CHAPTER EIGHT.
NED FEELS THE MOTION OF THE VESSEL.
All aboard after the preliminaries had been arranged in the mostsatisfactory way, Sir John's arrangements made, and Jack, like adejected prisoner, taken down to Dartmouth one day, following Edward,who had gone on in advance with the last of the luggage.
He was waiting in the station when the train came in, looking as eagerand excited as a boy, and as full of delight as his young master wasdepressed. Captain Bradleigh was there too, and one of the yacht'scutters hanging on at the pier, ready for rowing the party on board the_Silver Star_.
"The luggage, Edward?" said Sir John.
"All aboard, Sir John, and things ready in the cabins," said the man.
"Then see that our portmanteaus are placed in the boat."
"All in, Sir John. I set the porters to get 'em from the van."
"Come along then, Jack, let's take our plunge."
Jack gave a wild look round, his eyes full of despair, but he saidnothing, only felt that he was bidding good-bye to home, land, ease, andcomfort for ever, and followed his father to the boat.
Two hours after they were standing out to sea, with Jack, Sir John, andthe doctor watching the receding shore, the two latter feeling someslight degree of compunction at the last; but Edward was belowinspecting the cabins once more, and as soon as he had done this, inspite of the yacht beginning to heel over so that the cabin floor was agood deal higher on one side than the other, he folded his arms,frowned, set his teeth, and began the first steps of a hornpipe, butbefore he had gone far a lurch sent him head-first toward the portbulkhead. Here he saved himself by thrusting out his hands, turned, andbegan again.
"Very well, uphill if you like," he cried, and he danced from porttoward starboard. But this time his legs seemed to have turned wild,and he staggered to right.
"Wo-ho! heave-ho! you lubbers!" he cried, and giving a lurch to right,but with desperate energy he saved himself from a fall, and tried tobegin again.
"Now then," he cried, "from the beginning! Wo-ho! No, I mean yo-ho!"he muttered. "Why, it's like trying to dance on horseback. Here goesagain. Tiddly-um-tum-tum! Tiddle-liddle-iddle iddle-liddleiddle-rum-tum!"--"_Bang_."
Edward crashed against one of the little state-room doors, cannoned off,and came down sitting on the cabin floor.
"Oh, that's it, is it?" cried the man. "Well, if you're going to danceit, I'll wait till you've done."
"Anything the matter?" said a voice, and the steward came in.
"Nothing particular," said Sir John's man, "unless it's the yacht gonemad."
"Oh, this is nothing," said the steward. "A bit lively after being atanchor so long."
"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Edward, rising. "You'll soon get used toit. Not much of a sailor I suppose?"
"Not a bit of one, but mean to be. I say, who are you?"
"Steward, and I suppose you are to be my mate?"
"Oh, am I?" said Edward; "very well, anything for a change."
The steward turned and left the cabin, for there were steps, anddirectly after Jack appeared at the door, tried to walk steadily to aseat, but a sudden careening over sent him to port, and he would havefallen heavily if the man had not made an effort to save him, when theywent down together, the man undermost.
"Quite welcome, sir," said Edward, struggling up and helping Jack to aseat. "Sorry I ain't a bit fatter, sir; only if I was you I'd hold ontill I get used to it, in case I'm not always there to be buffer."
"Oh!" groaned Jack, whose face was ghastly.
"Why, Mr Jack, sir, don't look like that. You fight it down. Feel abit queer?"
"Horrible, Ned. Help me to get to my berth."
"Oh, I wouldn't cave in, sir. It'll soon go off."
"Will it?" groaned Jack. "I was afraid to come down for fear theyshould see and laugh at me. Oh, how bad I am! Why did we come?"
"I dunno, sir. It was the guv'nor's doing. But you try and keep up."
"It is impossible. You don't know how bad I feel."
"No, sir, but I know how bad I feel."
"You!" said Jack dismally. "Surely you are not going to be ill?"
"Why not, sir? I feel just as if my works had gone all wrong, but Ihaven't got time to be ill. Come on deck, sir."
"No. Help me to my berth."
"Right, sir," said the man; and waiting till the vessel seemed steadier,he took tightly hold of his young master's arm, helped him to his legs,and tried to guide him across the cabin to his little state-room; but atthe first step Jack made a dive, and they went down together.
"Please, sir, this ain't swimming lessons."
"Let me crawl," groaned Jack.
"No, sir, don't do that. Here, give me your hand again. Up you gets.That's the way. This time does it. Told you so. Here we are."
"Don't, please don't talk to me," said Jack in a low voice. "Help meinto the berth.--Yes, thank you. Now go away and leave me."
"Won't roll out, will you, sir?"
"Don't--don't talk to me. Please go."
"Poor chap!" muttered Edward. "I do wish he'd got just a little bit o'pluck in him. But it do make you feel a bit queer. S'pose I go andshake it off on deck."
He went up, saw that the gentlemen were right aft, and he walked forwardto where the crew were busy here and there, and nodded first to one andthen another in the most friendly way, as if he had known them all hislife. Then he thrust his hands in his pockets, trying to look perfectlyunconcerned, and balanced himself so as to try and give and take withthe vessel.
But it was no good; he fought against the inevitable as long as hecould, and finally staggered to the cabin hatch and descended to whereJack was lying. "Here's a go, sir," he cried. "I thought it onlywanted a bit of pluck, and it would be all right."
"Oh, go away," groaned Jack. "Don't bother me. I'm dying."
"I'm worse than that, sir," said the man piteously. "What's to be done,sir?"
"Oh, go to your hammock or berth. I can't bear to be bothered now."
"But it will be dinner-time soon, sir, and I shall have to help wait attable. I couldn't carry the soup or fish, sir. I couldn't carrymyself. What will the guv'nor say?"
"Ned, will you please to go!" said Jack with a groan.
"Certainly, sir; directly, sir; but I can't move."
"Nonsense!"
"Yes, sir, that's what I thought about you, and that you'd only got tomake a try; but it isn't to be done."
"Go away," groaned Jack.
"Wish I could, sir. I oughtn't to have come. It's all through being sojolly cock-sure that I could do anything, and I can't. Wish I was athome cleaning the plate. Oh, Master Jack, can you feel how the boat'sa-going on?"
"Yes, it's dreadful," sighed Jack.
"Is it going to be like this always, sir?"
"Don't! pray don't bother me. Can't you see how ill I am?"
"No, sir, not now. I can only see how bad poor miserable me is. Ohdear! did you feel that, sir? she give a regular jump, just as if shewent over something.--Master Jack!"
There was no reply.
"Master Jack!" groaned the man. "Oh, please, sir, don't say you'redead."
"Will you go away and leave off bothering me!" cried the boy angrily.
"Wish I could, sir; I'd be glad to."
There was a pause, during which the yacht bounded along before a finefresh breeze. Soon Edward began again.
"Mr Jack!"
No answer.
"Mr Jack, sir!"
"Ned! will you go!"
"I can't, sir. 'Strue as goodness, sir, I can't."
"Where are you?" moaned the boy, who was lying on his back staring withlack-lustre eyes up at the ceiling just above his head.
"I dunno, sir; I think I'm lying on the carpet, sir, close to the shelfI put you on."
"Then go away somewhere; you make me feel as if I could kill you."
"Wish you would, sir," groaned the man. "I'd take it kindly of you."
"Oh, don't talk such nonsense," sighed Jack. "Oh, my head, my head!"
"Oh, mine, sir, and it ain't nonsense at all. It's real earnest. Whywas I such a fool as to come, and why did I grin at you, and say as youwas a poor-plucked 'un? It's like a judgment on me. But I always wasso conceited."
"Call some one to help you to your berth."
"I dursn't, sir. If I did, those sailor chaps would see as it was allover with me and pitch me overboard."
"Ned, you are torturing me," said Jack; and he turned himself a littleto look down at the miserable being on the floor.
"Very sorry, sir, but something's torturing me. Do you think we've gotas far as France yet?"
"Oh, I don't know."
"Do you think, if I give master warning, he'd have me set ashore atonce?"
"No," said Jack, with a touch of exultation in his words; "I'm sure hewouldn't. You'll have to go with us now."
"I couldn't, sir, I couldn't really. Why, I couldn't go round thisroom--cabin, or whatever you call it. Oh dear! oh dear! to think of meturning all of a sudden like this! It's awful."
"Here, Jack! Jack, lad! Aren't you coming on deck?" cried a voice downthrough the cabin skylight.
"Oh, there's the doctor," groaned Edward. "Why don't he come down?"
"Jack! are you there? It's splendid. Come up."
"Come down, sir, please," groaned the man.
"Hullo!" said the doctor to himself. "Why surely they're not--Oh! theycan't be so soon."
He hurried down the cabin steps, and came breezily into the cabin, tosee at a glance the state of affairs.
"Why, Jack, my lad, this is cowardly," he cried.
"Don't, sir, don't," groaned Edward. "I said something like that.Don't you, sir, or you may be took bad too."
"Why you ought to be able to stand a little sea-going, my man," said thedoctor; "this is a break down. Here, make an effort and go to yourberth."
"Make an effort, sir? I couldn't do it even if the ship was a-sinking."
"Nonsense!"
"It's true. I'm afraid it's all over, and Sir John will want anotherman."
"There, jump up and go to your berth. You share the same cabin as thecook and steward, don't you?"
"I was to, sir, and it was a very small place, but there'll be more roomfor them now."
"Nonsense, I tell you; jump up."
"Jump, sir!" groaned the man; "did you say jump?"
"Well then, crawl. Here, steward!" cried the doctor, "come and helpthis man to his cabin."
"Can't you give me something to put me out of my misery, sir?" groanedthe man.
"Absurd! There, try and get on your legs. I'll help you." For thesteward had come in promptly, smiling at the state of affairs, and poorEdward was set upon his legs.
"Come, stand up," said the steward, for Edward's knees gave way like thejoints of a weak two-foot rule.
"Yes, stand up," cried the doctor; "don't be so weak, man."
"'Tain't me, sir, it's my legs," said the man faintly. "Don't seem tohave no bones now."
"Why, Edward, I thought you were a smart manly fellow," cried thedoctor.
"That's just what I always thought of myself, sir, but it wasn't a bittrue. Would you mind asking Sir John, sir, to have the yacht stoppedand me put ashore?"
"Of course I would. It's absurd."
"But I shan't be a bit of use, sir; I shan't indeed. I'm ashamed ofmyself, but I can't help it."
"There, I know," said the doctor kindly; "get to your berth and liestill for a few hours. You'll be ready to laugh at your weakness beforelong."
"Laugh, sir? laugh? No, I don't think I shall ever laugh again."
The door swung to after the man's exit, and the doctor returned toJack's cabin.
"Well," he said, "feel very queer?"
"Can't you see, doctor?" said the boy, giving him a piteous look.
"Yes, of course I can, my lad; but lie still, and you'll soon get overit. Some people do get troubled this way. Haven't you read that LordNelson used to have a fit whenever he went to sea?"
Jack made no reply, for he was in that condition which makes a suffererperfectly indifferent about everything and everybody, and when it is nosatisfaction to know that the greatest people in the world suffered in asimilar way. All they can think of then is self.
Sir John came down soon after, and sat with his son for awhile, tryingto encourage him, but poor Jack hardly answered him, and at last hebegan to be anxious, and went to join the doctor, who was on deckchatting with the captain.
"I wish you'd go down and see to the boy," he said; "he looks so white,I feel anxious."
The doctor shrugged his shoulders and went below, to come back at theend of five minutes.
"Well?" said Sir John anxiously.
"Usual thing; nothing to fidget about. Your man's worse."
"What, Edward?" cried Sir John, staring. "I saw him forward therechatting with the sailors not long ago."
"Yes, and now he's in his berth talking to himself about what a donkeyhe was to come. Who knows! perhaps it will be our turn next."
But it was not, although it began to blow hard from the west, and thesea crew rougher as the yacht dashed on.
But the next evening Edward was about again, looking rather pale, butvery proud and self-satisfied, as he went to Jack's berth.
"Don't you feel any better yet, sir?" he said.
"No; can't you see how ill I am?" replied Jack faintly.
"Ah, that's because you don't try to master it. Hasn't Doctor Instowtold you that you ought to try and get the better of it?"
"Yes; but what is the use of telling me that?" groaned Jack, with hiseyes shut; but he opened them directly and gazed discontentedly at theman, as if feeling that it was hard and unfair of fate to let theservant recover while the master was so ill. "Are you quite wellagain?"
"Me, sir? Oh yes, sir," said Edward carelessly.
"And I--I feel as if I shall never live to go far."
"Ah, that's the way of it, sir, I felt just like that; but you'll comeall right again before you know where you are. Like me to get you a bitof anything, sir? The kitchen place is splendid, and the cook wouldknock you up something nice in no time. What do you say to an omelet,sir?"
Jack ground his teeth at the man, and then closed his eyes and feeblyturned his back.
"Poor chap, he has got it bad," muttered the convalescent, as he wentout of the cabin on tip-toe. "But I don't think he's quite so bad as Iwas, after all."
Jack at Sea: All Work and No Play Made Him a Dull Boy Page 8