CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
AN INTERNATIONAL QUARREL.
"What's the matter, Rob?" said Brazier, as he turned suddenly from wherehe had been laying various articles of clothing out in the warm sunshineto dry and found the two lads seated together in silence, Rob with hiselbows on the side of the boat and his chin in his, hands, gazing backashore.
"I can't get a word out of him, sir," said Joe. "I think it's becausethe lion was left behind."
"Nonsense! Rob is not so childish as to fret after a toy he cannothave. Come, my lad, there is plenty to do. We must make use of theevening sun to get everything possible dry. Come and help. Wet clothesand wet sleeping-places may mean fever."
Rob looked reproachfully at Joe, and began to hurry himself directly,his movement bringing him in contact with Shaddy, who was dividing histime between keeping a sharp look-out along the shore for a goodhalting-place suitable for making a fire, giving instructions to hismen, and using a sponge with which to sop up every trace of moisture hecould find within the boat.
"There, Mr Rob, sir," he said as he gave the sponge a final squeezeover the side, "I think that'll about do. It's an ill wind that blowsnobody any good. That storm has done one thing--given the boat a goodwash-out--and if we make a big fire to-night and dry everything that gotwet, we shall be all the better for it. Don't see storms like that inEngland, eh?"
"No," said Rob shortly, and he took down and began rubbing the moisturefrom his gun.
"Ah, that's right, my lad; always come down sharp on the rust, and stopit from going any further. Why, hullo! not going to be ill, are you?"
Rob shook his head.
"You look as dumps as dumps, Mr Rob, sir. I know you're put out aboutthat great cat being left behind."
Rob was silent.
"That's it. Why, never mind that, my lad. You can get plenty of thingsto tame and pet, if you want 'em, though I say as we eight folks isquite enough in one boat without turning it into a wild beast show."
Rob went on rubbing the barrel of his gun.
"What do you say to a nice young pet snake, sir?" said Shaddy, with hiseyes twinkling, till Rob darted an angry glance at him, when he changedhis tone and manner.
"Tell you what, sir, I'll get one of my boys to climb a tree first timeI see an old one with some good holes in. He shall get you a nice youngparrot to bring up. You'll like them; they're full of tricks, and astame as can be. Why, one of them would live on the top of the cabin,and climb about in a way as would amoose you for hours."
Rob darted another angry look at him.
"And do you think I want a parrot to amuse me for hours?" he saidbitterly.
"Have a monkey," said Joe, who had heard the last words. "Shaddy willget you a young one, and you can pet that and teach it to play trickswithout any risk to anybody, if you must have a plaything."
He accompanied this with so taunting a look that it fired Rob's temper,just at a time when he was bitterly disappointed at the result of hisadventure. Joe's words, too, conveyed the boy's feeling, which wassomething akin to jealousy of the new object which took so much of theyoung Englishman's thoughts.
Stung then by his companion's words and look, Rob turned upon him andsaid sarcastically,--
"Thank you: one monkey's enough on board at a time."
The young Italian's eyes flashed, as, quick as lightning, he took theallusion to mean himself, and he turned sharply away without a word, andwent right aft to sit gazing back over the water.
"Well, you've been and done it now, Mr Rob, and no mistake," whisperedShaddy. "You've made Master Jovanni's pot boil over on to the fire, andit ain't water, but oil."
"Oh, I am sorry, Shaddy," said Rob in a low tone, for all his own angerhad evaporated the moment he saw the effect of his words on thehot-blooded young Southerner.
"Sorry, lad? I should think you are. Why, if I said such a thing asthat to an Italian man, I should think the best thing I could do wouldbe to go and live in old England again, where there would be plenty ofpolicemen to take care of me."
"But I was not serious."
"Ay, but you were, my lad, and that's the worst of it. You said it in apassion on purpose to sting him, and he's as thin-skinned as a silkworm.He has gone yonder thinking you despise him and consider he's no betterthan a monkey, and if you'd set to for six hundred years trying to thinkout the nastiest thing you could invent to hurt his feelings youcouldn't have hit on a worse."
"But it was a mere nothing--the thought of the moment, Shaddy,"whispered Rob.
"O' course it was, dear lad, but, you see, that thought of the moment,as you call it, has put his back up. For long enough now English folkhave said nasty things to Italians, comparing 'em to monkeys, because ofsome of 'em going over to England playing organs and showing a monkey atthe end of a string. You see, they're so proud and easily affrontedthat such a word feels like a wapps's sting and worries 'em for days."
"I'll go and beg his pardon. I am sorry."
"Won't be no good now, sir. Better wait till he has cooled down."
"I wish I hadn't said it, Shaddy."
"Ay, that's what lots of us feels, sir, sometimes in our lives. I hit aman on the nose aboard a river schooner once, and knocked him throughthe gangway afterwards into the water, and as soon as I'd done it Iwished I hadn't, but that didn't make him dry."
"I wish he had turned round sharply and hit me," said Rob.
"Ah, it's a pity he didn't, isn't it?" said Shaddy drily. "You wouldn'thave hit him again, of course. You're just the sort o' young chap tolet a lad hit you, and put your fists in your pockets to keep 'em quiet,and say, `Thanky,' ain't you?"
"What do you mean--that I should have hit him again?"
"Why, of course I do, and the next moment you two would have beenpunching and wrestling and knocking one another all over the boat, tillMr Brazier had got hold of one and I'd got hold of the other, andbumped you both down and sat upon you. I don't know much, but I do knowwhat boys is when they've got their monkeys up."
"Don't talk about monkeys," whispered Rob hotly; "I wish there wasn't amonkey on the face of the earth."
"Wish again, Mr Rob, sir, as hard as ever you can, and it won't do abit o' good."
"Don't talk nonsense, Shaddy," said Rob angrily.
"That's right, sir; pitch into me now. Call me something; it'll do yougood. Call me a rhinoceros, if you like. It won't hurt me. I've got askin just as thick as one of them lovely animals. Go it."
"I do wish you would talk sense," cried Rob, in a low, earnest whisper."You know I've no one to go and talk to about anything when I wantadvice."
"No, I don't," said Shaddy gruffly. "There's Muster Brazier."
"Just as if he would want to be bothered when his head's full of hisspecimens and he's thinking about nothing else but classifying andnumbering and labelling! He'd laugh, and call it a silly trifle, andtell us to shake hands."
"Good advice, too, my lad, but not now. Wait a bit."
"I can't wait, knowing I've upset poor old Joe like that. I want to befriends at once."
"That's good talk, my lad, only it won't work at present."
"Ah, now you're talking sensibly and like a friend," said Rob. "But whywill it not do now?"
"'Cause Mr Jovanni ain't English. He's nursing that all up, and itisn't his natur' to shake hands yet. Give the fire time to burn out,and then try him, my lad; he'll be a different sort then to deal with."
Rob was silent for a few minutes.
"That's good advice, Mr Rob, sir, and so I tell you; but I mustn't stophere talking. It'll soon be sundown, and then, you know, it's darkdirectly, and 'fore then we must be landed and the lads making a goodfire. I wish Mr Brazier would come and give more orders about ourhalting-place to-night."
"He's too busy with his plants, Shaddy; and I ought to be helping him."
"Then why don't you go, my lad?"
"How can I, with Joe sitting there looking as if I had offended him forlife? I'll go and s
hake hands at once."
"No, you won't, lad."
"But I will."
"He won't let you."
"Won't he?" said Rob firmly. "I'm in the wrong, and I'll tell him sofrankly, and ask him to forgive me."
"And then he won't; and, what's worse, he'll think you're afraid of him,because it is his natur' to."
"We'll see," said Rob; and going round outside the canvas awning byholding on to the iron stretchers and ropes, he reached the spot whereJoe sat staring fixedly astern, perfectly conscious of Rob's presence,but frowning and determined upon a feud.
Rob glanced back, and could see Brazier through the opening in thecanvas busily examining his specimens, so as to see if any had growndamp through the rain. Then, feeling that, if he whispered, theirconversation would not be heard, Rob began.
"Joe!"
There was no reply.
"Joe, old chap, I'm so sorry." Still the young Italian gazed over thelake. "I say, Joe, it's like being alone almost, you here and I outthere. We can't afford to quarrel. Shake hands, old fellow."
Joe frowned more deeply.
"Oh, come, you shall," whispered Rob. "I say, here, give me your handlike a man. I was put out about losing the puma, because I was sure Icould tame it; and it would have made such a jolly pet to go travellingwith. It could have lived on the shore and only been on board when wewere going down the river. It put me out, and I said that stupid thingabout the monkey."
Joe started round with his eyes flashing.
"Do you want me to strike you a blow?" he hissed angrily.
"No; I want you to put your fist in mine and to say we're good friendsagain. I apologise. I'm very sorry."
"Keep your apologies. You are a mean coward to call me a name likethat. If we were ashore instead of on a boat, I should strike you."
"No, you wouldn't," said Rob sturdily.
"What! you think I am afraid?"
"No; but you would be a coward if you did, because I tell you that Ishould not hit you again."
"Because you dare not," said the young Italian, with a sneer.
Rob flushed up angrily, and his words belied his feelings, whichprompted him, to use his own expression, to punch the Italian's head,for he said,--
"Perhaps I am afraid, but never mind if I am. You and I are not goingto quarrel about such a trifle as all this."
"A trifle? To insult me as you did?"
"Don't be so touchy, Joe," cried Rob. "Come, shake hands."
But the lad folded his arms across his breast, and at that moment therewas the sharp report of Brazier's gun and a heavy splashing in the wateramong the lily leaves close up to the drooping trees which hid the causeof the turmoil.
There was a little excitement among the men as the boat was rowed closein under the trees, and there, half in the water, lay one of the curiousanimals known as a water-pig, or carpincho.
A rope was immediately made fast to tow the dead animal to thehalting-place to cut up for the evening meal, but before they had rowedfar Shaddy shouted to the men to stop.
"That won't do," he cried.
"What's the matter, Shaddy?"
"Matter?" growled the guide; "why, can't you see, sir? There won't be abit left by the time we've gone a mile. Look at 'em tearing away at it.Well, I never shall have any sense in my head. To think of me notknowing any better than that!"
He unfastened the rope hanging astern, and hauled the dead animal alongthe side to the bows of the boat, with fish large and small dashing atit and tugging away by hundreds, making the water boil, as it were,with, their rapid movement.
"Tchah! I'm growing stoopid, I think," growled Shaddy as he hauled thewater-pig in over the bows, the fish hanging on and leaping up at ittill it was out of reach; and then their journey was continued till asuitable halting-place was reached, where by a roaring fire objects thatrequired drying were spread out, while the meat was cooked and thecoffee made, so that by the time they lay down to rest in the boat therewas not much cause for fear of fever.
Rob Harlow's Adventures: A Story of the Grand Chaco Page 17