I think I must have swooned away with fright, for the next thing I recollect on coming to myself was the steward, Morris Jones, shaking me.
"Rouse up, you lazy lubber!" he roared in my ears. "Rouse up and help me with the cap"en; he"s fell down in a fit, or something!"
Then, I noticed that Jones had a ship"s lantern in his hand, by the dim light of which the cabin was only faintly illuminated; but I could see the water washing about the floor, with a lot of things floating about that had been carried away by the big wave coming in through the broken port in the stern sheets, that was also plainly discernible from the phosph.o.r.escent glow of the sea without, which every moment welled up almost on a level with the deck above, as if it were going to fetch inboard again and vamp us altogether.
"Wha--what"s the matter?" I stammered out, half confused at the way in which the steward shook me; and then, recollecting all that had happened, as the fearful sight both the captain and I had seen flashed all at once on my mind, I put my hands before my face shudderingly, exclaiming, "Oh, the ghost! the ghost!"
"The ghost your grandmother!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Jones, giving me another rough hustle. "Why, boy, you ain"t awake yet. I"ll douse you in the water, and give you a taste of "cold pig," if you don"t get up and help me in a minute!"
"But I saw it," I cried, starting to my feet and looking wildly around to see if the apparition were still there. "I saw it with my own eyes; and so did Captain Snaggs, too!"
"Saw what?"
"The ghost of poor Sam Jedfoot."
Morris Jones laughed scornfully.
"You confounded fool, you"re dreaming still!" he said, shaking me again, to give emphasis to his words. "I should like to know what the n.i.g.g.e.r cook"s ghost were doin" in here. Where did you see his ugly phiz agen, do you say?"
"There!" I answered boldly, pointing to the corner by the cabin door, where, as the steward flashed his lantern in the direction, I could still see something black and hazy waving to and fro. "Why, there it is still, if you don"t believe me!"
"Well, I"m blowed!" he exclaimed, going over to the place and catching hold of the object that had again alarmed me. "You are a frightened feller to be skeared by an old coat! Why, it"s that Dutch second-mate of ourn"s oilskin a-hangin" up outside his bunk that you thought were Sam"s sperrit when the light shone on it, I s"pose. You ain"t got the pluck of a flea, Cholly Hills, to lose your head over sich a trifle.
There"s no ghostesses now-a-days; and if there was, I don"t think as how the cook"s sperrit would come in here, specially arter the way the skipper settled him. Man or ghost, he"d be too much afeard to come nigh the "old man" agen, with him carryin" on like that, and in sich a tantrum. I wonder Sam hadn"t more sense than to cross his hawse as he did. I were too wary, and kep" close in my pantry all the time the row were on, I did. I wern"t born yesterday!"
"But the cap"en saw it, too, I tell you," I persisted. "He yelled out that Sam was there before he tumbled down; and that was how I came to look and notice the awful thing. You can believe it or not, but I tell you I saw Sam Jedfoot there as plain as life--either him or his ghost!"
"Rubbish!" cried Jones, who meanwhile had put the lantern he carried on the cabin table, and was proceeding to lift up the captain"s head and drag him into a sitting posture against the side of one of the settles that ran down the cuddy fore and aft. "Just you light up one of them swinging lamps, and then come and help me carry the skipper to his bunk.
He"s dead drunk, that"s what he is; and I wonder he ain"t drownded, too, lying with his nose in all thafe water sluicing round. As for the ghost he saw, that were rum, his favour-rite sperrit. He ought to "ave seed two Sams from the lot he"s drunk to-night--two bottles as I"m a living sinner, barrin" a gla.s.s or two the first-mate had, and a drop I squeezed out for myself, when I took him up some grog on deck at the end of the second dog-watch!"
"Two bottles of rum!" I exclaimed in astonishment. "Really?"
"Aye; do you think me lying?" snapped out Jones in answer; "that is, pretty nigh on, nearly. I wonder he ain"t dead with it all. I "ave knowed him manage a bottle afore of a night all to hisself, but never two, lor the matter o" that. It ought to kill him. Guess he"s got a lit of "plexy now, an" will wake up with the jim-jams!"
"What"s that?" I asked, as the two of us lifted the captain, who was breathing stertorously, as if snoring; "anything more serious?"
"Only a fit of the horrors," said Jones nonchalantly, as if the matter were an every-day circ.u.mstance, and nothing out of the common; "but if he does get "em, we must hide his blessed revolver, or else he"ll be goin" round the ship lettin" fly at every man Jack of us in turn! I"ll tell Mr Flinders to be on his guard when he comes-to, so that some one "ll look arter him."
As he spoke, the steward slung the body of the unconscious man into his cot, I staggering as I lifted the captain"s legs, which, although they were very thin and spindleshanky, wore bony and heavy, while I was slim and weak for my age. Besides which, the thrashing I had received the evening previously had pretty well taken all the strength out of me, combined with my subsequent fright from the ghost, which I could not help believing in, despite all Jones"s sneers and a.s.sertions to the contrary. Of course, though, there was no use arguing the point with him; he was so obstinate--like all Welshmen!
However, between the two of us, we got Captain Snaggs laid in his bed, where he certainly would be more comfortable than wallowing about in the water on the cabin floor. Then, Jones and I left him, just propping up his head with the pillows, so that he should not suffocate himself. He could not well tumble out, the cot having high sides, and swinging besides with the motion of the ship, being hung from the deck above on a sort of gimbal joint, that worked in a ball and socket and gave all ways.
The steward then went back again into his bunk adjoining the pantry to have his sleep out; but I felt too excited to lie down again.
I did not like to remain there alone in the cabin after what had pa.s.sed, listening to the thuds of the waves against the sides of the ship, and the weird creaking of the timbers, as if the vessel were groaning with pain, and the heavy breathing of the captain in his cot, that rose above all these sounds, for he was snoring and snorting away at a fine rate; so, I proceeded out on to the lower deck, experiencing a chill shudder as I made my exit by the door where I had seen Sam Jedfoot"s spectre in the moonlight.
I almost fancied it was still there!
When I got out under the break of the p.o.o.p, I found all quiet, with the port watch on duty, for Mr Flinders, the first-mate, was in charge, he having relieved the second-mate, with whom the captain had remained until he left the deck at midnight; and, an Tom Bullover and Hiram Bangs, my only friends amongst the crew, had gone below with Mr Steenbock and the rest of the starboard hands, there was n.o.body whom I could speak to and tell all that I had seen.
I felt very lonesome in consequence; and, although I was not a bit sleepy, having managed to get a good four hours" rest before I was awakened by Captain Snaggs coming stumbling down the companion way, as well as by the noise made by the sea smashing into the cabin at the same time, yet I was tired enough still not to be averse to stowing myself away under the lee of the long-boat. I took the precaution, however, to cuddle up in a piece of old tarpaulin that was lying about, so that the first-mate should not see me from the p.o.o.p, and set me on at once to some task or other below, in his usual malicious way--Mr Flinders, like Captain Snaggs, never seeming to be happy unless he was tormenting somebody, and setting them on some work for which there wasn"t the least necessity!
The moon was now shining brightly and lots of stars twinkling in the heaven, which was clear of clouds, the bracing nor"-westerly wind having blown them all away; and the _Denver City_ was bounding along with all plain sail set before the breeze, that was right astern, rolling now and again with a stiff lurch to port and then to starboard, and diving her nose down one moment with her stern lifting, only to rise again buoyantly the next instant and shake the spray off her jib-boom as she pointed it upwards, trying to poke a hole in the sky!
What with the whistling of the wind through the cordage, and the wash of the waves as they raced over each other and broke with a seething "whish" into ma.s.ses of foam, and the motion of the ship gently rocking to and fro like a pendulum as she lurched this way and that with rhythmical regularity, my eyes presently began to close. So, cuddling myself up in the tarpaulin, for the air fresh from the north felt rather chilly, I dropped off into a sound nap, not waking again until one of the men forward struck "six bells," just when the day was beginning to dawn. This was in spite of my being "not a bit sleepy," as I said.
I roused up with a start, not; knowing where I was at first; but it was not long before the fact was made patent to me that I was aboard ship, and a cabin boy as well to boot--a sort of "Handy Billy," for every one to send on errands and odd jobs--the slave of the cuddy and fo"c"s"le alike!
Before he had imbibed so much rum, and just prior to his going on the p.o.o.p that time when he startled us all so much in the fo"c"s"le by his hail for Tom Bullover and the rest of the starboard hands to come aft and relieve the port watch, Captain Snaggs, as I afterwards learnt, had spoken to the steward, telling him that he was to take over poor Sam Jedfoot"s duties for awhile, until the men selected a new cook from amongst themselves. Jones was told to commence work in the galley the next evening, with especial injunctions to be up early enough to light the fire under the coppers, so that the crew could have their hot coffee at "eight bells," when the watches were changed--this indulgence being always allowed now in all decent merchant vessels; for Captain Snaggs, if he did haze and bully the hands under him, took care to get on their weather side by looking after their grub, a point they recollected, it may be remembered, when he appealed to them in reference to his treatment of poor Sam.
Now, Morris Jones did not relish the job; but, as the first-mate had been present when the captain gave his orders, albeit Mr Flinders was rather limp at the time, from the physicking he, like the skipper, had had from the jalap in the stew, the steward knew that he would recollect all about it, even if the rum should have made the captain forget. So, much against his inclination, he turned out of his bunk at daybreak to see to lighting the galley fire; when, whom should he chance to come right up against on his way forward but me, just as I had wriggled myself out of the tarpaulin and sat up on the deck, rubbing my half-opened eyes.
Jones was delighted at the opportunity for "pa.s.sing on" the obnoxious duty.
"Here, you young swab!" he cried, giving me a kick to waken me up more thoroughly, and then catching hold of me by the scruff of the neck and pulling me up on my feet, "stir your stumps a bit and just you come forrud along o" me. I"m blessed if I"m going to do cook an" stooard"s work single-handed, an" you lazy rascallion a caulkin" all over the ship! First I finds yer snug down snoozin" in the cabin, an" now here, with the sun ready to scorch yer eyes out. Why, yer ought ter be right down "shamed o" yerself. I"m blessed if I ever see sich a b"y for coilin" hisself away an" caulkin" all hours of the day and night!"
Jones was fond of hearing himself talk, as well as pleased to have some one he was able to bully in turn as the skipper bullied him; and so, he kept jawing and grumbling away all the while we were getting up to the galley, although that did not take very long--not by any means so long as his tongue was and the stream of words that flowed from it when he had once begun, as if he would really never end!
"Now, you young beggar," said he, opening the half-door of the cook"s caboose and shoving me inside, "let us see how soon you can light a fire an" make the water in the coppers boil. I"ll fill "em for you while you"re putting the sticks in; so heave ahead, an" I"ll fetch a bucket or two from the scuttle b.u.t.t!"
He spoke of this as if he were conferring a favour on me, instead of only doing his own work; but I didn"t answer him, going on to make a good fire with some wood and shavings, which Sam used to get from the carpenter and kept handy in the corner of the galley, ready to hand when wanted. I knew by this time, from practical experience, that words on board ship, where cabin boys are concerned at all events, generally lead to "more kicks than ha"pence," as the saying goes!
Soon, I had a good blaze up, and the steward on his part filling the coppers, they were both shortly at boiling-point; when, going aft to his pantry, Jones fetched out a pound of coffee, which he chucked into the starboard copper, which held about four gallons, and was not quite filled to the brim. He evidently had determined to propitiate the crew at the start by giving them good coffee for once and plenty of it; as there were only eighteen hands in the fo"c"s"le, now that Sam had gone, besides himself and me--leaving out the captain and mates, who belonged to the cabin, and of course did not count in, but who made our total complement in the ship twenty-three souls all told.
Jones, too, dowsed into the copper a tidy lot of mola.s.ses, to sweeten the coffee; and so, when it was presently served out promptly at "eight bells," he won golden opinions in this his first essay at cooking, the men all declaring it prime stuff. I think, though, I ought to have had some of the credit of it, having lighted the fire and seen to everything save chucking in the coffee and mola.s.ses, which anybody else could have done quite so well as the steward!
Jones kept me too busy in the galley to allow me time to speak to Tom Bullover and Hiram Bangs, when they turned out to relieve the port watch; but, later on, when the decks had been washed down, and the sun was getting well up in the eastern horizon, flooding the ocean with the rosy light of morning, I had an opportunity of telling my friend the carpenter of what I had seen in the cabin.
Much to my disgust, however, he laughed at my account of Sam Jedfoot"s ghost having appeared, declaring that I had been dreaming and imagined it all.
"No, Charley, I wouldn"t believe it if you went down on your bended knees an" swore it, not save I seed Sam with my own eyes, an" even then I"d have a doubt," said Tom, grinning in the most exasperating way.
"Why, look there, now, at the skipper on the p.o.o.p, as right as ninepence! If he"d been in the state you say, an" were so orfully frightened, an" had seed Sam"s sperrit, as you wants to make me swallow, do you think he"d look so perky this mornin"?"
I could hardly believe my eyes.
Yes, there was Captain Snaggs, braced up against the p.o.o.p rail in his usual place, with one eye scanning the horizon to windward and the other inspecting the sails aloft, and his billy-goat beard sticking out as it always did. He looked as hearty as if nothing had happened, the only sign that I could see of his drunken fit of the night before being a cut across the bridge of his long hooked nose, and a slight discolouration of his eye on the port side, the result, no doubt, of his fall on the cabin floor.
Tom Bullover could read my doubts in my face.
"You must have dreamed it, Charley, I s"pose, on account of all that talkin" we had in the fo"c"s"le about ghostesses afore you went aft an"
turned in, an" that"s what"s the matter," he repeated, giving me a nudge in the ribs, while he added more earnestly: "And, if I was you, my boy, I wouldn"t mention a word of it to another soul, or the hands "ll chaff the life out of you, an" you"ll wish you were a ghost yerself!"
Tom moved off as he uttered these last words with a chuckle, and accompanied by an expressive wink, that spoke volumes; so, seeing his advice was sound, I determined to act upon it, although the fear struck me that Jones, the steward, would mention it even if I didn"t, just to make me the laughing-stock of the crew.
However, I had no time then for reflection; Captain Snaggs, as if to show that he had all his wits about him still, calling out for the hands forward to overhaul the studding-sail gear and rig out the booms; and, by breakfast time, when the steward and I had to busy ourselves again in the galley, the _Denver City_ was covered with, a regular pyramid of canvas, that seemed to extend from the truck to the deck, while she was racing through the water at a rate of ten knots or more, with a clear sky above and a moderate sea below, and a steady nor"-nor"-west wind after us.
At noon, when the captain took the sun and told us forward to "make it eight bells," we learnt that we were in longitude 8 degrees 15 minutes West, and lat.i.tude 49 degrees 20 minutes North, or well to the westward of the Scilly Islands, and so really out at sea and entered on our long voyage to California.
This fact appeared to give no little satisfaction to the crew, who raised a chorus whenever a rope had to be pulled or a brace taughtened, the fine weather and brighter surroundings making the sailors apparently forget, with that sort of happy knack for which seafaring folk are generally distinguished, all the rough time we had coming down Saint George"s Channel, when off the Tuskar, and the terrible events of the preceding day.