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diff --git a/12152-0.txt b/12152-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a757dc0 --- /dev/null +++ b/12152-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,447 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12152 *** + +NIGHT WATCHES + +by W.W. Jacobs + + + + +KEEPING WATCH + +"Human natur'!" said the night-watchman, gazing fixedly at a pretty +girl in a passing waterman's skiff. "Human natur'!" + +He sighed, and, striking a match, applied it to his pipe and sat smoking +thoughtfully. + +"The young fellow is pretending that his arm is at the back of her by +accident," he continued; "and she's pretending not to know that it's +there. When he's allowed to put it round 'er waist whenever he wishes, +he won't want to do it. She's artful enough to know that, and that's +why they are all so stand-offish until the thing is settled. She'll +move forward 'arf an inch presently, and 'arf a minute arterwards she'll +lean back agin without thinking. She's a nice-looking gal, and what she +can see in a tailor's dummy like that, I can't think." + +He leaned back on his box and, folding his arms, emitted a cloud of +smoke. + +"Human natur's a funny thing. I've seen a lot of it in my time, and if +I was to 'ave my life all over agin I expect I should be just as silly +as them two in the skiff. I've known the time when I would spend money +as free over a gal as I would over myself. I on'y wish I'd got all the +money now that I've spent on peppermint lozenges. + +"That gal in the boat reminds me o' one I used to know a few years ago. +Just the same innercent baby look--a look as if butter wouldn't melt in +'er mouth--and a artful disposition that made me sorry for 'er sects. + +"She used to come up to this wharf once a week in a schooner called the +Belle. Her father, Cap'n Butt, was a widow-man, and 'e used to bring +her with 'im, partly for company and partly because 'e could keep 'is +eye on her. Nasty eye it, was, too, when he 'appened to be out o' +temper. + +"I'd often took a bit o' notice o' the gal; just giving 'er a kind smile +now and then as she sat on deck, and sometimes--when 'er father wasn't +looking--she'd smile back. Once, when 'e was down below, she laughed +right out. She was afraid of 'im, and by and by I noticed that she +daren't even get off the ship and walk up and down the wharf without +asking 'im. When she went out 'e was with 'er, and, from one or two +nasty little snacks I 'appened to overhear when the skipper thought I +was too far away, I began to see that something was up. + +"It all came out one evening, and it only came out because the skipper +wanted my help. I was standing leaning on my broom to get my breath +back arter a bit o' sweeping, when he came up to me, and I knew at once, +by the nice way 'e spoke, that he wanted me to do something for 'im. + +"'Come and 'ave a pint, Bill,' he ses. + +"I put my broom agin the wall, and we walked round to the Bull's Head +like a couple o' brothers. We 'ad two pints apiece, and then he put his +'and on my shoulder and talked as man to man. + +"'I'm in a little bit o' difficulty about that gal o' mine,' he ses, +passing me his baccy-box. 'Six months ago she dropped a letter out of +'er pocket, and I'm blest if it wasn't from a young man. A young man!' + +"'You sur-prise me,' I ses, meaning to be sarcastic. + +"'I surprised her,' he ses, looking very fierce. 'I went to 'er box and +I found a pile of 'em-a pile of 'em-tied up with a piece o' pink ribbon. +And a photygraph of my lord. And of all the narrer-chested, weak-eyed, +slack-baked, spindly-legged sons of a gun you ever saw in your life, he +is the worst. If I on'y get my 'ands on him I'll choke 'im with his own +feet.' + +"He washed 'is mouth out with a drop o' beer and stood scowling at the +floor. + +"'Arter I've choked 'im I'll twist his neck,' he ses. 'If he 'ad on'y +put his address on 'is letters, I'd go round and do it now. And my +daughter, my only daughter, won't tell me where he lives.' + +"'She ought to know better,' I ses. + +"He took hold o' my 'and and shook it. 'You've got more sense than one +'ud think to look at you, Bill,' he ses, not thinking wot he was saying. +'You see wot a mess I'm in.' + +"'Yes,' I ses. + +"'I'm a nurse, that's wot I am,' he ses, very savage. 'Just a +nursemaid. I can't move 'and or foot without that gal. 'Ow'd you like +it, yourself, Bill?' + +"'It must be very orkard for you,' I ses. 'Very orkard indeed.' + +"'Orkard !' he ses; 'it's no name for it, Bill. I might as well be a +Sunday-school teacher, and ha' done with it. I never 'ad such a dull +time in all my life. Never. And the worst of it is, it's spiling my +temper. And all because o' that narrer-eyed, red-chested--you know wot +I mean!' + +"He took another mouthful o' beer, and then he took 'old of my arm. +'Bill,' he ses, very earnest, 'I want you to do me a favour.' + +"'Go ahead,' I ses. + +"'I've got to meet a pal at Charing Cross at ha'-past seven,' he ses; +'and we're going to make a night of it. I've left Winnie in charge o' +the cook, and I've told 'im plain that, if she ain't there when I come +back, I'll skin 'im alive. Now, I want you to watch 'er, too. Keep the +gate locked, and don't let anybody in you don't know. Especially that +monkey-faced imitation of a man. Here 'e is. That's his likeness.' + +"He pulled a photygraph out of 'is coatpocket and 'anded it to me. + +"'That's 'im,' he ses. 'Fancy a gal getting love-letters from a thing +like that! And she was on'y twenty last birthday. Keep your eye on +'er, Bill, and don't let 'er out of your sight. You're worth two o' the +cook.' + +"He finished 'is beer, and, cuddling my arm, stepped back to the wharf. +Miss Butt was sitting on the cabin skylight reading a book, and old Joe, +the cook, was standing near 'er pretending to swab the decks with a mop. + +"'I've got to go out for a little while--on business,' ses the skipper. +'I don't s'pose I shall be long, and, while I'm away, Bill and the cook +will look arter you.' + +"Miss Butt wrinkled up 'er shoulders. + +"'The gate'll be locked, and you're not to leave the wharf. D'ye 'ear?' + +"The gal wriggled 'er shoulders agin and went on reading, but she gave +the cook a look out of 'er innercent baby eyes that nearly made 'im drop +the mop. + +"'Them's my orders,' ses the skipper, swelling his chest and looking +round, 'to everybody. You know wot'll 'appen to you, Joe, if things +ain't right when I come back. Come along, Bill, and lock the gate arter +me. An' mind, for your own sake, don't let anything 'appen to that gal +while I'm away.' + +"'Wot time'll you be back?' I ses, as 'e stepped through the wicket. + +"'Not afore twelve, and p'r'aps a good bit later,' he ses, smiling all +over with 'appiness. 'But young slab-chest don't know I'm out, and +Winnie thinks I'm just going out for 'arf an hour, so it'll be all +right. So long.' + +"I watched 'im up the road, and I must say I began to wish I 'adn't +taken the job on. Arter all, I 'ad on'y had two pints and a bit o' +flattery, and I knew wot 'ud 'appen if anything went wrong. Built like +a bull he was, and fond o' using his strength. I locked the wicket +careful, and, putting the key in my pocket, began to walk up and down +the wharf. + +"For about ten minutes the gal went on reading and didn't look up once. +Then, as I passed, she gave me a nice smile and shook 'er little fist at +the cook, wot 'ad got 'is back towards 'er. I smiled back, o' course, +and by and by she put her book down and climbed on to the side o' the +ship and held out her 'and for me to 'elp her ashore. + +"'I'm so tired of the ship,' she ses, in a soft voice; 'it's like a +prison. Don't you get, tired of the wharf?' + +"'Sometimes,' I ses; 'but it's my dooty.' + +"'Yes,' she ses. 'Yes, of course. But you're a big, strong man, and +you can put up with things better.' + +"She gave a little sigh, and we walked up and down for a time without +saying anything. + +"'And it's all father's foolishness,' she ses, at last; 'that's wot +makes it so tiresome. I can't help a pack of silly young men writing to +me, can I?' + +"'No, I s'pose not,' I ses. + +"'Thank you,' she ses, putting 'er little 'and on my arm. 'I knew that +you were sensible. I've often watched you when I've been sitting alone +on the schooner, longing for somebody to speak to. And I'm a good judge +of character. I can read you like a book.' + +"She turned and looked up at me. Beautiful blue eyes she'd got, with +long, curling lashes, and teeth like pearls. + +"'Father is so silly,' she ses, shaking her 'ead and looking down; 'and +it's so unreasonable, because, as a matter of fact, I don't like young +men. Oh, I beg your pardon, I didn't mean that. I didn't mean to be +rude.' + +"'Rude?' I ses, staring at her. + +"'Of course it was a rude thing for me to say,' she ses, smiling; +'because you are still a young man yourself.' + +"I shook my 'ead. 'Youngish,' I ses. + +"'Young!' she ses, stamping 'er little foot. + +"She gave me another look, and this time 'er blue eyes seemed large and +solemn. She walked along like one in a dream, and twice she tripped +over the planks and would 'ave fallen if I hadn't caught 'er round the +waist. + +"'Thank you,' she ses. 'I'm very clumsy. How strong your arm is!' + +"We walked up and down agin, and every time we went near the edge of the +jetty she 'eld on to my arm for fear of stumbling agin. And there was +that silly cook standing about on the schooner on tip-toe and twisting +his silly old neck till I wonder it didn't twist off. + +"'Wot a beautiful evening it is!' she ses, at last, in a low voice. 'I +'ope father isn't coming back early. Do you know wot time he is coming +home?' + +"'About twelve,' I ses; 'but don't tell 'im I told you so.' + +"'O' course not,' she ses, squeezing my arm. 'Poor father! I hope he is +enjoying himself as much as I am.' + +"We walked down to the jetty agin arter that, and sat side by side +looking acrost the river. And she began to talk about Life, and wot a +strange thing it was; and 'ow the river would go on flowing down to the +sea thousands and thousands o' years arter we was both dead and +forgotten. If it hadn't ha' been for her little 'ead leaning agin my +shoulder I should have 'ad the creeps. + +"'Let's go down into the cabin,' she ses, at last, with a little shiver; +'it makes me melancholy sitting here and thinking of the "might-have- +beens."' + +"I got up first and 'elped her up, and, arter both staring hard at the +cook, wot didn't seem to know 'is place, we went down into the cabin. +It was a comfortable little place, and arter she 'ad poured me out a +glass of 'er father's whisky, and filled my pipe for me, I wouldn't ha' +changed places with a king. Even when the pipe wouldn't draw I didn't +mind. + +"'May I write a letter?' she ses, at last. + +"'Sartainly,' I ses. + +"She got out her pen and ink and paper, and wrote. 'I sha'n't be long,' +she ses, looking up and nibbling 'er pen. 'It's a letter to my +dressmaker; she promised my dress by six o'clock this afternoon, and I +am just writing to tell her that if I don't have it by ten in the +morning she can keep it.' + +"'Quite right,' I ses; 'it's the on'y way to get things done.' + +"'It's my way,' she ses, sticking the letter in an envelope and licking +it down. 'Nice name, isn't it?' + +"She passed it over to me, and I read the name and address: 'Miss Minnie +Miller, 17, John Street, Mile End Road.' + +"'That'll wake her up,' She ses, smiling. 'Will you ask Joe to take it +for me?' + +"'He--he's on guard,' I ses, smiling back at 'er and shaking my 'ead. + +"'I know,' she ses, in a low voice. 'But I don't want any guard--only +you. I don't like guards that peep down skylights.' + +"I looked up just in time to see Joe's 'ead disappear. Then I nipped +up, and arter I 'ad told 'im part of wot I thought about 'im I gave 'im +the letter and told 'im to sheer off. + +"'The skipper told me to stay 'ere,' he ses, looking obstinate. + +"'You do as you're told,' I ses. 'I'm in charge, and I take full +responsibility. I shall lock the gate arter you. Wot are you worrying +about?' + +"'And here's a shilling, Joe, for a bus fare,' ses the gal, smiling. +'You can keep the change.' + +"Joe took off 'is cap and scratched 'is silly bald 'ead. + +"'Come on,' I ses; 'it's a letter to a dressmaker. A letter that must +go to-night.' + +"'Else it's no use,' ses the gal. 'You don't know 'ow important it is.' + +"'All right,' ses Joe. ''Ave it your own way. So long as you don't +tell the skipper I don't mind. If anything 'appens you'll catch it too, +Bill.' + +"He climbed ashore, and I follered 'im to the gate and unlocked it. He +was screwing up 'is eye ready for a wink, but I give 'im such a look +that he thought better of it, and, arter rubbing his eye with 'is finger +as though he 'ad got a bit o' dust in it, he went off. + +"I locked the gate and went back to the cabin, and for some time we sat +talking about fathers and the foolish ideas they got into their 'eads, +and things o' that sort. So far as I remember, I 'ad two more goes o' +whisky and one o' the skipper's cigars, and I was just thinking wot a +beautiful thing it was to be alive and 'ealthy and in good spirits, +talking to a nice gal that understood wot you said a'most afore you said +it, when I 'eard three blows on a whistle. + +"'Wot's that?' I ses, starting up. 'Police whistle?' + +"'I don't think so,' ses Miss Butt, putting her 'and on my shoulder. +'Sit down and stay where you are. I don't want you to get hurt, if it +is. Let somebody I don't like go.' + +"I sat down agin and listened, but there was no more whistling. + +"'Boy in the street, I expect,' ses the gal, going into the state-room. +'Oh, I've got something to show you. Wait a minute.' + +"I 'eard her moving about, and then she comes back into the cabin. + +"'I can't find the key of my box,' she ses, 'and it's in there. I +wonder whether you've got a key that would open it. It's a padlock.' + +"I put my 'and in my pocket and pulled out my keys. 'Shall I come and +try?' I ses. + +"'No, thank you,' she ses, taking the keys. 'This looks about the size. +What key is it?' + +"'It's the key of the gate,' I ses, 'but I don't suppose it'll fit.' + +"She went back into the state-room agin, and I 'eard her fumbling at a +lock. Then she came back into the cabin, breathing rather hard, and +stood thinking. + +"'I've just remembered,' she ses, pinching her chin. 'Yes!' + +"She stepped to the door and went up the companion-ladder, and the next +moment I 'eard a sliding noise and a key turn in a lock. I jumped to +the foot of the ladder and, 'ardly able to believe my senses, saw that +the hatch was closed. When I found that it was locked too, you might +ha' knocked me down with a feather. + +"I went down to the cabin agin, and, standing on the locker, pushed the +skylight up with my 'ead and tried to lookout. I couldn't see the gate, +but I 'eard voices and footsteps, and a little while arterwards I see +that gal coming along the wharf arm in arm with the young man she 'ad +told me she didn't like, and dancing for joy. They climbed on to the +schooner, and then they both stooped down with their hands on their +knees and looked at me. + +"'Wot is it?' ses the young man, grinning. + +"'It's a watchman,' ses the gal. 'It's here to take charge of the +wharf, you know, and see that nobody comes on.' + +"'We ought to ha' brought some buns for it,' ses the young man; 'look at +it opening its mouth.' + +"They both laughed fit to kill themselves, but I didn't move a muscle. + +"'You open the companion,' I ses, 'or it'll be the worse for you. D'ye +hear? Open it !' + +"'Oh, Alfred,' ses the gal, 'he's losing 'is temper. Wotever shall we +do?' + +"'I don't want no more nonsense,' I ses, trying to fix 'er with my eye. +'If you don't let me out it'll be the worse for you.' + +"'Don't you talk to my young lady like that,' ses the young man. + +"'Your young lady?' I ses. 'H'mm! You should ha' seen 'er 'arf an hour +ago.' + +"The gal looked at me steady for a moment. + +"'He put 'is nasty fat arm round my waist, Alfred,' she ses. + +"'Wot!' ses the young man, squeaking. 'WOT!' + +"He snatched up the mop wot that nasty, untidy cook 'ad left leaning +agin the side, and afore I 'ad any idea of wot 'e was up to he shoved +the beastly thing straight in my face. + +"'Next time,' he ses, 'I'll tear you limb from limb!' + +"I couldn't speak for a time, and when I could 'e stopped me with the +mop agin. It was like a chained lion being tormented by a monkey. I +stepped down on to the cabin floor, and then I told 'em both wot I +thought of 'em. + +"'Come along, Alfred,' ses the gal, 'else the cook'll be back before we +start.' + +"'He's all right,' ses the young man. 'Minnie's looking arter him. +When I left he'd got 'arf a bottle of whisky in front of 'im.' + +"'Still, we may as well go,' ses Miss Butt. 'It seems a shame to keep +the cab waiting.' + +"'All right,' he ses. 'I just want to give this old chump one more lick +with the mop and then we'll go.' + +"He peeped down the skylight and waited, but I kept quite quiet, with my +back towards 'im. + +"'Come along,' ses Miss Butt. + +"'I'm coming,' he ses. 'Hi! You down there! When the cap'n comes back +tell 'im that I'm taking Miss Butt to an aunt o' mine in the country. +And tell'im that in a week or two he'll 'ave the largest and nicest +piece of wedding-cake he 'as ever 'ad in his life. So long!' + +"'Good-bye, watchman,' ses the gal. + +"They moved off without another word--from them, I mean. I heard the +wicket slam and then I 'eard a cab drive off over the stones. I +couldn't believe it at first. I couldn't believe a gal with such +beautiful blue eyes could be so hard-'earted, and for a long time I +stood listening and hoping to 'ear the cab come back. Then I stepped up +to the companion and tried to shift it with my shoulders. + +"I went back to the cabin at last, and arter lighting the lamp I 'ad +another sup o' the skipper's whisky to clear my 'ead, and sat down to +try and think wot tale I was to tell 'im. I sat for pretty near three +hours without thinking of one, and then I 'eard the crew come on to the +wharf. + +"They was a bit startled when they saw my 'ead at the skylight, and then +they all started at the same time asking me wot I was doing. I told 'em +to let me out fust and then I'd tell 'em, and one of 'em 'ad just +stepped round to the companion when the skipper come on to the wharf and +stepped aboard. He stooped down and peeped at me through the skylight +as though he couldn't believe 'is eyesight, and then, arter sending the +hands for'ard and telling 'em to stay there, wotever 'appened, he +unlocked the companion and came down." + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Keeping Watch, by W.W. Jacobs + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12152 *** |