The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise
Page 30
CHAPTER THIRTY.
THE DOCTOR PAINTS PICTURES.
"Back again, then, Rodd!"
"Oh yes, uncle. Did you think me long?"
"So long, my boy, that I was thinking of sending the boat to fetch you,for fear you should be converted into a Frenchman. Hang them all! HowI do hate them and their nasty, smooth, polished ways!"
"Oh, uncle, you don't!" cried the boy indignantly. "I do, sir. Howdare you contradict me! And I won't have you getting too fond of thatFrench boy. He and his father set me thinking about old Bony, and assoon as I begin thinking about Bony I have a nasty taste in my mouth.--Well, how did you get on?"
"I had a most delightful afternoon, uncle. Young Morny--let's see, he'sViscount Morny--"
"Viscount grandmother!" snapped out the doctor. "Anybody can be aviscount in France if he's got an income of a few hundred francs--francsin France of common silver. They rank with golden guineas in your grandold home."
"Oh, well, I don't know, uncle I only know that he's the nicest fellow Iever met."
"Gush!" cried the doctor. "I won't have it, Rodd. I won't have youmaking too much of these French people. I don't like them."
"But you don't know them, uncle. Both the Count and his son are themost gentlemanly men I ever met."
"The most gentlemanly men you ever met!" cried Uncle Paul mockingly."Nice puppy you are to set yourself up for a judge! Very gentlemanly,to come in the dark with two boat-loads of savage-looking buccaneers toseize our schooner! And they would, too, if it hadn't been for CaptainChubb's courage."
"Oh, uncle, don't be unreasonable. The poor fellows were desperate.Suppose you had been in such a position as they were."
"I am not going to suppose anything of the sort, sir," cried the doctorindignantly; "and look here, Rodney, I will not have you setting up yourfeathers like the miserable young cockerel you are, and beginning tocrow at me, just as if you were full grown. It's growing unbearable,Rodney, and I won't have it, sir. I am very much displeased with you,and you had better be off to your bunk at once before we come to an openquarrel. It is too much, sir, and if your poor mother were alive andcould hear you talking like this she'd--she'd--she'd--there, I don'tknow what she wouldn't say."
"I do," said the boy.
"What would she say, sir?" snapped out the doctor.
Rodd stood silent in the darkness for a few moments as he stole his handunder the irate doctor's arm.
"She'd say that dear Uncle Paul had been thinking about old Bony, andthat it had made him very cross with me about nothing at all."
Uncle Paul made a sound like the beginning of a speech that would notcome, and the silence seemed deeper than ever, nothing being heard butthe soft lapping of the water under the vessel's counter, as she glidedslowly through the sea.
But Rodd felt the warm arm under which his hand nestled press it closerand closer to the old man's side, and that he was urged along the deckto keep pace with his elder slowly up and down, up and down, from stemto stern, for some minutes before that speech came--one which was quitedifferent from that which Rodd fully expected to hear, for it was inUncle Paul's natural tones once more, as he said very thoughtfully andin quite a confidential manner--
"Yes, very gentlemanly, Pickle, my boy; quite the nobleman, I might say,and I am not at all surprised that you helped that poor lad to escape.A little effeminate, but certainly a very nice lad. But I have beenthinking about them ever since I came on board this afternoon, and Ican't quite make out that Count. What's he doing here, my boy? On somemission, and connected with some jealousy and a stop being put to hiscruise. I am not quite sure, Pickle."
"Rodney, uncle," said the boy mischievously.
"Pickle, you dog! Be quiet. I am talking sense. But I think I haveworked it out. He betrayed himself. He's a naturalist, boy. Hebetrayed it in his looks and words as soon as he learned what I wasabout. Didn't you notice how eager he was to know about our pursuits?"
"Yes, uncle; I noticed that directly."
"Ah, I thought so. A naturalist--a born naturalist, Pickle, and inspite of his being a Frenchman I shall begin to feel a brotherly respectfor a follower of the only pursuit worthy of a gentleman. Well, we hada very short sleep last night, so we have got a long one due to ourcredit to-night, and on the strength of that Captain Chubb has arrangedto have supper quite early. This has been a queer day, Pickle, a veryqueer day, and I am not at all displeased, for I am beginning to thinkthat we have got a very good time before us."
"What time, uncle?"
"Ashore, my boy. What do you say to having a couple of the sailors withguns to keep us company while the rest are new-bottoming that brig?Walks in the primeval forest, Rodd, wonderful botanical rambles,shooting birds of glorious plumage, most likely coming across the greatman-ape, the chimpanzee. What do you say to that, my boy? Won't thatbe a grand change from fishing and dredging and bottling specimens?"
"Uncle Paul, don't!" cried the boy.
"Don't? What do you mean, sir?"
"You were talking just now of our having a good long sleep to-night tomake up for all we lost since we went to bed last."
"Well, sir, what of that?"
"How's a fellow to sleep, uncle, with such things as that to think of?Why, I shan't get a wink for thinking of the big chimpanzees; and as foreating any supper now, why, my appetite has completely gone."
"Stuff!" cried Uncle Paul, pressing the lad's arm to his side. "Rodd,my boy, we must cork a bottle or two and throw them overboard to-morrow,and then have a little practice with bullets in our guns. We may comeacross dangerous beasts there, leopards and the like, while that thereare great man-apes in those forests of the West Coast there is not adoubt."
"Well, I think I could shoot at one of those great spotted cats, uncle,all tooth and claw; but wouldn't it be rather queer to shoot one ofthose big monkeys which look so much like human beings? I mean thosebig ones with ears like ours, and no tails."
"Humph! Ha! Well, I--Yes, all right, captain! We are coming down."