An Unexpected Departure.
On the morning following the Chinese New Year, with a favoring west
wind the "St. George" put to sea with Green at the helm, because the
Captain was unable to find a man that he liked better, who was capable
of taking his place. Restlessly the Captain paced up and down the
deck, gazing at the island in the moonlight until it was lost in the
sea. As soon as the morning light gave better opportunities, he
climbed to the crow's nest and with a field glass searched the western
horizon, and not until the sun was well up did he push the glass
together. Then he muttered to himself as he came down from the rigging:
"My fears are vain. Why, that Italian priest wouldn't have the Chief
of Police send a steam launch after us on account of that boy. And yet
Redfox states positively that he sent the agents of the police to the
sailors' home, to sidle up to the crew that I dismissed and to try to
get out of them all the information they could. But what do they know?
What can they prove?--Oh, I am such a coward! Come, John, come. Drive
these stupid fears out of your head. Think of the future and not of
the past."
The Captain went to the helmsman and found the boatswain and first
officer, Redfox, with him. All greeted the Captain in a becoming
manner and wished for favoring winds to carry them on their way.
"We could make use of them all right," cried the Captain. "Gray, the
ship can carry more canvas. Set all the sails, and Green, do you steer
as straight as a crow flies for the Channel of Balintang. How far is
it to Balintang, Redfox?"
"Four hundred and fifty sea miles, but we can save a hundred miles by
holding for the southern point of Luzon--"
"Yes, and be wrecked on some one of the hundred reefs and islands which
make the route by the Philippines so dangerous! No, Mr. Redfox, though
it is of great importance for me to get to Melbourne as soon as
possible, I shall not take any risks going that way. We'll go farther
to the north through the Balintang, from there down between the Palau
and Caroline Islands, on through by the Soloman Islands, and the
Lousiade Archipelago."
"We shall meet with dangerous seas that way, too, but if it's the route
you've decided on, that's all there is to it. What's going on with the
three hundred Chinamen in the steerage?"
"I don't know. Let them stay down where they are; they won't suffocate
yet awhile, and we'll have peace on deck for an hour or two," growled
the Captain.
"With the last lot that came on board there was a little pigmy, barely
ten years old," said Gray. "An old Chinaman carried him in his arms
and said he was asleep. It seemed to me that he was in a stupor, and I
had more than half a mind to send them back, and then it occurred to me
that we could use the lad in the kitchen, as the cook's assistant.
I'll get the boy, Captain, and let you see what you think of giving him
over to the cook. By cuffs and knocks perhaps he can be developed into
something useful."
"Go ahead, Gray," answered the Captain. "And you, Redfox, want my
nephew, of whom this small Chinaman makes me think." Then he added in
a low tone: "Since our last talk I have thought the thing over.--You
are right. It cannot be otherwise. He must disappear, at least for a
time, that is, until we are in possession of the money; later I will
restore it to him."
"Quite right. And if--by any accident--he should fall from the
rigging, or else--"
"No, no, I won't have him put to death. God knows I wish my brother
were alive. The thought even that perhaps in my drunkenness I
sanctioned the changing of his medicine, almost drives me mad.--I am
satisfied, though, that we will have to hide this boy for a time in
some institution, and then announce to the authorities that at the
shipwreck, which we contemplate having, he perished."
"Captain, you are always for half-way measures. But as you like, so
long as you hold fast to our agreement--the half of the property."
"On the day on which I come into possession of the property, the half
is yours."
"Very well. You have sworn to this, and now be assured that just so
surely as you betray me, or attempt to cheat me out of the wages of my
sins, you are a dead man, even if at that very hour I go to eternal
damnation with you."
"You may depend upon me. Half and half, just as I have sworn. And now
I'll go for my nephew."
With these words the Captain stepped into the cabin. Through this
cabin ran a partition, and in one corner of the smaller part Willy had
hung his hammock. So soundly had he slept, that his first knowledge
that the "St. George" was under sail came when he noticed the motion of
the ship, and heard the swishing of the water.
"O dear! We've left Hongkong, and Father Somazzo couldn't get me away
from my uncle," was his first thought. "And last night I dreamed that
he did get me away, and that Brother Onufrio and Peppo were with me,
but I can't remember where.--O dear, we are out at sea and on the way
to Australia, or God knows where."
Willy was almost in tears. Father Somazzo's comforting words came to
his mind, then kneeling down for a short morning prayer, he commended
himself to the care of his guardian angel. Strengthened by the thought
that God's holy guardian angels are companions and protectors at sea as
well as on land, he was rising from his knees just as his uncle came
into the room.
"What, up and dressed! By the seven sleepers of old, I verily believe
that you have been praying! That's what they set you to doing at the
pension, but you'll soon get over it; a seaman has no time for any such
superfluous business as that."
"Superfluous to say one's prayers?" questioned Willy in utmost
surprise, opening wide his big blue eyes. "The good Fathers prayed
every day, and used to say that 'he who knows not how to pray, the sea
will teach to pray'. What will become of us, if God and his angels do
not watch over and guard us?"
"Oh, dear me! You talk just like the preaching Brothers," laughed the
Captain, in a way that made the boy shudder.
"Well, for aught that I care keep on praying to your guardian angel to
watch over you, but now go into the kitchen and get a cup of coffee and
a biscuit or two. Hurry yourself. In five minutes be ready for work
and report on deck to the first officer."
In the meantime the boatswain had started for the steerage, where three
hundred Chinamen were packed like herrings on the floor and in the
berths along the sides of the room. When he opened the trap-door to go
down the stairs, the poisonous stench which assailed his nostrils
almost knocked him down. "By all the great sharks in the sea," he
cried angrily, "I believe it would be easier to breathe in the bottom
of the ocean than down there with those pig-tailed Chinamen! He! I
don't want to go down there. Be quick, and send the interpreter up
here," he called.
A babel of Chinese words came from the unventilated room which was
lighted by an old kerosene lamp, and the crowd pushed to the gangway to
get up on deck. The boatswain thundered "Back", and to make his words
emphatic as well as intelligible, drew his revolver. The men went
back, and Lihoa brought his nephew, the small Peppo, to the foot of the
gangway. "Tell him that he is to let us come out on deck before we
suffocate in this vile hole," commanded Lihoa.
As soon as Peppo began to tell in English what he had been told to say,
the boatswain cried out: "Ha, ha! So you are the interpreter, you
little pigmy? Why, that's all right. How lucky! Come up. I am
looking for you, but your pig-tailed cousins will have to stay down
there. They won't suffocate for awhile; the air of the steerage is
thicker and more nourishing than that on deck."
After a little parleying Lihoa let his nephew go. Quickly he ran up
the ladder, and when Gray had closed the trap-door he threw himself at
his feet, and with outstretched hands begged to land, because he had
been brought on board against his will.
"Land?" laughed Gray. "Land on what? We have been under sail for six
hours or more and are now a goodly number of miles from Hongkong, and
probably won't see land again for weeks. For good or for evil, for
better or for worse, my little pigmy, you'll have to go with us until
we land those cousins of yours in Australia. Get up. I'll take you to
the kitchen, and there our cook will find so much for you to do, that
you won't have time for sad thoughts."
With these words he seized Peppo by the arm and led him to the kitchen,
where he gave him over to the cook. The fat cook with the big white
apron looked at the slender youth half angrily, half compassionately,
and grumbled:
"That little Chinaman is to give me the promised help? How is he to
lift the heavy kettles of rice off the fire, Mr. Gray?"
"Well now, Mr. Blue, it's better to have a little help than none at
all. Why, indeed, you'll have to lift the heavy kettles off the fire
yourself. The boy can peel potatoes and wash dishes."
"Yes, and break more than his neck is worth in Brothers. I
understand.--Now, little one, come here and get into this apron, and
begin work.--Oh, wait a moment. You have not had any breakfast.
There, take that bowl of rice; you are more accustomed to that than to
our bread and coffee. When you have finished get at those dishes, and
wash and wipe them quicker than scat, and for every one you break a
precious good thump you'll get."
With tears in his eyes poor little Peppo choked down his rice, and went
to work. "Oh, dear," he said to himself, as he dipped the plates in
hot water and burned his fingers trying to get them out, "Oh, dear, how
God is punishing me for my disobedience! If I had only stayed where I
was told. Father Somazzo must have known what Lihoa was going to do.
This is what I get for running off and having my own way. And who
knows whether I'll ever see Hongkong and the good Fathers again so long
as I live?"
Poor little Peppo's cup was full to overflowing. As with trembling
fingers he kept on fishing the hot plates out of the dishpan, he
noticed that all the plates had on them the word "St. George"; then he
recalled that that was the name of Willy's father's boat. Just as it
was dawning on him that he must be on the "St. George" the kitchen door
opened and he heard a well-known voice say, "Give me some breakfast
quicker than a wink, dear cook, for I've got to go to work as cabin-boy
right away."
Peppo was walking across the floor to the crockery chest to put away a
dozen or more clean plates which he had in his hands, when at the sound
of the voice he turned and saw Willy whom the Captain had given a push
that sent him half across the kitchen. The small Chinaman gave a cry
of surprise and let the plates fall on the floor where they broke into
a thousand rattling pieces. Angrily the cook sprang at him, and would
have struck him with the big wooden cooking spoon, if Willy had not
come between them and received the blow meant for Peppo.
"Peppo, Peppo," he cried, "are you here?"
"Yes, Willy, as a punishment for my disobedience. And now see what
more mischief I have done, and what more punishment I shall get. The
cook will beat me half to death for breaking all the beautiful plates,"
moaned Peppo.
"But I was all to blame for that," said Willy. "I frightened you so
that you let them fall. That's so, isn't it, dear cook? You won't
punish him, will you?"
The cook's anger was somewhat mollified. The good-natured man was
pleased with the boys, and gave them both some breakfast on a little
table. Peppo told of his adventures, and Willy comforted him by
saying, "You have been disobedient and you'll have to take your
punishment, but the dear God ordained it that you should come to me.
We'll pray together and be good, so that our holy guardian angels will
take us back to Hongkong again to the Fathers."
Just here the boatswain came in and ordered Willy on deck, or they
would have continued talking indefinitely.