English
TheseamenoftheBellevitehadlistenedwithintenseinteresttotheconversationbetweenthecommanderoftheWestWindandthelieutenant;andtherewasnotasingleoneofthemwhodidnotcomprehendthepurposeofthechiefoftheexpedition.
TheyweregreatlyamusedatthemannerinwhichChristyconductedhimself,andespeciallyatthemongreldialecthehadused.
Itwasalittledifficultforthemtorealizethattheawkwardfellowwhowasinconversationwiththeskipperoftheschoonerwasthegentlemanly,well-spokenofficertheyhadbeenaccustomedtoseeonthequarter-deckoftheBellevite.
Theyseparatedastheyhadbeeninstructedtodo;buttheywerecarefulnottogotoanygreatdistancefromthespot,fortheyunderstoodthattheyshouldbewantedinafewminutes.
Graineshadnotspokenawordonthisoccasion,thoughhehaddonemostofthetalkingatthebivouac.
Hewasreadytodohispart;buttheskipperhadaddressedhiscompanionfirst,introducingthesubject,andhehadnoopportunitytogetinasingleword.
“Isupposeyouunderstanditall,Charley,”saidChristyassoonastheywerealone.
“IcouldnotverywellhavehelpeddoingsoifIhadtried.Theonlythingthatbotheredmewaswhenyouappearedtobebetrayingyourselfbyalludingtothemate,”repliedGraines.
“Ididnotdothatbyaccident;butIdesiredtogetthewholeattentionofthecaptain,andIgotit.Therestallfollowedinduecourse.
Nowtellallthementogodowntotheshore,andwaitalittledistancefromthetwoboatstillyouandIjointhem.Tellthemalltobehungry.
YournameisMr.Balker,themateoftheRattler,theblockade-runnerfromwhichweescapedinawhaleboat.
MynameisJerrySandman,thesecondmate,forthewantofabetter.
Tellthemnottoforgetanyofthesenames,”continuedChristy.
“Theyheardthewholestory,andtheyweredeeplyinterestedinit,fortheycouldnothelpseeingwhatwascoming,”addedtheengineer,ashewenttocarryouttheorderhehadjustreceived.
Theseamenstillkepttogetherinpairs,andGrainesinstructedthembytwos,impressingthemwiththenecessityofrememberingthenamestheyhadheardinthelieutenant’sstory,whichwasa“story”inthedoublesenseoftheword.
Aseachcouplereceivedtheirlesson,theysaunteredinthedirectionoftheshore.
“What’sgoingtobedone,Mr.Graines?”askedFrench,whowasoneofthesecondpairtheengineerinstructed.
“Thatisnoneofyourbusiness,French.YouaretorememberthenamesIhavegivenyou,andthenobeyorders,”repliedGrainesrathersharply,foritwasaveryunusualthingforaseaman,orevenanofficer,toasksuchaquestionofhissuperior;andthedisciplineoftheBellevitewasasexactingasitwaskindandfatherly.
“Excuseme,Mr.Graines;Ionlywantedtobereadyforwhateverwascoming,”pleadedFrench.
“Excused;butdon’tasksuchquestions.Youlistenedtotheconversationbetweenyourofficerandthecaptainoftheschooner;andifyoucannotcomprehendthemeaningofit,askLines,andhewillexplainit,”addedtheengineer,“WhereareLondallandVogel?”
“Rightbythatpileofrubbish,sir,”repliedFrench,asheledthewaytotheshore.
Thelastpairwereinstructedandsentwiththeothers,andtheyaskednoquestions.Grainesjoinedthelieutenant,whohadseatedhimselfonalog,andreportedthatallwasgoingonright.
“AsIsaidbefore,Charley,youwillbethemateoftheRattler,andwillnodoubtbeengagedforthesamepositiononboardoftheWestWind.
Iwillshipassecondmate,ifoneofthetwomennowonboardofthevesselisnotshippedassuch,forIwishtobeamongthemen,”saidChristy,afterlookingabouthimtoseethatnoonewaswithinhearingdistanceofthem.
“ItakeitIshallnotmakealongvoyageasmate,”repliedGraines.
“Probablynot,thoughIcannottellhowlongyouwillhavetoserveinthatcapacity.
IpurposetohavetheTallahatchietowtheschoonerasfardownaspracticable;butweshalldoubtlesshavebusinessonourhandsbeforeitistimetocutthetowline.Nowwewillwaituponthecaptain.”
Theyfoundhimwalkingupanddowntheshore,apparentlysomewhatexcited;anddoubtlesshehadnotentireconfidenceinthepromisesof“JerrySandman.”
ThesixseamenhadnotjoinedCaptainSullendineontheshore,buthadplacedthemselvesbehindacoalshantyquitenearthewater.
“I’vebroughtthematedown,Cap’nSull’dine,”Christybegan,asheandtheengineerhaltedinfrontofthemasteroftheschooner.
“Hereheis,an’Ireckonthereain’tnobettersailorinthegreatConfed’racy.ThisyereisMr.Balker.”
“Howareye,Mr.Balker?YouarejustthemanIwantmore’nIwantmysupper.Nowtellmesomethingaboutyourself.”
Grainesinventedastorysuitedtotheoccasion.Thentheconversationwasaboutwages;andthecandidatehaggledforform’ssake,butfinallyacceptedthelaythecaptainoffered.
“Bytheway,CaptainSullendine,doyouhappentohaveasecondmate?”askedtheengineerwhenthetermswerearranged.
“Ihadone;butherunawaywithBirdRiley.Hewa’n’tgoodfornothin’,andI’mgladhe’sgone,”repliedtheskipper.
“ThemanyoutalkedwithisJerrySandman,andhewastheothermateoftheRattler.Heisn’tashowyfellow,buthewasafirst-classsecondmate,”continuedGraines.
“ThenIshiphimassecondmate;”andtheyarrangedthewageswithoutmuchdifficulty.
Thesixseamenwerepromptlyshipped.Thewholepartythenembarkedinthetwoboats,CaptainSullendinedividingthemintotwopartiesforthepurpose.
Thefoghadsettleddownverydenselyupontheshore;buttheWestWindwaseasilyfound,andtheywentonboard,whereoneboatwashoisteduptothesterndavits,andtheotherontheportquarter.
“Hereyoube,Mr.Balker,”saidCaptainSullendinewhenthepartyreachedthequarter-deck;andhewassolivelyinhismovements,andsoglibinhisspeech,astoprovokethesuspicionthathehadimbibedagainattheconclusionofhisorationonshore.“Here,you,Sopsy!”hecontinuedinaloudvoice.
Alanternwasburningonthecompanion,whichenabledthepartytoseethatthewaistofthevesselwascompactlypackedwithbalesofcotton.
Theschoonerseemedtobeofconsiderablesize,andChristythoughtshemustbeloadedwithaverylargecargoofthepreciousmerchandise.
Inanswertothecaptain’scall,Sopsy,whoprovedtobethenegrocookofthevessel,presentedhimself.
“Allthesepeoplewantsomethingtoeat,Sopsy.Letthecreweatinthedeck-housefor’ad,andbringalunchintothecabinrightoff,”continuedCaptainSullendine.
“Yis,sar,”repliedthecookwithemphasis.“Git‘emquicker’namankinswallerhisownhead.Libesdaramanwidsoulsodead”—
“Nevermindthevarse,Sopsy,”interposedthecaptain.
“—Asnevertohisselfhavesaid”—
“Hurryup,Sopsy!”
“Hedon’tsaydat,MassaCap’n,”addedthecook,asheshuffledoffoverthebalesofcotton.
“Hullothere,Bokes!Whereareyou,Bokes?”calledthecaptainagain.
“Ondeck,Cap’n,”repliedawhiteman,crawlingoutfromasmallopeninginthebales.
“Wakeup,Bokes!Youain’tdeadyet.”
“No,sir;wideawake’sacooninahencoop,”addedtheman,whoappearedtobeoneofthetwoleftonboardbythedeserters,thecookbeingtheother.
“Bealive,Bokes!Here,waitaminute!”
andthecaptainrandownthecompanionladdertothecabin,fromwhichhepresentlyappearedwithabottleineachhand.
“Doyouseethemmenonthecotton,Bokes?”
heasked,pointingwithoneofthematthesixBelleviters,whostoodwheretheyhadtakentheirstationsafterhoistingupthequarter-boat.
“Iseesunthinoverthar,”repliedtheseaman,whoseemedtobehardlyawakeyet.
“Them’sthenewcrewIshippedto-night—sixon‘em,orsevenwiththesecondmate,”addedthecaptain.“Show‘emovertothedeck-house,andlet‘empickouttheirbunks.”
“Sevenon‘em;thecookandmemakesnine,andtheyain’tbuteightberthsinthedeck-house,Cap’n,”repliedBokes,whoseemedtobeafraidoflosinghisownsleepingquarters.
“Youcansleeponthedeck,then.Theseareallgoodmen,andtheymusthavegoodberths,”addedthecaptain.
“Youcansleepaswellinthescuppersasanywhereelse,Bokes;andyouain’tmore’nhalfawakeanytime.”
“Musthavemyberth,Cap’n,orIgoashore,”persistedtheseaman.
“Smalllossanyhow,”growledthecaptain.
“Howisthecabin,CaptainSullendine?”interposedGraines.
“Twostateroomsandfourberths,”repliedthemaster.
“Thenwhycan’tthesecondmatetakeoneoftheberthsinthecabin?”suggestedthenewmate.
“Heisafirst-ratefellow,andIreckonhe’sabettersailorthanIam,forhe’sbeentoseaaboutallhislife.”
“’Tain’treg’lartohavethesecondmateinthecabin.He’llhavet’eatwithusifhebunksthere,”arguedthemaster.
“He’llhavetokeephiswatchondeckwhenweeat,andIreckonhe’llhavetotakehisgrubalone,”reasonedthemate.
“I’drutherliveinthedeck-housewiththecrew,”saidChristy.
“Butthereain’tnoroomthar,”addedGraines,whothoughthissuperiorhadmadetheremarksimplytokeepuphischaracter.
“Lethimcomeintothecabin,then,”saidCaptainSullendine,inordertosettlethequestion.
“Now,Bokes,takethisapple-jack,andshowtheothersixtothedeck-house.Give‘emoneortwodrinksallround.It’lldo‘emgood.”
Bokesobeyedtheorder,afterthemasterhadlightedanotherlanternforhisuse,andhewentoverthebalesofcottontotheseamen.
CaptainSullendineremarkedwithgreatcomplacencythathealwaystreatedhismenwell,gavethemenoughtoeatanddrink,andhethoughttheapple-jackhehadsentthemwoulddothemgood.
Helikedtobeliberalwithhiscrew,forhebelievedatotofgrogwouldgofurtherwiththemthan“cussin’‘em;”andthetwomatesdidnotgainsayhim,thoughtheybelievedinneithergrognor“cussin’.”
ThoughChristyneverdrankadropofintoxicatingfluidunderanycircumstances,andGrainesalmostnever,bothofthembelievedthat“apple-jack”hadbeenaveryserviceableallyduringthenightsofar.
Ruttheyconsidereditusefulonlyinthehandsoftheenemy,andtheyweresorrytoseethebottlessentforwardfortheuseofBelleviters;fortheywereafraidsomeofthemmightmuddleandtangletheirbrainswiththefieryliquor.
“Come,mates,let’sgodownintothecabinnow,”continuedthecaptain,descendingtheladderwithoutwaitingforthem.
“Iwillgoforwardforafewminutes,Charley,”whisperedChristyintheearoftheengineer,whofollowedthecaptainbelow.
Whenthelieutenantreachedthedeck-househefoundthementhere,withBokesintheactoftakingalongpullatoneofthebottles,whileFrenchwasholdingtheother.
“Here’sthesecondmate,”saidtheseamanwiththebottle.
“Youcankeepthebottleyouhave,Bokes,”saidChristy.“Nowgoaftwithit.”
Thesleepysailorwaswillingenoughtoobeysuchawelcomeorder,andthelieutenanttooktheotherbottletothesideandemptieditintothewater.
Themendidnotobject,andthenewsecondmatejoinedthemasterinthecabin.
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