Billy looked up and smiled, and the cloud which had sat on his brow when he thought of the coldblooded desertion of Mr. Brown gave way to an expression of serene content.
"Well, what"s he going to do?" inquired the mate, in a low voice.
"That needn"t worry us," said the skipper.
"Let things take their course; that"s my motto."
He took the wheel from Harry; the little town came closer; the houses separated and disclosed roads, and the boy discovered to his disappointment that the church stood on ground of its own, and not on the roof of a large red house as he had supposed. He ran forward as they got closer, and, perching up in the bows until they were fast to the quay, looked round searchingly for any signs of Sam.
The skipper locked up the cabin, and then calling on one of the sh.o.r.e hands to keep an eye on the forecastle, left it open for the convenience of the small pa.s.senger. Harry, Charlie, and the cook stepped ash.o.r.e. The skipper and mate followed, and the latter, looking back from some distance, called his attention to the desolate little figure sitting on the hatch.
"I s"pose he"ll be all right," said the skipper, uneasily; "there"s food and a bed down the fo"c"s"le. You might just look round to-night and see he"s safe. I expect we"ll have to take him back to London with us."
They turned up a small road in the direction of home and walked on in silence, until the mate, glancing behind at an acquaintance who had just pa.s.sed, uttered a sharp exclamation. The skipper turned, and a small figure which had just shot round the corner stopped in mid-career and eyed them warily. The men exchanged uneasy glances.
"Father," cried a small voice.
"He-he"s adopted you now," said the skipper, huskily.
"Or you," said the mate. "I never took much notice of him."
He looked round again. Master Jones was following briskly, about ten yards in the rear, and twenty yards behind him came the crew, who, having seen him quit the ship, had followed with the evident intention of being in at the death.
"Father," cried the boy again, "wait for me."
One or two pa.s.sers-by stared in astonishment, and the mate began to be uneasy as to the company he was keeping.
"Let"s separate," he growled, "and see who he"s calling after."
The skipper caught him by the arm. "Shout out to him to go back," he cried.
"It"s you he"s after, I tell you," said the mate. "Who do you want, Billy?"
"I want my father," cried the youth, and, to prevent any mistake, indicated the raging skipper with his finger.
"Who do you want?" bellowed the latter, in a frightful voice.
"Want you, father," chirrupped Master Jones.
Wrath and dismay struggled for supremacy in the skipper"s face, and he paused to decide whether it would be better to wipe Master Jones off the face of the earth or to pursue his way in all the strength of conscious innocence. He chose the latter course, and, a shade more erect than usual, walked on until he came in sight of his house and his wife, who was standing at the door.
"You come along o" me, Jem, and explain," he whispered to the mate. Then he turned about and hailed the crew. The crew, flattered at being offered front seats in the affair, came forward eagerly.
"What"s the matter?" inquired Mrs. Hunt, eyeing the crowd in amazement as it grouped itself in antic.i.p.ation.
"Nothing," said her husband, off-handedly.
"Who"s that boy?" cried the innocent woman.
"It"s a poor little mad boy," began the skipper; "he came aboard-"
"I"m not mad, father," interrupted Master Jones.
"A poor little mad boy," continued the skipper, hastily, "who came aboard in London and said poor old Sam Brown was his father."
"No-you, father," cried the boy, shrilly.
"He calls everybody his father," said the skipper, with a smile of anguish; "that"s the form his madness takes. He called Jem here his father."
"No, he didn"t," said the mate, bluntly.
"And then he thought Charlie was his father."
"No, sir," said Mr. Legge, with respectful firmness.
"Well, he said Sam Brown was," said the skipper.
"Yes, that"s right, sir," said the crew. "Where is Sam?" inquired Mrs.
Hunt, looking round expectantly.
"He deserted the ship at Withersea," said her husband.
"I see," said Mrs. Hunt, with a bitter smile, "and these men have all come up prepared to swear that the boy said Sam was his father. Haven"t you?"
"Yes, mum," chorused the crew, delighted at being understood so easily.
Mrs. Hunt looked across the road to the fields stretching beyond. Then she suddenly brought her gaze back, and, looking full at her husband, uttered just two words-
"Oh, Joe!"
"Ask the mate," cried the frantic skipper.
"Yes, I know what the mate"ll say," said Mrs. Hunt. "I"ve no need to ask him."
"Charlie and Harry were with Sam when the boy came up to them,"
protested the skipper.
"I"ve no doubt," said his wife. "Oh, Joe! Joe! Joe!"
There was an uncomfortable silence, during which the crew, standing for the most part on one leg in sympathy with their chief"s embarra.s.sment, nudged each other to say something to clear the character of a man whom all esteemed.
"You ungrateful little devil," burst out Mr. Legge, at length; "arter the kind way the skipper treated you, too."
"Did he treat him kindly?" inquired the captain"s wife, in conversational tones.
"Like a fa-like a uncle, mum," said the thoughtless Mr. Legge. "Gave "im a pa.s.sage on the ship and fairly spoilt "im. We was all surprised at the fuss "e made of "im; wasn"t we, Harry?"
He turned to his friend, but on Mr. Green"s face there was an expression of such utter scorn and contempt that his own fell. He glanced at the skipper, and was almost frightened at his appearance.