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diff --git a/10572-0.txt b/10572-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0c4fafb --- /dev/null +++ b/10572-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,445 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10572 *** + +SHIP'S COMPANY + +By W.W. Jacobs + + + +"MANNERS MAKYTH MAN" + + +The night-watchman appeared to be out of sorts. His movements were even +slower than usual, and, when he sat, the soap-box seemed to be unable to +give satisfaction. His face bore an expression of deep melancholy, but a +smouldering gleam in his eye betokened feelings deeply moved. + +"Play-acting I don't hold with," he burst out, with sudden ferocity. +"Never did. I don't say I ain't been to a theayter once or twice in my +life, but I always come away with the idea that anybody could act if they +liked to try. It's a kid's game, a silly kid's game, dressing up and +pretending to be somebody else." + +He cut off a piece of tobacco and, stowing it in his left cheek, sat +chewing, with his lack-lustre eyes fixed on the wharves across the river. +The offensive antics of a lighterman in mid-stream, who nearly fell +overboard in his efforts to attract his attention, he ignored. + +"I might ha' known it, too," he said, after a long silence. "If I'd only +stopped to think, instead o' being in such a hurry to do good to others, +I should ha' been all right, and the pack o' monkey-faced swabs on the +<i>Lizzie and Annie</i> wot calls themselves sailor-men would 'ave had to 'ave +got something else to laugh about. They've told it in every pub for 'arf +a mile round, and last night, when I went into the Town of Margate to get +a drink, three chaps climbed over the partition to 'ave a look at me. + +"It all began with young Ted Sawyer, the mate o' the <i>Lizzie and Annie</i>. +He calls himself a mate, but if it wasn't for 'aving the skipper for a +brother-in-law 'e'd be called something else, very quick. Two or three +times we've 'ad words over one thing and another, and the last time I +called 'im something that I can see now was a mistake. It was one o' +these 'ere clever things that a man don't forget, let alone a lop-sided +monkey like 'im. + +"That was when they was up time afore last, and when they made fast 'ere +last week I could see as he 'adn't forgotten it. For one thing he +pretended not to see me, and, arter I 'ad told him wot I'd do to him if +'e ran into me agin, he said 'e thought I was a sack o' potatoes taking a +airing on a pair of legs wot somebody 'ad throwed away. Nasty tongue +'e's got; not clever, but nasty. + +"Arter that I took no notice of 'im, and, o' course, that annoyed 'im +more than anything. All I could do I done, and 'e was ringing the +gate-bell that night from five minutes to twelve till ha'-past afore I +heard it. Many a night-watchman gets a name for going to sleep when +'e's only getting a bit of 'is own back. + +"We stood there talking for over 'arf-an-hour arter I 'ad let'im in. +Leastways, he did. And whenever I see as he was getting tired I just +said, 'H'sh!' and 'e'd start agin as fresh as ever. He tumbled to it at +last, and went aboard shaking 'is little fist at me and telling me wot +he'd do to me if it wasn't for the lor. + +"I kept by the gate as soon as I came on dooty next evening, just to give +'im a little smile as 'e went out. There is nothing more aggravating +than a smile when it is properly done; but there was no signs o' my lord, +and, arter practising it on a carman by mistake, I 'ad to go inside for a +bit and wait till he 'ad gorn. + +"The coast was clear by the time I went back, and I 'ad just stepped +outside with my back up agin the gate-post to 'ave a pipe, when I see a +boy coming along with a bag. Good-looking lad of about fifteen 'e was, +nicely dressed in a serge suit, and he no sooner gets up to me than 'e +puts down the bag and looks up at me with a timid sort o' little smile. + +"'Good evening, cap'n,' he ses. + +"He wasn't the fust that has made that mistake; older people than 'im +have done it. + +"'Good evening, my lad,' I ses. + +"'I s'pose,' he ses, in a trembling voice, 'I suppose you ain't looking +out for a cabin-boy, sir?' + +"'Cabin-boy?' I ses. 'No, I ain't.' + +"'I've run away from 'ome to go to sea,' he ses, and I'm afraid of being +pursued. Can I come inside?' + +"Afore I could say 'No' he 'ad come, bag and all; and afore I could say +anything else he 'ad nipped into the office and stood there with his 'and +on his chest panting. + +"'I know I can trust you,' he ses; 'I can see it by your face." + +"'Wot 'ave you run away from 'ome for?' I ses. 'Have they been +ill-treating of you?' + +"'Ill-treating me?' he ses, with a laugh. 'Not much. Why, I expect my +father is running about all over the place offering rewards for me. He +wouldn't lose me for a thousand pounds.' + +"I pricked up my ears at that; I don't deny it. Anybody would. Besides, +I knew it would be doing him a kindness to hand 'im back to 'is father. +And then I did a bit o' thinking to see 'ow it was to be done. + +"'Sit down,' I ses, putting three or four ledgers on the floor behind one +of the desks. 'Sit down, and let's talk it over.' + +"We talked away for ever so long, but, do all I would, I couldn't +persuade 'im. His 'ead was stuffed full of coral islands and smugglers +and pirates and foreign ports. He said 'e wanted to see the world, and +flying-fish. + +"'I love the blue billers,' he ses; 'the heaving blue billers is wot I +want.' + +"I tried to explain to 'im who would be doing the heaving, but 'e +wouldn't listen to me. He sat on them ledgers like a little wooden +image, looking up at me and shaking his 'ead, and when I told 'im of +storms and shipwrecks he just smacked 'is lips and his blue eyes shone +with joy. Arter a time I saw it was no good trying to persuade 'im, and +I pretended to give way. + +"'I think I can get you a ship with a friend o' mine,' I ses; 'but, mind, +I've got to relieve your pore father's mind--I must let 'im know wot's +become of you.' + +"'Not before I've sailed,' he ses, very quick. + +"'Certingly not,' I ses. 'But you must give me 'is name and address, +and, arter the Blue Shark--that's the name of your ship--is clear of the +land, I'll send 'im a letter with no name to it, saying where you ave +gorn.' + +"He didn't seem to like it at fust, and said 'e would write 'imself, but +arter I 'ad pointed out that 'e might forget and that I was responsible, +'e gave way and told me that 'is father was named Mr. Watson, and he kept +a big draper's shop in the Commercial Road. + +"We talked a bit arter that, just to stop 'is suspicions, and then I told +'im to stay where 'e was on the floor, out of sight of the window, while +I went to see my friend the captain. + +"I stood outside for a moment trying to make up my mind wot to do. +O'course, I 'ad no business, strictly speaking, to leave the wharf, but, +on the other 'and, there was a father's 'art to relieve. I edged along +bit by bit while I was thinking, and then, arter looking back once or +twice to make sure that the boy wasn't watching me, I set off for the +Commercial Road as hard as I could go. + +"I'm not so young as I was. It was a warm evening, and I 'adn't got even +a bus fare on me. I 'ad to walk all the way, and, by the time I got +there, I was 'arf melted. It was a tidy-sized shop, with three or four +nice-looking gals behind the counter, and things like babies' high chairs +for the customers to sit onlong in the leg and ridikerlously small in the +seat. I went up to one of the gals and told Per I wanted to see Mr. +Watson. + +"'On private business,' I ses. 'Very important.' + +"She looked at me for a moment, and then she went away and fetched a +tall, bald-headed man with grey side-whiskers and a large nose. + +"'Wot d'you want?" he ses, coming up to me. + +I want a word with you in private,' I ses. + +"'This is private enough for me,' he ses. 'Say wot you 'ave to say, and +be quick about it.' + +"I drawed myself up a bit and looked at him. 'P'r'aps you ain't missed +'im yet,' I ses. + +"'Missed 'im?' he ses, with a growl. 'Missed who?' + +"'Your-son. Your blue-eyed son,' I ses, looking 'im straight in the eye. + +"'Look here!' he ses, spluttering. 'You be off. 'Ow dare you come here +with your games? Wot d'ye mean by it?' + +"'I mean,' I ses, getting a bit out o' temper, 'that your boy has run +away to go to sea, and I've come to take you to 'im.' + +"He seemed so upset that I thought 'e was going to 'ave a fit at fust, +and it seemed only natural, too. Then I see that the best-looking girl +and another was having a fit, although trying 'ard not to. + +"'If you don't get out o' my shop,' he ses at last, 'I'll 'ave you locked +up.' + +"'Very good!' I ses, in a quiet way. 'Very good; but, mark my words, +if he's drownded you'll never forgive yourself as long as you live for +letting your temper get the better of you--you'll never know a good +night's rest agin. Besides, wot about 'is mother?' + +"One o' them silly gals went off agin just like a damp firework, and Mr. +Watson, arter nearly choking 'imself with temper, shoved me out o' the +way and marched out o' the shop. I didn't know wot to make of 'im at +fust, and then one o' the gals told me that 'e was a bachelor and 'adn't +got no son, and that somebody 'ad been taking advantage of what she +called my innercence to pull my leg. + +"'You toddle off 'ome,' she ses, 'before Mr. Watson comes back.' + +"'It's a shame to let 'im come out alone,' ses one o' the other gals. +'Where do you live, gran'pa?' + +"I see then that I 'ad been done, and I was just walking out o' the shop, +pretending to be deaf, when Mr. Watson come back with a silly young +policeman wot asked me wot I meant by it. He told me to get off 'ome +quick, and actually put his 'and on my shoulder, but it 'ud take more +than a thing like that to push me, and, arter trying his 'ardest, he +could only rock me a bit. + +"I went at last because I wanted to see that boy agin, and the young +policeman follered me quite a long way, shaking his silly 'ead at me and +telling me to be careful. + +"I got a ride part o' the way from Commercial Road to Aldgate by getting +on the wrong bus, but it wasn't much good, and I was quite tired by the +time I got back to the wharf. I waited outside for a minute or two to +get my wind back agin, and then I went in-boiling. + +"You might ha' knocked me down with a feather, as the saying is, and I +just stood inside the office speechless. The boy 'ad disappeared and +sitting on the floor where I 'ad left 'im was a very nice-looking gal of +about eighteen, with short 'air, and a white blouse. + +"'Good evening, sir,' she ses, jumping up and giving me a pretty little +frightened look. 'I'm so sorry that my brother has been deceiving you. +He's a bad, wicked, ungrateful boy. The idea of telling you that Mr. +Watson was 'is father! Have you been there? I do 'ope you're not +tired.' + +"'Where is he?' I ses. + +"'He's gorn,' she ses, shaking her 'ead. 'I begged and prayed of 'im to +stop, but 'e wouldn't. He said 'e thought you might be offended with +'im. "Give my love to old Roley-Poley, and tell him I don't trust 'im," +he ses.' + +"She stood there looking so scared that I didn't know wot to say. By and +by she took out 'er little pocket-'ankercher and began to cry-- + +"'Oh, get 'im back,' she ses. 'Don't let it be said I follered 'im 'ere +all the way for nothing. Have another try. For my sake!' + +"''Ow can I get 'im back when I don't know where he's gorn?' I ses. + +"'He-he's gorn to 'is godfather,' she ses, dabbing her eyes. 'I promised +'im not to tell anybody; but I don't know wot to do for the best.' + +"'Well, p'r'aps his godfather will 'old on to 'im,' I ses. + +"'He won't tell 'im anything about going to sea,' she ses, shaking 'er +little head. 'He's just gorn to try and bo--bo-borrow some money to go +away with.' + +"She bust out sobbing, and it was all I could do to get the godfather's +address out of 'er. When I think of the trouble I took to get it I come +over quite faint. At last she told me, between 'er sobs, that 'is name +was Mr. Kiddem, and that he lived at 27, Bridge Street. + +"'He's one o' the kindest-'arted and most generous men that ever lived,' +she ses; 'that's why my brother Harry 'as gone to 'im. And you needn't +mind taking anything 'e likes to give you; he's rolling in money.' + +"I took it a bit easier going to Bridge Street, but the evening seemed +'otter than ever, and by the time I got to the 'ouse I was pretty near +done up. A nice, tidy-looking woman opened the door, but she was a' most +stone deaf, and I 'ad to shout the name pretty near a dozen times afore +she 'eard it. + +"'He don't live 'ere,' she ses. + +"''As he moved?' I ses. 'Or wot?' + +"She shook her 'cad, and, arter telling me to wait, went in and fetched +her 'usband. + +"'Never 'eard of him,' he ses, 'and we've been 'ere seventeen years. Are +you sure it was twenty-seven?' + +"'Sartain,' I ses. + +"'Well, he don't live 'ere,' he ses. 'Why not try thirty-seven and +forty-seven?' + +"I tried'em: thirty-seven was empty, and a pasty-faced chap at forty- +seven nearly made 'imself ill over the name of 'Kiddem.' It 'adn't +struck me before, but it's a hard matter to deceive me, and all in a +flash it come over me that I 'ad been done agin, and that the gal was as +bad as 'er brother. + +"I was so done up I could 'ardly crawl back, and my 'ead was all in a +maze. Three or four times I stopped and tried to think, but couldn't, +but at last I got back and dragged myself into the office. + +"As I 'arf expected, it was empty. There was no sign of either the gal +or the boy; and I dropped into a chair and tried to think wot it all +meant. Then, 'appening to look out of the winder, I see somebody running +up and down the jetty. + +"I couldn't see plain owing to the things in the way, but as soon as I +got outside and saw who it was I nearly dropped. It was the boy, and he +was running up and down wringing his 'ands and crying like a wild thing, +and, instead o' running away as soon as 'e saw me, he rushed right up to +me and threw 'is grubby little paws round my neck. + +"'Save her!' 'e ses. 'Save 'er! Help! Help!' + +"'Look 'ere,' I ses, shoving 'im off. + +"'She fell overboard,' he ses, dancing about. 'Oh, my pore sister! +Quick! Quick! I can't swim!' + +"He ran to the side and pointed at the water, which was just about at +'arf-tide. Then 'e caught 'old of me agin. + +"'Make 'aste,' he ses, giving me a shove behind. 'Jump in. Wot are you +waiting for?' + +"I stood there for a moment 'arf dazed, looking down at the water. Then +I pulled down a life-belt from the wall 'ere and threw it in, and, arter +another moment's thought, ran back to the <i>Lizzie and Annie,</i> wot was in +the inside berth, and gave them a hail. I've always 'ad a good voice, +and in a flash the skipper and Ted Sawyer came tumbling up out of the +cabin and the 'ands out of the fo'c'sle. + +"'Gal overboard!' I ses, shouting. + +"The skipper just asked where, and then 'im and the mate and a couple of +'ands tumbled into their boat and pulled under the jetty for all they was +worth. Me and the boy ran back and stood with the others, watching. + +"'Point out the exact spot,' ses the skipper. + +"The boy pointed, and the skipper stood up in the boat and felt round +with a boat-hook. Twice 'e said he thought 'e touched something, but it +turned out as 'e was mistaken. His face got longer and longer and 'e +shook his 'ead, and said he was afraid it was no good. + +"'Don't stand cryin' 'ere,' he ses to the boy, kindly. 'Jem, run round +for the Thames police, and get them and the drags. Take the boy with +you. It'll occupy 'is mind.' + +"He 'ad another go with the boat-hook arter they 'ad gone; then 'e gave +it up, and sat in the boat waiting. + +"'This'll be a bad job for you, watchman,' he ses, shaking his 'ead. +'Where was you when it 'appened?' + +"'He's been missing all the evening,' ses the cook, wot was standing +beside me. 'If he'd been doing 'is dooty, the pore gal wouldn't 'ave +been drownded. Wot was she doing on the wharf?' + +"'Skylarkin', I s'pose,' ses the mate. 'It's a wonder there ain't more +drownded. Wot can you expect when the watchman is sitting in a pub all +the evening?' + +"The cook said I ought to be 'ung, and a young ordinary seaman wot was +standing beside 'im said he would sooner I was boiled. I believe they +'ad words about it, but I was feeling too upset to take much notice. + +"'Looking miserable won't bring 'er back to life agin,' ses the skipper, +looking up at me and shaking his 'ead. 'You'd better go down to my cabin +and get yourself a drop o' whisky; there's a bottle on the table. You'll +want all your wits about you when the police come. And wotever you do +don't say nothing to criminate yourself.' + +"'We'll do the criminating for 'im all right,' ses the cook. + +"'If I was the pore gal I'd haunt 'im,' ses the ordinary seaman; 'every +night of 'is life I'd stand afore 'im dripping with water and moaning.' + +"'P'r'aps she will,' ses the cook; 'let's 'ope so, at any rate.' + +"I didn't answer 'em; I was too dead-beat. Besides which, I've got a +'orror of ghosts, and the idea of being on the wharf alone of a night +arter such a thing was a'most too much for me. I went on board the +<i>Lizzie and Annie,</i> and down in the cabin I found a bottle o' whisky, as +the skipper 'ad said. I sat down on the locker and 'ad a glass, and then +I sat worrying and wondering wot was to be the end of it all. + +"The whisky warmed me up a bit, and I 'ad just taken up the bottle to +'elp myself agin when I 'eard a faint sort o' sound in the skipper's +state-room. I put the bottle down and listened, but everything seemed +deathly still. I took it up agin, and 'ad just poured out a drop o' +whisky when I distinctly 'eard a hissing noise and then a little moan. + +"For a moment I sat turned to stone. Then I put the bottle down quiet, +and 'ad just got up to go when the door of the state-room opened, and I +saw the drownded gal, with 'er little face and hair all wet and dripping, +standing before me. + +"Ted Sawyer 'as been telling everybody that I came up the companion-way +like a fog-horn that 'ad lost its ma; I wonder how he'd 'ave come up if +he'd 'ad the evening I had 'ad? + +"They were all on the jetty as I got there and tumbled into the skipper's +arms, and all asking at once wot was the matter. When I got my breath +back a bit and told 'em, they laughed. All except the cook, and 'e said +it was only wot I might expect. Then, like a man in a dream, I see the +gal come out of the companion and walk slowly to the side. + +"'Look!' I ses. 'Look. There she is!' + +"'You're dreaming,' ses the skipper, 'there's nothing there.' + +"They all said the same, even when the gal stepped on to the side and +climbed on to the wharf. She came along towards me with 'er arms held +close to 'er sides, and making the most 'orrible faces at me, and it took +five of'em all their time to 'old me. The wharf and everything seemed to +me to spin round and round. Then she came straight up to me and patted +me on the cheek. + +"'Pore old gentleman,' she ses. 'Wot a shame it is, Ted! It's too bad.' + +"They let go o' me then, and stamped up and down the jetty laughing fit +to kill themselves. If they 'ad only known wot a exhibition they was +making of themselves, and 'ow I pitied them, they wouldn't ha' done it. +And by and by Ted wiped his eyes and put his arm round the gal's waist +and ses-- + +"'This is my intended, Miss Florrie Price,' he ses. 'Ain't she a little +wonder? Wot d'ye think of 'er?' + +"'I'll keep my own opinion,' I ses. 'I ain't got nothing to say against +gals, but if I only lay my hands on that young brother of 'ers' + +"They went off agin then, worse than ever; and at last the cook came and +put 'is skinny arm round my neck and started spluttering in my ear. I +shoved 'im off hard, because I see it all then; and I should ha' seen it +afore only I didn't 'ave time to think. I don't bear no malice, and all +I can say is that I don't wish 'er any harder punishment than to be +married to Ted Sawyer." + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Manners Makyth Man, by W.W. Jacobs + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 10572 *** |