Part 12 (1/2)
”Where did the old sailor come aboard?” the man asked, after exchanging glances with his companions.
Walter told him in the fewest possible words how Bob had become a member of the party, and also in what condition the Sea Bird was when Joe linked his fortunes with theirs.
”How happened it that you run ash.o.r.e here?” the Mexican asked, and this question Harry answered.
”Then you've got no more right aboard this craft than we have,” the first speaker said, ”an' I reckon we'll stick by the s.h.i.+p. Do you know where there's any tobacco?”
”No, I haven't seen a piece except that which Bob has.”
”Then hunt for some. In a well-found craft like this there's sure to be plenty.”
”We don't know anything about it, and do not intend to look!” Harry said decidedly, as he retreated toward the companion-way, taking up his stand directly in front of Walter.
”I'll have to give you a lesson, the same's I did the other fellow!” the red-nosed man cried in an angry tone. ”Are you goin' to obey orders?”
”I'm willing to do any necessary work, but I don't intend to wait upon you!” and Harry tried very hard to prevent his voice from trembling.
”That's jes' what you will do!” the man cried, as if beside himself with pa.s.sion, and seizing a plate from the table he hurled it with better intent than aim directly at the boys, grasping another the instant the first had left his hands.
The second he did not throw, however. As the crockery was s.h.i.+vered into fragments against the companion-ladder, pa.s.sing within an inch of Harry's head, Bob appeared at the hatchway.
”What's goin' on in here?” he asked sternly.
”Them boys were givin' us some of their impudence, an' I was showin' 'em the proper place aboard s.h.i.+p, that's all,” the red-nosed man replied in a mild, friendly tone, as if he had simply been doing his host a favor.
”Look here, my friend,” and it could be plainly seen that Bob was trying hard to control his temper. ”It won't be well for you to show any one on this craft what his place is. We took you aboard believin' you were sailors an' starvin'; but we'll set the whole lot adrift mighty quick if I see any more of this kind of work.” Then turning to the boys, he added, ”Go on deck or stay here, as you choose; but don't play servant to a single person on the brig.”
”I allow you're lookin' at this matter wrong,” the thin man said in a conciliatory tone, as Harry and Walter ascended the companion-ladder.
”We haven't said or done anything out of the way. How was we to know but they was the reg'lar cabin-boys, an' when they insulted us jes' 'cause we'd lost our vessel an' luck was agin us, we only did what you would.”
As a matter of course, Bob was not absolutely certain but that there might be some truth in the man's statement, although from what he knew of Harry and Walter it did not seem probable; therefore he said, with less show of anger:
”We'll let the matter drop; but you must understand that the boys are to be treated as I am. The one who acts as cook has been to sea a little, and can stand harder work than the others, who were never on board a vessel before. Neither of 'em are to be bossed or scolded, for all do what they can willingly, an' I'm standin' right by 'em. Now that you've had somethin' to eat, an' ain't sufferin', what do you propose doin'?”
”You're short-handed, even if you had only the brig to look after; so what's to hinder our workin' a pa.s.sage to sich port as you calculate on makin'?” and the red-nosed man spoke very humbly.
”We reckon on leavin' the tug here,” Bob replied gravely. ”She's aground, an' what's worse, bunged up so bad that three weeks wouldn't be any too long for repairs. 'Cordin' to my figgerin' the brig can be floated reasonably easy; an' with Joe Taylor aboard I can run her to the mainland pretty nigh as quick as if we had more of a crew.”
”Do you mean that you don't care about takin' us along?” the slim man asked.
Bob hesitated an instant, hardly caring to say plainly that he had no desire for their company, and then he replied:
”It ain't wholly as I say. Considerin' what has been done, an' that the Sea Bird was disabled through the carelessness of one of my party, Joe has got as much interest here as I, an' he'd have to agree.”
”Does he make any objection to helping us out of this hole if we're willing to do our full share of work?” the Mexican asked.
”I don't say he does, 'cause, you see, we haven't made any talk about sich a plan.”