The Hampshire youth sleeps soundly, dreaming of a ship manned by women,
with a pretty childlike girl among the crew. But he seems scarcely to
have closed his eyes before he is awakened by a clamour of voices,
scolding and laughing in jarring contrast. Rubbing his eyes and looking
about him, he sees the cause of the strange disturbance, which proceeds
from some ragged boys, of the class commonly termed "wharf-rats" or
"mud-larks." Nearly a dozen are gathered together, and it is they who
laugh; the angry voices come from others, around whom they have formed a
ring and whom they are "badgering."
Springing upon his feet, he hurries toward the scene of contention, or
whatever it may be, not from curiosity, but impelled by a more generous
motive--a suspicion that there is foul play going on. For among the
mud-larks he recognises one who, early in the day, offered insult to
himself, calling him a "country yokel." Having other fish to fry, he
did not at the time resent it; but now he will see.
Arriving at the spot, he sees, what he has already dimly suspected, that
the mud-larks' victims are the three odd individuals who lately stopped
in front of him. But it is not they who are most angry; instead, they
are giving the "rats" change in kind, returning their "chaff," and even
getting the better of them, so much so that some of their would-be
tormentors have quite lost their tempers. One is already furious--a big
hulking fellow, their leader and instigator, and the same who had cried,
"country yokel." As it chances, he is afflicted with an impediment of
speech, in fact, stutters badly, making all sorts of twitching grimaces
in the endeavour to speak correctly. Taking advantage of this, the boy
Orundelico--"blackamoor," as he is being called--has so turned the
tables on him by successful mimicry of his speech as to elicit loud
laughter from a party of sailors loitering near. This brings on a
climax, the incensed bully, finally losing all restraint of himself,
making a dash at his diminutive mocker, and felling him to the pavement
with a vindictive blow.
"Tit-it-it-take that, ye ugly mim-m-monkey!" is its accompaniment in
speech as spiteful as defective.
The girl sends up a shriek, crying out:
"Oh, Eleparu! Orundelico killed! He dead!"
"No, not dead," answers the boy, instantly on his feet again like a
rebounding ball, and apparently but little injured. "He take me foul.
Let him try once more. Come on, big brute!"
And the pigmy places himself in a defiant attitude, fronting an
adversary nearly twice his own size.
"Stan' side!" shouts Eleparu, interposing. "Let me go at him!"
"Neither of you!" puts in a new and resolute voice, that of Henry
Chester, who, pushing both aside, stands face to face with the
aggressor, fists hard shut, and eyes flashing anger. "Now, you
ruffian," he adds, "I'm your man."
"Wh-wh-who are yi-yi-you? an' wh-wh-what's it your bi-bib-business?"
"No matter who I am; but it's my business to make you repent that
cowardly blow. Come on and get your punishment!"
And he advances towards the stammerer, who has shrunk back.
This unlooked-for interference puts an end to the fun-making of the
mud-larks, all of whom are now highly incensed, for in their new
adversary they recognise a lad of country raising--not a town boy--which
of itself challenges their antagonistic instincts.
On these they are about to act, one crying out, "Let's pitch into the
yokel and gie him a good trouncin'!" a second adding, "Hang his
imperence!" while a third counsels teaching him "Portsmouth manners."
Such a lesson he seems likely to receive, and it would probably have
fared hardly with our young hero but for the sudden appearance on the
scene of another figure--a young fellow in shirt-sleeves and wearing a
Panama hat--he of the _Calypso_.
"Thunder and lightning!" he exclaimed, coming on with a rush. "What's
the rumpus about? Ha! a fisticuff fight, with odds--five to one! Well,
Ned Gancy ain't going to stand by an' look on at that; he pitches in
with the minority."
And so saying, the young American placed himself in a pugilistic
attitude by the side of Henry Chester.
This accession of strength to the assailed party put a different face on
the matter, the assailants evidently being cowed, despite their
superiority of numbers. They know their newest adversary to be an
American, and at sight of the two intrepid-looking youths standing side
by side, with the angry faces of Eleparu and Orundelico in the
background, they become sullenly silent, most of them evidently inclined
to steal away from the ground.
The affair seemed likely thus to end, when, to the surprise of all,
Eleparu, hitherto held back by the girl, suddenly released himself and
bounded forward, with hands and arms wide open. In another instant he
had grasped the big bully in a tiger-like embrace, lifted him off his
feet, and dashed him down upon the flags with a violence that threatened
the breaking of every bone in his body.
Nor did his implacable little adversary, who seemed possessed of a
giant's strength, appear satisfied with this, for he afterwards sprang
on top of him, with a paving-stone in his uplifted hands.
The affair might have terminated tragically had not the uplifted hand
been caught by Henry Chester. While he was still holding it, a man came
up, who brought the conflict to an abrupt close by seizing Eleparu's
collar, and dragging him off his prostrate foe.
"Ho! what's this?" demands the newcomer, in a loud authoritative voice.
"Why, York! Jemmy! Fuegia! what are you all doing here? You should
have stayed on board the steamship, as I told you to do. Go back to her
at once."
By this time the mud-larks have scuttled off, the big one, who had
recovered his feet, making after them, and all speedily disappearing.
The three gipsy-looking creatures go too, leaving their protectors,
Henry Chester and Ned Gancy, to explain things to him who has caused the
stampede. He is an officer in uniform, wearing insignia which proclaim
him a captain in the Royal Navy; and as he already more than half
comprehends the situation, a few words suffice to make it all clear to
him, when, thanking the two youths for their generous and courageous
interference in behalf of his _proteges_, as he styles the odd trio
whose part they had taken, he bows a courteous farewell, and continues
his interrupted walk along the Hard.
"Guess you didn't get much sleep," observes the young American, with a
knowing smile, to Henry Chester.
"Who told you I was asleep?" replies the latter in some surprise.
"Who? Nobody."
"How came you to know it, then?"
"How? Wasn't I up in the maintop, and didn't I see everything you did?
And you behaved particularly well, I must say. But come! Let's aboard.
The captain has come back. He's my father, and maybe we can find a
berth for you on the _Calypso_. Come along!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
That night Henry Chester eats supper at the _Calypso's_ cabin table, by
invitation of the captain's son, sleeps on board, and, better still, has
his name entered on her books as an apprentice.
And he finds her just the sort of craft he was desirous to go to sea
in--a general trader, bound for the Oriental Archipelago and the isles
of the Pacific Ocean. To crown all, she has completed her cargo and is
ready to put to sea.
Sail she does, early the next day, barely leaving him time to keep that
promise, made by the Devil's Punch Bowl, of writing to his mother.