Jack at Sea Part 65

"But if--"

"There is no _if_ in the case, my boy," said the doctor. "It was a battle between the poor fellow's strength and the poison on that wretched arrow, and Ned has won."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the man softly.

At that moment the captain and Mr Bartlett entered the cabin.

"We have heard all you said," exclaimed the former, as he came to the side of the couch and took the patient's hand, to give it a firm grip.

"Good lad: well done."

"And I am very glad, Ned," said the mate warmly.

"There, that will do," said the doctor sharply. "He is forbidden to speak, but he says through me, that he is very grateful to you all, and glad to find that his manly, straightforward, willing ways have won him so many friends. Nod your head to that, Ned."

The man gave him a comically pitiful look, which seemed to Jack to mean, "Oh, I say, doctor, you're pitching that last too strong," but he remained quiet after giving every one an attempt at a nod.

"Now then," said, the doctor, "I want this cabin cleared, for he is going to sleep for a few hours, to get cool and calm. Yes, you are,"

said the doctor, in answer to a look full of protest. "And as soon as you wake I'll have you carried to your own berth. There, behave yourself, and you'll be all right in a few days."

Half-an-hour later both patient and Jack were sleeping soundly, and that evening, thoroughly out of danger, Ned was resting again in his own berth, and Jack was dining with the rest in the cabin as if nothing whatever had occurred; the yacht many miles now from the island, which stood in the evening light like a blunted cone of perfect regularity resting upon the placid sea.

That night the regular watch was kept, and the sea was steadily swept in search of danger in the shape of canoes stealthily approaching to try and take the yacht by surprise. But no danger came near, and at last, after lying awake for some time, thinking of the account his father had given him of the attack made by the enemy, and the terrible anxiety about the little shooting party, Jack fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, to rise refreshed and find the doctor's prognostic was correct, the patient having also had a quiet night, with the steward and Lenny to keep watch by his pillow, and there was no sign of fever to check a rapid recovery.

That day, with his mind at ease, Jack sat listening to a discussion held under the awning, as the yacht softly rose and fell upon the long pulsations of the calm sunlit sea, with the island lying ten or a dozen miles away.

"Of course, gentlemen," said the captain, "it is for you to decide. We are your servants, and your wish is our law."

"Well," said Sir John, "I am ready to speak apologetically to you, Bradleigh, for you cannot feel the interest in the place that we as naturalists do."

"Don't apologise, Sir John. Speak out and say what you feel."

"It is Doctor Instow's feeling too. We think that now we have reached here--thanks to you--"

"Only done what you wished, sir," said the captain bluntly.

"Well then, now that we have reached a place which teems with objects of interest, and which we have not half explored, it is a pity to leave it.

What do you say, Jack? Shall we give it up?"

"Because a pack of senseless savages come and attack us? No, it would be cowardly," cried the lad.

"Poisoned arrows, spears, war canoes," said the doctor, with a queer look at Jack.

"Of course they are horrible," said the lad, flus.h.i.+ng; "but perhaps we shall see no more of the blacks. Don't give it up, father."

"I should regret to have to do so, my boy, but mine is a very responsible position. I feel that I have to study others. I have no right to keep the officers and crew of this vessel where they are likely to encounter great risks."

"For the matter of that, sir," said the captain dryly, "those who go to sea look upon risks as a matter of course, and are rather disposed to think you landsmen run the most; eh, Bartlett? What do you say?"

"What, about the risk of staying here? Oh, I don't see any particular risk if we keep our eyes open, and are not sparing of the coal."

"Thank you, Mr Bartlett; but there are the men to study."

"Oh, you need not study about the men, Sir John," said the captain bluffly. "What do you say to that, Bartlett?"

"Study them, sir, no. They like it. They thoroughly enjoy the bit of excitement. If you put it to them you'll soon find which way they go."

"I should like to put it to them," said Sir John quietly.

"Have the lads all on deck," said the captain.

The hands were piped aft, and the captain waited for Sir John to speak, but he remained silent and looked at his son.

"Ask the men which they would prefer to do--stay here, or sail farther on account of the risks from the blacks."

Jack flushed a little, but he acquitted himself pretty well, and a hurried conversation went on for a few moments, ending in Lenny being put forward to answer, amidst a burst of cheering, which kept on breaking out again and again whenever the man essayed to speak, and at last he turned round angrily.

"Lookye here, mates," he cried, "hadn't you better come and say it yourselves? You've about cheered it out o' me, and made me forget what I meant to say."

"All right, matey," cried one of the men merrily, "let 'em have it; we've done now."

"Well, gentlemen," said Lenny, taking off his straw hat and looking in it as if the lost words had come through his skull to get hidden in the lining. "We all on us feels like this--as it wouldn't be English to let a lot o' lubbers o' n.i.g.g.e.rs, who arn't got half a trouser to a whole hunderd on 'em, lick us out of the place. 'Sides, we arn't half seen the island yet, and 'bout ten on us has got a sort o' wager on as to who shall get up atop o' the mountain first and look down into the fire."

"Hear, hear, hear!" cried the men, and encouraged by this, Lenny began to wave his arm about and behave like a semaph.o.r.e signalling to distant crews in his excitement.

"You see, gentlemen, we say it seems foolishness to come all this way to find what you wants, and then let these black warmint scare us off; when we arn't scared a bit, are we, mates?"

"No," came in a roar.

"So that's about all, gentlemen. We like the place and we're very comfor'ble, and if it's all the same to you, we'd like to stop and go fis.h.i.+ng and shooting and storing; and--and--and--that's all, arn't it, mates?"

"Hooray! Well done, Billy," shouted the man who had tried to be funny before.

"Thank you, my lads," said Sir John, "and I hope you will have to run no more risks."

"Don't you say that, sir," cried Lenny; "we likes a bit o' fun sometimes; it's like pickles and hot sauce to our reg'lar meat."

"Ay, ay, mate, that's so," cried another, and there was another cheer, followed by the joking man stepping out before his companions to say quite seriously--

"And some on us, sir, think as you might hoist the British colours atop o' the mountain, and when we go back for you to go and give the island to the Queen."

"We'll think about all that," said Sir John. "Then my son and I understand that you are quite willing to stay in spite of the risk?"

"O' course, sir," said Lenny. "We'll go with you anywheres; won't we, mates?"

A burst of cheers greeted this speech, and Sir John said that they would stay in spite of all the canoes which might come.