Sail Ho! Part 68

"Well, as he's here, we can't be here," growled Dumlow.

"What d'yer mean, stoopid?"

"Why, we can't be where I thought we was."

"And wheers that?"

"Why, my lad, it looks like this here 'cording to what I feels. But stop a moment, let's ask Barney a question. Barney, old lad!"

"Hullo!"

"How's yer head?"

"Just as if it was a beehive, and all the bees swarming."

"That's it. Then we are here, and all I've got to say for myself is, as I wonder I could ha' been such a fool, and I'm sorry as Mr Dale don't know better."

"Then where are we, Dumlow?" I said hastily; "for I don't know any better."

"Then you ought to, sir; you a orficer and brought up proper. I wonder at you a-leading men into trouble, and there'll be an awful row when old Brymer finds us out."

"He's got it, sir," said Bob Hampton. "It's what I thought, and it's a rum 'un."

"Then, where are we?" I said pettishly; for my head kept on feeling as if it was spinning round.

"Why, sir," said Dumlow; "we're down in the hold among them sperrit casks as was stowed by themselves, and some one's been opening one of 'em with a gimlet and letting us all drink."

"Hist!"

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

A long, low knocking as of knuckles against a bulk-head.

"Come in!" growled Bob Hampton. "Here's the cook brought your shaving-water, sir."

The tapping was repeated, and sounded some little distance off.

"Answer them, whoever it is, Bob," I said; for this seemed to be something, if not tangible, at all events certain.

There was a little rustling about, and the tapping came again.

"Why don't you answer them?" I said tetchily.

"What do you mean, sir--shout?"

"No, no; tap again."

"But there arn't nothin' to knock on, sir. It's no good to hit the top, or the floor."

"But there must be a part.i.tion somewhere," I said.

"Dessay there is, sir; but I can't tell where it is."

"Are we not somewhere near the forecastle?"

"Dessay we are, sir; but my head's some'at like a lump o' solid wood.

What did you bring us down here for?"

"I! Bring you down! Nonsense, man. I did not bring you."

"Then how did we come, sir? Do you know, Neb?"

"No."

"Do you, Barney?"

"No. I only knows here we are, and my head's a rum 'un."

"But there must be some reason for us being here," I said piteously, as I struggled vainly to get beyond what seemed to be a black curtain hanging between the past and present.

"Yes, sir," said Bob, coolly; "there must be some reason."

"Then what is it, Bob?"

"Oh, don't ask me, sir; I arn't no scholard. I'm all muzzly like.

Seems to me that we've been to one o' they casks,--and all the time it don't. No; we arn't had no drink. We shouldn't with all that there trouble a-hanging over us."

"Yes, Bob," I said eagerly, for he had touched a chord which set me thinking--I mean trying to think; "that trouble hanging over us. There was some trouble, wasn't there?"

"Oh yes, sir; we was in a lot o' trouble about something, but blest if I know what it was."

"Well; try, man," I cried. "Think about trouble. What trouble was it?"

"No, sir, I dunno," he cried, after a pause. "We're aboard the Burgh Castle still, arn't we?"

"I don't know," I began. "Yes, of course we are, and we must be down in the hold. It's coming now, I think. Why did we come down here? Surely one of you must know."

"It arn't likely, sir, if you don't," growled Dumlow.

"But what were we in trouble about?" I said, for--I cannot describe it--there was the thick feeling of something having happened; but strange as it may seem, neither I nor the men could make anything out about what had preceded our unnatural sleep.

"It's a rum 'un," said Bob Hampton at last. "I dunno. It's a rum 'un."

"But cannot either of you think at all?" I cried in agony. "It seems so horrible to be here like this in black darkness, and not know how or why."

"Or what?" suggested Bob.

"I think I've got it now," said Dumlow.