The Quest Of The 'Golden Hope' Part 8

Even as I looked at her from a safe distance a heavy footstep caused me to turn round, and to my surprise I saw no other than 'Enery.

He recognized me in an instant, and gripping me by the shoulder he exclaimed:

"Avast there, Master Hammond, what brings you here?"

"I've run away from home. Don't betray me, Henry," I replied; "I want to go with Captain Miles, and I'm afraid he'll not take me."

"Say 'Enery an' I'll answer to my name," said the seaman reprovingly. "Why, if so be you wants to go to sea, why shouldn't you? Why shouldn't you, I wants to know?"

"Perchance Captain Jeremy will not see eye to eye with me in that matter; though, once we are fairly out at sea----"

"'Nough said, young maaster. Sink me if I don't do my best, for you were as true as steel to us when we were shut up in that hole in Brockenhurst Heath. Come on, and look sharp about it."

So saying, he led the way to a dirty, disreputable inn situated in a narrow street leading off the quay. Here he spoke a few words to a ferrety, blear-eyed man, handing tankards of spirits to the crowd of seafaring men who thronged there in spite of the time of day.

"Up aloft," said the man, jerking his thumb in the direction of a rough ladder that led to a room above.

[Ill.u.s.tration: I DESCENDED HAND OVER HAND]

Here 'Enery provided me with a pair of heavy sea boots which, when I had slipped my legs into them, reached almost to my thighs. Next I donned a long oilskin coat, cracked all over by the heat of the sun and smelling most vilely; while on my head 'Enery clapped a tarpaulin, the back of which rested betwixt my shoulder-blades.

Stepping back, he examined me critically; then, not satisfied with his handiwork, he crossed over to the hearth, and covering his hand with soot, he smothered my face till I was as dusky as a blackamoor.

"It's all plain sailing now," he remarked approvingly; and sallying out into the street, we regained the quay.

"'Ere, clap hold o' that," exclaimed 'Enery, pointing to a heavy sack, and, hoisting it on to my shoulders, he also seized a similar article, and told me to follow him.

There was a constant stream of men engaged in the same task, some of them seamen belonging to the s.h.i.+p, others longsh.o.r.emen hired to a.s.sist in the loading.

As I crossed the quay I saw Captain Jeremy, looking very smart in a maroon-coloured coat, dark blue breeches, and long boots, while on his head he sported a full-bottomed peruke, surmounted by a three-cornered hat.

Bending low with my burden, I pa.s.sed him in great dread lest he should penetrate my disguise, but, to my great relief, he went by unsuspectingly, and the next moment I staggered up the narrow, creaking gangway and gained the deck of the _Golden Hope_.

Large as she appeared when viewed from the quay, the size of the brig astonished me. She was about 200 tons burthen, and carried nine seven-pounder pieces abroadside, with two small swivelled guns on her p.o.o.p.

Betwixt the masts a yawning hatchway and a stout longboat occupied nearly all the s.p.a.ce amids.h.i.+ps; and down the hatch descended the stream of laden men, jostling against those who, having got rid of their burdens, were returning to the sh.o.r.e for more.

Pa.s.sing out of the dazzling light, for the sun was now well up in the heavens, the sudden change to the gloom of the hold made it hard for me to distinguish my surroundings until my eyes grew accustomed to the semi-darkness.

The floor of the hold was composed of rough planks, with a narrow hatch to gain access to the ballast. On either side I could discern the stout curved frames, while overhead, save where the hatch gaped to the light of day, huge timbers crossed athwart s.h.i.+p barely five feet from the floor. The whole place smelt strongly of tar; mingled with a dozen different odours, all more or less obnoxious to my nostrils.

Having relieved myself of the sack, I followed 'Enery towards the fore end of the hold, where a low bulkhead, barely three feet in height, separated the cargo and stores from the cable tier. There two neatly coiled ropes, thicker than my leg above the knee, occupied the greater part of the limited s.p.a.ce, their ends vanis.h.i.+ng through two small apertures in the deck above.

This I saw by the feeble glimmer of a horn lantern.

"Here's your mess for awhile, till I gives you the word," said 'Enery. "I'll pa.s.s you down a pannikin of water and some hard tack as soon as I can. No one will see you here, but take care of yon cable, for if we've got to let go in a hurry you'll find yourself capsized in a brace of shakes."

"Let go what?" I asked, bewildered by his warning.

"The anchor, Maaster Hammond. We never know when we've got to let go, 'specially if she misses stays as we beat down the harbour."

Fearing to betray my ignorance, I refrained from asking him what missing stays meant; and, promising to look me up as soon as his duties would permit, the old seaman hastened away, and I was left in solitude, though the men were still at work stowing the stores in the after part of the hold.

At length the stream of hold trimmers gradually slackened and died away; the hatches were replaced, and the hold was in darkness, save for the dull yellow glimmer of the lantern that 'Enery had thoughtfully left for my benefit.

It seemed several hours before the old seaman reappeared, bringing the promised biscuit and water.

"Cap'n's come aboard," he announced. "We're just going to warp out, for the wind's dead in our teeth. 'Twill be a long job, I'll allow, afore we clear the bar. Never mind, Maaster Hammond; keep your heart up, and watch the cable."

With this repeated warning he again left me, and soon afterwards I heard the tramp of many feet on deck, mingled with hoa.r.s.e orders that were faintly borne to my ears.

The _Golden Hope_ was under way.

CHAPTER X

In the Hold

Mindful of 'Enery's warning, I gave the two ma.s.sive hempen ropes a wide berth, and, leaning against a stout rib, resumed my vigil, till the heat of the confined s.p.a.ce caused me to doff the oilskins and sea boots.

Presently the brig gave a distinct heel, which gradually increased till my position was turned into a standing one. Sail had been made, and the vessel was lying over to the breeze, though, owing to being still within a landlocked expanse of water, she scarce lifted as she cut through the waves. I could distinctly hear the lapping of the water against her sides as she moved with increasing pace in response to the pressure on the additional canvas.

Presently, in apparent obedience to a hoa.r.s.e order, the _Golden Hope_ recovered her upright position, then gradually settled down in the other direction, till, unable to keep my feet, I found myself flung bodily against the opposite side, the lantern being overset and extinguished at the same time.

Frantic with the fall, I struggled violently to regain my feet, my head coming into contact with one of the coils of cable. For a moment I imagined that the vessel had capsized, till, finding that she rolled no farther, I came to the conclusion that she had turned on her course.

Such, in truth, was the case. The brig had tacked, or, to use a nautical expression, had "gone about", the direction of the wind and the narrowness of the channel making the operation necessary. But I knew nothing of this at the time.

Groping with my hand, I managed to find the lantern, but being without flint and steel I was unable to relight it; so in the almost pitch darkness I remained, my eyes fixed longingly on a faint white light that filtered through a badly-fitting hatch cover.

Fearing another flight across the hold when the vessel again tacked, I lay almost at full length on the rough floor, my shoeless feet wedged firmly against a stout ringbolt in the fore side of the bulkhead.

The effects of the excitement of the last twelve hours, combined with the want of a good meal and the close, unwholesome atmosphere of the hold, caused me to feel greatly distressed, and at length I fell into a kind of stupor.

I had a rude awakening. A sniffing sensation round my fingers was followed by a sharp bite. With a shriek I withdrew my hand, and immediately a loathsome, active creature fled across my prostrate body. It was a rat, and a huge one, judging by its weight.

Regardless of my instructions, I sprang to my feet, leaped over the bulkhead, and crawled across the neatly stowed cargo, b.u.mping my crown more than once against the low deck beams. I was on the point of hammering against the hatch, when the thought occurred to me that it was yet too early to announce my presence.

My new position was also more bearable, for the light that came through the ill-fitting hatch was sufficient for me to see within a yard of where I crouched.

Meanwhile, the brig had tacked several times, so that by now the manoeuvre did not cause me any misgivings; but what did trouble me was the appearance of a regular swarm of rodents--not of the brown variety such as one meets in the country, but long, skinny, black rats, ferocious and daring in the extreme.

I looked about for a weapon, for although I carried about me the knife I had had fas.h.i.+oned from the fatal dagger, it did not seem sufficiently handy to tackle these loathsome creatures. To my great joy I espied a stout crowbar, left, no doubt, by the men who had stowed the cargo. With this I killed several of the brutes, though not before I was bitten more than once, for as I struck one another would fly straight at my throat, and only by warding it off with my arm was I able to finish it off with the iron rod.

At length the rodents drew away and left me in comparative peace, although I could hear them scuffling and squealing as the disturbed bilge-water drove them from their accustomed haunts.