by W. W. Jacobs
RULE OF THREE
The long summer day had gone and twilight was just merging into night.A ray of light from the lantern at the end of the quay went tremblingacross the sea, and in the little harbour the dusky shapes of a fewsmall craft lay motionless on the dark water.
The master of the schooner _Harebell_ came slowly towards the harbour,accompanied by his mate. Both men had provided ashore for a voyagewhich included no intoxicants, and the dignity of the skipper, always asalient feature, had developed tremendously under the influence of brownstout. He stepped aboard his schooner importantly, and then, turningto the mate, who was about to follow, suddenly held up his hand forsilence.
"What did I tell you?" he inquired severely as the mate got quietlyaboard.
"About knocking down the two policemen?" guessed the mate, somewhatpuzzled.
"No," said the other shortly. "Listen."
The mate listened. From the fo'c's'le came the low, gruff voices of men,broken by the silvery ripple of women's laughter.
"Well, I'm a Dutchman," said the mate with the air of one who felt hewas expected to say something.
"After all I said to 'em," said the skipper with weary dignity. "You'eard what I said to 'em, Jack?"
"Nobody could ha' swore louder," testified the mate.
"An' here they are," said the skipper in amaze, "defying of me. Afterall I said to 'em. After all the threats I--I employed."
"Employed," repeated the mate with relish.
"They've been and gone and asked them females down the fo'c's'le again.You know what I said I'd do, Jack, if they did."
"Said you'd eat 'em without salt," quoted the other helpfully.
"I'll do worse than that, Jack," said the skipper after a moment'sdiscomfiture. "What's to hinder us casting off quietly and taking themalong with us?"
"If you ask me," said the mate, "I should say you couldn't please thecrew better."
"Well, we'll see," said the other, nodding sagely; "don't make no noise,Jack."
He set an example of silence himself, and aided by the mate, cast offthe warps which held his unconscious visitors to their native town, andthe wind being off the shore, the little schooner drifted silently awayfrom the quay. The skipper went to the wheel, and the noise of the matehauling on the jib brought a rough head out of the fo'c's'le, the ownerof which, after a cry to his mates below, sprang up on deck and lookedround in bewilderment.
"Stand by, there!" cried the skipper as the others came rushing on deck,"Shake 'em out."
"Beggin' your pardin', sir," said one of them with more politeness inhis tones than he had ever used before, "but------"
"Stand by!" said the skipper.
"Now then!" shouted the mate sharply, "lively there! Lively with it!"
The men looked at each other helplessly and went to their posts as ascream of dismay arose from the fair beings below who, having just begunto realise their position, were coming on deck to try and improve it.
"What!" roared the skipper in pretended astonishment, "what! gellsaboard after all I said, It can't be; I must be dreaming!"
"Take us back!" wailed the damsels, ignoring the sarcasm, "take us back,captain."
"No, I can't go back," said the skipper. "You see what comes o'disobedience, my gells. Lively there on that mains'l, d'ye hear?"
"We won't do it again," cried the girls, as the schooner came to themouth of the harbour and they smelt the dark sea beyond. "Take us back."
"It can't be done," said the skipper cheerfully.
"It's agin the lor, sir," said Ephraim Biddle solemnly.
"What! Taking my own ship out?" said the skipper in affected surprise."How was I to know they were there? I'm not going back; 'tain't likely.As they've made their beds so they must lay on 'em."
"They ain't got no beds," said George Scott hastily. "It ain't fair topunish the gals for us, sir."
"Hold your tongue," said the skipper sharply.
"It's agin the lor, sir," said Biddle again. "If so be they'repassengers, this ship ain't licensed to carry passengers. If so be asthey're took out agin their will, it's abduction--I see the other day achap had seven years for abducting one gal, three sevens--three sevensis--three sevens is, well, it's more years than you'd like to be inprison, sir."
"Bosh," said the skipper, "they're stowaways, an' I shall put 'em ashoreat the first port we touch at--Plymouth."
A heartrending series of screams from the stow-aways rounded hissentence, screams which gave way to sustained sobbing, as the schooner,catching the wind, began to move through the water.
"You'd better get below, my gals," said Biddle, who was the eldestmember of the crew, consolingly.
"Why don't you make him take us back?" said Jenny Evans, the biggest ofthe three girls, indignantly.
"'Cos we can't, my dear," said Biddle reluctantly; "it's agin the lor.You don't want to see us put into prison, do you?"
"I don't mind," said Miss Evans tearfully, "so long as we get back.George, take us back."
"I can't," said Scott sullenly.
"Well, you can look for somebody else, then," said Miss Evans withtemper. "You won't marry me. How much would you get if you did make theskipper put back?"
"Very likely six months," said Biddle solemnly.
"Six months would soon pass away," said Miss Evans briskly, as she wipedher eye.
"It would be a rest," said Miss Williams coaxingly.
The men not seeing things in quite the same light, they announced theirintention of having nothing more to do with them, and crowding togetherin the bows beneath two or three blankets, condoled tearfully with eachother on their misfortunes. For some time the men stood by offeringclumsy consolations, but tired at last of repeated rebuffs and insultswent below and turned in, leaving the satisfied skipper at the wheel.
The night was clear and the wind light. As the effects of his libationswore off the skipper had some misgivings as to the wisdom of his action,but it was too late to return, and he resolved to carry on.
Looking at all the circumstances of the case he thought it best to keepthe wheel in his own hands for a time, and the dawn came in the earlyhours and found him still at his post.
Objects began to stand out clearly in the grow-ing light, and threedispirited girls put their heads out from the blankets and sniffeddisdainfully at the sharp morning air. Then after an animated discussionthey arose, and casting their blankets aside, walked up to the skipperand eyed him thoughtfully.
"As easy as easy," said Jenny Evans confidently, as she drew herself upto her full height, and looked down at the indignant man.
"Why, he isn't any bigger than a boy," said Miss Williams savagely.
"Pity we didn't think of it before," said Miss Davies. "I s'pose thecrew won't help him?"
"Not they," said Miss Evans scornfully. "If they do, we'll serve themthe same."
They went off, leaving the skipper a prey to gathering uneasiness,watching their movements with wrinkled brow. From the forecastle andthe galley they produced two mops and a broom, and he caught his breathsharply as Miss Evans came on deck with a pot of white paint in one handand a pot of tar in the other.
"Now, girls," said Miss Evans.
"Put those things down," said the skipper in a peremptory voice.
"Sha'n't," said Miss Evans bluntly. "You haven't got enough on yours,"she said, turning to Miss Davies. "Don't spoil the skipper for aha'porth of tar."
At this new version of an old saw they laughed joyously, and with mopsdripping tar and paint on the deck, marched in military style up to theskipper, and halted in front of him, smiling wickedly.
Then the heart of the skipper waxed sore faint within him, and, with awild yell, he summoned the trusty crew to his side.
The crew came on deck slowly, and casting furtive glances at the scene,pushed Ephraim Biddle to the front.
"Take those mops away from 'em," said the skipper haughtily.
"Don't you interfere," said Miss Evans, looking at them over hershoulder.
/> "Else we'll give you some," said Miss Williams bloodthirstily.
"Take those mops away from 'em!" bawled the skipper, instinctivelydrawing back as Miss Evans made a pass at him.
"I don't see as 'ow we can interfere, sir," said Biddle with deeprespect.
"_What!_" said the astonished skipper.
"It would be agin the lor for us to interfere with people," said Biddle,turning to his mates, "dead agin the lor."
"Don't you talk rubbish," said the skipper anxiously. "Take 'em awayfrom 'em. It's my tar and my paint, and----"
"You shall have it," said Miss Evans reassuringly.
"If we touched 'em," said Biddle impressively, "it'd be an assault atlor. 'Sides which, they'd probably muss us up with 'em All we can do,sir, is to stand by and see fair play."
"Fair play!" cried the skipper dancing with rage, and turning hastilyto the mate, who had just come on the scene. "Take those things awayfrom 'em, Jack."
"Well, if it's all the same to you," said the mate, "I'd rather not bedrawn into it."
"But I'd rather you were," said the skipper sharply. "Take 'em away."
"How?" inquired the mate pertinently.
"I order you to take 'em away," said the skipper. "How, is your affair."
"I'm not goin' to raise my hand against a woman for anybody," said themate with decision. "It's no part o' my work to get messed up with tarand paint from lady passengers."
"It's part of your work to obey me, though," said the skipper, raisinghis voice; "all of you. There's five of you, with the mate, and onlythree gells. What are you afraid of?"
"Are you going to take us back?" demanded Jenny Evans.
"Run away," said the skipper with dignity. "Run away."
"I shall ask you three times," said Miss Evans sternly. "One--are yougoing back? Two--are you going back? Three------"
In the midst of a breathless silence she drew within striking distance,while her allies taking up a position on either flank of the enemy,listened attentively to the instructions of their leader.
"Be careful he doesn't catch hold of the mops," said Miss Evans, "but ifhe does the others are to hit him over the head with the handles. Nevermind about hurting him."
"Take this wheel a minnit, Jack," said the skipper, pale but determined.
The mate came forward and took it unwillingly, and the skipper, tryinghard to conceal his trepidation, walked towards Miss Evans and triedto quell her with his eye. The power of the human eye is notorious, andMiss Evans showed her sense of the danger she ran by making an energeticattempt to close the skipper's with her mop, causing him to duck withamazing nimbleness. At the same moment another mop loaded with whitepaint was pushed into the back of his neck. He turned with a cry ofrage, and then realising the odds against him flung his dignity to thewinds and dodged with the agility of a schoolboy. Through the galley andround the masts with the avenging mops in mad pursuit, until breathlessand exhausted he suddenly sprang on to the side and climbed franticallyinto the rigging.
"Coward!" said Miss Evans, shaking her weapon at him.
"Come down," cried Miss Williams. "Come down like a man."
"It's no good wasting time over _him_," said Miss Evans, after anothervain appeal to the skipper's manhood. "He's escaped. Get some more stuffon your mops."
The mate, who had been laughing boisterously, checked himself suddenly,and assumed a gravity of demeanour more in accordance with his position.The mops were dipped in solemn silence, and Miss Evans approachingregarded him significantly.
"Now, my dears," said the mate, waving his hand with a deprecatinggesture, "don't be silly."
"Don't be _what?_" inquired the sensitive Miss Evans raising her mop.
"You know what I mean," said the mate hastily. "I can't help myself."
"Well, we're going to help you," said Miss Evans. "Turn the ship round."
"You obey orders, Jack," cried the skipper from aloft.
"It's all very well for you sitting up there in peace and comfort," saidthe mate indignantly. "I'm not going to be tarred to please you. Comedown and take charge of your ship."
"Do your duty, Jack," said the skipper, who was polishing his face witha handkerchief. "They won't touch you. They daren't. They're afraid to."
"You're egging 'em on," cried the mate wrath-fully. "I won't steer; comeand take it yourself."
He darted behind the wheel as Miss Evans, who was getting impatient,made a thrust at him, and then, springing out, gained the side andrushed up the rigging after his captain. Biddle, who was standing closeby, gazed earnestly at them and took the wheel.
"You won't hurt old Biddle, I know," he said, trying to speakconfidently.
"Of course not," said Miss Evans emphatically.
"Tar don't hurt," explained Miss Williams.
"It's good for you," said the third lady positively. "One--two------"
"It's no good," said the mate as Ephraim came suddenly into the rigging;"you'll have to give in.
"I'm---- if I will," said the infuriated skipper.
Then an idea occurred to him, and puckering his face shrewdly he beganto descend.
"All right," he said shortly, as Miss Evans advanced to receive him."I'll go back."
He took the wheel; the schooner came round before the wind, and thewilling crew, letting the sheets go, hauled them in again on the portside.
"And now, my lads," said the skipper with a benevolent smile, "justclear that mess up off the decks, and you may as well pitch them mopsoverboard. They'll never be any good again."
He spoke carelessly, albeit his voice trembled a little, but his heartsank within him as Miss Evans, with a horrible contortion of her prettyface, intended for a wink, waved them back.
"You stay where you are," she said imperiously, "we'll throw themoverboard--when we've done with them. What did you say, Captain?"
The skipper was about to repeat it with great readiness when Miss Evansraised her trusty mop. The words died away on his lips, and after ahopeless glance from his mate to the crew and from the crew to therigging, he accepted his defeat, and in grim silence took them homeagain.