"Regular volcanic cinder heap, Jack," was Sir John's not new opinion of
sun-scorched Aden, where, while the coal-bunkers were filled up again,
the lad had amused himself by inspecting the place with his glass as he
sat contentedly under the awning, preferring to submit to the infliction
of the flying coal-dust to a hot walk through the arid place. Then he
leaned over the side and half-contemptuously threw threepenny-bits and
sixpences into the clear water in response to the clamouring young
rascals who wanted to scramble for them far below and show their
swimming and diving powers.
"Come on board," cried the doctor, blowing his nose hard and coughing to
get rid of the black dust. "Sacks counted, iron stopper put back in the
pavement, and the wagon's gone, Jack."
The lad looked up at him as if wondering whether he had gone out of his
senses.
"What are you staring at, sober-sides?" cried the doctor. "I know it's
poor joking, but I'd have done better if I could. Hallo! what's the
matter?" he continued, as, in what seemed to be a motiveless way, the
boy threw sixpence over the side. "Got too much money?"
"No: look!" said Jack.
The doctor glanced over the rail to where the bright piece of silver was
sinking fast and flashing as it turned over, while two merry little
young scamps were diving down after it, racing to see which would get
first to the coin. This soon disappeared in the disturbed water, while
the figures of the boys grew more and more shadowy and distorted by the
varying refraction.
"My word!" cried the doctor, "how the little niggers can dive! Look:
here they come again."
It was curious to see them rising with the water growing more still as
their frantic struggles ceased, and their forms grew plain as they rose
quickly, one dark head suddenly shooting up like a cork on a pike line
after the fish had rejected the bait, and its owner showing a
brilliantly white set of teeth as he shouted, "Nurrer! nurrer!"
The next moment a second head shot into the brilliant sunshine, the
boy's lips opening into a wide grin of delight as he showed his white
clenched teeth with the captured sixpence held between them.
"Tell him to put it in his pocket, Jack," cried the doctor. "Puzzle
him, eh? Hold your noise, you chattering young ruffians," he shouted.
"Come, a dozen of you. Here, Jack, I'm going to waste a shilling, for
it won't do the young vagabonds any good. It's only encouraging them to
run risks of asphyxiating themselves or getting caught some day by the
sharks."
He held up a shilling as he spoke, and quite a dozen boys of all sizes
splashed in out of canoes, and left the pieces of wood and one old boat
to which they clung. They came swimming about near where the doctor and
Jack looked over, shouting, splashing each other, and generally
clamouring for the piece of money to be thrown in.
"Ah! we must have a race for this," said the doctor, and he drew himself
up and made a feint of throwing the shilling.
There was a rush like a pack of black water spaniels going after a
thrown stick, but the boys had been tricked too often by passengers
stopping at Aden in the regular steamers, and they did not go far, but
turned round, treading water and shouting.
"Come back then," cried the doctor. "Here, close to the yacht."
In all probability the boys did not comprehend a word, but the gestures
made with the hand containing the shilling brought them all back, and
they ranged themselves in a line close in, and shouted and splashed away
till the doctor, whose left hand had been in his pocket, threw the
shilling shining and twinkling through the sunny air as far as he could.
Away went the boys with a tremendous rush, making the water foam, and
naturally the biggest and strongest took the lead, leaving three little
fellows well behind.
The doctor had anticipated this, and drew their attention with a shout,
at the same time holding up another shilling, and as they turned to swim
back, he suddenly dropped the coin about six feet away from the yacht's
side, where the water was still.
_Plop_! down went one little fellow, who rose up, turned over, sent his
heels gleaming in the sunshine, and disappeared, as _plop! plop_! down
went the two others.
"Just like a lot of dabchicks," cried the doctor; "now we shall see them
race for it. See the shilling, Jack?"
"Yes; here it goes."
"Yes, and here they come. Look at them. Why, they go down faster than
the coin. It's wonderful."
Wonderful it was, for the dark little figures glided through the crystal
water like seals, and every motion could be followed till the coin was
reached and ceased to twinkle as it sank. Then once more the dark
figures grew plainer and rose and rose, but somehow more and more
astern, and Jack looked startled.
"Why, there must be a tremendous current here," he cried. "They're
being swept away. A boat! a boat!"
The doctor looked as much startled as his companion, but a very gentle
vibration enlightened them the next moment, for the engine was once more
in motion, the screw revolving slowly, and the _Silver Star's_ prow was
gradually coming round in answer to the helm, till she pointed straight
for the open sea, where the throbbing and quivering of the vessel
increased as she went easily ahead, and then faster still over the
perfectly calm water, for there was not a breath of air.
Then away and away through the burning sunshine the yacht glided, with
the sea glistening like damascened steel frosted with silver, till the
mountains above the coaling port grew distant; and away over the burning
Afric sands there was a wondrous orange glow which deepened into fire,
vermilion, crimson, purple, and gold of the most refulgent hues, and
soon after it was night. It seemed to Jack as he stood gazing forward
that they were gliding on between two vast purply black basins studded
with stars, which were larger and brighter than any he had seen before,
while deeper and deeper in the wondrous depths there were more and more,
till the farthest off seemed like clusters and patches of frosted gold.
There was not a breath of air when they went on deck after dinner, and
with the exception of the throbbing and humming of the engine and
propeller, and soft whish of the sea as it was divided and swept along
the sides, all was wonderfully still. But the silence was soon after
broken by a sharp call from somewhere forward, a clear musical voice
rang out, and then, sounding very sweet and melodious on the soft air,
the men began glee-singing, showing that they had good voices among them
and no little knowledge of singing in parts. They were simple old glees
and madrigals, and no doubt the surroundings helped, but Jack sat
listening and thinking he had never heard music so sweet and beautiful
before.
"Why, captain," said Sir John, "this is a surprise."
"Is it, sir? Hope you don't mind."
"Mind?" echoed Sir John and the doctor in a breath.
"Bartlett's fond of a bit of music, and he has a good voice too, but he
is so precious modest you can't get him to sing alone; he's singing with
the men though now. He trains them a bit when we're not busy, and they
like it. Nothing pleases men like them more than singing in chorus; you
see, they're most of them Cornish and Devon lads, and they take
naturally to it. Many's the time I've heard the fishermen going out on
calm evenings to their fishing-ground singing away in parts, so that
you'd think that they had been well taught, and perhaps not one of them
knowing a note of music."
The glee-singing went on for about an hour, and ceased as suddenly as it
had begun. Then the watch was set, and after standing leaning over the
bows gazing at the glittering stars reflected in the deep water, and
seeing the phosphorescent creatures add to the lustre as they were
disturbed by the yacht's prow, or some large fish darting away, Jack
heaved a deep sigh and turned to go aft to the cabin.
"Unhappy, my boy?" said a voice at his elbow, which made the lad start
and remain silent for a few moments, utterly unable to give expression
to his feelings, before he said softly--
"No, father, not unhappy, but low-spirited and sad."
"Sad, my boy?" said Sir John.
"No, it isn't sad, because somehow, father, it makes me feel happy,
and--and I can't explain it, but I never felt that I cared to stand and
look at the sea and sky like this before. It seems so grand and
beautiful, and as if--as if--"
"The great book of Nature was being opened to you for the first time, my
boy. Yes; this wonderful soft air, this glorious star-lit heaven, and
the silence of the ocean through which we are gliding, impress me too in
a way I cannot explain. But tell me now, my boy, are you sorry we
came?"
"Sorry!" cried Jack excitedly, as he caught at his father's arm. "No;
glad."
That night the melody of one of the old West-country ditties the men had
sung in parts seemed to lull Jack Meadows to rest, and he slept one of
those deep healthy slumbers which give us the feeling when we awake on a
bright sunny morning, that a strange vigour is running through our
veins, and that it is a good thing to live.