He took him for his own apparition.
Joe Basalt and Jack Tiller felt unhappy.
They had long learnt to repent of their slyness in concealing the stowaway on board the "Westward Ho!"
Honest Joe Basalt and rough-and-ready Jack Tiller consulted daily over the dilemma into which they had fallen.
"Hark ye, Jack," said his pal Basalt, "we"ve bin an" made ha.s.ses of ourselves in getting that chap aboard, but our dooty is clear now."
"What"s that?"
"To go and make a clean breast of it to the skipper."
"But the cove himself seemed so particular ava.r.s.e to that."
"Cos why? Ain"t he bin telling lies by the pint measure? He"s been humbugging of us," persisted Basalt.
"Let"s go and talk reasonable to him, then," said Tiller, "for this must come to an end. Damme, if I don"t feel as if I"d been an" done a hanging job at the very least."
They went to the hold and found Hunston.
The appearance of the wretched stowaway was by this time something dreadful.
"We have come to the conclusion, mister," said Joe Basalt, "that there is nothing for it but to let the skipper know all."
Hunston p.r.i.c.ked up his ears at this.
"Do what?" he exclaimed, violently. "Split upon me, would ye?"
"That"s a rum word to use," said Joe Basalt. "You are precious feverish, and if you only was to see our skipper and let him know what you told us when we picked you out of the water, he would help you--"
"To a halter," muttered the castaway.
"Did you speak?"
"No, Tiller, not I: I was only saying that he wouldn"t care to see me, so drop it."
"We can"t"
"Can"t," repeated Joe Basalt.
"Then listen to me," exclaimed Hunston, starting up with new energy; "if you tell a word about me to anyone it will be a breach of faith and I shall resent it."
"Resent! How?"
"Easily."
"Well, if you means threatening me. I may as well tell you I ain"t afeared of no man, and when you gets round and pulls up your strength again, I shall be happy to have half an hour with you quiet and comfortable, and my pal, Jack Tiller, shall stand by and see fair play."
And honest Joe rolled up his shirt sleeves showing to the villain Hunston a pair of powerful and brawny arms.
"I don"t mean that," said Hunston.
"But I do."
"And so do I," added Jack Tiller.
"I mean to say that if you betray me to Harkaway or to any of the party, I shall make a point of letting them know that you kept me snug here so long because you were well paid for it, and it may not please your master, perhaps, to learn that you are doing a little pa.s.senger traffic upon your own account; and what"s better, sticking to the money you make over it."
This staggered the two sailors not a little.
"You lying, black-hearted swab," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Tiller, when he had got his breath. "Would you dare?"
Hunston curled his lip contemptuously.
"Dare!"
"Why, you sneaking, lying Judas," cried Basalt.
"Lying!" echoed Hunston; "is it not true?"
"No."
"Not true that I paid you for saving me and bringing me here?"
"Yes; but--"
"But--but--but pickles. The tale I shall tell will speak for itself."
"Then, damme, you shall try it on now," e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the exasperated Joe Basalt, moving towards the companion ladder.
But before he could get any further, Hunston sprang before him, knife in hand.
"Hold!"
"Stand aside," cried Joe.
"When you have sworn not to utter a word; but not till then--not till then."
The two sailors stared at each other in surprise at this outburst.
"Well, Joe," exclaimed his comrade, "did you ever see such a black- hearted villain?"
"Not I. But put of the way with you, swab, or, damme, I"ll make small biscuit of you."
So saying, he ran at Hunston, and knocked the knife out of his hand.