"There," I said, reloading. "Now, try again."
Jimmy had on only his curtailed trousers, into whose waistband he
cautiously stuck the waddy, the knob at the end stopping it from falling
through, and gingerly taking the rifle once more to show that he was not
afraid, he held it loosely against his shoulder and fired again.
The gun kicked more than ever, for it was growing foul, and, uttering a
yell, Jimmy dashed it down, snatched the waddy from his waistband, and
began belabouring the butt of the piece before we could stop him, after
which he stood sulkily rubbing his right shoulder, and scowling at the
inanimate enemy that had given him a couple of blows.
One or two more experiments with the piece, however, taught the black
its merits and demerits to such an extent that he was never so happy as
when he was allowed to shoulder the formidable weapon, with which he
would have liked to go and fight some native tribe; and his constant
demand to me was for me to put in an extra charge so that he might have
what he called "big-bang."
The doctor took care that we should both be well furnished with every
necessary in arms, ammunition, and camp equipments, such as were light
and would go into a small space. He got down from Sydney, too, a
quantity of showy electro-gilt jewellery and fancy beads, with common
knives, pistols, guns, and hatchets for presents, saying to me that a
showy present would work our way better with a savage chief than a great
deal of fighting, and he proved to be quite right in all he said.
Taken altogether we had an excellent outfit for the journey, my mother
eagerly placing funds at the doctor's disposal. And then came the
question of how we were to get to the great northern island, for as a
rule facilities for touching there were not very great; but somehow this
proved to be no difficulty, all that we undertook being easily mastered,
every obstacle melting away at the first attack. In fact the journey to
New Guinea was like a walk into a trap--wonderfully easy. The
difficulty was how to get out again.
Perhaps had I known of the dangers we were to encounter I might have
shrunk from the task--I say might, but I hope I should not. Still it
was better that I was in ignorance when, with the doctor, I set about
making inquiries at the harbour, and soon found a captain who was in the
habit of trading to the island for shells and trepang, which he
afterwards took on to Hongkong.
For a fairly liberal consideration he expressed himself willing to go
out of his way and land us where we liked, but he shook his head all the
same.
"You've cut out your work, youngster," he said; "and I doubt whether
you're going to sew it together so as to make a job."
"I'm going to try, captain," I said.
"That's your style," he said heartily, as he gave me a slap on the
shoulder. "That's the word that moves everything, my boy--that word
`try.' My brains and butter! what a lot `try' has done, and will always
keep doing. Lor', it's enough to make a man wish he was lost, and his
son coming to look after him."
"Then you have a son, captain?" I said, looking at him wistfully.
"Me? Not a bit of it. My wife never had no little 'uns, for we always
buys the boats, they arn't young ships. I married my schooner, my lad;
she's my wife. But there, I'm talking away with a tongue like an old
woman. Send your traps aboard whenever you like, and--there, I like
you--you're a good lad, and I'll help you as much as ever I can. Shake
hands."
It was like a fierce order, and he quite hurt me when we did shake
hands, even the doctor saying it was like putting your fist in a
screw-wrench.
Then we parted, the doctor and I to complete our preparations; the
various things we meant to take were placed on board, and now at last
the time had come when we must say _Good-bye_!
For the first time in my life I began to think very seriously of money
matters. Up to this money had not been an object of much desire with
me. A few shillings to send into Sydney for some special object now and
then was all I had required; but now I had to think about my mother
during my absence, and what she would do, and for the first time I
learned that there was no need for anxiety on that score; that my
father's private income was ample to place us beyond thought for the
future. I found, too, that our nearest neighbour had undertaken to
watch over my mother's safety, not that there was much occasion for
watchfulness, the days gliding by at our place in the most perfect
peace, but it was satisfactory to feel that there were friends near at
hand.
I was for saying _good-bye_ at the little farm, but my mother insisted
upon accompanying us to Sydney, where I noticed that in spite of her
weakness and delicate looks, she was full of energy and excitement,
talking to me of my journey, begging me to be prudent and careful, and
on no account to expose myself to danger.
"And tell your father how anxiously I am looking forward to his return,"
she said to me on the last evening together; words that seemed to give
me confidence, for they showed me how thoroughly satisfied she was that
we would bring my father back.
We were too busy making preparations to the very last for there to be
much time for sadness, till the hour when the old skipper came, and was
shown up to our room.
He came stamping and blundering up in a pair of heavy sea-boots, and
began to salute me with a rough shout, when he caught sight of my pale
delicate-looking mother, and his whole manner changed.
"Lor', I didn't know as there were a lady here," he said in a husky
whisper, and snatching off his battered Panama hat, sticking out a leg
behind, and making a bow like a school-boy. I beg your pardon for
intruding like, mum, but I only come to say that the schooner's warped
out, and that youngster here and Mr Grant must come aboard first thing
in the morning.
He sat down after a good deal of persuasion, and partook of
refreshment--liquid, and copiously. But when, on leaving, my mother
followed him to the door, and I saw her try to make him a present, he
shook his head sturdily.
"No, no," he growled; "I asked my price for the trip, and the doctor
there paid me like a man. Don't you be afeared for young chap there
while he's aboard my craft. While he's with me I'll look after him as
if he was gold. I don't like boys as a rule, for they're a worrit and
wants so much kicking before you can make 'em work, but I've kind of
took to youngster there, and I'll see him through. Good night."
The captain went clumping down the stairs, and we could hear him
clearing his throat very loudly down the street. Then the doctor, with
great delicacy, rose and left us alone, and I tried to look cheerful as
I sat for an hour with my mother before going to bed.
Did any of you who tried to look cheerful when you were going to leave
home for the first time ever succeed, especially with those wistful,
longing eyes watching you so earnestly all the time? I'm not ashamed to
say that I did not, and that I almost repented of my decision, seeing as
I did what pain I was causing.
But I knew directly after that it was pain mingled with pleasure, and
that I was about to do my duty as a son.
Twice over, as I lay half sleeping, I fancied I saw, or really did see,
somebody gliding away from my bedside, and then all at once I found that
it was morning, and I got up, had a miserable breakfast, which seemed to
choke me, and soon after--how I don't know, for it all seemed very
dream-like--found myself on the wharf with my mother, waiting for the
boat that was to take us three travellers to the ship.
Jimmy was there, looking rather uncomfortable in his sailor's suit,
which was not constructed for the use of a man who always sat down upon
his heels. The doctor was there, too, quiet and cheerful as could be,
and I made an effort to swallow something that troubled me, and which I
thought must be somehow connected with my breakfast. But it would not
go down, and I could do nothing but gaze hard as through a mist at the
little delicate woman who was holding so tightly to my hands. There was
a dimness and an unreality about everything. Things seemed to be going
on in a way I did not understand, and I quite started at last as
somebody seemed to say, "Good-bye," and I found myself in the little
boat and on the way to the schooner.
Then all in the same dim, misty way I found myself aboard, watching the
wharf where my mother was standing with a lady friend, both waving their
handkerchiefs. Then the wharf seemed to be slowly gliding away and
getting more and more distant, and then mixed up with it all came the
sound of the bluff captain's voice, shouting orders to the men, who were
hurrying about the deck.
Suddenly I started, for the doctor had laid his hand upon my shoulder.
"We're off, Joe," he said heartily; "the campaign has begun. Now, then,
how do you feel for your work?"
His words electrified me, and I exclaimed excitedly:
"Ready, doctor, ready. We'll find him and bring him back."