CHAPTER IV.
CAPTAIN HAMILTON MIGGS OF THE "BLACK EAGLE."
The head of the firm had hardly recovered his mental serenity after thepainful duty of explaining her financial position to the Widow Hudson,when his quick ear caught the sound of a heavy footstep in thecounting-house. A gruff voice was audible at the same time, whichdemanded in rather more energetic language than was usually employed inthat orderly establishment, whether the principal was to be seen or not.The answer was evidently in the affirmative, for the lumbering treadcame rapidly nearer, and a powerful double knock announced that thevisitor was at the other side of the door.
"Come in," cried Mr. Girdlestone, laying down his pen.
This invitation was so far complied with that the handle turned, and thedoor revolved slowly upon its hinges. Nothing more substantial than astrong smell of spirituous liquors, however, entered the apartment.
"Come in," the merchant repeated impatiently.
At this second mandate a great tangled mass of black hair was slowlyprotruded round the angle of the door. Then a copper-coloured foreheadappeared, with a couple of very shaggy eyebrows and eventually a pair ofeyes, which protruded from their sockets and looked yellow andunhealthy. These took a long look, first at the senior partner and thenat his surroundings, after which, as if reassured by the inspection, theremainder of the face appeared--a flat nose, a large mouth with a lowerlip which hung down and exposed a line of tobacco-stained teeth, andfinally a thick black beard which bristled straight out from the chin,and bore abundant traces of an egg having formed part of its owner'smorning meal. The head having appeared, the body soon followed it,though all in the same anaconda-like style of progression, until theindividual stood revealed. He was a stoutly-built sea-faring man,dressed in a pea jacket and blue trousers and holding his tarpaulin hatin his hand. With a rough scrape and a most unpleasant leer he advancedtowards the merchant, a tattoed and hairy hand outstretched in sign ofgreeting.
"Why, captain," said the head of the firm, rising and grasping theother's hand with effusion, "I am glad to see you back safe and well."
"Glad to see ye, sir--glad to see ye."
His voice was thick and husky, and there was an indecision about hisgait as though he had been drinking heavily. "I came in sort o'cautious," he continued, "'cause I didn't know who might be about.When you and me speaks together we likes to speak alone, you bet."
The merchant raised his bushy eyebrows a little, as though he did notrelish the idea of mutual confidences suggested by his companion'sremark. "Hadn't you better take a seat?" he said.
The other took a cane-bottomed chair and carried it into the extremecorner of the office. Then having looked steadily at the wall behindhim, and rapped it with his knuckles, he sat down, still throwing anoccasional apprehensive glance over his shoulder. "I've got a touch ofthe jumps," he remarked apologetically to his employer. "I likes to_know_ as there ain't no one behind me."
"You should give up this shocking habit of drinking," Mr. Girdlestonesaid seriously. "It is a waste of the best gifts with which Providencehas endowed us. You are the worse for it both in this world and in thenext."
Captain Hamilton Miggs did not seem to be at all impressed by this verysensible piece of advice. On the contrary, he chuckled boisterously tohimself, and, slapping his thigh, expressed his opinion that hisemployer was a "rum 'un"--a conviction which he repeated to himselfseveral times with various symptoms of admiration.
"Well, well," Girdlestone said, after a short pause, "boys will be boys,and sailors, I suppose, will be sailors. After eight months of anxietyand toil, ending in success, captain--I am proud to be able to say thewords--some little licence must be allowed. I do not judge others bythe same hard and fast lines by which I regulate my own conduct."
This admirable sentiment also failed to elicit any response from theobdurate Miggs, except the same manifestations of mirth and the sameaudible aside as to the peculiarities of his master's character.
"I must congratulate you on your cargo, and wish you the same luck foryour next voyage," the merchant continued.
"Ivory, an' gold dust, an' skins, an' resin, an' cochineal, an' gums,an' ebony, an' rice, an' tobacco, an' fruits, an' nuts in bulk.If there's a better cargo about, I'd like to see it," the sailor saiddefiantly.
"An excellent cargo, captain; very good indeed. Three of your men died,I believe?"
"Ay, three of the lubbers went under. Two o' fever and one o'snake-bite. It licks me what sailors are comin' to in these days.When I was afore the mast we'd ha' been ashamed to die o' a trifle likethat. Look at me. I've been down wi' coast fever sixteen times, andI've had yellow jack an' dysentery, an' I've been bit by the black cobrain the Andamans. I've had cholera, too. It broke out in a brig when Iwas in the Sandwich Island trade, and I was shipmates wi' seven dead outo' a crew o' ten. But I ain't none the worse for it--no, nor never willbe. But I say, gov'nor, hain't you got a drop of something about theoffice?"
The senior partner rose, and taking a bottle from the cupboard filledout a stiff glass of rum. The sailor drank it off eagerly, and laiddown the empty tumbler with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Say, now," he said, with an unpleasant confidential leer, "weren't yousurprised to see us come back--eh? Straight now, between man and man?"
"The old ship hangs together well, and has lots of work in her yet," themerchant answered.
"Lots of work! God's truth, I thought she was gone in the bay! We'd adirty night with a gale from the west-sou'-west, an' had been goin' bydead reckonin' for three days, so we weren't over and above sure o'ourselves. She wasn't much of a sea-going craft when we left England,but the sun had fried all the pitch out o' her seams, and you might ha'put your finger through some of them. Two days an' a night we were atthe pumps, for she leaked like a sieve. We lost the fore topsail, blownclean out o' the ringbolts. I never thought to see Lunnon again."
"If she could weather a gale like that she could make another voyage."
"She could start on another," the sailor said gloomily, "but as like asnot she'd never see the end o't."
"Come, come, you're not quite yourself this morning, Miggs. We valueyou as a dashing, fearless fellow--let me fill your glass again--whodoesn't fear a little risk where there's something to be gained.You'll lose your good name if you go on like that."
"She's in a terrible bad way," the captain insisted. "You'll have to dosomething before she can go."
"What shall we have to do?"
"Dry dock her and give her a thorough overhaul. She might sink beforeshe got out o' the Channel if she went as she is just now."
"Very well," the merchant said coldly. "If you insist on it, it must bedone. But, of course, it would make a great difference in your salary."
"Eh?"
"You are at present getting fifteen pounds a month, and five per cent.commission. These are exceptional terms in consideration of any riskthat you may run. We shall dry dock the _Black Eagle_, and your salaryis now ten pounds a month and two and a half commission."
"Belay, there, belay!" the sailor shouted. His coppery face was a shadedarker than usual, and his bilious eyes had a venomous gleam in them."Don't you beat me down, curse you!" he hissed, advancing to the tableand leaning his hands upon it while he pushed his angry face forwarduntil it was within a foot of that of the merchant. "Don't you try thatgame on, mate, for I am a free-born British seaman, and I am under thethumb of no man."
"You're drunk," said the senior partner. "Sit down!"
"You'd reduce my screw, would ye?" roared Captain Hamilton Miggs,working himself into a fury. "Me that has worked for ye, and slaved forye, and risked my life for ye. You try it on, guv'nor; just you try iton! Suppose I let out that little story o' the painting out o' themarks--where would the firm of Girdlestone be then! I guess you'drather double my wage than have that yarn goin' about."
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean? You don't know what I mean, do you? Of
course not.It wasn't you as set us on to go at night and paint out the GovernmentPlimsoll marks and then paint 'em in again higher up, so as to be ableto overload. That wasn't you, was it?"
"Do you mean to assert that it was?"
"In course I do," thundered the angry seaman.
The senior partner struck the gong which stood upon the table."Gilray," he said quietly, "go out and bring in a policeman."
Captain Hamilton Miggs seemed to be somewhat startled by this suddenmove of his antagonist. "Steady your helm, governor," he said."What are ye up to now?"
"I'm going to give you in charge."
"What for?"
"For intimidation and using threatening language, and endeavouring toextort money under false pretences."
"There's no witnesses," the sailor said in a half-cringing, half-defiantmanner.
"Oh yes, there are," Ezra Girdlestone remarked, coming into the room.He had been standing between the two doors which led to thecounting-house, and had overheard the latter portion of theconversation. "Don't let me interrupt you. You were saying that youwould blacken my father's character unless he increased your salary."
"I didn't mean no harm," said Captain Hamilton Miggs, glancing nervouslyfrom the one to the other. He had been fairly well known to the law inhis younger days, and had no desire to renew the acquaintance.
"Who painted out those Plimsoll marks?" asked the merchant.
"It was me."
"Did any one suggest it to you?"
"No."
"Shall I send in the policeman, sir?" asked Gilray, opening the door.
"Ask him to wait for a moment," Girdlestone answered.
"And now, captain, to return to the original point, shall we dry dockthe _Black Eagle_ and reduce the salary, or do you see your way to goingback in her on the same terms?"
"I'll go back and be damned to it!" said the captain recklessly,plunging his hands into the pockets of his pea jacket and plumping backinto his chair.
"That's right," his grim employer remarked approvingly.
"But swearing is a most sinful practice. Send the policeman away,Ezra."
The young man went out with an amused smile, and the two were lefttogether again.
"You'll not be able to pass the Government inspector unless you dosomething to her," the seaman said after a long pause, during which hebrooded over his wrongs.
"Of course we shall do something. The firm is not mean, though itavoids unnecessary expense. We'll put a coat of paint on her, and somepitch, and do up the rigging. She's a stout old craft, and with one ofthe smartest sailors afloat in command of her--for we always give youcredit for being that--she'll run many a voyage yet."
"I'm paid for the risk, guv'nor, as you said just now," the sailorremarked. "But don't it seem kind o' hard on them as isn't--on themates an' the hands?"
"There is always a risk, my dear captain. There is nothing in the worldwithout risk. You remember what is said about those who go down to thesea in ships. They see the wonders of the deep, and in return theyincur some little danger. My house in Eccleston Square might be shakendown by an earthquake, or a gale might blow in the walls, but I'm notalways brooding over the chance of it. There's no use your taking itfor granted that some misfortune will happen to the _Black Eagle_."
The sailor was silenced, but not convinced by his employer's logic."Well, well," he said sulkily, "I am going, so there's an end of it, andthere's no good in having any more palaver about it. You have yourobject in running rotten ships, and you make it worth my while to takemy chances in them. I'm suited, and you're suited, so there's no moreto be said."
"That's right. Have some more rum?"
"No, not a spot."
"Why not?"
"Because I likes to keep my head pretty clear when I'm a-talkin' to you,Muster Girdlestone. Out o' your office I'll drink to further orders,but I won't do business and muddle myself at the same time. When d'yewant me to start?"
"When she's unloaded and loaded up again. Three weeks or a month yet.I expect that Spender will have come in with the _Maid of Athens_ bythat time."
"Unless some accident happens on the way," said Captain Hamilton Miggs,with his old leer. "He was at Sierra Leone when we came up the coast.I couldn't put in there, for the swabs have got a warrant out ag'in mefor putting a charge o' shot into a nigger."
"That was a wicked action--very wrong, indeed," the merchant saidgravely. "You must consider the interests of the firm, Miggs. We can'tafford to have a good port blocked against our ships in this fashion.Did they serve this writ on you?"
"Another nigger brought it aboard."
"Did you read it?"
"No; I threw it overboard."
"And what became of the negro?"
"Well," said Miggs with a grin, "when I threw the writ overboard hehappened to be a-holdin' on to it. So, ye see, he went over, too.Then I up anchor and scooted."
"There are sharks about there?"
"A few."
"Really, Miggs," the merchant said, "you must restrain your sinfulpassions. You have broken the fifth commandment, and closed the tradeof Freetown to the _Black Eagle_."
"It never was worth a rap," the sailor answered. "I wouldn't give acuss for any of the British settlements. Give me real niggers, chaps asknows nothing of law or civilizing, or any rot of the sort. I can pullalong with them.
"I have often wondered how you managed it," Girdlestone said curiously."You succeed in picking up a cargo where the steadiest and best mencan't get as much as a bag of nuts. How do you work it?"
"There's many would like to know that," Miggs answered, with anexpressive wink.
"It is a secret, then?"
"Well, it ain't a secret to you, 'cause you ain't a skipper, and itdon't matter if you knows it or not. I don't want to have 'em all atthe same game."
"How is it, then?"
"I'll tell ye," said Miggs. He seemed to have recovered his serenity bythis time, and his eyes twinkled as he spoke of his own exploits."I gets drunk with them. That's how I does it."
"Oh, indeed."
"Yes, that's how it's worked. Lord love ye, when these fust-classcertificated, second-cousin-to-an-earl merchant skippers comes out theymove about among the chiefs and talks down to them as if they was tinMethuselahs on wheels. The Almighty's great coat wouldn't make awaistcoat for some o' these blokes. Now when I gets among 'em I has 'emall into the cabin, though they're black an' naked, an' the smell ain'tover an' above pleasant. Then I out with the rum and it's 'helpyourself an' pass the bottle.' Pretty soon, d'ye see, their tongues getloosened, and as I lie low an' keep dark I gets a pretty good idea o'what's in the market. Then when I knows what's to be got, it's queer ifI don't manage to get it. Besides, they like a little notice, just asChristians does, and they remembers me because I treat them well."
"An excellent plan, Miggs--a capital plan!" said the senior partner."You are an invaluable servant."
"Well," the captain said, rising from his chair, "I'm getting a greatdeal too dry with all this palaver. I don't mind gettin' drunk withnigger chiefs, but I'm darned if I'll--" He paused, but the grim smileon his companion's face showed that he appreciated the compliment.
"I say," he continued, giving his employer a confidential nudge with hiselbow, "suppose we'd gone down in the bay this last time, you'd ha' beena bit out in your reckoning--eh, what?"
"Why so?"
"Well, we were over-insured on our outward passage. An accident thenmight ha' put thousands in your pocket, I know. Coming back, though,the cargo was worth more than the insurance, I reckon. You'd ha' beenout o' pocket if we'd foundered. It would ha' been a case o' theengineer hoisted on his own Peter, as Shakspere says."
"We take our chance of these things," the merchant said with dignity.
"Well, good morning, guv'nor," Captain Hamilton Miggs said brusquely."When you wants me you can lay your hands on me at the old crib, the_Cock and Cowslip_, Rotherhithe."
As he passed out
through the office, Ezra rejoined his father.
"He's a curious chap," he remarked, jerking his head in the directionwhich Miggs had taken. "I heard him bellowing like a bull, so I thoughtI had best listen to what he had to say. He's a useful servant,though."
"The fellow's half a savage himself," his father said. "He's in hiselement among them. That's why he gets on so well with them."
"He doesn't seem much the worse for the climate, either."
"His body does not, but his soul, Ezra, his soul? However, to return tobusiness. I wish you to see the underwriters and pay the premium of the_Black Eagle_. If you see your way to it, increase the policy; but doit carefully, Ezra, and with tact. She will start about the time of theequinoctial gales. If anything _should_ happen to her, it would be aswell that the firm should have a margin on the right side."
The Firm of Girdlestone Page 4