My convalescence--Julius Caesar befriends me--We pass the Cape de
Verde Islands--Our hopes of a change of diet disappear--My turn at
last--A severe discipline--Captain Longfleet--"Please, sir, I couldn't
help it"--"There goes the baby and his nurse"--Caesar's sympathy--How
I owed my life to Tom Trivett--Bad food--"It makes me sick to cook
it"--The deputation to the captain--The discontent increases among the
crew--Crossing the line--"What ship is that?"--We receive a visit from
Daddy Neptune and his court--Rough play, and what it might have come
to.
I intended to take the advice of my friend and not get well too soon,
but in reality there was no malingering in the case, for I remained too
low and weak to get out of my bed.
Tom Trivett all the time, having given up his berth to me, slept in a
far more uncomfortable bunk right forward, but never uttered a word of
complaint, or tried to induce me to turn out. His was true Samaritan
charity, and I was grateful to him. He even, I knew, tried to influence
the rest of the crew for good, but did not succeed. They let him alone,
which was all he could expect of them. The third mate, who knew I was
there, never came near me to inquire how I was getting on.
Mark paid me a visit whenever he could venture to do so, and brought me
my food when Tom was on duty.
The only other man who was kind to me was Julius Caesar, the black cook,
and he frequently sent me wholesome messes which he had concocted for my
special benefit; but he had to charge Mark and Tom not to let the other
men see them, lest they should be gobbled up on their way. Mark told me
this, for Julius Caesar himself never came to have a look at me.
"If I come, den dey say I friend of his--it worse for him."
Both Mark and Caesar slept in the larboard berth, so that they had no
business in the one I occupied.
I should explain that the space under the topgallant forecastle was
divided by a bulkhead running fore and aft into parts forming separate
cabins, one called the starboard, and the other the larboard berths,
with bunks built up on both sides, one above another, or rather, in two
stories, to explain myself better.
In moderate weather they were tolerably comfortable, but with the sun
beating down on the deck they were fearfully hot. In a gale of wind, as
the seas dashed against the bows or she pitched into them, the noise and
movement were tremendous. However, to that I in time got accustomed.
Sometimes the decks and upper works leaked, and the water coming in
wetted the clothes and bedding. However, in other respects they were
better than the forepeak in a flush-decked ship, which is generally
close and hot, full of horrible odours, and totally destitute of
ventilation, and often wet into the bargain, from unseen leaks which are
not of sufficient consequence to trouble the officers, as they do not
affect the safety of the ship.
At length, one day Tom told me that we were within sight of the Cape de
Verde Islands, at which he believed the captain intended to call. He
was very glad, he said, of this, as he hoped to be able to get me a
supply of oranges and limes, which he thought would do me more good than
anything else.
The very name of fruit made my mouth water, and I thought I would give a
great deal just to have one good suck at an orange. Great was my
disappointment, therefore, when shortly afterwards Mark came in, and
said that a strong north-easterly wind had sprung up, and that we were
standing away from the islands, but that the captain, he believed,
intended to put into Rio de Janeiro.
"I must wait patiently till we get there," I said. "I hope it won't
take us long."
"We have to pass through the horse latitudes, and to cross the line
first, and Rio is some way to the south of that, so I'm afraid you must
suck your fingers instead of oranges," he answered.
I was now rapidly getting better, and I began to pine for fresh air and
exercise.
"You'll be wiser to stay where you are, Master Dick," said Mark. "No
one believes that you're a gentleman's son, and if they did I'm very
sure it would make very little difference. I should, perhaps, benefit
by your getting about, as you would have all the dirty work to do which
now falls to my lot. It's only surprising that the captain has allowed
you to remain so long in the berth, for he knows that you're aboard,
though he takes no notice of you. Still I'd advise you, as long as you
can, to stay where you are."
I had not long the opportunity. Two days afterwards the third mate came
into the berth with a short, knotted rope in his hand.
"Come, youngster, you have been long enough malingering here," he
exclaimed; "I find the cook has been serving out no end of good grub to
you, and you've done nothing for it. We don't want idlers aboard the
`Emu;' show a leg there pretty smartly."
I attempted to rise. Tom had washed and dried my clothes. I got hold
of my trousers, and slipt my legs into them. When I attempted to stand
upright, my knees gave way and down I sank. At the same moment the
mate's colt descended on my back. I was taken so completely by surprise
that I shrieked out with pain. I tried to lift myself up by the
supports of the bunk, and succeeded in getting on my feet.
"I thought I'd cure you. Do you want another dose of this rope?"
"Oh! No, sir! No, sir! Don't! I'll dress as fast as I can," I called
out.
The moment I let go I felt that I must slip down again. Still the fear
of another lash made me exert myself in a way I could not otherwise have
done, and I tried very hard to put on my waistcoat and jacket, and to
tie my handkerchief, by sitting down on a lower bunk.
"Now, come along!" said the mate; "the captain wants to speak to you."
I attempted to walk, but as I tottered on my knees again failed me, and
I should have fallen had not the mate caught me by the shoulders and
dragged me along the deck.
It was a severe discipline, but it was effective, for the air and the
necessity of moving quickly brought back strength to my limbs, and by
the time I reached the quarterdeck I was able to keep my feet, though I
should have fallen had not the mate still held me.
We there found the captain pacing to and fro. On turning he stopped
when he saw me.
"Is this the young stowaway, Mr Huggins?" he asked, eyeing me very
sternly. "What business had you to come aboard, boy, without leave?"
"Please, sir, I couldn't help it," I said, and I told him that when
merely intending to look round the ship I had fallen into the hold.
"A likely story, youngster, which I don't intend to believe. You came
on board to please yourself, and now you'll learn to please me, and do
the work you're set to do."
"I'll do my best, sir," I answered, for I saw he was not a man to be
trifled with; "but I am not fit for much at present."
"You contrived to live down in the hold in an extraordinary manner--how
did you manage it?"