"Hah, yes. I could see you warn't an A-murray-can. I'll take you if
you'll pay."
"Oh, I'll pay a reasonable fare for our party," I replied.
"Party, eh? How many?"
"My uncle, his wife and daughter, and us two," I said.
"And that makes five, stranger. Baggage?"
"Yes," I said, "Let's look."
I hesitated for a moment, and then took him into the room where our neat
little chests were packed, one on the top of the other, with a couple of
blankets thrown over them.
"Hah!" said the skipper, trying one of the iron-bound cases. "Precious
heavy, mister. What's in 'em?"
"Curiosities," I replied.
"Just so," he said, winking one eye. "I said they was to myself soon as
I see the iron bands round 'em. Wal, they'll weigh up pretty smart.
You'll have to pay for them."
"Of course," I said; "anything reasonable."
"That's square, mister," he said, scanning the whole place eagerly.
"Now, what might bring you out here, eh?"
"I came to see my uncle," I replied, annoyed at the fellow's
impertinence, but thinking it better to be civil.
"Did you, though, mister? Find him?"
"Yes, I found him right enough."
"Did you, though? Old man all right?"
"Quite right."
"Didn't stop with him, though?"
"No, we are all going home together."
"Wonder at it when you might stay in A-murray-kay. I say, mister, you
know, what's in them chesties?"
He accompanied the question with a wink and a grin, and pointed over his
shoulder towards the cases.
"I told you," I replied, "curiosities."
"Are they, though? Wonder what the custom chaps would call 'em when
they overhauled them, eh?"
I was silent, for it was evident that the fellow suspected me of a
desire to evade the regular authorities of the port.
"Come, mister," he said with a grin, evidently divining my thoughts,
"out with it, come; you want them chesties smuggled off on the quiet,
don't you now? Best take 'Badiah P. Perks into confidence, I guess;
makes it smooth for all parties."
"If you like to take our party and luggage to New York, Mr Perks," I
said quietly, "I am ready, as my uncle will be ready, to pay you well
for the passage. Is it agreed?"
"Luggage, of course, mister; but them there arn't luggage. Curiosities,
didn't you say? What's in 'em?"
"That is my affair, Mr Perks."
"'Badiah P. Perks, please mister. Now, then, is it square and
confidence, and 'Badiah P. Perks' friends, or isn't it?"
"I shall place every confidence in the captain of our vessel, Mr
Perks."
"'Badiah P. Perks, mister."
"Mr Obadiah P. Perks," I said.
"Drop that O, stranger. Don't belong. 'Badiah P. Perks, mister."
"Mr 'Badiah P. Perks," I said.
"And my folks calls me Kyaptin," said the skipper. "Say, it's wonderful
how much ignorance there is 'mongst you Englishers. Wal, I won't say
I'll take you, stranger, till I've brought one o' these here yellow
nigger officers to look over them chesties, and see if there's anything
in 'em as is contraband."
I could not help changing colour, and the fellow saw it. He suspected
my motives evidently, and with a smile he turned to go, reaching the
door slowly and then pausing, as if he expected me to call him back, but
as I did not he hesitated.
"Say, mister," he said, "s'pose anny time'll do for me to bring down the
yaller nigger chap?"
I was so wroth with the scoundrel and his cool impudence that I took a
defiant tone and said shortly:
"Any time you like, Captain Perks."
"'Badiah P. Perks, mister. All right. I won't be long."
"But mind this," I said, "you are doing it for your own amusement, for I
shall advise my uncle not to go by your vessel."
"Riled, mister? Jest a little bit, eh? All right. You'll cool down by
the time I've got the custom-house chap here, and then we can settle
terms."
He went off laughing, and for the moment I felt as if we were in his
power.
"All my labour will have been thrown away, Tom," I cried, "and we shall
be called upon for explanations that I cannot give."
I called my uncle into the consultation, and we agreed that the best
line to take was the defiant one.
"We are under no engagement to this fellow, Harry," said my uncle; "and
we need not enter into one, as he would fleece you--perhaps rob you.
For, once at sea on the vessel of such a man, he can play tyrant and do
as he pleases."
"You are right, uncle; we will not go. But if he returns with one of
the Spanish officials, what then?"
"Set him at defiance; and if you are driven to extremities, appeal to
the British vice-consul for aid."