Barney felt as though he had stepped directly into a steel trap! He tried to think, but nothing came. After a while he said, “Beecham is a man of wisdom, Del, but I’m not sure he’s right about this.”
“Barney, I need help,” Del persisted quietly. “Some men can make it alone, like Stanley. Others of us need companionship. So, I’m asking you right out, will you give me a hand with this?”
Barney swallowed hard. There didn’t seem to be any way out.
He sighed. “All right, Del. I can’t promise anything, and you’ll probably be sorry you ever asked me—but I’ll do what I can.”
Del leaped up and pounded Barney’s shoulders. “Oh, thank you! I knew you could do it!”
A deep unrest rose in Winslow’s mind. Somehow, what Del was doing could not be right. But Barney’d said he’d do it. He was caught.
Del stepped back, his face shining. “I’m going to see if I can get two tickets on that boat you and Dorothy are going on, Barney. That way Katie and I can be alone.”
He rushed out, and though Barney knew the ticket office would be closed, he didn’t mention it. For a long time he sat staring at the wall. Then he snorted: “Barney Winslow’s Counseling Service! What a joke!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Another Voyage
The Falcon made no pretensions to grandeur. She was merely an ancient cargo ship that had been owned and sold so many times that not even Captain Borg had any idea of her origin. Unlike most ships of her class, she did have several cabins available for passengers. None of them were ornate, and the passengers were expected to stay out of the way of the crew as they worked the ship.
Captain Borg looked down at the quay with a pair of cautious gray eyes, and muttered to the tall sailor standing with him at the rail, “There they come, Bjelland. When they get on board, get the ship underway.”
“Aye, sir.” Norman Bjelland was a typical Norwegian—fair hair and blue eyes. “I hope they don’t give us any problems. That last bunch drove me crazy.”
Captain Borg winced at the thought, but said, “This bunch won’t be wild. They’re all missionaries. Probably try to save all us heathens, but being preached at isn’t as bad as having a chair bent over your head, is it, Norman?”
Bjelland touched the fresh scar over his left eyebrow and grinned. “I’ll get them settled down, Captain.” He went to greet the passengers at the gangplank. “Welcome aboard the Falcon. I’m the first officer, Lieutenant Bjelland.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. I’m Barney Winslow. Let me introduce you to our group.”
As Barney named off the other two men, then the three women, Bjelland noted that they were all young—and all three women were attractive. Have to warn the crew against getting familiar with them, he thought, but said only, “I’m happy to meet you all. You’ll meet the captain and the other officers at dinner tonight, but let me take you to your cabins.” He hesitated, then added, “We have only four cabins. How would you like to share them?”
Dorothy broke in, “I’ll take one of the singles, Lieutenant Bjelland.—That’ll give you and Pearl some time together, won’t it, Katie?”
“That will be fine!” Pearl said as Katie nodded.
“Why don’t you and I bunk together, Barney?” Del suggested quickly. “Slim couldn’t stand my snoring anyway!”
“Okay by me,” Ranken nodded.
The first officer continued. “You know this is a working ship, of course, so you’ll have to entertain yourselves. Let me show you the facility for recreation.” He took them to a room sparsely furnished with a few tables and chairs. “This is it, I’m afraid. Not too plush.”
Pearl smiled. “It is after a hut with mud floor and no screens, Lieutenant. We’ll like it.”
Bjelland looked at her, then at the others with fresh respect. “I’m glad you see it that way. Let me know if you need anything. Dinner will be served at seven.”
He showed them to their rooms, and Katie headed straight for the narrow beds. “Not bad, Pearl,” she said. “As you said, after a mud hut, it looks like a palace.”
Pearl looked out the porthole. “I think we’re moving, Katie. Feel the engines?” She watched for a while as the Falcon slowly left the harbor.
“I don’t think we were supposed to be on this trip, Katie.”
Katie looked up with surprise. “What makes you think that, Pearl? I understood Barney wanted us to get together. Sort of a gathering of the Company.”
“That’s what it turned into,” Pearl smiled. “But I got it out of Del—the original idea.”
“The original idea?”
“Yes. The way Del told it, he came in from his station for supplies and found out that Barney and Dorothy were taking a cruise. Sort of a vacation.” Pearl ran her hand through her black curly hair, an amused light in her eyes. “Del invited himself, and then Barney got the idea of getting all of us together for a reunion. Which isn’t what Miss Hansen had on her mind, I’m pretty sure!”
Katie put the last of her things in the small chest, shut the drawer, then sat down on the bed and considered what Pearl had just said. She had merely gotten a message that she was needed if she could get free. She mentioned this to Pearl, adding, “I don’t think I would have come if I’d known that.”
“I would!” Pearl said emphatically. “The last few weeks have been pretty hard.” She stared down at her hands, saying quietly, “I miss Tobe a lot, Katie. More than I thought I would.”
Katie had known that there had been some difficulty between Tobe and Pearl, but neither of them had ever spoken of it. She said, “He was such a fine man, Pearl. So dedicated!”
“Yes, I see that now. I—I wish I’d showed a little more—”Tears flooded Pearl’s eyes, and she quickly dashed them away. “You see? I get all weepy over things. I thought it would be good for me to be with people again.”
“It is! And we’re going to have a fine time.”
A mischievous expression came to Pearl’s face. “I can’t help but be glad that we interfered with Dorothy’s scheme. She’s pretty clever, but I understand, I think.”
“Understand what, Pearl?”
“Why, she needs a husband!”
Katie smiled. “Well, so do I.”
“Oh, nonsense, Katie! It’s not the same thing at all.” Pearl thought for a moment, then said positively, “She was going to get Andy, but he had the sense to leave. Now she’s settled on Barney.”
“I’m sure Barney will have something to say about that, Pearl.” Katie was not at all certain Pearl’s calculations were right, but she did remember how Dorothy had seemed to be very close to Andy.
“Barney’s a sitting duck, Katie!” Pearl said. “He’s a sweet fellow, but he can’t say no to anyone. Isn’t that obvious? He doesn’t want to be here in Monrovia; he wants to be out in the bush. But he couldn’t say no to Andy. And you watch what I say, sooner or later Dorothy will have a wedding ring out of him!”
Katie jumped to her feet. “Oh, Pearl, let them do what they please. Come on, let’s go on deck.”
Pearl said no more, for she could see that the conversation displeased Katie.
The two found Del and Slim standing up in the bow, watching the waves break as the Falcon pushed through them.
“This sea air is wonderful!” Ranken called out as Katie and Pearl approached. “It’s so fresh!” They all stood at the rail drinking in the tangy breeze. It was hot on deck, but not like the steaming heat of the jungle; and after the smell of an African village, the fresh air was as intoxicating as wine.
“I’m glad Barney thought of this trip,” Ranken commented. “I’ve been dying to see all of you. I get so lonesome sometimes, I catch myself talking to myself!”
“I’m worse than that, Slim!” Pearl said. “I even answer myself!”
Ranken looked at her, nodded slowly. “I guess it’s worse on you and me, Pearl. We’ve lost something that can’t be replaced.” Then he shook his head disparagingly. “Well, this is no wake! Let me te
ll you about my latest blunder.”
He plunged into a long story of how he had tried to accomplish something that failed miserably, and had the others rolling in laughter. When he and Pearl left the bow to go stand on the fantail, Katie said, “They’ve had it worse than any of us, Del. We’ve all been lonely. I’ve missed Irene and you’ve missed Andy—but to lose your husband or wife, that has to be terrible!”
Del smiled at Katie, admiring the color in her cheeks and the sunlight on her blond hair. She was fresh and fair in his eyes, but he could not tell her this. “That’s right, Katie.”
She waited for him to go on, but when he stopped, she said, “Tell me about the work in Chodi, Del. Is it going well?” She listened as he spoke, little knowing that it was not the mission work he wanted to discuss. When he finally paused, she said, “I was very happy when I heard about your decision—to leave the city and go back to Chodi.”
“You were?” Del brightened. “It’s been good—but it does get lonesome.”
“I get lonesome, too,” Katie admitted.
Del could have spoken to his advantage, but unsure of the right words, he missed the opportunity. Soon she went below, and Del groaned at his stupidity. He was glad to have been with her, but angry that he had not seized his chance to tell her how he felt. With chagrin, he went to find Barney but found him in deep conversation with Dorothy, so he went to his room to plot his strategy.
At dinner there were only four officers present: Captain Borg, Lieutenant Bjelland, Carlin, the chief engineer, a short, husky man, and Drake, the second officer, quite the opposite of Carlin.
“A little crowded,” Captain Borg said as they all sat down. “But all the better for good fellowship.” The food was brought in, and Borg nodded at Barney. “I suppose you are in the custom of saying grace, Reverend Winslow?”
“I’m afraid so, Captain,” Barney smiled. “However, I’m known as a man with a quick prayer.”
“Good!” the chief engineer laughed. “Get on with it, Reverend!”
Barney lived up to his boast, and in a few seconds they were eating, and conversation began to flow smoothly.
“Tell me about your voyage from America,” the captain said. And when he heard they had sailed with Captain Seale, he nodded. “Fine sailor! Known him for many years.”
“Have you seen him lately, Captain?” Katie asked.
“No, not for a couple of years.”
“He’s not the same man,” Katie went on, and when Borg inquired how Seale had changed, Katie told how he had become a Christian.
Captain Borg thought about what she said, then nodded. “I’m not surprised. Seale’s always been interested in that sort of thing.”
“His first mate, a man called Sipes, got the same thing,” Del grinned.
“Sipes got religion?” Lieutenant Bjelland lifted his eyebrows. “I find that hard to believe! Fellow was nothing but a bruiser!”
“Barney Winslow had a hand in his conversion,” Slim Ranken smiled. He told them the story of the bout with Sipes.
“You’re Bat Winslow?” Drake, the second officer, exclaimed, his eyes wide. “Why, I saw you fight Kid Nelson in Troy!”
Barney shook his head. “Ancient history, Mr. Drake,” he said. “I’m fighting worse than Kid Nelson now.”
The officers were interested, and for a long time they all lingered over the meal as the missionaries told of their work. Finally the captain rose, saying, “This has been quite pleasant. We’ll look forward to more of your experiences, won’t we, gentlemen?”
The other officers nodded, and the company broke up. “Let’s go to the recreation room,” Slim Ranken suggested. “I’d like us to have all the fellowship we can on this cruise.”
For the next hour they talked about old times. When it came to memories of those who had died—Tobe, Irene, and Lily—they didn’t linger on the topic since it was too painful.
“Wish Awful were here,” Barney said wistfully. “I miss that fellow!”
“Tell us again about how he witnessed to you in prison,” Katie said. “I never get tired of hearing about that.”
Dorothy had been left out—mostly because they had spoken of mutual experiences. Now she said with an edge of sharpness, “I don’t think Barney likes to be reminded of that time, Katie.”
“Why, of course, Dorothy. I’m sorry,” Katie said.
But Barney only smiled. “Don’t worry, Dorothy. That time was bad, but I can see now that it was God dealing with me. If I hadn’t gone there, I’d probably have gone completely bad. But it was in Sing Sing that I first got a touch from God through Awful.” He didn’t speak further of his days in prison, and they all understood he was deferring to Dorothy.
“Speaking of Awful,” Pearl said, “he’s going through a rough time. Reverend Beecham came by two weeks ago on his way from Gropaka, and he said that Awful was having a lot of sickness.”
Barney bit his lip, but said nothing.
“I’ll go see him when we get back,” Del offered. He turned to Katie. “Maybe you’d like to make the trip, too. It’s not very far from your station.”
“Yes, I’d like to go, Del.”
It was Dorothy who made the first move to leave. “I think I’ll stroll around the deck before I turn in.”
Barney got up, saying, “It’s getting late. I’ll go with you, Dorothy.”
“That was pretty boring for you,” Barney said as they walked around the deck. “Nothing worse than listening to people talk about old times that you didn’t have a part in.”
“It’s nice for all of you,” Dorothy replied. She was wearing a green silk dress that shimmered in the silver moon as she moved. “I am jealous, though.”
He stopped abruptly. “Jealous? Of who?” “Not who,” she smiled. “I’m jealous of the experiences you all share. It’s silly, but I wish I could be part of it.”
She was looking up at him, her hair ruffled by the breeze and her large eyes wide. “But we’ll have experiences of our own to remember, won’t we, Barney?”
“Sure,” he nodded, uncertain as to how to answer. The faint throbbing of the engines and the hissing of the sea as the ship moved along in the moonlight made him feel light and free. “You know,” he said, “you’re looking wonderful, Dorothy.”
“Why, thank you, Barney!” She laughed softly and reached out to touch his cheek. “I’ll have to mark this in my date book. It’s an event.”
“An event?”
“Yes,” she said with a curving smile. “It’s the first time you ever said a personal thing to me. I’ve been wondering if you ever would. I’ve begun to think you look at me as if I were a piece of the furniture!”
“Oh no!” he protested. He hesitated, then said, “You’ve been good for me, Dorothy. When I was sick—and afterward, too—I felt pretty low. It seemed as if all I came to Africa for had fallen through. And then you came along and talked to me, cheered me up. It—it’s meant a lot to me.”
Dorothy waited, her heart racing, but when he made no move, she said, “You’ve been good for me, too, Barney. I’ve felt so—so right when you’ve been with me!”
At that moment the ship changed course, and the slight tilt of the deck threw her off balance. She fell against him with a small cry, and he instinctively put his arms around her. As she looked up, she closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his lips on hers. It was not a long kiss, but enough for Barney to feel her response. She drew back and said, “That was sweet, Barney! Good-night!”
She gingerly tripped off the deck, her willowy shape disappearing around the corner as Barney watched, a dazed expression on his face. Why did I do that? he asked himself, solemnly turning back to the rail to stare vacantly at the wake made by the ship. Below, the water glittered in the moonlight. Above, a scattering of tattered clouds drifted across the sky. He gazed up at the fluffy cotton balls advancing toward the moon, the tendrils draping the crescent so that the brilliance of its face dimmed. With a sigh, he left, and when Del came to bed, Barney
feigned sleep.
The next morning Del was impatiently waiting for Barney to wake up. “Barney, have you talked to Katie—about me, I mean?”
Barney pried his eyes open and tried to focus on Del. His voice was thick with sleep as he grunted, “No, Del, I haven’t.” He lurched to his feet, gulped down some water, then filled the basin and started working up a lather. He shaved carefully, paying little heed as Del talked steadily, mostly about Katie.
When he was finished, he dressed, and only then did he ask, “Have you said anything to her?”
“Well, not really,” Del admitted. “I’m working up to it, though. We had a great talk on deck yesterday.”
“Did you tell her how you feel?”
“Barney, I just can’t seem to work up to it!” Del’s face was filled with despair. “But if I knew that she had some sort of warning—why, I could do it.”
“Warning? What kind of warning?” Barney asked as they left the cabin and headed for the dining room.
“I mean, if you’d sort of talk to her, Barney. Kind of let her know how much I think of her.” Del reached out and pulled Barney to a stop as they approached the dining room. “Do that for me, Barney, will you?”
Barney took a deep breath and released it. “All right, Del. I’ll try. But it sounds stupid to me. A girl wants to hear that kind of thing from the man who loves her—not a messenger boy.”
****
All day long Barney mulled over the chore Del had forced on him. The ship docked at noon to take on supplies, and everyone went ashore to see the town and visit the open markets. That night after supper, Dorothy asked Barney to help her go over some plans she had for a mission project with the lepers, and he agreed.
It was late when they put away the papers, and he walked her to her state room. Instead of going in, she paused. “It’s so good to have someone to work with on these things, Barney!” Then seemingly on impulse, she reached up and pulled his head down, kissing him lightly.
The Final Adversary Page 24