Gascoyne, the Sandal-Wood Trader Part 38

It has often struck us as surprising, that little dogs--usually so intelligent and apt to learn in other matters--should be so dull of apprehension in this. Toozle had the experience of a lifetime to convince him that Alice objected to have her face licked, and would on no account permit it, although she was extremely liberal in regard to her hands; but Toozle ignored the authority of experience. He was at this time a dog of mature years, but his determination to kiss Alice was as strong as it had been when, in the tender years of infancy, he had entertained the mistaken belief that she was his own mother.

He watched every unguarded moment to thrust forward his black, not to say impertinent, little snout; and, although often reproved, he still remained unconvinced, resolutely returned to the charge, and was not a bit ashamed of himself.

On the present occasion Toozle behaved like a canine lunatic, and Alice was beginning to think of exercising a little tender violence in order to restrain his superabundant glee, when another individual appeared on the scene, and for a time, at least, relieved her.

The second comer was our dark friend, Kekup.o.o.pi. She by some mischance had got separated from her young mistress, and immediately went in search of her. She found her at once of course, for, as water finds its level, so love finds its object without much loss of time.

"O Toozle; hee! hee! am dat you?" exclaimed p.o.o.py, who was as much delighted in her way to see the dog as Alice had been.

Toozle was, in _his_ way, as much delighted to see p.o.o.py as he had been to see Alice--no, we are wrong, not quite so much as that, but still extremely glad to see her, and evinced his joy by extravagant sounds and actions. He also evinced his scorn for the opinion that some foolish persons hold, namely, that black people are not as good as white, by rus.h.i.+ng into p.o.o.py's arms and attempting to lick her black face as he had tried to do to Alice. As the dark-skinned girl had no objection, (for tastes differ, you see,) and received the caresses with a quiet "Hee! hee!" Toozle was extremely gratified.

Now it happened that Jo b.u.mpus, oppressed with a feeling of concern for his former captain, and with a feeling of doubt as to the stirring events in which he was an actor being waking realities, had wandered up the mountain-side in order to indulge in profound philosophical reflections.

Happening to hear the noise caused by the joyful meeting which we have just described, he turned aside to see what all the "row" could be about, and thus came unexpectedly on Alice and her friends.

About the same time it chanced, (for things sometimes do happen by chance in a very remarkable way,) it chanced that Will Corrie, being also much depressed about Gascoyne, resolved to take into his confidence d.i.c.k Price the boatswain, with whom during their short voyage together he had become intimate.

He found that worthy seated on a cask at the end of the rude pile of coral rocks that formed the quay of Sandy Cove, surrounded by some of his s.h.i.+pmates, all of whom, as well as himself, were smoking their pipes and discussing things in general.

Corrie went forward and pulled d.i.c.k by the sleeve.

"Hallo! boy, what d'ye want with me?" said the boatswain.

"I want to speak to you."

"Well, lad, fire away."

"Yes, but I want you to come with me," said the boy, with an anxious and rather mysterious look.

"Very good!--heave ahead," said the boatswain, getting up, and following Corrie with a peculiarly nautical roll.

After he had been led through the settlement and a considerable way up the mountain in silence, the boatswain suddenly stopped, and said--"Hallo! hold on; my timbers won't stand much more o' this sort o'

thing. I was built for navigatin' the seas,--I was not for cruisin' on the land. We're far enough out of ear-shot, I s'pose, in this here bit of a plantation. Come, what have ye got to say to me? You ain't a-goin' to tell me the Freemasons' word, are ye? For, if so, don't trouble yourself, I wouldn't listen to it on no account w'atever. It's too mysterious that is for me."

"d.i.c.k Price," said Corrie, looking up in the face of the seaman, with a serious expression that was not often seen on his round countenance, "you're a man."

The boatswain looked down at the youthful visage in some surprise.

"Well, I s'pose I am," said he, stroking his beard complacently.

"And you know what it is to be misunderstood, misjudged, don't you?"

"Well, now I come to think on it, I believe I _have_ had that misfortune--specially w'en I've ordered the powder-monkies to make less noise, for them younkers never do seem to understand me. As for misjudgin', I've often an' over again heard 'em say I was the crossest feller they ever did meet with, but they _never_ was more out in their reckoning."

Corrie did not smile; he did not betray the smallest symptom of power either to appreciate or to indulge in jocularity at that moment. But feeling that it was useless to appeal to the former experience of the boatswain, he changed his plan of attack.

"d.i.c.k Price," said he, "it's a hard case for an innocent man to be hanged."

"So it is, boy,--oncommon hard. I once know'd a poor feller as was hanged for murderin' his old grandmother. It was afterwards found out that he'd never done the deed; but he was the most incorrigible thief and poacher in the whole place, so it warn't such a mistake after all."

"d.i.c.k Price," said Corrie, gravely, at the same time laying his hand impressively on his companion's arm, "I'm a _tremendous_ joker--_awful_ fond o' fun and skylarkin'."

"'Pon my word, lad, if you hadn't said so yourself, I'd scarce have believed it. You don't look like it just now, by no manner o' means."

"But I am though," continued Corrie; "and I tell you that in order to shew you that I am very, _very_ much in earnest at this moment; and that you _must_ give your mind to what I've got to say."

The boatswain was impressed by the fervour of the boy. He looked at him in surprise for a few seconds, then nodded his head, and said, "Fire away!"

"You know that Gascoyne is in prison!" said Corrie.

"In course I does. That's one rascally pirate less on the seas, anyhow."

"He's not so bad as you think, d.i.c.k."

"Whew!" whistled the boatswain. "You're a friend of his, are ye?"

"No; not a friend, but neither am I an enemy. You know he saved my life, and the lives of two of my friends, and of your own captain, too."

"Well, there's no denying that; but he must have been the means of takin' away more lives than what he has saved."

"No, he hasn't," cried Corrie, eagerly. "That's it, that's just the point; he has saved more than he ever took away, and he's sorry for what he has done; yet they're going to hang him. Now, I say, that's sinful-- it's not just. It shan't be done if I can prevent it; and you must help me to get him out of this sc.r.a.pe--you must indeed, d.i.c.k Price."

The boatswain was quite taken aback. He opened his eyes wide with surprise, and putting his head to one side, gazed earnestly and long at the boy as if he had been a rare old painting.

Before he could reply, the furious barking of a dog attracted Corrie's attention. He knew it to be the voice of Toozle. Being well acquainted with the locality of Alice's tree, he at once concluded that she was there, and knowing that she would certainly side with him, and that the side she took _must_ necessarily be the winning side, he resolved to bring d.i.c.k Price within the fascination of her influence.

"Come, follow me," said he; "we'll talk it over with a friend of mine."

The seaman followed the boy obediently, and in a few minutes stood beside Alice.

Corrie had expected to find her there, but he had not counted on meeting with p.o.o.py and Jo b.u.mpus.

"Hallo! Grampus, is that you?"

"Wot! Corrie, my boy, is it yourself? Give us your flipper, small though it be. I didn't think I'd niver see ye agin, lad."

"No more did I, Grampus; it was very nearly all up with us."

"Ah! my boy," said b.u.mpus, becoming suddenly very grave, "you've no notion how near it was all up with _me_. Why, you won't believe it--I was all but scragged."

"Dear me! what is scragged?" inquired Alice.

"You don't mean for to say you don't know?" exclaimed b.u.mpus.

"No, indeed, I don't."

"Why, it means bein' hanged. I was so near hanged, just a day or two back, that I've had an 'orrible pain in my neck ever since at the bare thought of it! But who's your friend?" said b.u.mpus, turning to the boatswain.