CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Jack's eyes begin to open.
"No," said Sir John, in reply to a question addressed to him by thecaptain, one beautiful moonlight evening, as they were running downwithin sight of the coast of Portugal; "unless it is necessary, or myson wishes to see the towns, I should prefer going steadily on eastward.For my part I want to get away from civilisation, and see Natureunspoiled or unimproved, whichever it is."
"And that depends upon individual taste, eh, Jack?" said the doctor.
"I suppose so," said the lad.
"Bah! he's going back again," said the doctor to himself.
"Would you like to stop at Gibraltar and see the Rock and itsfortifications, Jack?"
"No, father, thank you," said the lad.
Sir John looked disappointed, but he said quietly--
"Then we'll go right on, captain, according to your plans. Let's see,what were they?"
"If you wish to get right away to the East, then I propose that we justtouch at Gib, and stay long enough to fill up our water-tanks and takein fresh provisions and vegetables, run straight on to Naples, do thesame there again, and then make for the Canal, unless you would care tosee Vesuvius. Naples and its surroundings are very fine."
"Yes, very," said Sir John.
"Oh yes," growled the doctor; "but the place swarms with visitors. Iwant to get where we can land on some beautiful coast with our guns andcollecting tackle, where we shouldn't see a soul, unless it's a nakedsavage."
"So do I," said Sir John. "What do you say, Jack?"
"Wherever you like, father," said the boy resignedly; and he rose andwalked right forward to where a couple of the men were on the look-out,and Mr Bartlett was walking slowly up and down with a glass under hisarm.
Sir John sighed, and there was perfect silence for a few minutes.
"It is very disappointing," he said at last.
"What is?" cried the doctor sharply. "Rome wasn't built in a day."
"But he seems to take it all as a duty, and as if he was compelled toobey me."
"And a good thing too," cried the doctor sharply. "What's better thanfor a son to feel that he is bound to obey his father? If I had been amarried man instead of a surly bachelor, and I had had a son, I shouldhave expected him to obey me and do what I thought was for his good; eh,captain?"
"Yes, sir, of course; and on your part, tried to be reasonable."
"Of course. Well, we--I mean Sir John--is reasonable. No, he isn'tnow. He wants Rome built in a day with the fresh paint on as well, anda grand procession of big drums and trumpets and soldiers with flags tomarch through the principal streets."
"Come, not quite so bad as that, Instow. Don't be cross."
"Then don't make me so. Now, I appeal to the captain here. Has not theboy been wandering about the deck all day with Bartlett, asking himquestions about the sails, and talking to the men, and using his glasswhenever there was a good bit of the land to see?"
"Well, yes."
"Well yes, indeed! What more do you want? We can only go on two legs,we men; we can't fly."
"Captain Bradleigh seems of a different opinion with this yacht. Hemakes us swim and pretty well fly."
"Yes, but what was Jack a month ago? Going about the house like a boyin a nightmare, or else with his hands supporting his heavy head, whilehe was A plus B-ing, squaring nothing, and extracting roots, or buildingup calculations with logs. He isn't like the boy he was when he came onboard."
"That's true," said the captain quietly. "His interest is beingawakened, and something else too--his appetite."
"Yes; he certainly eats twice as much, and is not so particular as towhat it is."
"There!" cried the doctor triumphantly. "And what does that mean?"
"That the sea-air makes him hungry."
"Bah! that isn't all. It means that Nature keeps on asking for morebricks and mortar to go on building up the works that were begun yearsago and not finished--muscle and bone and nerve, sir, so as to get him asound body; and mind you, a sound body generally means a sound brain.Everything in a proper state of balance."
"I suppose you are right," said Sir John.
"Right? of course I am. Only give him time."
"Where is he now?"
"Along with Bartlett," said the captain.
"Yes, I can see him. They're examining something over the bows. Foundsomething fresh. Isn't that a healthy sign? He was only a bit tiredand bored just now. Look here, Meadows, you and I must not be tooanxious, and keep on letting him see that we are watching him. Why,look at the other morning when he was just up from his sea-sickness. Doyou think if I had begged him to eat that rasher of ham he would havetouched it? Not he. Let him alone, and he'll soon be coming to us."
"Certainly that will be the best course. I should like to see thoughwhat he is doing now?"
"Better leave him alone. Sensitive chap like that, with a body like alittle boy and a head like an old man, don't want to feel that he isbeing led about by a nurse. But there, I must humour you, I suppose.Come away."
The doctor set the example by rising, and they walked slowly forward,hearing Jack talking in an animated way as they drew nearer, and, as ifin obedience to an order, one of the sailors trotted by them.
As they reached the port bows Jack turned round where he was leaningover the starboard side, as if to look for the man who had gone on someerrand, and he caught sight of his father.
"Come and look here, father," he cried. "Something so curious."
"Eh? What is it?" said Sir John coolly, and, followed by the doctor, hecrossed to where his son stood with the mate.
"Look over here, straight down into the black water," said Jack.
"Hah! Yes, very beautiful, looks as if we were sailing through a sea ofliquid pale gold."
"And it's all black where it is not disturbed. As soon as the yacht'sprow rushes through, everything is flashing out with phosphorescentlight, and you can see myriads of tiny stars gliding away."
"Yes, beautiful," said Sir John. "Grand," cried the doctor.
"And Mr Bartlett here says it is nothing compared to what he has seenoff Java and the other islands. Look now! it's just as if the sea asdeep down as we can pierce was full of tiny stars. Oh, here's thepail."
The sailor had returned, and way was made for him to drop the bucket atthe end of a rope down into one of the brightest parts, and bring it upfull of the phosphorescent water.
Just then the doctor gave Sir John a dig in the ribs with his elbow, asmuch as to say, "Now, who's right?" While mentally agreeing that hisfriend was, Sir John moved out of the way, so as not to receive anotherpoke.
Then followed rather a learned discourse from the doctor on thepeculiarities of the wonderful little creatures which swarmed in thebucket, whose contents in the light seemed to be so much clearsea-water, but which in the darkness flamed with light as soon as it wasdisturbed by a hand being passed quickly through.
"Why, it makes my hand tingle and smart just slightly," said Jack.
"Oh yes," said the mate. "If you bathe in a sea like this you can feelquite an irritation of the skin, while the large jelly-fish sting like anettle."
"Then are these jelly-fish?"
"Yes, almost invisible ones," replied the doctor.
"But it seems so strange. Why is it?" said Jack.
"Well, we know that fish prey upon these things wholesale, and my theoryis that the tiny things have the stinging power as a defence by day, andthe ability to light up to make the fish think they will burn theirmouths at night and leave them alone. Sounds absurd, eh? But I believethat's it."
Jack spent an hour having bucketfuls of water drawn up from the spotswhere the luminous cold fire seemed to burn most fiercely, the mate andEdward, called in to assist, entering into the business with thegreatest of enthusiasm, and helping, after Sir John and the doctor hadgone, in another way, fetching tumblers and a glass globe from thesteward, Edward having to carry these well-fill
ed into the cabin, where,chuckling to himself, the doctor brought out his small microscope, andusing a tiny water-trough designed for the purpose, proceeded to examinethese little wonders of the world.
Gibraltar was reached a couple of days later, and a very brief staymade, Jack contenting himself with watching the huge mass of rock withhis binocular. Then away over the rather rough sea, with a favourablewind, they ran for Naples, where it grew calmer, and at night the slowfrom the summit of the burning mountain was seen reflected on theclouds, while by day these clouds could be seen to be of smoke.
On again for the Canal, and the doctor confided to Sir John his beliefthat he was a little anxious now.
"It will be so tremendously hot down the Red Sea, that I'm afraid itwill upset the lad; so as you are getting up steam for the run throughthe Canal, if the wind is light or contrary, I should use the screw tillwe get to Aden."
"And make up our coal-bunkers there," said the captain. "Yes; goodadvice, sir, for that is about the hottest place I know; but it's notoften we get a contrary wind for the _Silver Star_. She'll sail closerto the wind's eye than anything I ever saw."
"But I feel disposed to say, steam through to Aden," said Sir Johnanxiously, "for if the wind is north-west, we shall have it like afurnace from the African desert."
"Yes, sir," said the captain, smiling, "but, according to my experience,it isn't much better from the Arabian side. There's no getting over it:the Red Sea might almost be called the Red-hot sea."
The business going on in the engine-room seemed to be a break in what sofar had been rather a monotonous voyage, and, to the father's greatsatisfaction the following morning, he came suddenly upon Jack ascendingto the deck, wiping his face, and followed by the mate, just as theywere slowly steaming into the Canal.
Sir John said nothing, but noted that the lad went with the mate rightaft, where they stood leaning over and gazing down at where the screwwas churning up the water, the mate explaining its fish-tail-like actionand enormous power in propelling the yacht.
"Have an eye upon him, Instow," said Sir John; "the heat is gettingintense, and it can't be good for him to go down into that engine-room."
"Just as if I ever had my eyes off him," replied the doctor. "You letme be."
"But he seemed to be dripping with perspiration."
"Best thing for him. Open his pores, which have been shut up all hislife. Grand thing for him. He couldn't be going on better. I wasafraid that the heat would depress him, and lay him on his back: don'tyou see that so long as he keeps active he will not feel it so much?"
"I am not a doctor," said Sir John simply. "I suppose you are right."
"Well, give me a fair chance, old fellow. You've had your turn with thebow, and made an old man of him."
"Not I--his masters."
"Well, let me now try if I can't make a boy of the old man. Look athim. Can you believe it?"
Jack walked by them, in his white duck suit and pith hat, just then,with the mate.
"Find it too hot, father? Shall I fetch your white umbrella?"
"No, no, thank you, my boy; I'm going to sit under the awning and watchthe shipping. But--er--don't expose yourself to the heat too much; thesun has great power."
"Yes, it is hot," said Jack quietly, "but I like it."
"Yes, Mr Jack, sir," said Edward, who had overheard his master'sremarks, "and so do I like it; but it's a sort of country where you feelas if you would like to have a great deal of nothing to do, and lieabout on the sand like the niggers. I've just been watching 'em, and itseems to me that they don't eat much, nor drink much. You see 'emnibbling a few dates, or swallowing lumps of great green pumpkins."
"Melons, Ned," said Jack, correcting him.
"Melons, sir? Yes, I know they call 'em melons, but they're not a bitbetter than an old pumpkin at home, or an old vegetable marrow gone toseed. I know what a melon is, same as Mackay grows at home, red-fleshedand green-fleshed, and netted. They're something like; but as forthese--have you tried one, sir?"
"No."
"Then you take my advice, sir. Just you don't try 'em, for they'reabout the poorest, moshiest-poshiest things you ever tasted."
"But the people here seem to like them."
"Oh yes, they like 'em, sir. They seem as if they'd eat anything, and Isuppose that's why their skins are so black. But, as I was saying, theydon't seem to want beef, or mutton, or pickled pork, and yet they getfat. It's the sunshine, I believe. They go on swallowing that all daylong. I mean to try how it acts as soon as I get a good chance."
"You're quite lazy enough without doing that," said Jack, laughing.
"Now I do call that 'ard, Mr Jack, sir--reg'lar out an' out hard. I'msure I never neglects anything. You don't want, nor Sir John neither,anything like so much valeting as you do at home. There's no boots tobrush, nor clothes neither. I'm sure, sir, I never neglected you, onlyjust for that little bit when I seemed to be standing on my head becausemy legs wouldn't hold me up--now, have I, sir?"
"Oh no. You've always been very attentive, Ned."
"Then that's why I call it 'ard, sir. Ever since you've been growingsharp and quick, and wanting to do something else besides read, you'vebeen getting 'arder to me, sir, and I don't like it."
"Oh, nonsense. I've only laughed at you sometimes."
"Well, sir, look at that. You never used to laugh at me at home, noryou usen't to order me about, nor you usen't to--well, you never used todo nothing, sir, but read."
Jack frowned, and reddened a little.
"I put out your clothes and boots for you, and you put 'em on--just whatI liked to put for you. You used to get up when I called you, and you'dhave eat anything that was put before you, and said nothing. While nowyou're getting particular about your food even, and you order me about--and I won't say bully me, because it ain't quite true; but you've saidlots o' sharp things to me, and I feel 'mazed like sometimes to hearyou, for it don't sound like you at all. It's just as if you'd gotyourself changed, sir."
"Perhaps I have, Ned, for I feel changed," said the boy.
"Yes, sir, you are changed a lot, and I hope it's right."
"I hope so, Ned," said Jack, and he walked away.
"Don't even use his legs like he did a month ago. I can't quiteunderstand it, but it ain't my business. Couldn't have been right forhim to be always sitting over a book, and when he got up, looking as ifhe was still all among the Romans and Greek 'uns. But it seems sosudden like, and as if he might go back again. But I s'pose we shallsee."
Jack at Sea--by George Manville Fenn
Jack at Sea: All Work and No Play Made Him a Dull Boy Page 11