The captain of the watch thought it would never do for his master to
arrive home in his present frame of mind, for if he did, there would be,
as sailors say, "The devil to pay, and no pitch hot." The other watch,
too, would be sure to take advantage of the cloudy state of the weather
to stir up strife and discord, and no stone ought to be left unturned to
prevent this; so old Dogvane thought. He fully believed with that
clever, funny little fellow, the cook, that the other watch were a
greedy lot of office grabbers. Their hunger, perhaps, might be in a
measure accounted for by the small amount of food they received of that
particular kind.
The bold Buccaneer paced the deck in moody silence, and ever and anon
turned a look back to the land of ruin he had left behind him. The words
of the gipsy were still ringing in his ears. Old Dogvane was at the
wheel, and he anxiously watched the old rover's face. The Buccaneer when
in anger was not unlike a thunder storm. He made almost as much noise,
he was quite as destructive, and nearly as uncontrollable; but if left
alone he in time worked himself out, and after the storm, came the
proverbial calm.
The canny old captain having waited a while, watched his opportunity,
and he made bold to speak, couching his language in the most respectful
terms; but first of all to attract attention he muttered something to
himself.
"What is that thou sayest?" asked the Buccaneer, stopping short in his
walk.
"Nothing sir, nothing," was Dogvane's reply; "I was merely thinking as
it were, to myself, of the land we have just left behind us, and I was
saying to myself, sir, only to myself, that needs must when the devil
drives." It would be difficult to know to what the captain's words had
reference. In all probability he did not know himself, but an old saying
is generally a safe one, for it may mean much or little, or even nothing
at all.
"In what way are you heading now, Master Dogvane?" asked the Buccaneer.
This gave the old captain the opportunity he had been looking for.
"You see, sir," he replied, "it is all very well for this Egyptian hag
to curse; but I was driven by necessity to do what I did, and
indirectly, if not directly, the other watch are responsible for the
blood that has been shed."
"Still on the old tack, Master Dogvane; still on the old tack? Will you
be for ever putting the saddle upon other backs but your own?"
"Heaven forbid that I should accuse any body of men wrongfully; but the
other watch have, or seem to have an especial aptitude for getting into
scrapes. They are a quarrelsome lot and their captain has a proud
stomach. But look you, master, at this Egyptian baggage. See what a
disorderly house she kept; I will not say disreputable, for God forbid
that I should take away any woman's character. But her house was such a
disgrace to all concerned, that we had to interfere. The Arab is a brave
man; but he is a heathen, and full of atrocity; a follower of an
impostor, what then if we slew a few of them; if by doing so we saved,
as the saying is, our own bacon? For the same reason we, as I have
already said, put your beloved son into a pit, and no doubt, he would
have been saved even as Joseph was, only a little thing prevented it, he
was slain in the meantime. Had it not been for this little accident, I
have every reason to believe that he would have risen far higher than
ever Joseph did in the Egyptian household." The Buccaneer was now
sitting upon the after-sky-light, and became an attentive listener to
the captain, who continued:
"Even as Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the
sword, so have we the black population of the Soudan. The heathen
furiously raged, and we smote them hip and thigh. The cross has again
triumphed over the crescent."
This allusion to the Buccaneer's religion was a happy one, but who knew
the master better than Dogvane? Was Dogvane then a humbug? Good people
all, upon this subject there will be a diversity of opinion, for his
enemies accused him of many worse things than being a humbug, while his
friends and admirers were ready to canonize him as a saint. The true
course, perhaps, lay in the middle of the stream. Dogvane continued,
"Have you so little love for your religion, sir, that the slaughtering
of a few thousands of infidels causes you remorse, and sorrow? Why in
olden days you slew thousands of Christians without the smallest
compunction; why then cry over the spilling of a little infidel blood?
Time was, sir, when you would have regarded the affair otherwise. For
every one of your sons killed, I dare swear a thousand Arabs have
fallen, leaving the balance largely in favour of Christianity, and so
clearing the ground ready for a purer faith. The weeds have been torn up
by the roots, so that flowers may be sown. What though we did kill a few
thousands of people, did not Pekah, king of Israel, slay in Judea, one
hundred and twenty thousand persons in one day? Would any one say Pekah
did wrong?" The Buccaneer was mollified. It no doubt flattered his
vanity being compared to the ancient king of Israel.
"But she called me a hypocrite; a Christian masquerader, Dogvane," he
said.
"Who, sir, would ever think of paying the slightest attention to what an
angry woman says? Why ten to one if we were to return there now, you
would find there had been a heavy fall of rain and all was sunshine
again, and if you taxed her with her words, she would swear she had
never used them."
"I would even now retrace my way to yonder land, that is just sinking
below the horizon, if I thought it would be as you say."
"Counting upon the extreme uncertainty of a woman's mind, I have no
doubt it would be so, and if my master wishes it, about we go. But
stay, second thoughts they say are best. This Mediterranean is a
treacherous sea. Storms often rising beneath the serenest sky. Besides,
it would ill become one in my master's position of high respectability
to dally away his time as Mark Antony did in this self-same land. A
woman, sir, is far more dangerous in her softer moods than in her anger.
It is under the mellowing influence of a smile that the hardest men
fall. We had better keep our head pointed homewards. Then, sir, we can
retrace our steps at our own convenience, and receive from the Egyptian
gipsy's cooler mind the thanks we deserve. These Easterns are a prolific
race, and multiply as fast as flies. To lop off the surplus population
with the sword is a benefit. A tree is all the better for the occasional
application of the knife."
Thus did Dogvane clear away the anger from his master's mind. He played
upon all his weaknesses, and he approached him above all on the side of
his religion, and, as will appear hereafter, on the side also of his
trade which touched him more nearly even than his religion. Perhaps one
side of religion is not, nor has it been in the past, fully appreciated.
It has always proved an instrument to work off the surplus population.
Even that gentlest and most peaceful of all, that religion which was
breathed out over the world, near two thousand years ago, has often and
often, been dragged in to sanction, and sanctify, the bloodiest and, at
times, the most unholy of wars. As people will bring forth and multiply,
in obedience to Divine command, it is fortunate that pestilence and
famine have so able an ally to keep in check the flood of human nature.
Dogvane, finding he was master of the situation, said: "I had in Egypt,
sir, as I told you, a deep and subtle game, but of that, no matter. If
your old servant has displeased you, shift watches, say I, and joy to
those who come after us."
Of course there was no better way to obtain a hearing than to excite the
Buccaneer's curiosity and then stop short. The trick succeeded, for
Dogvane was at first asked and then entreated, or rather commanded, to
disclose his policy. Having stowed away his quid in the lining of his
hat, and expectorated freely over the ship's side, as every honest
sailor should, before commencing a lengthy yarn, the captain thus began.
It has been mentioned that at a yarn he could not be beaten.
"Day and night, sir," he said, "my thoughts dwell upon your affairs, and
we often sit up late on board the old Ship of State discussing them.
Often, and often has broad-faced day looked in upon our counsels."
"I am sorry to hear, Master Dogvane, that the Ojabberaways indulge at
times in rebellion, and even indecent conduct on board the old ship. If
they are not very careful I shall punish them. I shall stop their grog;
but proceed."
"The Ojabberaways do at times, sir, make use of unseemly language; but
it is their bringings up. I cannot deny between ourselves that our trade
has been falling off. Our neighbours have learnt very much; they have in
a measure overtaken us, and unless we are careful, sir, they will beat
us on our own ground."
"But when the other watch said this, Master Dogvane, you stoutly denied
it."
"That was done, sir, as a matter of principle. Of course we could not
conscientiously admit anything to be right that the other watch said.
But there are other grounds, sir, for silence; for to use a homely
proverb, it is never wise to cry stinking fish. That holds good all the
world over. In the management of one's private affairs silence is
golden. Our trade is undoubtedly depressed. Boots, shoes and woollen
stuffs may be up, as our doughty carpenter said, but other things are
sadly down. It cannot be denied, for instance, that the demand for
heathen gods has sadly fallen off in recent years."
"Have the labours then of my missionaries been crowned with such
success? Are infidels turning from the errors of their ways, Master
Dogvane?"
"Heaven only knows, sir! the fact remains the same; whether it is that
the endeavours of your missionaries have been blessed; or whether it is
that the gods made at your great idol manufactery of Brummagem are not
up to the usual standard of perfection I know not; but there it is,
heathen gods are a drug in the market."
"Dogvane, this is a most weighty matter, and it must be looked to.
Idolatry is a dreadful thing; most degraded and very much to be
condemned; but it is better than nothing, and until the heathen become
converted it would not be well, nay it would be cruel to take from them
whatever little comfort they may find in their brazen images. To
counteract any evil influence that may arise from the worship of these
things, Dogvane, order my State Church to purify the idols before they
leave our shores. Give instructions, Dogvane, directly we arrive home,
to our High Priest to this effect. Command him to have solemn prayers
and fastings, so that they may, all of them, be the better able to
wrestle with the devil. It would be as well also, Dogvane, to bid the
rich amongst them to share what they have with their poorer brethren,
who will be the better able to pray when their minds are not distracted
by the emptiness of their stomachs, for we hear there are poor amongst
them. Let all my divines of every denomination humble themselves before
their God. Why that troubled look, Master Dogvane?"
"This is a delicate matter, sir. I have noticed the ecclesiastical
temper does not brook much interference. It does not appear to me that
they care very much about humbling themselves. Had that young rascal,
Random Jack, belonged to our watch this would have been again a
favourable opportunity for him to show his zeal and courage."
"Dogvane, I notice a disposition in you at times to shirk your duty,"
the Buccaneer said.
"Master, not another word. I will brave the displeasure of all your many
religious denominations rather than you should harbour such a thought
about old Bill Dogvane."
"Bid, then, my priest pray over these idols, sprinkling them well with
holy water. Who knows, Dogvane, but that some good may thus be done?
These brazen images being blessed by our pious divines may carry into
the midst of the heathen some subtle influence, and by some mysterious
agency they may be converted even at the very time they are praying to
their false gods. Dogvane, it is worth the trial, and at any cost we
must prevent the trade from falling into the hands of our unscrupulous
and unconscientious neighbours." The Buccaneer was silent for a few
moments, then he said: "Dogvane, I am fully convinced that even in this
world sin brings its own punishment; and this falling off in our trade
in idols may be due entirely to a falling off in the article. Have you
received any information of a confidential nature that either France or
Germany or our cousin Jonathan have gone in for this industry?"
"No, sir, I have no official communication on the subject; though
Jonathan has that turn for business that he would manufacture anything
from a tin pin to a brazen image; while, if it would only pay, he would
turn out devils by the thousand."
"You may depend upon it, Dogvane, that this depression in our trade is
owing either to the inferiority or costliness of the article. Here lies
the keystone of our mercantile failures."
"Then, sir, there are other things. Our cotton stuffs hang heavy upon
our hands. In fact, we want fresh fields for all our industries."
"Ah! say you so; where, Master Dogvane, is your remedy for this evil?"
"Sir, the eye of your faithful servant has rested upon the naked
population of the Soudan. To clothe this people in our fabrics would
take many millions of yards of your cotton stuffs."
"The idea, Dogvane, is certainly a good one, and it pleases me. Let us
hasten to put it to the trial lest our neighbours be beforehand with us.
Say not a word, Dogvane, of this when we get home, for if the idea gets
wind some of our many cheap-Jacks will take possession of it and turn it
to account; for, as you say, that fellow Jonathan has a keen eye for
business, and if he could he would try to get to windward of his own
father. The selfishness of our friends, Dogvane, is always to me a
fruitful source of regret. But let us not forget that our primary object
is not the selling of our goods at a remunerative price--no, Heaven
forbid!--it is the converting of the heathen. The base motive of gain
would not make me stir hand or foot in this matter; but to bring these
poor benighted savages into our fold, Dogvane, is a worthy ambition. To
make them Christians like ourselves, good Dogvane, would be a glorious
thing. This, I say, must be our very first consideration. Into our
cotton stuffs let there be worked some moral precept; or better still,
some prayer. A waistcloth, Dogvane, if used fore and aft would be a
suitable table for the Ten Commandments, which would thus be
conveniently placed before the eyes of all. In time the seed thus sown
on the outside of the black soil may take root inwardly and bring forth
much good fruit. By degrees the whole population may become converted,
and putting away the habit of barbarism may put on the garb of
civilisation, thus opening out for us a wide field whereto to send our
industries. Our ales will moisten their parched lips, increase their
stamina, and strengthen their inward man. Our spirits, too, will
supplant the vile concoctions they at present drink. Being thus
strengthened in body and soul, their intellect likewise will become
stronger. Their eyes will be opened, and a new and more beautiful world
will dawn upon them. It is a grand idea, Dogvane, and well worthy of
you. Commence at once. By converting this people we shall reap the
reward of millions of fresh consumers. Stop slaughtering, Dogvane; stop
at once. It is inhuman, it is cruel; besides they are only fighting for
their hearth and home, and what people so base as not to shed their
blood in so good a cause? Stay, then, our hand, for by cutting their
throats, Master Dogvane, you are contracting the field for our home
industries. There is undoubtedly a bright future in front of us, and
you, Dogvane, have done much to re-establish yourself in my good
opinion."
The Buccaneer was quite elated. His step became buoyant again. The dark
cloud that had rested upon his brow passed away. "Soon," he said, "we
shall again hear the merry rattle of our looms. Our stills will have
fresh life thrown into them. The heavy scent of the hop shall weight our
atmosphere; and rest like a grateful fragrance over our island home. Our
friend and helpmate, old John Barleycorn, shall lift again his cheery
head, and in his train will come, dancing merrily, his hand-maidens,
Colombia root, camomile, quassia and cheretta."
The Buccaneer was in such excellent spirits that he began singing an old
drinking song of his, to the merits of John Barleycorn, and he made
Dogvane join in the chorus. Thus they merrily passed the time, until the
look-out man aloft cried out: "Land ho!" and soon the bold coast of the
Buccaneer's strong-hold loomed out in the distance.