Old Gold Part 10

"Oh, I see. I am sorry. You see, I had to find a place where they would give us some dinner. Here, come into my room. This is the place.

It won't be a New York nor a London dinner, but it's the best I can do here, and it won't spoil our chat."

"Of course not," replied Lynton, "and I came for that more than for the eating and drinking."

"That's right," said the American bluffly. "There, come on: this is my room now those Englishmen are gone."

The mate followed his host, and after a certain amount of patient waiting the dinner was brought in, and he found the American friendly in the extreme, so that the time pa.s.sed quickly, and the hour of departure was close at hand with the guest wis.h.i.+ng that he had asked the captain to make the hour eleven instead of ten for the boat to be sent ash.o.r.e from the brig, which was once more swinging from the buoy in mid-stream.

CHAPTER SIX.

THE FIRST NIGHT ON THE BRIG.

"The night is pleasanter out here on the river, captain," said Sir Humphrey, as he sat with his brother on the deck in company with the captain and the first mate.

"Yes, sir, one can breathe," said the gentleman addressed, "and I can always breathe better out at sea than I can in a river. Well, have you thought of anything else you want from the sh.o.r.e, for time's getting on?"

"No; I have been quite prepared for days," replied Sir Humphrey. "What about you, Brace?"

"Oh, I'm ready," was the reply: "as ready as Captain Banes."

"But I'm not, my lad," said the captain. "I can't sail without my second officer. By the way, Dellow, did you give orders for the boat to go ash.o.r.e for Lynton at ten o'clock town time?"

"I?" said the first officer staring in the dim light cast by the swinging lanthorn under which they sat talking. "No. Do you want one sent?"

"Of course," said the captain tartly. "I told you to send one."

"I beg pardon, sir," replied the first officer. "When?"

"Tut, tut, tut!" cried the captain angrily, as he glanced at his watch.

"When I came aboard: and it's now half an hour later. How came you to forget?"

"Well, really, sir--" began the first mate warmly. "Tut, tut, tut!

bless my heart!" cried the captain. "Really, Dellow, I beg your pardon.

It quite slipped my memory."

"Indeed, sir," said the first officer stiffly. "It did not slip mine."

"No. How absurd. I forgot all about Lynton. Send a boat ash.o.r.e at once to fetch him off to the brig. He must be waiting."

"No, sir, he's not waiting, or he would have hailed," said the first officer, as he strolled off to give the orders, while the two pa.s.sengers, being tired after a very busy day, bade the captain "good night," and went below.

"You won't sit up to see us start, then?" said the skipper.

"No, for there will be nothing particular to see," replied Sir Humphrey.

"I'll keep my admiration till we are well out at sea."

"And that will be at breakfast-time to-morrow morning, gentlemen. I should not mind turning in for good myself. As it is, I'm just going down to s.n.a.t.c.h a couple of hours before Dellow comes and rouses me up."

As Brace Leigh and his brother closed the door of their cabin the former saw the captain in the act of lying down upon one of the lockers, and as, about half an hour after, Brace lay awake listening to the strange sounds of the night which came through the open window, he distinctly heard the plash of oars, and soon afterwards the rubbing of a boat against the brig's side, followed by sips on deck, then upon the stairs.

After that there was a rustling sound as of someone pa.s.sing into a cabin and closing the door, while after a little pacing about all was still on deck, and then a cloud of darkness seemed to come suddenly over the young man's brain, one which did not pa.s.s away for many hours, and not even then till his brother took him by the shoulder and shook him.

"Come, Brace, lad, wake up. Going to sleep all day?"

"No, no," cried the young man, springing out of his berth. "Why, the sun's up!"

"Yes, long enough ago. I've been sleeping as soundly as you, and the cook has been to say that breakfast will soon be ready."

"How stupid! I meant to have been on deck at daybreak. Where are we-- out at sea?"

"No; as far as I can make out we are not above a mile or two below the town, and at anchor."

"Why's that?" said Brace, who was dressing hurriedly.

"I don't know, unless the skipper is repenting of his bargain. I was afraid he was too easy over everything."

"Oh, don't say that," cried Brace, in a disappointed tone.

The brothers were not long before they stepped on deck, to find all hands looking anxious and strange of aspect, as they stood watching the captain and first officer.

"Good morning, captain," said Sir Humphrey warmly. "Why, I thought we were to be out at sea by now."

"It's a bad morning, gentlemen," said the captain, frowning, "and I don't see how we are to start."

"What!" said Sir Humphrey, frowning and speaking angrily.

"Ah, I thought you'd take it that way, sir," said the skipper, scowling; "but you're wrong. I'm not going back on what I said."

"Then what does this mean?"

"It means, sir, that I've lost Jem Lynton, my second mate."

"Lost him?" said Brace quickly. "Why, he stopped ash.o.r.e to spend the evening with somebody."

"That's right, squire."

"You mean he hasn't come back," said Brace contemptuously.

"No, I don't, sir," said the captain; "because he did come back."

"But you said you had lost him," cried Brace.

"That's right, sir: so I have," the captain answered. "He was to be fetched back from the sh.o.r.e, as you heard last night."

"Yes, I heard you tell Mr Dellow to send the boat for him," said Brace.

"Well?"