Dick Cheveley Part 26

The captain, from what I said, at once took it for granted that I had again acted the stowaway, and I flattered myself that I had not spoken an untruth, while I had avoided saying anything which would offend him.

I observed that old Growles had come aft, and was then within earshot.

The captain seemed rather pleased than otherwise that I had not wished to leave the s.h.i.+p.

"Go forward," he said, "and let me see that you do your duty."

He was evidently in better humour than usual, having got a rich freight which he had not expected. Touching my cap, I hurried to the caboose.

Caesar rolled his eyes and opened his mouth with astonishment when he saw me.

"Where you been all dis time, d.i.c.k?" he asked.

"That's more than I can tell you, Caesar. Do in mercy give me some grub, for I'm well-nigh starved," I answered.

He gave me part of a mess he had been cooking for himself.

"Dis curious s.h.i.+p," he said, as he remarked the ravenous way in which I devoured the food. "I no ask questions, you no tell lies, dat is it.

Oh you wise boy."

I suspected from this that Caesar had observed the visits of old Growles and the boatswain to the hold, and shrewdly guessed that I had been a prisoner. I could not understand, however, how the captain didn't make some fuss about it, unless he also was cognisant of the fact; but of that I was left in uncertainty. I had expected from the way he had first treated me that some change for the better would take place in my condition, but in this I was mistaken. I was at the beck and call of every one, having to do all the dirty work in the cabin, and being knocked about and bullied by the men just as much as before.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

My position does not improve--Another attempt at escape frustrated-- Becalmed off j.a.pan--Macao--A fresh cargo--Extension of the voyage--Not dead yet--I gain some important information as to the future fate awaiting me, and I determine to quit the s.h.i.+p--A carouse--My escape, and how I accomplished it--Alone on the ocean--I sight land--The rock and my landing-place--My search for food--I meet with an accident--I lose my boat.

I must pa.s.s rapidly over the voyage across the Pacific. Whatever better feelings the captain had at one time displayed towards me completely disappeared. I was treated by him and the officers and men as badly as ever. My spirit was not broken, and perhaps I may at times have shown too refractory a disposition to please them. I was compelled, however, to submit to and obey their orders, annoying and vexatious as they often were. I did not show my feelings so much by what I said as by my looks, and I often stopped to consider whether or no I would do as I was told.

We fell in with a few s.h.i.+ps--most of them whalers--the captains of which sometimes came on board, and I had hoped that I might be able to get off in one of them. I fancied that it would be impossible to change for the worse, but I in vain watched for an opportunity.

One evening we were becalmed to the southward of j.a.pan, not far off a South Sea whaler. The commander, who was an old acquaintance of Captain Longfleet, came aboard, and spent the evening with him in the cabin. I waited eagerly till it had become dark. The lights of the other s.h.i.+p could be seen in the distance, and I expected every instant that the captain would come on deck ready to take his departure. The boat's crew had come aboard, and were being entertained by our men. I thought if I could manage to slip down I might stow myself away under the foremost thwart, and should not be discovered till I had reached the other s.h.i.+p.

I would then tell my story to the commander, who if he would not have compa.s.sion on me would probably not think it worth while to send me back that night, and before the morning a breeze might spring up and the s.h.i.+ps be separated.

I waited concealed under the long-boat stowed amids.h.i.+ps till I fancied that there was no one near the side where the whale-boat lay. I then crept out and got into the main chains. I was just about to lower myself down when a huge hand was placed on my shoulder, and I heard a voice which I knew to be that of old Growles.

"Come inboard, you young rascal!" he said; "you're not going to get off as easily as you fancy. It's lucky for you that you didn't get into the boat, for you would have been found to a certainty, and handed over to our skipper, who would have knocked the life out of you."

"What's all this about? How did you know I wanted to get into the boat?" I asked, in a tone of a.s.sumed astonishment.

"'Cos I've seen you watching ever since she came alongside," answered Growles; "so take that--and that,"--and hauling me inboard, he bestowed several blows with the end of a rope on my back.

I ran forward to escape from him, and stowed myself away in my bunk, as it was my watch below.

We at last reached Macao, where our cargo of furs was discharged, and for which I believe a very high price was obtained. I had no wish, from what I had heard of the Chinese, to go and live among them, and I therefore did not attempt to get on sh.o.r.e, although I had reason to believe that I was all the time narrowly watched by old Growles and the boatswain.

Instead of the furs and skins we s.h.i.+pped a cargo of tea in chests, and other Chinese produce. Part of this was to be landed at Sydney, New South Wales, and the rest, if no market could be found there for it, was to be carried on to America. This would greatly prolong the voyage, and consequently my miseries. I had hitherto been supported by the expectation of soon reaching home and being emanc.i.p.ated from my bondage.

I had no dislike to the sea; and had I been well treated even in my subordinate position I should have been contented to remain where I was, and to try and learn as much as I could; but to be kicked and beaten and knocked down every day of my life--to have the dirtiest of work and the worst of food--to be sworn at and abused at all hours--made me well-nigh weary of my life.

I was one night standing just before the windla.s.s, when I said something which offended Sam Dixon, one of the men. In return he struck me a blow on the head. I must have fallen immediately, and rolled down directly under the windla.s.s. Perhaps fancying that he had killed me, Dixon walked away, without uttering anything to anybody as to what he had done.

I probably lay there for some time in a state of unconsciousness--how long I could not tell. When I came to myself I heard some of my s.h.i.+pmates talking near me. I was about to crawl out when my own name caught my ears.

"We have had enough of that youngster at present," said one; "he has 'peached once, and will ferret out what we're about, and 'peach again if he has the chance. I only wish we had dropped him overboard with a shot round his feet long ago."

It was the boatswain who spoke.

"I didn't think of the shot, as I suppose that would stop him from coming up again, and haunting the s.h.i.+p," remarked old Growles; "that's what I was afeered of."

"Why, Gregory, you're always thinking of ghosts and spirits--they wouldn't do harm to you or any of us," remarked another fellow who was looked upon as the chief sceptic of the crew, though it is difficult to say what they did or did not believe, for considering their lives it might be supposed that they were all infidels together.

They continued talking in low voices. Though I could not make out all they said, I gathered enough to be convinced that they had some plot or other which they intended soon to put into execution, and fearing lest I should get an inkling of it and inform the captain, they intended to do away with me. It was some satisfaction to discover that they had no immediate intention of executing their plans. I might have time to warn the officers or to make my escape.

I for some time had had an idea in my head. We carried a small boat astern, generally called a dinghy. She could hold two or three people, and was useful for sending away to the sh.o.r.e, or for lowering at sea in calm weather when anything had to be picked up. If I could lower her into the water during the night when off the coast of some island, I might manage to escape to the sh.o.r.e before I was discovered.

What I had heard made me resolve not to delay a moment longer than could be helped. That night nothing could be done, even should I find that the blow had not incapacitated me from exertion. I dare not move from my present uncomfortable position, for should I be discovered the men would not scruple to do away with me. I was thankful that the men at last got up and began to walk about the deck. I was fearful, however, that they might come by the windla.s.s, when I must have been discovered.

At last I heard the second mate, who was the officer of the watch, give the order to shorten sail, and they had to run to their stations; and as they did so, I crawled out and succeeded in reaching my bunk, into which I tumbled unperceived. I was far from comfortable, however, fearing that that very night they might smother me--the mode I fancied they would take to put me out of existence.

I was not missed, I suppose, as no one called me, and when my watch on deck came round I turned out with the rest. My head ached, and I had a big lump on my forehead. In the morning, when the third mate saw me, he asked how I got that. I replied that it was the way I had got many another, that it was only what I expected, and had made up my mind to bear it.

"You're a rum chap, and a bold one--more than I'd do," answered the mate, not troubling himself more about the matter.

When I went aft to the cabin at breakfast, I heard one of the mates observe that we should make the coast of Australia that day. Then I thought to myself, "If I can get off I will." I had no intention of going without provisions. I knew that a good store was kept in the pantry, to which I had access. My intention was to tumble everything I could find into a cloth, to tie it up, and to carry it off, if I could, unperceived to the dinghy.

How to lower that without being heard or seen by the watch on deck was the difficulty. The falls were so fitted that a single person might lower her, but then she would make a splash in the water.

We made the land about four o'clock in the afternoon, but after standing on for some time till it was nearly dark, the captain ordered the s.h.i.+p's head to be put about, as he was not well acquainted with the coast, and there were dangerous reefs which ran off for a considerable distance.

Night came on, and a very dark night it was, but the darkness would favour my design. Instead of being allowed to turn in when it was my watch below, I was sent aft by the cook with a dish of devilled biscuits to the cabin, where the captain and the first and second mates were taking supper, while the third mate had the watch on deck. I intended it to be the last time I would turn into my bunk. I had not been long in the cabin before I observed that the captain and mates had been drinking, and seemed disposed to continue their debauch. The devilled biscuits which I had placed before them still farther incited their thirst, and the captain ordered another bottle of rum. I noticed that the steward, when I told him, got out two bottles, one of which he kept in the pantry while he took the other into the cabin.

"You'll do to attend on the officers, d.i.c.k," he said to me; "I'm going to enjoy myself."

I stood ready to obey any orders I should receive. The conversation I heard was far from edifying, but I was too much engaged in thinking of my own project to attend to it.

As I was standing at the far end of the cabin I heard a crash. One of the mates had knocked over a couple of tumblers, and I was sent into the pantry to obtain others. I found the steward fast verging into a state of unconsciousness. He had been pulling away at the rum-bottle at a great rate, for fear he should not have time to finish it.

As I got the tumblers I cast my eyes round the pantry to see what articles of food I could most readily carry off. I saw the best part of a cold ham, an ample supply of biscuits and some pots of Chinese preserves, with several other things of less consequence.

Returning to the cabin I placed the tumblers on the table, and retired beyond the reach of the officers, having been taught by experience that they might at any moment think fit to give me a box on the ear or to knock me down. I watched them with intense interest, lest they should knock off before they were completely drunk. The third mate came into the cabin apparently to report something to the captain, but, seeing the state his commander was in, uttering a loud whew! He turned on his heel, and went out again, seeing the importance of keeping sober himself. I confess that I wished he had sat down with the others, and left the s.h.i.+p to take care of herself.

Soon afterwards, as I knew I should not be missed, I stole out of the cabin, and went into the pantry, where I quickly did up the provisions I intended to take with me. There was a jar of water, evidently quite full, which the steward kept ready for use.

I now went on deck to ascertain what chance I had of carrying out my design. I could discover no one excepting the man at the helm, and the third mate had, I concluded, to take a look-out. I hurried back to get the jar and provisions, and unperceived placed them in the dinghy. I felt about in her, and found two oars and a boat-hook.

The falls were, as I have said, so fitted that one person could lower the boat, but to do so without capsizing her when the s.h.i.+p was moving through the water was almost an impossible undertaking.

The wind had previously been very light, and the vessel had scarcely any steerage way on her. To my intense satisfaction I noticed that it was now almost a stark calm.