articles he set
to work to make a sort of broad belt to pass under the cow's stomach, in
the same way as is done with horses about to be shipped on board
transports when cavalry regiments are embarking.
When he had made the sling to his satisfaction, satisfying himself that
it was strong enough by attaching it to his own person and then making
the crew haul him up, his sixteen stone weight being some criterion to
go by, he ordered those at the derrick to lower him down again; and
then, with a halter all ready, which he threw over the animal's head, he
advanced bravely towards the cow to arrange the belt under her body,
thinking he could do it easily enough.
Mrs Brindle, however, was too quick for him.
Tossing off the rope bridle like a piece of straw, she lowered her head,
and catching the captain in the stomach sent him head over heels
backwards into the bottom of the boat, where one of the thwarts only
prevented her from pursuing him further, which she would most
undoubtedly have done judging by her vicious look.
At that moment, Jake, who had been looking over the side of the ship,
seeing what had happened and anxious to be of service, slid down the
whip-tackle into the boat. Arrived here his first task was to pick up
Captain Miles, after doing which he took hold of the canvas belt the
captain had prepared and dropped in his confusion at the unexpected
assault.
"You let dis niggah try, Massa Cap'en," he said. "I'se able to ride any
wild hoss, and tinks I can settle de rampagious animile."
"All right, fire away," replied Captain Miles, rather out of breath from
his tumble as well as from the punch the cow had given him "right in the
wind."
Jake thereupon, shoving the other darkeys away, climbed on to the
gunwale of the launch. Then, advancing gingerly until he was right
opposite the cow, and seizing a good opportunity, he jumped suddenly on
her back. In a moment or so, he cleverly fixed the slings round her;
while one of the other negroes, emboldened by his success, threw a noose
over her head, which kept her from plunging about any longer, or at all
events, from butting at everybody as she had done previously.
"By Jingo, you're a smart fellow!" exclaimed Captain Miles with much
gusto. "You're worth all the rest of those stupid lubbers of mine
boiled down together! Haul away now, Mr Marline," he added, looking
up; "I think we've fixed the cow this time."
He was right; for, as soon as the hands on board manned the derrick and
turned the winch handle the poor animal was raised in the air, kicking
out spasmodically all the while, and wondering, no doubt, how she lost
hold of her footing. When she had been hoisted high enough to clear the
bulwarks, the derrick was then swung inboard and the cow lowered safely
on the deck.
The empty launch with the negroes was now cast-off, and preparations
made for raising the anchor again and making sail.
However, this was not the end of the cow episode by any means; for, as
luck would have it, all Captain Miles' hopes of milk with his coffee
during the voyage home to England were soon summarily dispelled, the
career of the animal which was to have supplied the lacteal fluid having
terminated most unexpectedly.
All hands being busy getting the ship under weigh, the animal had been
left standing for the time where she had been set down in the waist, the
sling being unloosed from her and the end of the halter, which Jake had
put over her head when she had been secured, tied to the mainmast
bitts--so as to prevent her moving until the long-boat amidships, which
was to form her quarters, should be made ready for her reception.
Then, when the canvas of the _Josephine_ was once more spread to the
breeze and the vessel was working out from Saint Vincent, Captain Miles
told the steward to serve dinner in the cabin, it being now near sunset
and long past the usual hour for that meal, which was generally on the
table at "eight bells," or four o'clock in the afternoon.
I went into the cabin with the captain and second mate, Mr Marline
being left in charge of the poop; and, presently, I could see through
the sliding-doors leading from the main-deck into the cuddy, which were
of course left wide open, as we were still in the tropics, the steward
Harry, a freckle-faced mulatto of the colour of pale ginger, bringing in
a tureen of soup from the cook's galley forward.
As he passed by close to where the cow was tethered, whether the smell
of the savoury compound aroused the animal's hunger, or because Harry,
coming too near, reminded her of the recent indignities to which she had
been subjected, the cow all at once made a plunge at him with her head.
Harry sheered off, spilling a portion of the soup; and he was so
frightened that he ran full speed with the remainder into the cabin.
He was not, however, quick enough for Mrs Brindle; for the sudden dive
she made, throwing her whole might on the halter, caused the rope to
snap like a piece of pack-thread. The next instant, the cow made a
plunge after the mulatto steward, giving him a lift by the stern-post as
he was entering the cuddy door which pitched him right on to the cabin
table, where he fell amidst all the plates and dishes. There was a
terrible smash, all the dinner things coming to grief, as well as the
soup tureen, which he still held in his hands, the boiling contents
passing over the second mate's head, and scalding his face, besides
making him in a pretty pickle.
"Oh Lord, oh Lord, I'm blinded!" screamed Davis, the thick pea-soup
having gone into his eyes; while the captain had scarcely time to use
his favourite ejaculation, "By Jingo!" before the cow, which had
followed up her successful attack on the steward by galloping after him
into the cabin, catching the arm-chair that Captain Miles was ensconced
in sideways, started the lashings that held it to the deck, hurling the
terrified occupant in a heap in the corner--the captain being utterly
ignorant of the cause of the whole catastrophe, for he was sitting with
his back to the door and so had not seen the steward's somersault nor
the approach of the animal like I did from the beginning of the affair.
As for me, being on the other side of the table, I escaped any harm,
although I immediately bolted into the steward's pantry near me, where,
shutting the half-door, I looked out from this coign of vantage
surveying the scene of havoc which the cabin presently presented, for
the cow tossed about everything she could reach bellowing like one of
the wild bulls of Bashan all the while.
The steward had fainted away, from fright I believe; and he lay
stretched on the table as if he were practising swimming in Doctor
Johnson's fashion. As for Davis, the second mate, he had his face bent
down in his hands, apparently unmindful of everything but his own pain,
but Captain Miles speedily sprang to his feet and was starting to attack
the cause of the uproar with one of the broken legs of his chair when
just at that moment Mr Marline poked his nose down the open skylight
from the poop above.
"What's the matter?" he asked suavely. "What is all the row about?"
"Come down and see," said Captain Miles savagely. "Talk of a bull in a
china-shop; why, that would be child's play to a cow in a cabin!"
Mr Marline burst out laughing at this, and so too did Captain Miles
himself as soon as he had spoken the words, while I couldn't help
joining in, it was all so funny. Then the first mate came down with two
or three of the hands to remove the violent animal, which had now jammed
itself under Captain Miles' own cot in his private sanctum beyond the
cuddy.
But, Mrs Brindle was not so easily dislodged, one of the sailors having
to get through the stern port in order to raise the cot while the other
men pulled at her legs.
She was evidently determined not to be moved against her will; for, on
being lugged out again into the main cabin, she quickly shook off the
grasp of her captors, cantering out of the sliding-doors, with her tail
in the air, bellowing still furiously and butting at those in her way.
Her course was soon arrested, however. As she bounded forwards along
the deck she came to the open hatchway leading to the hold, where
tumbling down on top of the rum puncheons, before anyone could
interpose, she broke her neck instanter.
"It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good," says the old proverb, the
truth of which was exemplified in this instance. If the captain lost
his milk, the crew gained a plentiful supply of fresh meat by the
accident, faring sumptuously for many days afterwards on roast beef and
all sorts of delicate dishes which Cuffee concocted out of the carcass
of the unfortunate animal.
"I wouldn't have lost her for twenty pounds!" said Captain Miles on the
poop later on, when he and the first mate were talking over the strange
way in which the thing all happened.
"Humph!" observed Mr Marline slyly in his dry way; "I think she gave
you one or two on account before she performed the happy despatch, eh?"
"Funny dog!" exclaimed Captain Miles, giving him a dig in the ribs by
way of acknowledging the allusion to the thumps poor Brindle had treated
him to, before she came on board and after; and, there, the matter
ended, as far as everybody was concerned, the steward recovering from
his fainting fit, and the eyes of Davis the second mate being none the
worse as it turned out for their deluge of hot pea-soup, while the
damages in the cabin were soon repaired. Only the poor cow came to
grief!