_ CHAPTER SIX.
The next morning broke bright and glorious. We were right away in the open sea now, going south before a brisk north-west breeze, which was just enough to make the water dance and glitter in the sunshine, as the Burgh Castle with a full press of sail careened gently over. While feeling fresh and eager, I thought how delightful the ocean looked, and was eager to see what the tropic waters would have to show.
"Here, Dale," said the captain, "this sort of thing won't do. Where's your messmate--Walters?"
"He's a little better this morning, sir, but not out of his bunk."
"You go down and tell him that if he is not up on deck in a quarter of an hour, I'll send two of the men down to fetch him."
"Yes, sir," and I went and delivered my message to the poor, miserable-looking, yellow-faced fellow, as he lay with his face screwed up, only half seen in his bunk.
"I don't care. Let him send if he dares. I can't get up. I'll complain to the owners. It's a cruel shame, and it's a wonder I haven't died, left neglected down here."
"That you haven't been," I cried; "why, I've regularly nursed you, and the steward couldn't have been kinder."
"Who said he could?" cried Walters, with plenty of animation now. "But where's the doctor? What's a doctor carried on a ship for if he isn't to attend to the sick people?"
"Oh, but you're not sick," I said.
"What?" he cried fiercely.
"Well, not now," I replied, laughing. "Of course you were, but you're only qualmy now. Here, this place does smell stuffy. I'll open the window."
"That you won't; I don't want to catch a bad cold. Wish I hadn't come to sea in such a miserable ship."
"Nonsense. Get up and dress."
"Shan't!"
"But you'd feel ever so much better."
"How do you know? You go and tell the captain he's a brute, and I'm not going to get up till I'm better."
"Not I. It would only be a lie," I said.
"What?"
"You are ever so much better. Shall I ask the steward to make you some tea?"
"No, I couldn't touch it, and he wouldn't make it if you did. This ain't a London hotel."
"Of course it isn't; but he'd make a cup if I asked him."
"No, he wouldn't. They're all brutes here."
"Look here," I cried, as I saw how argumentative he could be, and that if he roused himself up he'd be better, "if you don't jump into your trousers I'll be a brute too."
"What do you mean?" he said, sharply.
"I'll lay hold of one leg, and pull you out on to the floor."
"You dare to touch me, and I'll give you the biggest hiding you ever had in your life."
"Not you. Come, get up, or the skipper will send down two fellows to fetch you out."
"Let him at his peril," snarled my messmate, pulling the clothes higher.
"Shall I go and tell him that?"
"If you dare."
"Oh, I dare," I said, "but I wouldn't be such a sneak. But he really will send after you, if you don't get up."
"Let him."
"Come, you are better."
"I'm not; I'm half dead."
"You're not."
"I am, you unfeeling brute; I am so weak, I can't stir."
"You said you were strong enough to give me a good hiding."
"Yes, when I'm better."
"You're better now, so get out."
"Shan't."
"Am I to pull you out?"
"You dare to touch me, and I'll half-kill you."
"Here goes, then!" I cried, and diving my hand under the blanket, I caught hold of him by his leg, and with one good tug had him out on the floor of the narrow cabin, kicking and struggling to get from beneath the clothes. As soon as he was free he flew at me, hitting out fiercely, while I only closed with him to keep him from hurting.
Then for about a minute we had a combined wrestle and fight about the cabin, with the result that I, being dressed and in better condition, got him down and sat upon his chest, panting heavily, to get my breath, while I could feel the saddle upon which I sat move sharply up and down.
"There," I said good-temperedly, "I knew you weren't bad. Will you dress yourself, and come on deck if I get off?"
"I'll half-kill you!" he snarled through his set teeth.
"Then I'll sit here till you change your mind."
He drew up his knees, so as to get his heels as near me as he could, then placed his hands close to his ribs, waited a few moments to get his breath, and at a moment when he thought I was quite off my guard, he raised his chest so as to make a bow of his spine, and giving a sudden quick heave, tried to throw me off sidewise.
But I had too good a seat for my restive steed, and nipping him tightly, held on while he frantically tried the same movement again and again, till he was compelled to stop from lack of breath. And all the time his face grew blacker with fury, while mine was puckered up by mirth, for I was thoroughly enjoying the fun of the thing, and not in the least alarmed by his threats.
"You beast!" he snarled. "Only wait till my turn comes, and you shall have it for this."
"Not I, my lad," I cried merrily. "You'll be as pleased as can be to-morrow, and thank me for doing you so much good. Why, Walters, old chap, you're growing stronger every minute. I thought you were so faint you couldn't move."
"So I am, and you're suffocating me by sitting on my chest, you cowardly wretch."
"Not I. It makes the bellows work better," I cried, as I bumped gently up and down. "Good for you after lying there so long. Ready for another try?"
I gave so heavy a bump that he yelled out, but I only laughed, for every doubt of his condition had passed away, as he proved to me in our struggle that he was as strong and well able to be about as I.
"Now then, if I get off, will you wash and dress?"
"I'll thrash you till you can't stand," he snarled.
"Not you. Be too grateful; and if you speak like that again I'll nip your ribs twice as hard."
"You wait till I get up."
"You're not going to get up," I said, "till you promise to behave yourself."
"I'll make you sorry for this, my fine fellow, as soon as I'm well."
"Then you had better do it at once," I said, "if you can."
He gave another heave, but I was too firmly settled, and he subsided again, and lay panting and glaring at me fiercely.
"There, let's have no more nonsense," I said at last; "don't be so silly. I only did it all in fun to get you to make an effort. Will you get up quietly and shake hands?"
"No!" he roared, and he gave such a jerk that I had hard work to keep my seat, while he struck at me savagely with his doubled fists.
"Wo ho!" I cried, as I managed to secure his wrists, and now as I saw his malignant look, I began to feel uncomfortable, and to wish that I had gone some other way to work to bring him round.
"You shall repent all this, you wretch!" he cried.
"Pooh!" I said contemptuously, for my own temper was rising; "I am not afraid. There, get up and dress at once, and don't make an idiot of yourself."
As I spoke I gathered myself together, and with one effort I sprang to my feet, being quite on my guard, but expecting the greater part of what he had said was talk, and that he would not dress himself. But to my astonishment he leaped up, dashed at me, striking out right and left, and the next minute there would have been an angry fight on the way, if the door had not suddenly darkened and a voice which I recognised as Mr Brymer's exclaimed--
"Hullo! what's all this?"
My rising anger was checked on the instant as Walters started back, and the chief mate and Mr Frewen came in.
"Walters has got a fit, sir," I said, laughing.
"I haven't," he cried furiously; "this cowardly beast has been dragging me out of my bunk when I was so ill I could hardly move myself."
"The captain said he was to get up, sir," I pleaded; "and I tried to coax him first, but he wouldn't stir. Then I did pull him out, but he's been going on like mad ever since."
"Let me see," said Mr Frewen, seriously, and he felt Walters' pulse. "Let me look at your tongue, sir," he continued; "no, no, not the tip. Out with it. Hah! And so you had the heart to drag this poor fellow out of his bed, Dale, when he was as weak as a baby?"
"Why, I could hardly hold him, sir," I protested. "He's stronger than I am, only I got him down and sat upon him."
"Sat upon him--got him down! Why, you might have killed him."
"I didn't think he was bad, sir," I said. "You should have seen him a little while ago."
"Oh!" groaned Walters, piteously, and he lowered the lids of his eyes, and then let them wander feebly about the cabin.
"He's looking for his breeches," said the doctor, changing his tone. "There, dress yourself, you cowardly sham!" he cried. "A great strong healthy lad like you, who has been to sea for eighteen months, to lay up like a sickly weak girl. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."
Walters opened his eyes widely and stared.
"Dale ought to have tugged you out a couple of days ago, and given you a bucket of water. There, nothing whatever's the matter with him, Brymer. Come along, and I'll report the case to the captain."
"Well, to see the way he was showing fight," said the mate, "didn't seem to me like being weak."
"Weak? Pish! You did quite right, Dale. I'm sympathetic enough with any poor fellow who is really bad, but if there is anything that raises my dander it's a cowardly pitiful fellow who gives up for nothing. Look here, sir, if you're not on deck in a quarter of an hour, I shall suggest strong measures to the captain in answer to his order to come down and see how you were."
He stepped out of the little cabin, but put his head in again.
"Open that window, Dale, my lad, this place is stifling."
"Yes," said the first mate. "On deck in a quarter of an hour, sir, or you'll wish yourself on shore."
They both left the cabin, and I only made poor Walters more bitter against me by bursting out laughing as he began to dress quickly.
"A set of brutes!" he grumbled; "a set of unfeeling brutes!"
"There, drop it now," I cried; "I shall stop and help you."
"You'll stop till I help you," he said through his clenched teeth. "I shan't forget this."
"All right," I replied, and I left him to himself to cool down; but feeling sorry for him, and thinking that I had been unfeeling, I hurried off to the cook, who was pretending to be very busy in the galley, and who gave me a suspicious look as soon as I showed myself at the door.
"I say, have you got any beef-tea?" I asked.
"Beef-tea, sir!" he said, giving the lad with him a sharp look. "Anything else, sir?--Turtle, sir; gravy, spring, or asparagus soup,-- like it now?"
I stared for a moment, then seeing that the man was poking fun at me, I changed my tone and slipped a shilling in his hand.
"Look here," I cried; "Mr Walters has been very queer and he's now getting up, can't you give me a basin of soup for him?"
"Soup, sir! Ah, now you're talking wisdom. I'll see what I can do; but to talk about beef-tea just when the butcher's shop round the corner's shut up--butcher's shop is shut up, arn't it, Tom?" he continued, turning to his assistant.
"Yes; all gone wrong. Trade was so bad."
"Now, no chaff," I said; "you will get me a basin of something?"
"I should think so, sir. Here, Tom, strain off some of the liquor from that Irish stoo."
A lid was lifted off, and a pleasant savoury steam arose as a basinful of good soup was ladled out, strained into another, and then the man turned to me--
"Like to try one yourself, sir?"
"Yes," I cried eagerly, for the odour was tempting. "No," I said, resisting the temptation. "Give us hold," and the next minute I was on my way back with the basin and a spoon toward the cabin aft.
I don't know how it is, but so sure as you don't want to be seen doing anything, everyone is on the way to meet you. It was so then. I was carefully balancing the steaming basin so as not to spill any of its contents on the white deck, as the ship rose and fell, when I came upon the doctor, who laughed. The next minute Mr Brymer popped upon me.
"Hullo!" he said, "who's that for?"
"Mr Walters, sir."
"Humph!"
I went on watching the surface of the soup, which kept on threatening to slop over, when a rough voice said--
"Thankye, sir. I'll have it here. Did you put in the salt?"
I gave the speaker, Bob Hampton, a sharp look, and saw that the two men who were generally near him, Barney Blane and Dumlow, were showing all their teeth as they indulged in hard grins; and then I was close upon the cabin-door, but started and stopped short as I heard a cough, and looking up, there was the captain leaning over the rail and watching me.
"That's not your duty, is it, my lad?" he said.
"No, sir. For Walters, sir, before he comes on deck."
"Oh!" he ejaculated with a grim look, and he turned away, while I dived in through the door and made my way to the cabin, where I could hear that Walters was having a good wash.
"Here, I've brought you something to take," I cried.
He glanced round sharply, saw what I had, and took no more notice, but went on with his washing.
"Better have it while it's hot," I said.
He took up the towel and began to rub.
"Look sharp, you must take it," I cried. "If I stand it down, it will slop over the side."
"Oh, well, if you won't," I cried at last, "I shall eat it myself."
He threw down the towel, turned, half-snatched the basin away, and held it as if he were going to throw the contents in my face.
His action was so sudden that I flinched.
"Ah, you know you deserve it," he cried, sourly.
"Yes, shall I eat it?" I replied, recovering myself.
"Bah!" he snarled out, and feeling that I had done all that was necessary, I backed away and went up on deck, from whence I saw my messmate come out of the cabin about ten minutes after, and as the captain signed to him to come near, I slipped down out of curiosity, hurried to the cabin, and found that the basin was emptied to the last drop.
I ran forward and popped my head in at the galley.
"Send a boy to fetch the empty basin from our cabin," I said quickly.
"All right, sir," was the reply, and I went aft, just as Walters was leaving the cabin, but he took care not to come near me, and I went on with my work. _