Inquisitive ways indeed, for as the evening drew near there was the
American still smoking as he sat in a deck chair watching the crew of
the "Jason" busily getting the packages belonging to the brothers on
board.
Brace had made up his mind to see the luggage and stores placed on board
the brig, which had now been warped alongside one of the wharves; but,
on going out from the hotel and catching sight of the American, he went
back and joined his brother, who was having a long final chat with
Captain Banes.
Consequently, so to speak, the American had a clear course, and he sat
in the deck chair he had borrowed, smoking cigar after cigar, as if,
like a steamer, he could not get on with the simplest thing without
sending up vapour into the hot air.
But he did not sit in silence, for his tongue ran on, and he found
something to say to the second mate, who was superintending the getting
on board of what he called the passengers' "traps," and something else
to every man of the busy crew, who, in consequence of a hint given by
Captain Banes to his first officer, carefully took everything on board
themselves, without invoking any of the black or coolie labour to be
obtained upon the wharf.
"He's a rum one, my lads," said the second mate to the men. "Let him
talk: it pleases him, and it don't do you any harm."
"All right, sir," said one of the sailors: "I don't mind. He's pretty
free with the terbacker."
"What?" said the mate, putting his hand in his pocket and fingering one
of half a dozen cigars lying loose therein: "has he given you some?"
"Yes, sir, a lot: says it's real Virginny."
"Humph!" ejaculated the mate. "Must be pretty well off.--Mind those
chests, my lad. Those are ammunition."
The men went on unloading a rough truck piled up with chests,
portmanteaux, and cases of various kinds, before attacking a second
truck-load, while the American sat lolling back in his chair, smoking
away, his eyes twinkling as he scanned each package in turn and watched
for every opportunity to have a word with the busy mate, never letting a
chance go by.
"Why, lufftenant," he said, "why don't you smoke and make your miserable
life happy?"
"Because I'm at work," said the mate bluffly.
"My skipper don't stand smoking when we're busy."
"Don't he now? Bit of a tyrant, I suppose," said the American.
"Humph!" ejaculated the mate gruffly.
"I like him, though," said the American: "seems to know the ropes."
"Oh, yes, he knows the ropes," said the mate. "Easy there with that
chest."
"Easy it is, sir."
"Now, I wonder what's in that case," said the American. "It's marked
with two X's and a cross and SpG and OG. Now, what would that be,
lufftenant?"
"Dunno," replied the mate. "Rareohs for meddlers, I should say, sir."
"Should you now?" said the American drily. "I shouldn't. Yes, I like
your skipper, and I should have liked to have a voyage with him."
"Pity you didn't, sir," said the mate.
"Yes, that's jest how I feel; but I was too late. They're taking a deal
of luggage with 'em, ain't they?"
"Yes," said the mate, as the men had the empty truck wheeled out of the
way and attacked the next. "A pretty tidy lot, and it's heavy too."
"Seems to be," said the American. "Fine lot o' gun tackle, ammunition,
and suchlike. Wish I'd been going too."
"Wish you had, sir," said the mate, fingering the presentation cigars,
and then to himself: "What a whopping fib! I wouldn't sail in the same
craft with such a nuisance."
"I'd tell my men not to let that case of cartridges down if I was you,
lufftenant," said the American, as the men raised a heavy chest.
"What case of cartridges?" said the mate, turning sharply. "Humph I
didn't know that was ammunition."
"Looks like it," said the would-be passenger drily.
"'Tarn't branded," said the mate. "Oh, yes, it is. But what fool
marked it there at the bottom instead of the top?"
"I reckon that is the top," said the American, taking his cigar from his
lips to send forth a great puff of smoke.
The loading and unloading went on, the heavy packages being swung on
board by means of a crane, the lighter being carried over a gangway on
the sailors' backs; and as fast as they reached the brig's decks they
were lowered through an open hatch.
As the packages were taken off the truck, the American's eyes twinkled,
and he had something to say about each.
"Strange deal of baggage," he said, when nearly all was on board. "Must
say it's a big lot for two passengers."
"More than you've got, sir?" said the mate.
"Twice as much, lufftenant. But hullo, what have you got there--barrel
o' brandy?"
"No," said the mate roughly; "it isn't juicy: it's dry."
"That's queer, lufftenant, but so it is: there's holes in the top. What
do they mean?"
"I haven't been inside, sir," said the mate roughly.
"Ain't you though? Well, I s'pose not. Ain't anything alive, though,
is it?"
"Alive? Pooh! Ventilation holes to keep the things from fermenting. I
dessay it's something in the eating line."
"Be nice too, I dessay," said the American. "Wish I was going. I
should like to have had some of that. Anyhow, mister, I think I'd be
careful with that hogshead in case your men might let it go down. It'd
be a pity to spoil it by letting it slip 'twixt the wharf and the ship."
"We'll take care of that, sir," said the mate, as the chains were
hitched to the barrel and it rose slowly from the stones of the wharf,
swinging slowly in a half-circle, and was lowered through the deck of
the brig.
"There we are," said the mate, with a laugh, as he turned to the
American.
"Yes, there you are, lufftenant. Bit heavy, wasn't it?"
"Oh, no, nothing much.--Now, my lads, look alive!"
There was a chorus of: "Ay, ay, sir!" and a few minutes later the
contents of the last truck were reposing in the partitioned-off space in
the brig's hold.
Then, and then only, the second mate turned to the American, and, taking
out one of the cigars presented to him, bit off the end.
"Now," he said, "work done, play begins. I'll trouble you for a light."
"A light? Oh, certainly, lufftenant," replied the American, handing his
match-box. "You'll like those cigars. They're good ones."
"I'm sure of that," said the mate.
"Stop ashore, and have a bit of dinner with me up at the hotel."
"You're very good," said the mate; "but I must get back on board.
There's a lot to do. I expect we shall drop down the river to-night."
"Eh? Soon as that?"
"Yes. The skipper is off to sea."
"Oh, but you might find time for that. A man must eat. Ask the boss to
give you leave."
"Humph! I hardly like to ask him, as the time for sailing is so near;
but well, there, I will."
"That's right. Come and dine at the hotel just for a pleasant chat.
Wish I'd been coming with you on your voyage."
"I begin to wish you were," said the mate, smiling. "You'd have found
me handy when you wanted to ask questions."
The American looked at the speaker keenly, and then smiled.
"I understand," he said. "So you think I ask a lot?"
"Well, yes," said the mate, laughing. "You are pretty good at it."
"I suppose so. Way I've got. Pick up knowledge that how. Seems to me
the way to learn. Hullo! What are they doing with your ship?"
"Warping her out again so as to be ready for dropping down when we
start."
"Is that better than going off from the wharf?"
"Yes, a dear; but excuse me: there's the skipper yonder. I'll go and
tell him I want to be off for a few hours."
"You do," said the American, "and you'll find me here when you come
back."
"If the skipper knows where I want to go," thought the mate, "he'll say
no directly, for he hates that Yankee, so I won't say anything about
him. Not a bad sort of fellow when you come to know him; but of all the
inquisitive Paul Prys I ever met he's about the worst. Never mind: he
has asked me to dinner, and I'll go."
The next minute the mate was face to face with Captain Banes.
"Ah, Lynton," cried the skipper, "there you are, then. Got the
gentlemen's tackle and things on board?"
"Yes, sir, all on board."
"That's right. We shall drop down the river about one; so see that
all's right."
"All is right, sir, and I want you to spare me for three or four hours."
"Spare you to-night?"
"Yes. I want to dine with a friend."
The skipper raised his eyebrows and stared.
"Want to dine with a friend? Why--oh, well, I'm not going to imitate
that Yankee and ask questions about what doesn't concern me. I was
going to ask you to join us in the cabin, to meet the gentlemen; but
that will do another time. Yes, of course, Lynton, and I wish you a
pleasant evening; but no nonsense: I sail at the time I told you."
"And if I'm not back you'll sail without me?"
"That's right."
"No fear, sir," said the mate.
"I know there isn't, my lad, or I should have said no. I'll tell Dellow
to send a boat ashore for you at ten."
The skipper walked off leaving the mate looking after him and frowning.
"He needn't have been so nasty about it. But he wouldn't sail without
me if I were not back."
The mate did not stir till he had seen Captain Banes on board. Then and
then only he went in search of the American, but did not find him, and
after a certain amount of search and enquiry he was walking along with
overcast brow, thinking that there was some cause for the skipper's
dislike to his host in prospective, and that the American was a bit of
an impostor, when he came suddenly upon Sir Humphrey and his brother,
followed by one of the men from the hotel carrying a portmanteau, and on
their way to the brig.
"Wonder whether they'll know me again?" thought the mate; but the next
moment he ceased to wonder, for he received a friendly nod from both as
he passed them and went on to the hotel to enquire whether anything was
known about the American gentleman there.
"Mr Franklyn Briscoe?" was the answer. "Oh, yes, he's coming in here
to stay now those two gentlemen are gone. He has ordered a dinner for
himself and a friend."
"Oh, here you are then," came from behind him the next moment. "I've
been looking for you everywhere."
"So have I for you," said Lynton, rather surlily.
"Oh, I see. I am sorry. You see, I had to find a place where they
would give us some dinner. Here, come into my room. This is the place.
It won't be a New York nor a London dinner, but it's the best I can do
here, and it won't spoil our chat."
"Of course not," replied Lynton, "and I came for that more than for the
eating and drinking."
"That's right," said the American bluffly. "There, come on: this is my
room now those Englishmen are gone."
The mate followed his host, and after a certain amount of patient
waiting the dinner was brought in, and he found the American friendly in
the extreme, so that the time passed quickly, and the hour of departure
was close at hand with the guest wishing that he had asked the captain
to make the hour eleven instead of ten for the boat to be sent ashore
from the brig, which was once more swinging from the buoy in mid-stream.