CHAPTER XXVII
"In about half-an-hour the faint glimmer of Jones's oar in the watershowed how hard it was to find the schooner again; however, he managedto get aboard at last, by which time I was walking carelessly past thebinnacle in the dark, and as soon as he sought me out and began tospeak, I saw it was all right. Mr Snelling came on deck to his watch,blowing up the men for letting out the only light aboard, as he didn'tknow fore-and-aft from 'thwart-ships, nor north from south. The cabinlamp under the skylight had gone out too for want of oil, without beingnoticed as long as the moon shone, and not even the planter's cherootwas to be seen. From the snatches of their conversation he had time togather, I agreed with Jones that, whatever the four fellows on thejib-boom might have intended beforehand, their present cue wasn't at allto try seizing the ship; in fact, the schooner's sudden appearance inthis latitude, with what they knew of her before, had naturally enoughbrought out a number of the crew in different colours to what they'dstick to after getting a fright and finding their mistake--though bythis time I had no doubt in my own mind that the villain who bent on hissilk neckerchief to the signal halliards in that hurry the afternoonbefore actually meant it for the _black flag_, while the absurdity of anIndiaman _striking_ at all to a cruiser that wanted her just toheave-to, was a sign how most of the crew's minds went, as long as theyfancied us pirates. However, Jones had seen sufficient of the lanternaffair on the boom to explain it to my great relief; the ringleader ofthem, no other I was sure than ugly Harry himself, seemed to scrubtrousers ordinarily for one of the quarter-deck officers, and had gothold of an old chart in his berth that same evening, which the four hadcome out there to get a private overhaul of. All Jones could get room tosee was that it was a chart of some islands, with a particular mark atone of them, on which the fellow with the lantern put his thumb, whenanother asked if there weren't any trees on it. 'Trees, ay, trees enoughto hang all the blasted lubbers afloat!' said the first, as Joneslistened. 'I'd as soon think of sailing in a craft without spars asaboard a dazart ileyand without trees!' One was tired of the Indiaman,another sick of the world, and a third, with Jack down on the bowsprit,wanted to chase buffaloes and shoot birds. As for the rest, the head ofthe gang assured his mates there were plenty of other islands not faroff, and natives in them; whereupon the light was put out, and, inshort, they made it up amongst them to take one of the ship's boatsquietly some night as soon as she got in the latitude of the Maldives,and steer for this said island; although, in case of their being doggedabout by the schooner, of which the chief scoundrel seemed, by Jones'saccount, to have a wholesome fear, it wouldn't be so easy a matter.Indeed the last words he was heard to say, as they crept inward down theboom, were to the effect that he thought there were _some aboard_ asanxious to drop the cruiser as they were. ''Faith, Mr Jones,' said I,glad to find this was what they wanted, 'if that's all, I shan't standin their way--so as soon as the breeze springs up, we'd better clear offaltogether. The smoothest way is to let them take themselves quietly offand I've no fear of the ship--only, before fairly shaping our own coursefor Bengal, we must manage to have another sight of her under full sailfor Bombay!'
"Neither of us thought of turning in, for by the next half-hour, infact, the Indiaman's hull and canvas began to blacken out of the gloomon one side--the blue of the water spread round till it glitteredagainst the ring of light kindling and kindling on the horizon, till itrose seemingly in a perfect fire at one spot in the rim of it, blazingup toward the cool blue aloft; then the sun was out. As long as we hadto stick to your niceties and fine manners, in fact, I felt as muchafraid of meeting Violet herself as a country booby would--I'll behanged if I wasn't in doubt of her cutting me dead, suppose I met her,and I shouldn't have had a word to say; whereas with a spice of therough work I thought of all night, or even a chance of somethingdesperate behind, why, a fellow needn't to mind much how he went aboutit--seeing that in the midst of a hubbub the words come into your mouthof themselves, and you're not expected to stand upon ceremony.
"The Scotch mate, being now first officer, had the side-ropes handed uscivilly enough, having just seen the decks washed down in his ownthorough manner, carronades, ropes, and all; but as the captain wasn'tturned out yet, I went up the poop, where a couple of boys were stillswabbing up the wet. The moment I reached it, the sight of the only twopassengers that were out so early, rather took me aback, one of thembeing the last I cared to meet--namely, the Irish Brigadier's lady, whowas walking the deck in pattens, the boys evidently keeping clear of herwith their swabs; and the stout red-faced Brigadier himself, buttoned upto the throat, while he stalked dismally fore-and-aft with her on hisarm. At the first glimpse of me, General Brady stopped short andstared--I daresay he was doubtful whether to call me out or not. 'Gladto _say_ you again, sir!' said he. 'Well, now,' said his lady, 'you'rethe very man I wanted to see!' I still looked at her, unable to say thelike of herself, but terrified to speak a wrong word, with the knowledgeof her confounded temper: the Brigadier had planted himself betwixt meand the poop-stairs, and never having fairly come across her since theaffair about her dog and the shark, why, absurd as it was, I didn't knowwhat the woman might make of my connection with the same craft thatcarried her off so soon after.
"'Yes, indeed, and 'twas foolish of me not to see it in ye at first!'she went on, shaking her parasol at me in a knowing way, and eyeing theschooner again. 'Howiver, _I heard_ of you!' said she, with anotherlook that set me all alive, 'and a mighty bold sort of admirer you are!''Faith, sir,' said the Brigadier, 'if I'd commanded the batthery downthere last night, I'd have waited till ye got nearer, and blown you outof the wather.' ''Tis only a lieutenant you are?' said his lady,speaking without scruple in the midst of his words, and frowning himquiet. 'Nothing more, ma'am,' I said. 'Well, now, Mister Lieutenant,'said the lady suddenly, 'what d'ye mean to do? You didn't find us outhere, I suppose, and actually take these cowardly ship-people of ours by_say_ge-like a bold fellow, for nothing?' After a few words more, MrsBrady all of a sudden vanished down the little quarter-gallery stairnear the ship's taffrail; though I had scarce missed her ere sheappeared again, making me a signal. 'Hush, now!' said she in a whisperout of the stairway, 'and step after me like a cat amongst brokenb_h_ottles, for he's shaving yonder just now on the opposite side--I sawhis kitmagar taking in the hot water.' Next moment I had followed herinto the small state-room in the larboard quarter, where she opened aninner door and left me. By Jove! I could have hugged that Irishwoman onthe spot, vixen as she was--no matter though the very ship might be outof sight in a few hours, and I never set eyes on her again; I thought nomore of it at the moment than I did of her skipper waiting forme--everything was lost in the notion of seeing Violet Hyde's face comeout of that door. All the time there was a whispering, a rustling, and aconfusion in the berth, as if she were taken by surprise, naturallyenough--then I caught a word or two of the young lady's own, that mademe think it was all up.
"The door-handle turned, and the door half opened, then it shut toagain, and I heard Mrs Brady's voice in a coaxing sort of strain, tillat last she opened the door wide and said: 'Then you won't, my dear? SoMister Lieutenant what's-his-name,' added she, 'you may be off to yourvessel, and----' Suddenly I saw Violet's figure shrinking back, as itwere, behind the Brigadier's lady, into the berth; but all at once shewalked straight out to the state-room, half frowning and half laughing,with an angry kind of blush all over her face. Her hair was only loopedup on the side, and braided on the other, as if it weren't rightlyship-shape yet for the day; while as for her dress, I remember nothingexcept its being some brown cloak or other wrapped so close about herthat one couldn't even see her hands, like the picture of a nun. 'MrsBrady seems so astonished to see you here again, Mr Collins,' said she,rather sharply, as I thought, 'that she cannot rest without all thepassengers meeting you, I suppose, before you go?' With that she lookedback, but Mrs Brady had walked out, though I heard the young lady'swaiting-girl moving about inside the berth yet. ''Twas all an accident,my happening to
come on board just now, Miss Hyde,' said I, anxiously,'or, indeed, my having orders to speak the Indiaman at all!' 'Ah!' sheanswered--'and it was so strange of Mrs Brady to--to persist!' Thelovely girl had scarce condescended to look at me yet, but here sheglanced past me through the quarter-gallery window at the schooner,where there was nothing betwixt her and the gay little state-room savethe blue heaving water and the light--then her eye seemed to pass fromthe epaulet on my shoulder to the other that had none, till it lightedfor the first time on my face, with a smile.
"'How beautiful your schooner looks just now, Mr Collins!' said she,turning hastily again; 'it is the--the same that--that we saw before?'Now there was something in those blue eyes of hers, with the dark lashesover them and under them, that made me lose sight at the moment ofeverything in the way of my success, fear and all--a sort of a flyingglance it was, that I couldn't help turning to my favour. 'For God'ssake, Miss Hyde,' said I, 'let me have something one way or other toknow my fate by--it's no use telling my mind after all that's come andgone; but as I mayn't see you again--and the breeze will be updirectly--why----' Violet stood all the while gazing down on thestate-room carpet, making no answer: there was a dead stop, and I heardthe first ripple of the breeze work against the ship's rudder below--byJove! I could have hanged myself at that moment--when I saw her shouldertremble as she looked down, her soft eyelids just lifted till I caughtthe blue of her eye, and the smile came over her lip. How I got hold ofher hand--for that confounded cloak, or whatever it was, I really don'tknow; but so it was, and out I came with the words, 'Violet--I love youto the last drop of my blood, that's all!' I said; 'and I only wish Ihad the chance of showing it!' Violet Hyde drew her hand gently out ofmine, and looked me straight in the face for a moment with a merry sortof a quizzical air, as if I meant some other adventure--and 'Oh no! Ihope not!' added she, with a shudder, and then a blush, no doubtthinking of the African river.
'But Violet, Violet!' said I, eagerly, as she made a move toward thenearest door, 'won't you say, then--_something_, for Heaven's sake, tokeep one in hope?' 'Why, what would you have, sir?' said she, quickly,still turning away--but bless me! I don't exactly remember whatfollowed, in the desperation I felt--nor how near she was to me when Iheard her begging me to 'go, go, if I really loved her!' 'Dearest girl!'I said, 'I shall be far enough off in a short time!' 'Do you actuallysail so soon, then?' said Violet, in a low voice. 'Why, they're bracinground the ship's yards already, I hear,' answered I; 'but indeed I thinkthe schooner might keep near for a few days, too----' 'No--no!' said sheanxiously, 'go altogether, else my father will be still more setagainst--against----Perhaps,' she added, 'we may see you in Calcutta,when--you are'--and her eye glanced from one shoulder of my uniform tothe other. 'When I've got my epaulet shifted to the right shoulder?'[26]asked I, eagerly; '_then_ may I see you?' '_See_--yes,' was the whisperI caught--and 'Dearest, _dearest_ Violet,' said I, almost going down onthe deck before her, 'suppose I manage to ship them on _both_, in thisconfounded peace, will you----' Hush!' said Violet, listening, and allin a flutter, 'indeed you must go, else _I_ must!' 'For God's sake,Violet,' I went on, keeping hold of her hand as she tried to get away,'will you wait a year or two and give me the chance of a war inChina--or up the Mediterranean--or----' But here the wild notions I hadfor a moment left me.
[26] At that period the distinguishing mark of a commander, as the epaulet on the _left_ shoulder, of a lieutenant, and the epaulet on _both_, of a post-captain.
"Somehow or other at that instant a terrible glimpse, as it were, ofBonaparte standing up on the crag in St Helena flashed across me; and asthe folly of the thing, let alone the impudence of it, struck me, Inigh-hand groaned, while Violet Hyde's fingers slipped out of mine. Justthen she turned full round with a soft look of her eyes, and was goingto say something, as I thought; but the handle of the aftermost doorturned, and the Brigadier's lady hastened in. As I glanced round,something or other dropped lightly into the palm of my hand, and nextmoment Violet was gone. 'Twas only a little knot of white ribbon I'dgot, though the scent and the warm touch of it together were enough tostartle one--I almost thought she'd changed into it; and to this day,ma'am, I'll be hanged if I know what _that_ was the scent of--unless itwas sandal wood!
"'Quick!' said Mrs Brady, in a hurry, 'what d'ye stand staring therefor, man alive? Sir Charles is upstairs, and you can't go this way; sothrough the cabins with ye, lieutenant, and out on the quarther-dheck!'Before I well knew what I was doing, accordingly, we were in the judge'smain-cabin, where the ship's masts and the men gathering about the ropescould be seen through the round-house doors as they stood open. 'MrsBrady,' said I, suddenly stepping back to her, 'you're an angel, ma'am,and----' 'You unprincipled young villain ye!' said she, springing aftwith her fingers spread, and begining to raise her voice, 'what would yedo! Brigadier.--D'ye think 'tis deaf I was in the stair yonder, youpromiscuous young----' However, I gave her one bewildered look, andheard no more of it, bolting as I did through the nearest door rightagainst the man coming to the wheel; while the midshipman was on thelook-out for me everywhere to say that the captain of the Indiaman waswaiting for me below in his cabin.
"Indeed she was moving slowly through the water already, as the lightcat's-paws ruffled it here and there, and drew aloft into her royals;our own little craft beginning to slip gently along to leeward of theship, with the dark Lascars' faces under the foot of her whitefore-topmast-staysail, giving her a doubtful enough air, I must own. Ihad nothing particular to say to Finch, in fact; but, captain as he wasof the Indiaman for the time, 'twas the least I could do to see him;besides that somehow or other, I had a sort of feeling as I came onboard half-an-hour before, I couldn't exactly say why, that made oneanxious for a near sight of him. If he suspected anything wrong amongsthis crew, why at any rate he would have an opportunity of mentioning itere we parted company; but, awkward as our meeting each other againwas, of course, and both being on such different footing from before,while my own mind was naturally full of what had just happened, itturned out much as might be expected. Finch was evidently not the sameman he had been a few weeks before, except in his puppy fine gentlemanmanners and way of dress, which were twice as high-flown; with his haircurled, a white handkerchief hanging half out of his breast-pocket, aregular East India uniform, and everything showing the tiptop skipper.The thing that set me less at my ease with him was, that I was sure, byone glance of his eye, he had a pretty fair guess of where I had beenlast, and saw it in my manner--which made me the more careful, asmatters stood, to give no signs of more meddling with the Indiaman.However, I threw in a hint or two, when Finch out and told me quitefrankly, there _had_ been a little disorderly conduct on board afterthey left the Cape, but he had thoroughly put it down, without lettingthe passengers know anything about it, as he said: only, the very daybefore, at the time when the schooner fired, there were a few of themen, he told me, that seemed inclined to disobey orders--fellows hewished he could get rid of.
"'Now, Captain Finch,' said I, as I looked over my shoulder at them fromthe capstan, 'will you point out the men you spoke of, sir, that showedthemselves mutinous?' Finch drew back at this, however, and hummed andhawed at the word. 'Yes, _mutinous_,' repeated I; 'there's no usemincing the matter, I suppose. Just be so good as let me see thefellows, and I'll rid you of them at once!' Finch's glance followed mineas it lighted on Harry Foster's shaggy head watching us with the eye ofa buffalo, past a knot of slouching, hulking, foremast-men of his ownkidney. The moment I caught sight of Jacobs' broad, hearty, brown face,standing apart a bit with his friends, Tom, Bill, the red-haired Irishtopman, and three other honest-like man-o'-war's-men, I took my cue forthe meantime. 'My lads,' said I, walking quietly forward, 'I want a fewhands for the _Hebe_ frigate--you know her, I daresay--and that'senough; for a model like the _Hebe_ doesn't float the water--now, Ican't press any of you!' Here a general laugh ran along both rows, and Iheard a growling chuckle from ugly Foster. 'But,' added I, laughing too,'you can _volunteer_!'
"There was a dead silence, in the midst of which Tom, the fore-topman,the most dashing fellow in the ship, stepped aft with his hat in hishand, then Jacobs, then Bill, and my acquaintance the 'Savage,' then thethree others. In place of grumbling, in fact, there began to be a hurrahamongst the rest, except some of Foster's chums; a few more seemedinclined to follow, and as for my gentleman captain, he appeared not toknow what to do. 'Now, my man,' said I, stepping straight up to uglyHarry, and eyeing him right in the face as he stood, 'you're a fineseaman-like fellow--true-blue, I'm sure--I've taken a particular fancyto ye--won't you ship for the _Hebe_--eh?' Foster didn't know where tolook, twisting himself round, hitching up his trousers, and altogethertaken fairly aback; every eye was on him, and I'll be hanged if I don'tthink he turned it in his mind to agree. 'Come, Foster,' said I, in alow voice, 'I know you, my man, but if you ship I'll look over thewhole!' All at once Captain Finch walked up to me, saying, 'If youpersist in taking these men, sir, you'll have to answer for it, I cantell you!' 'I know my own meaning, sir,' said I firmly; 'I am in theregular course, and answer for it I will! Say the word, my man, andship?' said I again. 'Blowed if I do!' said Harry, turning on his heelwith a grim scowl; 'none o' yer frigates for me!' and he walked off.Jacobs and the others came on the gangway with their bags, however, andpitched them to the men in the boat, without anyone offering tointerfere; indeed, Finch had seemingly given it up sooner than Iexpected.
"'Now, Captain Finch,' said I, before stepping over the side after MrSnelling and the men, 'I'd much rather we could have hit upon the rightmen; however, the more need for my keeping in sight of you to windward,as I shall do at least till we steer for the Bay of Bengal. I couldn'tdo less, you see,' added I, on getting no answer, 'than make myselfstrong enough to help you if needful!' 'I shall report to the Admiral atBombay, sir!' said he fiercely. 'You may do that, Captain Finch,' Isaid, 'as soon as possible; but, in the meantime, you can't be sure ofwhat may turn up of a dark night, and a couple of lights at yourmain-yardarm, or anywhere, will bring the schooner down in half-an-houror so if there's a breeze. As for a calm,' said I, turning round--butsuch a strange white look had come over Finch's face as he glanced afterme, that, thinking he was beside himself with rage, I went down the sidewithout another word. 'Take your own way!' I fancied I heard him mutterbetwixt his teeth; but next moment we were pulling off.
"Well, the breeze ere this time was steady, though light, and we drewgradually to windward of the Indiaman, till by the afternoon the whiteband on her hull was just awash with the water, and there I kept her,with a little variety, pretty near the whole night, and most of thefollowing day.
"The next night came almost as dark as it had been that night of thecalm; but the breeze freshened again pretty strong, and accordingly Ikept the schooner down to get nearer the ship, which we had seen in thefirst dog-watch dead to leeward. I was rather uneasy for a while at notbeing able to make out her lights, and we slipped fast through thewater, when all at once both Jones and Westwood called out from forwardthat they saw them, and I walked to the bows.
"'All right,' said I, 'but, no, by heaven! That's the signal I named tothe captain! Set stunsails, Mr Jones, and make her walk, for God'ssake!' _Two_ lights it was aloft in the gloom, right to leeward asbefore: there was something wrong, or else she wanted to speak us; soaway we flew before the wind, under everything that could be set. Ilooked and looked, when a thought struck me; not another light was to beseen below, and they weren't high enough from the heave of the sea foreven a ship's lower mast.
"Yes, by George!' said I hurriedly to Westwood and Jones, 'that's a_trick_! The fellow means to give us the slip. Clap the helm down, MrSnelling, and haul aft the sheets there--luff, luff!' We were losing ourweather-gage; in fact, the Indiaman must actually be to windward of usere then, and if the breeze freshened we might lose them altogether. Thething that troubled me most was, that I couldn't believe the man hadthought of such a plan himself; and if he once took a hint from any ofthe scoundrels I knew were aboard, why, there was no saying what mightbe the upshot in the end. Finch was a common enough character at bottom;but with such notions as I was sure were working in his head about MissHyde, one step might lead him on to another, till any chance occasionmight make a desperate villain of him, especially if he suspectedmyself of aught like good fortune with the young lady. It wasn't muchpast midnight, the air was wonderfully heavy and sweltering, and theswell going down, when we heard a murmur amongst the men on theforecastle, and saw a red fire-ball pass high over to nor'ard forhalf-a-minute, leaving a trail in the dark sky beyond the headsails.
"A queer ghastly sort of ruddy gray streak opened out in the black ofthe horizon, where some of them thought they made out the ship; but soonafter we could hear a low hollow kind of a hum, rushing as it were fromeast to west, till it grew almost like the sound of waves on a beach;which made us begin to look to ourselves. There was a bright line oflight directly in the opposite quarter, and the sea far away seemedgetting on fire, with a noise and hubbub coming along below, that nobodyappeared to know the meaning of; while aloft it was as still as achurch. For a moment I saw the _Seringapatam_ quite plainly severalmiles off; but from the confusion, I never could say whether it wasnorth or east; in fact, we kept watching the canvas, expecting to have ahurricane into it next minute. Suddenly the sea came gleam-gleaming andflickering on, as it were, with a washing bubble and a hissing smotherof foam, till it splashed right against our larboard bulwarks, heapingup like perfect fire upon the schooner's side, and running past bothstern and bows, away with a long rolling flash to the other horizon. Allwas pitch-dark again after that, and a whisper went about our decks andround the binnacle lamp of 'The _ripples_!--It's the ripples!'[27]'Nothing more, sir!' said Jones, even he seemingly taken by surprise atfirst. Twice again we had it, though each time fainter, right out of themidst of the gloom; after which it was as calm as before. 'Thank God!'said I, breathing hard, 'we'll have that Indiaman in the morning, at anyrate!' 'Why, sir,' answered Jones, thoughtfully, 'after this we arelikely to have the south-west monsoon upon us ere long--'tis just theplace and the season for it.'
[27] The "Ripples"--a marine phenomenon peculiar, apparently, to the Indian Ocean.
"And so it was. Instead of sighting the _Seringapatam_ at daybreak, Ihad a strong suspicion she had gone to eastward; but of course thefaster the schooner was, why if it were the wrong way we should onlyget from her the farther, and miss her altogether, without ever knowinghow matters went, even if she got quietly into port; so, being the bestplan I could think of for the meantime, away we drove north-westward,sweeping the horizon with the glass every morning. We had run so far,indeed, without success, that I was sure she couldn't be ahead; when oneday I asked Mr Jones to bring me up the chart for those parts, as wetook the latitude. We were a long way to westward of our own course atthe time, and Jones's finger went along eastward till it stopped rightupon the Maldive islands, while he looked up with a sudden sharp glance.'By heaven,' said I, 'yes!--I forgot that story altogether--be so goodas to send that man there, Jacobs, to me. Jacobs,' said I, 'which of theofficers' clothes did that fellow Foster use to scrub lately, in theIndiaman?' Jacobs gave his hair a rub, recollected a moment, andanswered, 'Why, sir, the captain's own.' 'Oh!' I said, 'well, that'lldo, Jacobs'--and Jacobs walked forward again. 'Mr Jones,' said I,quickly, '_that_ chart belonged to the captain!--I'll have a look atthat said desert island, sir!' We found something answering to it on thechart; and in a few minutes the schooner was bowling before the dregs ofthe monsoon to eastward.
"'At all events,' added I, 'we'll see if these vagabonds mean to keeptheir word and turn hermits--either we catch them there, Mr Jones, orelse we must find that Indiaman, though she were in sight of Colibah[28]lighthouse!' Jones's eye lighted, and he turned his nostrils to themonsoon as if he snuffed it in; in fact, he was that sort of man thatneeded somewhat out of the common way to keep him right."
[28] Outside the harbour of Bombay.
The Green Hand: Adventures of a Naval Lieutenant Page 30