“You Sing” conveyed no meaning to anybody; but, after various
extraordinary attempts to extend the conversation had entirely failed,
it was tacitly agreed that You Sing must be his name. Whether it was
or not, the taciturn pagan answered to it immediately it was uttered,
or rather he came instantly to whoever mentioned it. So, seeing that
it was hopeless to think of getting any information from him as to the
why and wherefore of the strange circumstances under which we had found
him, the skipper decided promptly to put him to work as a steward,
believing that he would make a good one. To that end he was handed over
to me for tuition, much to my delight, for now I felt that I should
have a companion who was certainly not more than my equal, and who
would not be likely to ill-treat me in any way, as most of the crew
did when opportunity arose. His coming was to me a perfect godsend. He
was so willing, so docile, and withal so eminently teachable, that it
was a pleasure to be with him. And the incongruity of being placed
under such an urchin as myself did not appear to strike him at all, for
he looked upon me from the first day of our acquaintance as the one
creature that stood between him and the outer dark--although it must be
said that, as far as could be judged by his attitude to all with whom
he came in contact, he regarded every member of the ship’s company as
in some sort his saviour. All could command him, and he would instantly
obey; and although he understood no word of what was said to him, he
watched so keenly, his desire to please was so intense, and his natural
ability so great, that his efforts to do what was required of him were
generally successful. Unfortunately, his willingness often got him
into serious trouble, since he always obeyed the last order, not being
able to discriminate between those who had the first claim upon him
and those who had no right to his services whatever. But when he was
beaten for neglecting tasks that he had been called away from, he never
murmured or showed sign of pain or resentment; all treatment was borne
with the same placid equanimity, as if he were a perfectly passionless
automaton. With one exception--myself. When with me his usually
expressionless eyes would shine, and his yellow face wear a peculiarly
sweet smile that had quite a fascination for me. I found myself growing
so much attached to him that my rage against his persecutors often
drove me nearly frantic--such wrath as it had never occurred to me to
feel on my own behalf.
Meanwhile the Blitzen, sorely hampered by calms and variable winds,
crept slowly and painfully towards her destination. I was so much
absorbed with the education and company of You Sing that I lost all
my usual interest in the progress of the vessel, and did not even
wonder when we were going to reach our next port--a speculation that
had hitherto always had great charms for me. But one morning before
breakfast I was dreadfully affrighted to hear a fierce altercation on
deck. It had always been my ill-fortune hitherto to find myself the
ultimate vicarious sacrifice in all cases of trouble, and even to this
day the old feeling of dread still exists--a feeling that whatever
row is going on I shall presently be made to suffer for it; and the
well-remembered sensation of sinking at the pit of the stomach comes
back, making me for the moment quite ill. So, trembling all over,
I peered out of the pantry window on to the main deck, and saw the
mate confronting three men of his watch, who, with inflamed faces and
fierce gestures, were evidently threatening his life. Now, there had
never before been the slightest sign of insubordination on board, the
discipline seeming as near perfection as possible, and therefore this
sudden outbreak was most alarming. A swift step passed the pantry
door, and instantly I saw the skipper rushing forward. Without a
word he plunged into the midst of the angry four, and seizing the
foremost seaman by the throat and waist hurled him crashing against
the bulwarks. At the same moment the mate sprang at another man, as if
to serve him in the same manner; but, missing his grasp, he stumbled
and fell on his knees. A stifled scream burst from my dry lips as I
saw the glint of steel; the seaman attacked had drawn his knife, and
as the mate fell the weapon descended with fearful force between his
shoulders. I heard the ugly sound right aft, and it remains with me
to-day. The skipper, however, with the agility of a porpoise, instantly
flung himself on the two men, and fought as if he had the sinews of ten.
Compared with the noise of the preliminary quarrel, this life-and-death
struggle was silence itself; but I could hear the laboured breathings
of the combatants coming in hoarse gasps, and the cracking of the
joints as the writhing bodies knotted and strained. There was a
scream behind me, a rustle of skirts, and out of the cabin rushed the
skipper’s wife, with flying hair and outstretched arms. But before she
was halfway to the spot there was a swoop as of some huge bird past
her, and the second mate, the youngest officer in the ship and the
biggest man, alighted in the fray like a hungry tiger. I did not see
the other watch of the crew arrive, but they were there, and fighting
as fiercely as the rest.
Now, the first flush of fear having gone from me, I became
interested--somewhat coldly critical, indeed, of the various points of
the battle, finding myself, to the wonder of some other corner of my
brain, siding with the officers, and hoping they would be victorious.
The surprise of this backwater of thought was probably owing to the
fact that all the officers had treated me with steady brutality, while
the men, though not kind, seldom touched me, although that was probably
only lack of opportunity. But with all my keen watching I could not
yet forecast the upshot of this awful encounter. The mass of bodies
seemed to me inextricably entangled, heaving and writhing like a basket
of wounded eels; while all around them, frantically clutching at the
labouring body of her husband, and shrieking pitifully, hovered the
unhappy wife and mother.
Suddenly it dawned upon me that the little Elsie was alone, and
probably frightened to death; and, though I was never a favourite
with even her, it seemed good to go and comfort her if possible. So I
turned away from the window, and there behind me was You Sing, calmly
cleaning the knives, as unmoved by any external occurrence as a piece
of machinery. As I unblocked the window he caught my eye, and the
peculiarly winsome smile he always wore for me lit up his solemn face.
His lips opened, and he murmured softly with an indescribable accent
the only two English words I had succeeded in teaching him, “’Ullo,
Tommy.” I could only smile back in return as I hurried off to the
skipper’s state-room aft, feeling as if, with the shutting out of that
savage sight, a load had been lifted off my brain. A quick revulsion of
sympathy thrilled me as I found the pretty child fast asleep in placid
unconsciousness of the terrible scene in progress outside. I stood
for a minute looking at her with a tenderness I had never before felt
towards her, all her childish dislike and funny little ways of showing
it, borrowed from her parents, utterly forgotten. Then, softly closing
the door, I hurried back to the pantry, finding You Sing still busily
employed.
Scrambling to the window, I peered forrard again, seeing, to my horror,
only a heap of bodies lying still. I stood there as if frozen, trying
hard to think, endeavouring to realize the position, but unable to
control my disorganized brain. How long I stood staring thus I have no
idea; but I was recalled to usefulness again by You Sing’s gentle touch
upon my back. Turning slowly round, I faced him, while he pointed out
his finished work and intimated to me in the sign language we always
employed that he awaited instructions what to go on with. Impatiently
I made a great effort to show him that all ordinary work was now at an
end, and, pulling him to the window, pointed out the awful heap on the
main hatch. He looked, and I believe understood the situation, for he
turned again to me and patted my face, pointed first to me and then to
himself, as if to intimate that upon us two, me as master and he as
servant, the conduct of affairs now rested.
Then, taking my courage in both hands, I softly stepped out on deck and
approached the scene of conflict, though trembling so violently that I
could scarcely go. But when I reached the entwined heap of bodies I did
not know what to do, standing helplessly staring at the grim spectacle.
A faint groan startled me, and I bent down over the nearest body, which
happened to be the skipper’s, hearing him murmur faintly, “_Wasser,
lieber Gott! Wasser_.” Hastily motioning to You Sing to fetch some
water, I tried to drag the skipper into a sitting position; but it was
too much for my strength. The effort, however, was apparently all that
was needed to shake the last faint breath from his body, for, with wide
dilated nostrils and open mouth, he gave his final gasp. Then all was
still, for all were dead.
The whole waist was like the veriest shambles, and the fearful savagery
of the fight was manifest in many hideous details that need not be
reproduced. Suddenly a hope dawned upon me that _one_ man might still
be left--the helmsman; and, rushing aft, I bounded up on to the poop,
only to find the wheel swinging idly to and fro: there was no one
there. Then I ran forward, unheeding You Sing’s dog-like wistful look
after me, and ransacked the forecastle and galley; but both were
deserted. We were quite alone.
This tremendous fact broke in upon me with good effect after the strain
to which I had recently been subjected, for it braced me up to action.
Calling upon You Sing to help me, I tackled the ghastly heap, tugging
and straining at the limp bodies, and getting all gory as they were.
The sweat ran down blindingly; I felt my sinews crack with my desperate
exertions; but at last all the bodies were separated and laid side by
side, the captain’s wife last of that sad row. Not a sign of life was
to be found in any one of them; and, having at last satisfied myself
of this, I dropped upon the crimsoned tarpaulin exhausted, to rack
my brains for some reason why this sudden tragedy should have been
enacted. Gradually the conviction forced itself upon me that the whole
horrible outbreak was due to some quarrel over the junk’s cargo; but
as that had all been overhauled and stowed away without my knowing
anything of its nature, it was only a blind guess. Something, however,
of tremendous importance must have occurred to make a body of men fight
with such fury among themselves that not one of them remained alive.
But urgent necessity was laid upon me to be up and doing, the first
duty that demanded attention being the disposal of the dead. So I
called upon You Sing--who, standing near, never seemed to take his
eyes off me--and the pair of us triced up one of the bulwark ports and
dragged the first of the corpses up to it. Then by a sudden impulse I
flung off my cap, and, kneeling down on the red deck, said the Lord’s
Prayer and the final Collect in the Church Service--all I could then
remember; while my heathen helper stood gravely by making no sign
but _looking_ a very well-spring of sympathy. Strangely cheered and
uplifted, I seized the poor piece of clay, and motioning my helpmate,
launched it through the yawning port, listening shudderingly to the
dull splash that followed. And so with the rest, until we two stood
alone, panting and distressed with our heavy task. A few minutes’ rest,
and then, with draw-bucket and broom, we laboured to cleanse away the
blood that besmeared so wide a space of the decks. At this work we
toiled for a long time, and when at last we gave over, because I was
tired out, we had only partially succeeded in removing the fearful
evidence of that great fight. By this time I was so far myself as to
feel hungry. The feeling of nausea, that had been coming and going like
waves over me ever since I first left the cabin, had left me, and I
ordered You Sing to get breakfast. He set about the job immediately,
leaving me seated on the damp hatch wondering what would become of us.
Then suddenly it occurred to me for the first time that the ship was
entirely left to herself. There was a faint breeze blowing steadily,
all sail being set, and the yards canted a couple of points, for what
wind existed was on the quarter. I rose and went aft to the wheel,
finding that she came up and fell off about three points, so that she
was practically steering herself, and making a fairly average course
S.S.E. This was satisfactory so far, because it relieved me of any
necessity for immediate action. I knew how to steer, and, as far as my
strength went, could handle sails, besides understanding fairly well
how a ship was worked; for I had been over two years at sea, and always
a deck-boy until this voyage, so that, unless I had been a very idiot,
I must know something about sailoring.
Everything being so quiet and favourable, I remembered little Elsie,
and with a sinking heart went down below to break the dreadful news
to her. How it was to be done I didn’t know, my stock of German being
pitifully scanty, and she, poor child! not knowing one word of English.
As I turned the handle of the state-room door I heard her calling,
“_Mutter, wie bist du?_” and in spite of my efforts some big tears
burst from my eyes. But I went in and stood by her cot, racking my
brains for some way of making her understand what had happened. As soon
as she saw me she began, as usual, to scold me for being there--where,
indeed, I was never allowed to enter--and ordered me with much dignity
to go and call her mother.
It would be useless for me to attempt any description of the scene that
followed. I could not, do what I would, make her understand what an
awful change had taken place since she went to sleep. She at last made
up her mind that I must be crazy, and, thoroughly frightened, sprang
out of her cot, and rushed into the cabin screaming frantically for
“_Mutter, Mutter! Vater, Vater!_” I followed her carefully, puzzled
beyond measure to know what to do; but she fled on deck, up the ladder
and on to the poop, still calling with all her voice for those who were
for ever deaf to her cries.
Of course, I dared not pursue her, for fear of adding to her terror;
so I waited anxiously until she had explored every vacant corner of
the ship, and at last, exhausted with her efforts, she returned slowly
to the cabin. Then I quietly brought her some food, and begged her
to eat a little; but, as I might have expected, that was impossible.
However, she was so far quieted that she plied me with questions, which
I answered as well as I was able, until I succeeded in making her
understand the grim truth. She burst into such a passion of weeping
when she comprehended the case that at first I feared for her life; but
presently I saw that this outbreak was the best thing that could have
happened, for it relieved her poor little brain; and soon, utterly worn
out, she went off into a heavy sleep.
Then I searched the cabin thoroughly, with the dim idea in my mind of
finding some cause for the mutiny in accordance with my suspicions.
Sure enough, I had been right, for in various hiding-places I came upon
such treasures as I had never even dreamed of before--coined gold in
boxes, in bags, in bundles: sovereigns, eagles, onzas, and napoleons;
jewellery of every variety of make, glittering with precious stones of
which I had never heard the name. At last I came upon a crucifix nearly
two feet in length, apparently of solid gold, and encrusted with large
gems, a marvel of costliness and beauty. I showed it to You Sing, who,
for the first time in my acquaintance with him, showed signs of horror,
and tried hard to induce me to throw the magnificent thing overboard.