On this plain fare Private Bliss lived the whole of that day and the next, s.n.a.t.c.hing a few hours" troubled sleep on the locker at nights. His peace of mind was by no means increased by the information of Ted that Bystermouth was a garrison town, and feeling that in spite of any explanation he would be treated as a deserter, he resolved to desert in good earnest at the first opportunity that offered.
By the third day n.o.body took any notice of him, and his presence on board was almost forgotten, until Bob, going down to the forecastle, created a stir by asking somewhat excitedly what had become of him.
"He"s on deck, I s"pose," said the cook, who was having a pipe.
"He"s not," said Bob, solemnly.
"He"s not gone overboard, I s"pose?" said Bill, starting up.
Touched by this morbid suggestion they went up on deck and looked round; Private Bliss was nowhere to be seen, and Ted, who was steering, Had heard no splash. He seemed to have disappeared by magic, and the cook, after a hurried search, ventured aft, and, descending to the cabin, mentioned his fears to the skipper.
"Nonsense!" said that gentleman, sharply, "I"ll lay I"ll find him."
He came on deck and looked round, followed at a respectful distance by the crew, but there was no sign of Mr. Bliss.
Then an idea, a horrid idea, occurred to the cook. The colour left his cheeks and he gazed helplessly at the skipper.
"What is it?" bawled the latter.
The cook, incapable of speech, raised a trembling hand and pointed to the galley. The skipper started, and, rushing to the door, drew it hastily back.
Mr. Bliss had apparently finished, though he still toyed languidly with his knife and fork as though loath to put them down. A half-emptied saucepan of potatoes stood on the floor by his side, and a bone, with a small fragment of meat adhering, was between his legs on a saucepan lid which served as a dish.
"Rather underdone, cook," he said, severely, as he met that worthy"s horror-stricken gaze.
"Is that the cabin"s or the men"s he"s eaten?" vociferated the skipper.
"Cabin"s," replied Mr. Bliss, before the cook could speak; "it looked the best. Now, has anybody got a nice see-gar?"
He drew back the door the other side of the galley as he spoke, and went out that way. A move was made towards him, but he backed, and picking up a handspike swung it round his head.
"Let him be," said the skipper in a choking voice, "let him be. He"ll have to answer for stealing my dinner when I get "im ash.o.r.e. Cook, take the men"s dinner down into the cabin. I"ll talk to you by and by."
He walked aft and disappeared below, while Private Bliss, still fondling the handspike, listened unmoved to a lengthy vituperation which Bill called a plain and honest opinion of his behaviour.
"It"s the last dinner you"ll "ave for some time," he concluded, spitefully; "it"ll be skilly for you when you get ash.o.r.e."
Mr. Bliss smiled, and, fidgeting with his tongue, asked him for the loan of his toothpick.
"You won"t be using it yourself," he urged. "Now you go below all of you and start on the biscuits, there"s good men. It"s no use standing there saying a lot o" bad words what I left off when I was four years old."
He filled his pipe with some tobacco he had thoughtfully borrowed from the cook before dinner, and dropping into a negligent att.i.tude on the deck, smoked placidly with his eyes half-closed. The brig was fairly steady and the air hot and slumberous, and with an easy a.s.surance that n.o.body would hit him while in that position, he allowed his head to fall on his chest and dropped off into a light sleep.
It became evident to him the following afternoon that they were nearing Bystermouth. The skipper contented himself with eyeing him with an air of malicious satisfaction, but the crew gratified themselves by painting the horrors of his position in strong colors. Private Bliss affected indifference, but listened eagerly to all they had to say, with the air of a general considering his enemy"s plans.
It was a source of disappointment to the crew that they did not arrive until after nightfall, and the tide was already too low for them to enter the harbour. They anch.o.r.ed outside, and Private Bliss, despite his position, felt glad as he smelt the land again, and saw the twinkling lights and houses ash.o.r.e. He could even hear the clatter of a belated vehicle driving along the seafront. Lights on the summits of the heights in the background, indicated, so Bill said, the position of the fort.
To the joy of the men he partly broke down in the forecastle that night; and, in tropical language, severally blamed his parents, the School Board, and the Army for not having taught him to swim. The last thing that Bill heard, ere sleep closed his lids, was a pious resolution on the part of Mr. Bliss to the effect that all his children should be taught the art of natation as soon as they were born.
Bill woke up just before six; and, hearing a complaining voice, thought at first that his military friend was still speaking. The voice got more and more querulous with occasional excursions into the profane, and the seaman, rubbing his eyes, turned his head, and saw old Thomas groping about the forecastle.
"Wot"s the matter with you, old "un?" he demanded.
"I can"t find my trousis," grumbled the old man.
"Did you "ave "em on larst night?" inquired Bill, who was still half asleep.
"Course I did, you fool," said the other snappishly.
"Be civil," said Bill, calmly, "be civil. Are you sure you haven"t got "em on now?"
The old man greeted this helpful suggestion with such a volley of abuse that Bill lost his temper.
"P"r"aps somebody"s got "em on their bed, thinking they was a patchwork quilt," he said, coldly; "it"s a mistake anybody might make. Have you got the jacket?"
"I ain"t got nothing," replied the bewildered old man, ""cept wot I stand up in."
"That ain"t much," said Bill frankly. "Where"s that blooming sojer?" he demanded suddenly.
"I don"t know where "e is, and I don"t care," replied the old man. "On deck, I s"pose."
"P"r"aps "e"s got "em on," said the unforgiving Bill; ""e didn"t seem a very pertikler sort of chap."
The old man started, and hurriedly ascended to the deck. He was absent two or three minutes, and, when he returned, consternation was writ large upon his face.
"He"s gone," he spluttered; "there ain"t a sign of "im about, and the life-belt wot hangs on the galley "as gone too. Wot am I to do?"
"Well, they was very old cloes," said Bill, soothingly, "an" you ain"t a bad figger, not for your time o" life, Thomas."
"There"s many a wooden-legged man "ud be glad to change with you,"
affirmed Ted, who had been roused by the noise. "You"ll soon get over the feeling o" shyness, Thomas."
The forecastle laughed encouragingly, and Thomas, who had begun to realise the position, joined in. He laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks, and his excitement began to alarm his friends.
"Don"t be a fool, Thomas," said Bob, anxiously.
"I can"t help it," said the old man, struggling hysterically; "it"s the best joke I"ve heard."
"He"s gone dotty," said Ted, solemnly. "I never "eard of a man larfing like that a "cos he"d lorst "is cloes."
"I"m not larfing at that," said Thomas, regaining his composure by a great effort. "I"m larfing at a joke wot you don"t know of yet."
A deadly chill struck at the hearts of the listeners at these words, then Bill, after a glance at the foot of his bunk, where he usually kept his clothes, sprang out and began a hopeless search. The other men followed suit, and the air rang with lamentations and profanity. Even the spare suits in the men"s chests had gone; and Bill, a prey to acute despair, sat down, and in a striking pa.s.sage consigned the entire British Army to perdition.
""E"s taken one suit and chucked the rest overboard, I expect, so as we sha"n"t be able to go arter "im," said Thomas. "I expect he could swim arter all, Bill."
Bill, still busy with the British Army, paid no heed.
"We must go an" tell the old man," said Ted.