CHAPTER NINE.
CAPTAIN CHUBB.
The next day was spent in Plymouth, and letting the idea of a visit toSalcombe rest in abeyance for a time, Uncle Paul called on differentshipping agents, made inquiries in the docks, looked over two or threesmall vessels that he was assured would be exactly the thing he wanted,and which could be handed over to him at once if decided on; and atlast, utterly wearied out, he returned home with Rodd very muchimpressed by the feeling that it was much easier to say what herequired, than to get his wants supplied.
He was a little better after they had had a good hearty tea meal, butthere was a great deal of truth in Rodd's mental remark that Uncle Paulwas as cross as two sticks. Rodd quite started, feeling as he did thathe must have spoken aloud, and Uncle Paul have heard his words, for thedoctor turned upon him sharply, stared him full in the face, andexclaimed--
"Now, look here, sir; didn't I explain to each of those agents exactlythe sort of vessel I wanted before they gave me their orders to go andview the craft where they lay in dock or on the mud?"
"Yes, uncle, you told them exactly," replied Rodd.
"Do I look like an idiot, Rodd?"
"No, uncle. What a question!"
"Then how dare the scoundrels deal with me as if I didn't know what Iwas about! I said a schooner as plain as I could speak."
"You did, uncle."
"And one sent me to see that ramshackle old brig that looked as if itmight have been a tender out of the Armada, and the two others sent meto see a barque that would want twice as big a crew as I should take,and the other to look over that abominable old billy-boy that youcouldn't tell bow from stern, which so sure as she bumps upon a sandbankwould melt away like butter. Thinking of nothing else but making a bitof commission, ready to sell one anything; but I am not going to betricked like that.--Yes, what do you want? What is it?"
For the neat handmaid who attended on the doctor's wants had tapped atthe door, and receiving no answer from her master, whose voice she couldhear declaiming loudly, opened the door and walked in, with--
"Somebody wants to see you, sir, if you please."
"Then tell somebody I don't please," said the doctor shortly.
"Yes, sir," said the maid, going.
"No, stop! I don't want to be rude, even if people have put me out.What does Mrs Somebody want?"
"Please, sir, it isn't a Mrs, it's a Mister," said the girl.
"Go and see him, Rodd," said the doctor shortly. "I expect it'ssomebody wants subscriptions, and I haven't got any."
"Please, sir," interposed the maid, "the--er--gent--person--said he'dheard say that you wanted a captain."
Uncle Paul grunted, frowned, and then in a surly tone exclaimed--
"Well, there, show him in."
The next minute the maid re-opened the door, showing in a heavy,sun-tanned, middle-aged man, who thrust the cap he carried into theyawning pocket of a dark blue pea-jacket, stared hard at the doctor,glanced at Rodd, and then turning sharply on his heels he stood with hisback to the latter, stiff, squared, and sturdy, looking as the boythought like a hop-sack set on end, and stared at the maid where shestopped, literally fixing her with his eyes for a few moments, before,quite startled at the fierceness of his gaze, she darted out, closingthe door loudly.
"Business. Private!" literally growled the visitor.
"Well, what is it?" said the doctor shortly.
"'Eard you wanted a skipper, and come up."
"Well," said Uncle Paul, looking very hard at his unprepossessingvisitor, while Rodd felt as if he wanted to laugh, but held the desirein check, "I may want one by and by, and a crew too; but I must have aship first."
"What sort?"
"Well, you are pretty blunt," said the doctor.
"Yes," said the visitor, with a nod; and he waited, but turned his eyesfrom the doctor and looked very hard at the nearest chair.
"Ah, yes," said the doctor. "Sit down, Captain--Captain--"
The doctor waited for an answer, but the only answer made was by amovement, his visitor taking two steps towards the chair, and plumpingdown so heavily that the brass casters creaked.
The doctor glanced at his nephew, and then at the stranger, who seemedto be frowning at him with all his might.
"Er--what did you say your name was, captain?"
"Didn't say," said the visitor huskily. "Wanter know?"
"Well--yes," said the doctor. "I don't see how we are to transactbusiness without."
"Chubb, Jonathan."
"Well, Captain Chubb?"
"Plymouth."
"Oh, I see; Captain Chubb, of Plymouth," continued the doctor.
"Right. Go on."
"Well, I gave you to understand that I wanted a ship before I engaged acaptain."
"Skipper; not R.N."
"I see; but I wished to be polite," said the doctor.
"Skipper," grunted the man.
"Where have you sailed?" asked the doctor.
"Everywhere."
"Ah! Then you have had plenty of experience."
The visitor nodded, and the doctor was going to speak again, but thevisitor interposed with a sidewise nod in the direction of Rodd, andsaid--
"Your boy?"
"Well, yes, in a way," replied the doctor.
The captain grunted.
"Boys always are," he said, and Rodd turned upon him angrily.
"I said in _a_ way, not in _the_ way," muttered the doctor.
"'Most the same," growled the captain. "A boy, the boy, means boy.What sort of a ship? First, where do you want to go?"
"I don't quite know myself," replied the doctor, "so we will say as youdid, everywhere."
"Right," said the captain. "What for?"
"Why do you ask?" replied the doctor, rather tartly.
"Had four offers. Wouldn't take them."
"Why?" asked the doctor.
"Smuggling contraband."
"Oh, I see," said the doctor quickly. "Well, it's nothing of thatsort."
"When do you sail?"
"As soon as I can get a ship."
"Plenty lying about waiting for cargo. Take your choice."
"That seems to be easier said than done, captain, for I am hard toplease."
"So'm I," said the visitor, staring hard at Rodd, beginning with thecrown of his head and then looking him slowly down where he sat till hereached the carpet by Rodd's right foot, and then making his eyes crossover, he began at the toe of the boy's left foot and slowly looked himup to where he had started at the top of the boy's forehead, where atickling sensation had commenced, consequent upon the starting out of afaint dew of perspiration.
"I'm glad to hear it," said the doctor, "for I want a well-found craft,new or nearly so, built of the best materials."
"Good; ought to be. What sort?"
"Well, I should like a large schooner, fast and with plenty of roombelow."
"Cargo?" grunted the captain.
"No. Provisions, etcetera," said the doctor, who was beginning to feelannoyed.
"Ho!" came in a grunt, and then after a keen look at Rodd's uncle, heuttered the one word, "Weepens?"
"Weepens?" said the doctor.
"Yes. Long Tom and small-arms."
"Oh, arms. Yes, I should certainly have one of those big swivel gunsamidships, and a couple of smaller ones, as well as muskets, cutlassesand boarding pikes."
So far the captain's features seemed as if they had been carved out ofsolid mahogany, but now they began to relax; his lips parted, and heshowed a small even set of beautifully white teeth, while his eyeslooked brighter to Rodd and seemed to twinkle; but he remained silent.
"Well," said the doctor, "what are you laughing at?"
He checked the word which had nearly escaped his lips, because hethought it would be rude, and he did not say grinning.
"Cat," said the man solemnly, and to Rodd's great discomposure he turnedto him and winked.
"Cat?" said the doctor sharply.
&n
bsp; "Ay, ay! Out of the bag."
"I don't understand you," said the doctor warmly.
"Won't do for me, master. Not in my way."
"Well," said the doctor, "I am afraid I must say you are not in my way."
"Poor beggars!"
"Well, really, my good man," began the doctor, "I am a bit of a student,and take a good deal of interest in natural history. Cats may be poorbeggars, but that is no business of mine."
"Yes, if you are going to sail. Think of your crew."
"I am thinking of my crew, and I want to engage one," said the doctor.
"Men hate black cats. Unlucky."
"I have heard of that superstition before, Captain Chubb," said thedoctor, "but that seems to be quite outside our business now. As acaptain--or skipper--I should have thought you would have been abovesuch childish notions."
"Am," said the man. "T'other won't do for me. I've seen it all. Won'tget a skipper from this port."
"Why?" said the doctor indignantly. "I am ready to give an experiencedcaptain good payment."
"Want commission."
"Oh, nonsense! I couldn't pay on commission."
"Nowt to me. That's what a skipper would want. Ought to be ashamed ofyourself."
"Well, of all--" began the doctor; but the skipper did not let himfinish.
"Too bad," he said, growling; "and to take a boy like that!"
"My good fellow," said the doctor, "if I choose to take my nephew withme upon a natural history expedition--"
"Natural history expedition! Catching blackbirds! Oh, I say!"
He shook his head slowly at the doctor, whose face grew so red withwrath as he turned towards Rodd, and looked so comical, that the boycould not contain himself, but bent his face down into his hands andburst into a roar of laughter.
"You are a nice 'un," grunted the captain, shaking his head now at Rodd."You'll grow into a beauty!"
It was the boy's turn to look angry now, and he glanced from the captainto his uncle and back.
"Look here, youngster," cried the captain; "Guinea Coast, eh?"
"Possibly," said the doctor.
"Bight of Benin?"
"Maybe," said the doctor, the short speech seeming contagious.
"Ketch the fever?"
"Probably," said the doctor.
"Both on yer."
"Well, sir, I shall risk that," continued the doctor.
"Both on yer off your heads, seeing niggers. Rattling their chains."
"Are you mad, man?" cried the doctor. "Yes."
"I thought so."
"Makes me. Call yourself a Christian! Give it up, and do somethinghonest."
"Well, of all--" cried the doctor again.
"Good five guineas better than five hundred got by buying and sellingyour fellow-creatures," continued the captain, who was growing quitefluent. "Go to Bristol with you! Won't do for me."
"Mr--I mean, Captain Chubb," began the doctor, "allow me to tell youthat you have done nothing but insult me ever since you have been here."
"Honesty," grunted the captain.
"Honesty is no excuse for rudeness, sir. Now have the goodness to go."
"Going," said the captain, rising. "But you are a bad man. To takethat boy with you too! Shame!"
"Will you have the goodness to tell me what you mean, sir?"
"No good to bully, sir. I know. Off on the slave trade."
"What!" cried the doctor.
"But look out. King's cruiser will nab you. Sarve you right."
He moved stiffly, and took two steps towards the door, but stopped andturned sharply upon Rodd, clapped his big hairy hand on the boy'sshoulder, and gripped it fast. "He's a bad 'un, boy. Don't go." Roddglanced at his uncle, who was staring with bewilderment, while he, whoduring the last few minutes had seen clearly what their visitor meant,burst into another roar of laughter and gripped the skipper by thejacket, as he turned to the doctor.
"No, no," he stuttered. "No, no; don't go, captain! Uncle Paul, can'tyou see? He thinks you are going to the West Coast to buy slaves!"
"Well!" cried Uncle Paul, his voice sounding like ten ejaculationssqueezed into one--"Well!"
The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise Page 9