All aboard after the preliminaries had been arranged in the most
satisfactory way, Sir John's arrangements made, and Jack, like a
dejected prisoner, taken down to Dartmouth one day, following Edward,
who had gone on in advance with the last of the luggage.
He was waiting in the station when the train came in, looking as eager
and excited as a boy, and as full of delight as his young master was
depressed. Captain Bradleigh was there too, and one of the yacht's
cutters hanging on at the pier, ready for rowing the party on board the
_Silver Star_.
"The luggage, Edward?" said Sir John.
"All aboard, Sir John, and things ready in the cabins," said the man.
"Then see that our portmanteaus are placed in the boat."
"All in, Sir John. I set the porters to get 'em from the van."
"Come along then, Jack, let's take our plunge."
Jack gave a wild look round, his eyes full of despair, but he said
nothing, only felt that he was bidding good-bye to home, land, ease, and
comfort for ever, and followed his father to the boat.
Two hours after they were standing out to sea, with Jack, Sir John, and
the doctor watching the receding shore, the two latter feeling some
slight degree of compunction at the last; but Edward was below
inspecting the cabins once more, and as soon as he had done this, in
spite of the yacht beginning to heel over so that the cabin floor was a
good deal higher on one side than the other, he folded his arms,
frowned, set his teeth, and began the first steps of a hornpipe, but
before he had gone far a lurch sent him head-first toward the port
bulkhead. Here he saved himself by thrusting out his hands, turned, and
began again.
"Very well, uphill if you like," he cried, and he danced from port
toward starboard. But this time his legs seemed to have turned wild,
and he staggered to right.
"Wo-ho! heave-ho! you lubbers!" he cried, and giving a lurch to right,
but with desperate energy he saved himself from a fall, and tried to
begin again.
"Now then," he cried, "from the beginning! Wo-ho! No, I mean yo-ho!"
he muttered. "Why, it's like trying to dance on horseback. Here goes
again. Tiddly-um-tum-tum! Tiddle-liddle-iddle iddle-liddle
iddle-rum-tum!"--"_Bang_."
Edward crashed against one of the little state-room doors, cannoned off,
and came down sitting on the cabin floor.
"Oh, that's it, is it?" cried the man. "Well, if you're going to dance
it, I'll wait till you've done."
"Anything the matter?" said a voice, and the steward came in.
"Nothing particular," said Sir John's man, "unless it's the yacht gone
mad."
"Oh, this is nothing," said the steward. "A bit lively after being at
anchor so long."
"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Edward, rising. "You'll soon get used to
it. Not much of a sailor I suppose?"
"Not a bit of one, but mean to be. I say, who are you?"
"Steward, and I suppose you are to be my mate?"
"Oh, am I?" said Edward; "very well, anything for a change."
The steward turned and left the cabin, for there were steps, and
directly after Jack appeared at the door, tried to walk steadily to a
seat, but a sudden careening over sent him to port, and he would have
fallen heavily if the man had not made an effort to save him, when they
went down together, the man undermost.
"Quite welcome, sir," said Edward, struggling up and helping Jack to a
seat. "Sorry I ain't a bit fatter, sir; only if I was you I'd hold on
till I get used to it, in case I'm not always there to be buffer."
"Oh!" groaned Jack, whose face was ghastly.
"Why, Mr Jack, sir, don't look like that. You fight it down. Feel a
bit queer?"
"Horrible, Ned. Help me to get to my berth."
"Oh, I wouldn't cave in, sir. It'll soon go off."
"Will it?" groaned Jack. "I was afraid to come down for fear they
should see and laugh at me. Oh, how bad I am! Why did we come?"
"I dunno, sir. It was the guv'nor's doing. But you try and keep up."
"It is impossible. You don't know how bad I feel."
"No, sir, but I know how bad I feel."
"You!" said Jack dismally. "Surely you are not going to be ill?"
"Why not, sir? I feel just as if my works had gone all wrong, but I
haven't got time to be ill. Come on deck, sir."
"No. Help me to my berth."
"Right, sir," said the man; and waiting till the vessel seemed steadier,
he took tightly hold of his young master's arm, helped him to his legs,
and tried to guide him across the cabin to his little state-room; but at
the first step Jack made a dive, and they went down together.
"Please, sir, this ain't swimming lessons."
"Let me crawl," groaned Jack.
"No, sir, don't do that. Here, give me your hand again. Up you gets.
That's the way. This time does it. Told you so. Here we are."
"Don't, please don't talk to me," said Jack in a low voice. "Help me
into the berth.--Yes, thank you. Now go away and leave me."
"Won't roll out, will you, sir?"
"Don't--don't talk to me. Please go."
"Poor chap!" muttered Edward. "I do wish he'd got just a little bit o'
pluck in him. But it do make you feel a bit queer. S'pose I go and
shake it off on deck."
He went up, saw that the gentlemen were right aft, and he walked forward
to where the crew were busy here and there, and nodded first to one and
then another in the most friendly way, as if he had known them all his
life. Then he thrust his hands in his pockets, trying to look perfectly
unconcerned, and balanced himself so as to try and give and take with
the vessel.
But it was no good; he fought against the inevitable as long as he
could, and finally staggered to the cabin hatch and descended to where
Jack was lying. "Here's a go, sir," he cried. "I thought it only
wanted a bit of pluck, and it would be all right."
"Oh, go away," groaned Jack. "Don't bother me. I'm dying."
"I'm worse than that, sir," said the man piteously. "What's to be done,
sir?"
"Oh, go to your hammock or berth. I can't bear to be bothered now."
"But it will be dinner-time soon, sir, and I shall have to help wait at
table. I couldn't carry the soup or fish, sir. I couldn't carry
myself. What will the guv'nor say?"
"Ned, will you please to go!" said Jack with a groan.
"Certainly, sir; directly, sir; but I can't move."
"Nonsense!"
"Yes, sir, that's what I thought about you, and that you'd only got to
make a try; but it isn't to be done."
"Go away," groaned Jack.
"Wish I could, sir. I oughtn't to have come. It's all through being so
jolly cock-sure that I could do anything, and I can't. Wish I was at
home cleaning the plate. Oh, Master Jack, can you feel how the boat's
a-going on?"
"Yes, it's dreadful," sighed Jack.
"Is it going to be like this always, sir?"
"Don't! pray don't bother me. Can't you see how ill I am?"
"No, sir, not now. I can only see how bad poor miserable me is. Oh
dear! did you feel that, sir? she give a regular jump, just as if she
went over something.--Master Jack!"
There was no reply.
"Master Jack!" groaned the man. "Oh, please, sir, don't say you're
dead."
"Will you go away and leave off bothering me!" cried the boy angrily.
"Wish I could, sir; I'd be glad to."
There was a pause, during which the yacht bounded along before a fine
fresh breeze. Soon Edward began again.
"Mr Jack!"
No answer.
"Mr Jack, sir!"
"Ned! will you go!"
"I can't, sir. 'Strue as goodness, sir, I can't."
"Where are you?" moaned the boy, who was lying on his back staring with
lack-lustre eyes up at the ceiling just above his head.
"I dunno, sir; I think I'm lying on the carpet, sir, close to the shelf
I put you on."
"Then go away somewhere; you make me feel as if I could kill you."
"Wish you would, sir," groaned the man. "I'd take it kindly of you."
"Oh, don't talk such nonsense," sighed Jack. "Oh, my head, my head!"
"Oh, mine, sir, and it ain't nonsense at all. It's real earnest. Why
was I such a fool as to come, and why did I grin at you, and say as you
was a poor-plucked 'un? It's like a judgment on me. But I always was
so conceited."
"Call some one to help you to your berth."
"I dursn't, sir. If I did, those sailor chaps would see as it was all
over with me and pitch me overboard."
"Ned, you are torturing me," said Jack; and he turned himself a little
to look down at the miserable being on the floor.
"Very sorry, sir, but something's torturing me. Do you think we've got
as far as France yet?"
"Oh, I don't know."
"Do you think, if I give master warning, he'd have me set ashore at
once?"
"No," said Jack, with a touch of exultation in his words; "I'm sure he
wouldn't. You'll have to go with us now."
"I couldn't, sir, I couldn't really. Why, I couldn't go round this
room--cabin, or whatever you call it. Oh dear! oh dear! to think of me
turning all of a sudden like this! It's awful."
"Here, Jack! Jack, lad! Aren't you coming on deck?" cried a voice down
through the cabin skylight.
"Oh, there's the doctor," groaned Edward. "Why don't he come down?"
"Jack! are you there? It's splendid. Come up."
"Come down, sir, please," groaned the man.
"Hullo!" said the doctor to himself. "Why surely they're not--Oh! they
can't be so soon."
He hurried down the cabin steps, and came breezily into the cabin, to
see at a glance the state of affairs.
"Why, Jack, my lad, this is cowardly," he cried.
"Don't, sir, don't," groaned Edward. "I said something like that.
Don't you, sir, or you may be took bad too."
"Why you ought to be able to stand a little sea-going, my man," said the
doctor; "this is a break down. Here, make an effort and go to your
berth."
"Make an effort, sir? I couldn't do it even if the ship was a-sinking."
"Nonsense!"
"It's true. I'm afraid it's all over, and Sir John will want another
man."
"There, jump up and go to your berth. You share the same cabin as the
cook and steward, don't you?"
"I was to, sir, and it was a very small place, but there'll be more room
for them now."
"Nonsense, I tell you; jump up."
"Jump, sir!" groaned the man; "did you say jump?"
"Well then, crawl. Here, steward!" cried the doctor, "come and help
this man to his cabin."
"Can't you give me something to put me out of my misery, sir?" groaned
the man.
"Absurd! There, try and get on your legs. I'll help you." For the
steward had come in promptly, smiling at the state of affairs, and poor
Edward was set upon his legs.
"Come, stand up," said the steward, for Edward's knees gave way like the
joints of a weak two-foot rule.
"Yes, stand up," cried the doctor; "don't be so weak, man."
"'Tain't me, sir, it's my legs," said the man faintly. "Don't seem to
have no bones now."
"Why, Edward, I thought you were a smart manly fellow," cried the
doctor.
"That's just what I always thought of myself, sir, but it wasn't a bit
true. Would you mind asking Sir John, sir, to have the yacht stopped
and me put ashore?"
"Of course I would. It's absurd."
"But I shan't be a bit of use, sir; I shan't indeed. I'm ashamed of
myself, but I can't help it."
"There, I know," said the doctor kindly; "get to your berth and lie
still for a few hours. You'll be ready to laugh at your weakness before
long."
"Laugh, sir? laugh? No, I don't think I shall ever laugh again."
The door swung to after the man's exit, and the doctor returned to
Jack's cabin.
"Well," he said, "feel very queer?"
"Can't you see, doctor?" said the boy, giving him a piteous look.
"Yes, of course I can, my lad; but lie still, and you'll soon get over
it. Some people do get troubled this way. Haven't you read that Lord
Nelson used to have a fit whenever he went to sea?"
Jack made no reply, for he was in that condition which makes a sufferer
perfectly indifferent about everything and everybody, and when it is no
satisfaction to know that the greatest people in the world suffered in a
similar way. All they can think of then is self.
Sir John came down soon after, and sat with his son for awhile, trying
to encourage him, but poor Jack hardly answered him, and at last he
began to be anxious, and went to join the doctor, who was on deck
chatting with the captain.
"I wish you'd go down and see to the boy," he said; "he looks so white,
I feel anxious."
The doctor shrugged his shoulders and went below, to come back at the
end of five minutes.
"Well?" said Sir John anxiously.
"Usual thing; nothing to fidget about. Your man's worse."
"What, Edward?" cried Sir John, staring. "I saw him forward there
chatting with the sailors not long ago."
"Yes, and now he's in his berth talking to himself about what a donkey
he was to come. Who knows! perhaps it will be our turn next."
But it was not, although it began to blow hard from the west, and the
sea crew rougher as the yacht dashed on.
But the next evening Edward was about again, looking rather pale, but
very proud and self-satisfied, as he went to Jack's berth.
"Don't you feel any better yet, sir?" he said.
"No; can't you see how ill I am?" replied Jack faintly.
"Ah, that's because you don't try to master it. Hasn't Doctor Instow
told you that you ought to try and get the better of it?"
"Yes; but what is the use of telling me that?" groaned Jack, with his
eyes shut; but he opened them directly and gazed discontentedly at the
man, as if feeling that it was hard and unfair of fate to let the
servant recover while the master was so ill. "Are you quite well
again?"
"Me, sir? Oh yes, sir," said Edward carelessly.
"And I--I feel as if I shall never live to go far."
"Ah, that's the way of it, sir, I felt just like that; but you'll come
all right again before you know where you are. Like me to get you a bit
of anything, sir? The kitchen place is splendid, and the cook would
knock you up something nice in no time. What do you say to an omelet,
sir?"
Jack ground his teeth at the man, and then closed his eyes and feebly
turned his back.
"Poor chap, he has got it bad," muttered the convalescent, as he went
out of the cabin on tip-toe. "But I don't think he's quite so bad as I
was, after all."