Part 33 (1/2)
”Oh, excuse me,” said Miss Rolleston, ”I will not be sheltered at the expense of my friends.”
”Welch, you are a trump,” said Hazel, and ran off for the spare canvas.
He brought it and the carpenter's basket of tools. They went to work, and Miss Rolleston insisted on taking part in it. Finding her so disposed, Hazel said that they had better divide their labors, since the time was short. Accordingly he took the ax and chopped off a great many scales of the palm-tree, and lighted a great fire between the trees, while the other two worked on the canvas.
”This is to dry the soil as well as cook our provisions,” said he; ”and now I must go and find food. Is there anything you fancy?” He turned his head from the fire he was lighting and addressed this question both to Welch and Miss Rolleston.
Miss Rolleston stared at this question, then smiled, and, in the true spirit of a lady, said, ”I think I should like a good large cocoanut, if you can find one.” She felt sure there was no other eatable thing in the whole island.
”I wants a cabbage,” said Welch, in a loud voice.
”Oh, Mr. Welch, we are not at home,” said Miss Rolleston, blus.h.i.+ng at the preposterous demand.
”No, miss, in Capericorn. Whereby we shan't have to pay nothing for this here cabbage. I'll tell ye, miss: when a sailor comes ash.o.r.e he always goes in for green vegetables, for why, he has eaten so much junk and biscuit, nature sings out for greens. Me and my s.h.i.+pmates was paid off at Portsmouth last year, and six of us agreed to dine together and each order his dish. Blest if six boiled legs of mutton did not come up smoking hot: three was with cabbage, and three with turmots. Mine was with turmots. But them I don't ask, so nigh the Line. Don't ye go to think, because I'm sick, and the lady and you is so kind to me, and to him that is a waiting outside them there shoals for me, as I'm onreasonable; turmots I wish you both, and plenty of 'em, when some whaler gets driven out of her course and picks you up, and carries you into northern lat.i.tudes where turmots grow; but cabbage is my right, cabbage is my due, being paid off in a manner; for the s.h.i.+p is foundered and I'm ash.o.r.e. Cabbage I ask for, as a seaman that has done his duty, and a man that won't live to eat many more of 'em; and” (losing his temper), ”if you are the man I take you for, you'll run and fetch me a cabbage fresh from the tree” (recovering his temper). ”I know I didn't ought to ax a parson to s.h.i.+n up a tree for me; but, Lord bless you, there ain't no sarcy little boys a-looking on, and here's a poor fellow mostly dying for it.”
Miss Rolleston looked at Mr. Hazel with alarm in every feature; and whispered, ”Cabbage from the tree. Is he wandering?”
Hazel smiled. ”No,” said he. ”He has picked up a fable of these seas, that there is a tree which grows cabbages.”
Welch heard him and said, with due warmth, ”Of course there is a tree on all these islands that grows cabbages; that was known a hundred years before you was born, and s.h.i.+pmates of mine have eaten them.”
”Excuse me, what those old admirals and buccaneers, that set the legend afloat, were so absurd as to call a cabbage, and your s.h.i.+pmates may have eaten for one, is nothing on earth but the last year's growth of the palm-tree.”
”Palm-tree be ----!” said Welch; and thereupon ensued a hot argument, which Helen's good sense cut short.
”Mr. Hazel,” said she, ”can you by any possibility get our poor friend the _thing_ he wants?”
”Oh, _that_ is quite within the bounds of possibility,” said Hazel dryly.
”Well, then, suppose you begin by getting him the _thing._ Then I will boil the thing; and he will eat the thing; and after all that it will be time to argue about the _name_ we shall give to the _thing.”_
The good sense of this struck Mr. Hazel forcibly. He started off at once, armed with the ax, and a net bag Welch had made since he became unfit for heavy labor. He called back to them as he went, to put the pots on.
Welch and Miss Rolleston complied; and then the sailor showed the lady how to sew sailor--wise, driving the large needle with the palm of the hand, guarded by a piece of leather. They had nailed two breadths of canvas to the trees on the north and west sides and run the breadths rapidly together; and the water was boiling and bubbling in the balers, when Miss Rolleston uttered a scream, for Hazel came running over the prostrate palm-tree as if it was a proper bridge, and lighted in the midst of them.
”Lot one,” said he cheerfully, and produced from his net some limes, two cocoanuts, and a land-turtle; from this last esculent Miss Rolleston withdrew with undisguised horror, and it was in vain he a.s.sured her it was a great delicacy.
”No matter. It is a reptile. Oh, please send it away.”
”The Queen of the Island reprieves you,” said he, and put down the terrapin, which went off very leisurely for a reprieved reptile.
Then Hazel produced a fine bream, which he had found struggling in a rock-pool, the tide having turned, and three sea crayfish, bigger than any lobster. He chopped their heads off outside, and threw their tails into the pots; he stuck a piece of pointed wood through the bream, and gave it to Welch to toast; but Welch waved it aside.
”I see no cabbage,” said he, grimly.
”Oh, I forgot. But that is soon found,” said Hazel. ”Here, give me the fish, and you take the saw, and examine the head of the palm-tree, which lies at Miss Rolleston's door. Saw away the succulent part of last year's growth, and bring it here.”
Welch got up slowly.
”I'll go with you, Mr. Welch,” said Miss Rolleston.
She will not be alone with me for a moment, if she can help it, thought Hazel, and sat moody by the fire. But he shook off his sadness, and forced on a cheerful look the moment they came back. They brought with them a vegetable very like the heart of a cabbage, only longer and whiter.