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diff --git a/11471-0.txt b/11471-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..28420b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/11471-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,548 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11471 *** + +DEEP WATERS + +By W.W. JACOBS + + + + +SHAREHOLDERS + + +Sailor man--said the night-watchman, musingly--a sailorman is like a fish +he is safest when 'e is at sea. When a fish comes ashore it is in for +trouble, and so is sailorman. One poor chap I knew 'ardly ever came +ashore without getting married; and he was found out there was no less +than six wimmen in the court all taking away 'is character at once. And +when he spoke up Solomon the magistrate pretty near bit 'is 'ead off. + +Then look at the trouble they get in with their money! They come ashore +from a long trip, smelling of it a'most, and they go from port to port +like a lord. Everybody has got their eye on that money--everybody except +the sailorman, that is--and afore he knows wot's 'appened, and who 'as +got it, he's looking for a ship agin. When he ain't robbed of 'is money, +he wastes it; and when 'e don't do either, he loses it. + +I knew one chap who hid 'is money. He'd been away ten months, and, +knowing 'ow easy money goes, 'e made up sixteen pounds in a nice little +parcel and hid it where nobody could find it. That's wot he said, and +p'r'aps 'e was right. All I know is, he never found it. I did the same +thing myself once with a couple o' quid I ran acrost unexpected, on'y, +unfortunately for me, I hid it the day afore my missus started 'er +spring-cleaning. + +One o' the worst men I ever knew for getting into trouble when he came +ashore was old Sam Small. If he couldn't find it by 'imself, Ginger Dick +and Peter Russet would help 'im look for it. Generally speaking they +found it without straining their eyesight. + +I remember one time they was home, arter being away pretty near a year, +and when they was paid off they felt like walking gold-mines. They went +about smiling all over with good-temper and 'appiness, and for the first +three days they was like brothers. That didn't last, of course, and on +the fourth day Sam Small, arter saying wot 'e would do to Ginger and +Peter if it wasn't for the police, went off by 'imself. + +His temper passed off arter a time, and 'e began to look cheerful agin. +It was a lovely morning, and, having nothing to do and plenty in 'is +pocket to do it with, he went along like a schoolboy with a 'arf holiday. +He went as far as Stratford on the top of a tram for a mouthful o' fresh +air, and came back to his favourite coffee-shop with a fine appetite for +dinner. There was a very nice gentlemanly chap sitting opposite 'im, and +the way he begged Sam's pardon for splashing gravy over 'im made Sam take +a liking to him at once. Nicely dressed he was, with a gold pin in 'is +tie, and a fine gold watch-chain acrost his weskit; and Sam could see he +'ad been brought up well by the way he used 'is knife and fork. He kept +looking at Sam in a thoughtful kind o' way, and at last he said wot a +beautiful morning it was, and wot a fine day it must be in the, country. +In a little while they began to talk like a couple of old friends, and he +told Sam all about 'is father, wot was a clergyman in the country, and +Sam talked about a father of his as was living private on three 'undred a +year. + +"Ah, money's a useful thing," ses the man. + +"It ain't everything," ses Sam. "It won't give you 'appiness. I've run +through a lot in my time, so I ought to know." + +"I expect you've got a bit left, though," ses the man, with a wink. + +Sam laughed and smacked 'is pocket. "I've got a trifle to go on with," +he ses, winking back. "I never feel comfortable without a pound or two +in my pocket." + +"You look as though you're just back from a vy'ge," ses the man, looking +at 'im very hard. + +"I am," ses Sam, nodding. "Just back arter ten months, and I'm going to +spend a bit o' money afore I sign on agin, I can tell you." + +"That's wot it was given to us for," ses the man, nodding at him. + +They both got up to go at the same time and walked out into the street +together, and, when Sam asked 'im whether he might have the pleasure of +standing 'im a drink, he said he might. He talked about the different +kinds of drink as they walked along till Sam, wot was looking for a high- +class pub, got such a raging thirst on 'im he hardly knew wot to do with +'imself. He passed several pubs, and walked on as fast as he could to +the Three Widders. + +"Do you want to go in there partikler?" ses the man, stopping at the +door. + +"No," ses Sam, staring. + +"'Cos I know a place where they sell the best glass o' port wine in +London," ses the man. + +He took Sam up two or three turnings, and then led him into a quiet +little pub in a back street. There was a cosy little saloon bar with +nobody in it, and, arter Sam had 'ad two port wines for the look of the +thing, he 'ad a pint o' six-ale because he liked it. His new pal had one +too, and he 'ad just taken a pull at it and wiped his mouth, when 'e +noticed a little bill pinned up at the back of the bar. + +"_Lost, between--the Mint and--Tower Stairs,_" he ses, leaning forward +and reading very slow, "_a gold--locket--set with--diamonds. Whoever +will--return--the same to--Mr. Smith--Orange Villa--Barnet--will receive +--thirty pounds--reward." + +"'Ow much?" ses Sam, starting. "Thirty pounds," ses the man. "Must be a +good locket. Where'd you get that?" he ses, turning to the barmaid. + +"Gentleman came in an hour ago," ses the gal, "and, arter he had 'ad two +or three drinks with the guv'nor, he asks 'im to stick it up. 'Arf +crying he was--said 'it 'ad belonged to his old woman wot died." + +She went off to serve a customer at the other end of the bar wot was +making little dents in it with his pot, and the man came back and sat +down by Sam agin, and began to talk about horse-racing. At least, he +tried to, but Sam couldn't talk of nothing but that locket, and wot a +nice steady sailorman could do with thirty pounds. + +"Well, p'r'aps you'll find it," ses the man, chaffing-like. "'Ave +another pint." + +Sam had one, but it only made 'im more solemn, and he got in quite a +temper as 'e spoke about casuals loafing about on Tower Hill with their +'ands in their pockets, and taking gold lockets out of the mouths of +hard-working sailormen. + +"It mightn't be found yet," ses the man, speaking thoughtful-like. "It's +wonderful how long a thing'll lay sometimes. Wot about going and 'aving +a look for it?" + +Sam shook his 'ead at fust, but arter turning the thing over in his mind, +and 'aving another look at the bill, and copying down the name and +address for luck, 'e said p'r'aps they might as well walk that way as +anywhere else. + +"Something seems to tell me we've got a chance," ses the man, as they +stepped outside. + + +"It's a funny feeling and I can't explain it, but it always means good +luck. Last time I had it an aunt o' mine swallered 'er false teeth and +left me five 'undred pounds." + +"There's aunts and aunts," ses Sam, grunting. "I 'ad one once, but if +she had swallered 'er teeth she'd ha' been round to me to help 'er buy +some new ones. That's the sort she was." + +"Mind!" ses the man, patting 'im on the shoulder, "if we do find this, I +don't want any of it. I've got all I want. It's all for you." + +They went on like a couple o' brothers arter that, especially Sam, and +when they got to the Mint they walked along slow down Tower Hill looking +for the locket. It was awkward work, because, if people saw them looking +about, they'd 'ave started looking too, and twice Sam nearly fell over +owing to walking like a man with a stiff neck and squinting down both +sides of his nose at once. When they got as far as the Stairs they came +back on the other side of the road, and they 'ad turned to go back agin +when a docker-looking chap stopped Sam's friend and spoke to 'im. + +"I've got no change, my man," ses Sam's pal, pushing past him. + +"I ain't begging, guv'nor," ses the chap, follering 'im up. "I'm trying +to sell some-thing." + +"Wot is it?" ses the other, stopping. + +The man looked up and down the street, and then he put his 'ead near them +and whispered. + +"Eh?" ses Sam's pal. + +"Something I picked up," ses the man, still a-whispering. + +Sam got a pinch on the arm from 'is pal that nearly made him scream, then +they both stood still, staring at the docker. + +"Wot is it?" ses Sam, at last. + +The docker looked over his shoulder agin, and then 'e put his 'and in his +trouser-pocket and just showed 'em a big, fat gold locket with diamonds +stuck all over it. Then he shoved it back in 'is pocket, while Sam's pal +was giving 'im a pinch worse than wot the other was. + +"It's the one," he ses, in a whisper. "Let's 'ave another look at it," +he ses to the docker. + +The man fished it out of his pocket agin, and held on to it tight while +they looked at it. + +"Where did you find it?" ses Sam. + +"Found it over there, just by the Mint," ses the man, pointing. + +[Illustration: "FOUND IT OVER THERE, JUST BY THE MINT," SES THE MAN, +POINTING.] + +"Wot d'ye want for it?" ses Sam's pal. + +"As much as I can get," ses the man. "I don't quite know 'ow much it's +worth, that's the worst of it. Wot d'ye say to twenty pounds, and chance +it?" + +Sam laughed--the sort of laugh a pal 'ad once give him a black eye for. + +"Twenty pounds!" he ses; "twenty pounds! 'Ave you gorn out of your mind, +or wot? I'll give you a couple of quid for it." + +"Well, it's all right, captin," ses the man, "there's no 'arm done. I'll +try somebody else--or p'r'aps there'll be a big reward for it. I don't +believe it was bought for a 'undred pounds." + +He was just sheering off when Sam's pal caught 'im by the arm and asked +him to let 'im have another look at it. Then he came back to Sam and led +'im a little way off, whispering to 'im that it was the chance of a +life time. + +"And if you prefer to keep it for a little while and then sell it, +instead of getting the reward for it, I dare say it would be worth a +hundred pounds to you," 'e ses. + +"I ain't got twenty pounds," ses Sam. + +"'Ow much 'ave you got?" ses his pal. + +Sam felt in 'is pockets, and the docker came up and stood watching while +he counted it. Altogether it was nine pounds fourteen shillings and +tuppence. + +"P'r'aps you've got some more at 'ome," ses his pal. + +"Not a farthing," ses Sam, which was true as far as the farthing went. + +"Or p'r'aps you could borrer some," ses his pal, in a soft, kind voice. +"I'd lend it to you with pleasure, on'y I haven't got it with me." + +Sam shook his 'ead, and at last, arter the docker 'ad said he wouldn't +let it go for less than twenty, even to save 'is life, he let it go for +the nine pounds odd, a silver watch-chain, two cigars wot Sam 'ad been +sitting on by mistake, and a sheath-knife. + +"Shove it in your pocket and don't let a soul see it," ses the man, +handing over the locket. "I might as well give it away a'most. But it +can't be 'elped." + +He went off up the 'ill shaking his 'ead, and Sam's pal, arter watching +him for a few seconds, said good-bye in a hurry and went off arter 'im to +tell him to keep 'is mouth shut about it. + +Sam walked back to his lodgings on air, as the saying is, and even did a +little bit of a skirt-dance to a pianner-organ wot was playing. Peter +and Ginger was out, and so was his land-lady, a respectable woman as was +minding the rest of 'is money for him, and when he asked 'er little gal, +a kid of eleven, to trust 'im for some tin she gave 'im a lecture on +wasting his money instead wot took 'is breath away--all but a word or two. + +He got some of 'is money from his landlady at eight o'clock, arter +listening to 'er for 'arf an hour, and then he 'ad to pick it up off of +the floor, and say "Thank you" for it. + +He went to bed afore Ginger and Peter came in, but 'e was so excited he +couldn't sleep, and long arter they was in bed he laid there and thought +of all the different ways of spending a 'undred pounds. He kept taking +the locket from under 'is piller and feeling it; then he felt 'e must +'ave another look at it, and arter coughing 'ard two or three times and +calling out to the other two not to snore--to see if they was awake--he +got out o' bed and lit the candle. Ginger and Peter was both fast +asleep, with their eyes screwed up and their mouths wide open, and 'e sat +on the bed and looked at the locket until he was a'most dazzled. + +"'Ullo, Sam!" ses a voice. "Wot 'ave you got there?" + +Sam nearly fell off the bed with surprise and temper. Then 'e hid the +locket in his 'and and blew out the candle. + +"Who gave it to you?" ses Ginger. + +"You get off to sleep, and mind your own bisness," ses Sam, grinding 'is +teeth. + +He got back into bed agin and laid there listening to Ginger waking up +Peter. Peter woke up disagreeable, but when Ginger told 'im that Sam 'ad +stole a gold locket as big as a saucer, covered with diamonds, he altered +'is mind. + +"Let's 'ave a look at it," he ses, sitting up. + +"Ginger's dreaming," ses Sam, in a shaky voice. "I ain't got no locket. +Wot d'you think I want a locket for?" + +Ginger got out o' bed and lit the candle agin. "Come on!" he ses, "let's +'ave a look at it. I wasn't dreaming. I've been awake all the time, +watching you." + +Sam shut 'is eyes and turned his back to them. + +"He's gone to sleep, pore old chap," ses Ginger. "We'll 'ave a look at +it without waking 'im. You take that side, Peter! Mind you don't +disturb 'im." + +He put his 'and in under the bed-clo'es and felt all up and down Sam's +back, very careful. Sam stood it for 'arf a minute, and then 'e sat up +in bed and behaved more like a windmill than a man. + +"Hold his 'ands," ses Ginger. + +"Hold 'em yourself," ses Peter, dabbing 'is nose with his shirt-sleeve. + +"Well, we're going to see it," ses Ginger, "if we have to make enough +noise to rouse the 'ouse. Fust of all we're going to ask you perlite; +then we shall get louder and louder. _Show us the locket wot you stole, +Sam!_" + +"Show--us--the--diamond locket!" ses Peter. + +"It's my turn, Peter," ses Ginger. "One, two, three. SHOW--US--TH'----" + +"Shut up," ses Sam, trembling all over. "I'll show it to you if you stop +your noise." + +He put his 'and under his piller, but afore he showed it to 'em he sat up +in bed and made 'em a little speech. He said 'e never wanted to see +their faces agin as long as he lived, and why Ginger's mother 'adn't put +'im in a pail o' cold water when 'e was born 'e couldn't understand. He +said 'e didn't believe that even a mother could love a baby that looked +like a cod-fish with red 'air, and as for Peter Russet, 'e believed his +mother died of fright. + +"That'll do," ses Ginger, as Sam stopped to get 'is breath. "Are you +going to show us the locket, or 'ave we got to shout agin?" + +Sam swallered something that nearly choked 'im, and then he opened his +'and and showed it to them. Peter told 'im to wave it so as they could +see the diamonds flash, and then Ginger waved the candle to see 'ow they +looked that way, and pretty near set pore Sam's whiskers on fire. + +They didn't leave 'im alone till they knew as much about it as he could +tell 'em, and they both of 'em told 'im that if he took a reward of +thirty pounds for it, instead of selling it for a 'undred, he was a +bigger fool than he looked. + +"I shall turn it over in my mind," ses Sam, sucking 'is teeth. "When I +want your advice I'll ask you for it." + +"We wasn't thinking of you," ses Ginger; "we was thinking of ourselves." + +"You!" ses Sam, with a bit of a start. "Wot's it got to do with you?" + +"Our share'll be bigger, that's all," ses Ginger. + +"Much bigger," ses Peter. "I couldn't dream of letting it go at thirty. +It's chucking money away. Why, we might get _two_ 'undred for it. Who +knows?" + +Sam sat on the edge of 'is bed like a man in a dream, then 'e began to +make a noise like a cat with a fish-bone in its throat, and then 'e stood +up and let fly. + +"Don't stop 'im, Peter," ses Ginger. "Let 'im go on; it'll do him good." + +"He's forgot all about that penknife you picked up and went shares in," +ses Peter. "I wouldn't be mean for _twenty_ lockets." + +"Nor me neither," ses Ginger. "But we won't let 'im be mean--for 'is own +sake. We'll 'ave our rights." + +"Rights!" ses Sam. "Rights! You didn't find it." + +"We always go shares if we find anything," ses Ginger. "Where's your +memory, Sam?" "But I didn't find it," ses Sam. + +"No, you bought it," ses Peter, "and if you don't go shares we'll split +on you--see? Then you can't sell it anyway, and perhaps you won't even +get the reward. We can be at Orange Villa as soon as wot you can." + +"Sooner," ses Ginger, nodding. "But there's no need to do that. If 'e +don't go shares I'll slip round to the police-station fust thing in the +morning." + +"You know the way there all right," ses Sam, very bitter. + +"And we don't want none o' your back-answers," ses Ginger. "Are you +going shares or not?" + +"Wot about the money I paid for it?" ses Sam, "and my trouble?" + +Ginger and Peter sat down on the bed to talk it over, and at last, arter +calling themselves a lot o' bad names for being too kind-'earted, they +offered 'im five pounds each for their share in the locket. + +"And that means you've got your share for next to nothing, Sam," ses +Ginger. + +"Some people wouldn't 'ave given you any-thing," ses Peter. + +Sam gave way at last, and then 'e stood by making nasty remarks while +Ginger wrote out a paper for them all to sign, because he said he had +known Sam such a long time. + +It was a'most daylight afore they got to sleep, and the fust thing Ginger +did when he woke was to wake Sam up, and offer to shake 'ands with him. +The noise woke Peter up, and, as Sam wouldn't shake 'ands with 'im +either, they both patted him on the back instead. + +They made him take 'em to the little pub, arter breakfast, to read the +bill about the reward. Sam didn't mind going, as it 'appened, as he +'oped to meet 'is new pal there and tell 'im his troubles, but, though +they stayed there some time, 'e didn't turn up. He wasn't at the +coffee-shop for dinner, neither. + +Peter and Ginger was in 'igh spirits, and, though Sam told 'em plain that +he would sooner walk about with a couple of real pickpockets, they +wouldn't leave 'im an inch. + +"Anybody could steal it off of you, Sam," ses Ginger, patting 'im on the +weskit to make sure the locket was still there. "It's a good job you've +got us to look arter you." + +"We must buy 'im a money-belt with a pocket in it," ses Peter. + +Ginger nodded at 'im. "Yes," he ses, "that would be safer. And he'd +better wear it next to 'is skin, with everything over it. I should feel +more comfortable then." + +"And wot about me?" says Sam, turning on 'im. + +"Well, we'll take it in turns," ses Ginger. "You one day, and then me, +and then Peter." + +Sam gave way at last, as arter all he could see it was the safest thing +to do, but he 'ad so much to say about it that they got fair sick of the +sound of 'is voice. They 'ad to go 'ome for 'im to put the belt on; and +then at seven o'clock in the evening, arter Sam had 'ad two or three +pints, they had to go 'ome agin, 'cos he was complaining of tight-lacing. + +Ginger had it on next day and he went 'ome five times. The other two +went with 'im in case he lost 'imself, and stood there making nasty +remarks while he messed 'imself up with a penn'orth of cold cream. It +was a cheap belt, and pore Ginger said that, when they 'ad done with it, +it would come in handy for sand-paper. + +Peter didn't like it any better than the other two did, and twice they +'ad to speak to 'im about stopping in the street and trying to make +'imself more comfortable by wriggling. Sam said people misunderstood it. + +Arter that they agreed to wear it outside their shirt, and even then +Ginger said it scratched 'im. And every day they got more and more +worried about wot was the best thing to do with the locket, and whether +it would be safe to try and sell it. The idea o' walking about with a +fortune in their pockets that they couldn't spend a'most drove 'em crazy. + +"The longer we keep it, the safer it'll be," ses Sam, as they was walking +down Hounds-ditch one day. + +"We'll sell it when I'm sixty," ses Ginger, nasty-like. + +"Then old Sam won't be 'ere to have 'is share," ses Peter. + +Sam was just going to answer 'em back, when he stopped and began to smile +instead. Straight in front of 'im was the gentleman he 'ad met in the +coffee-shop, coming along with another man, and he just 'ad time to see +that it was the docker who 'ad sold him the locket, when they both saw +'im. They turned like a flash, and, afore Sam could get 'is breath, +bolted up a little alley and disappeared. + +"Wot's the row?" ses Ginger, staring. + +Sam didn't answer 'im. He stood there struck all of a heap. + +"Do you know 'em?" ses Peter. + +Sam couldn't answer 'im for a time. He was doing a bit of 'ard thinking. + +"Chap I 'ad a row with the other night," he ses, at last. + +He walked on very thoughtful, and the more 'e thought, the less 'e liked +it. He was so pale that Ginger thought 'e was ill and advised 'im to +'ave a drop o' brandy. Peter recommended rum, so to please 'em he 'ad +both. It brought 'is colour back, but not 'is cheerfulness. + +He gave 'em both the slip next morning; which was easy, as Ginger was +wearing the locket, and, arter fust 'aving a long ride for nothing owing +to getting in the wrong train, he got to Barnet. + +It was a big place; big enough to 'ave a dozen Orange Villas, but pore +Sam couldn't find one. It wasn't for want of trying neither. + +He asked at over twenty shops, and the post-office, and even went to the +police-station. He must ha' walked six or seven miles looking for it, +and at last, 'arf ready to drop, 'e took the train back. + +He 'ad some sausages and mashed potatoes with a pint o' stout at a place +in Bishopsgate, and then 'e started to walk 'ome. The only comfort he +'ad was the thought of the ten pounds Ginger and Peter 'ad paid 'im; and +when he remembered that he began to cheer up and even smile. By the time +he got 'ome 'e was beaming all over 'is face. + +"Where've you been?" ses Ginger. + +"Enjoying myself by myself," ses Sam. + +"Please yourself," ses Peter, very severe, "but where'd you ha' been if +we 'ad sold the locket and skipped, eh?" + +"You wouldn't 'ave enjoyed yourself by yourself then," ses Ginger. "Yes, +you may laugh!" + +Sam didn't answer 'im, but he sat down on 'is bed and 'is shoulders shook +till Ginger lost his temper and gave him a couple o' thumps on the back +that pretty near broke it. + +"All right," ses Sam, very firm. "Now you 'ave done for yourselves. I +'ad a'most made up my mind to go shares; now you sha'n't 'ave a +ha'penny." + +Ginger laughed then. "Ho!" he ses, "and 'ow are you going to prevent +it?" + +"We've got the locket, Sam," ses Peter, smiling and shaking his 'ead at +'im. + +"And we'll mind it till it's sold," ses Ginger. + +Sam laughed agin, short and nasty. Then he undressed 'imself very slow +and got into bed. At twelve o'clock, just as Ginger was dropping off, he +began to laugh agin, and 'e only stopped when 'e heard Ginger getting out +of bed to 'im. + +He stayed in bed next morning, 'cos he said 'is sides was aching, but 'e +laughed agin as they was going out, and when they came back he 'ad gorn. + +We never know 'ow much we' like anything till we lose it. A week +arterwards, as Ginger was being 'elped out of a pawnshop by Peter, he +said 'e would give all he 'adn't got for the locket to be near enough to +Sam to hear 'im laugh agin. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Shareholders, by W.W. Jacobs + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 11471 *** |