Part 31 (1/2)
Thus directly appealed to, Jumbo nodded his own head violently, and showed his magnificent teeth from ear to ear, gums included.
Disco laid down the flat piece of board which he had carved into the form of a human head, and took up another piece, which was rudely blocked out into the form of a human leg--both leg and head being as large as life.
”Now this limb, Jumbo,” continued Disco, slowly, as he whittled away with the clasp-knife vigorously, ”is much more troublesome than I would have expected; for you n.i.g.g.e.rs have got such abominably ill-shaped legs below the knee. There's such an unnat'ral bend for'ard o' the s.h.i.+n-bone, an' such a rediklous sticking out o' the heel astarn, d'ee see, that a feller with white man notions has to make a study of it, if he sets up for a artist; in course, if he _don't_ set up for a artist any sort o' shape'll do, for it don't affect the jumpin'. Ha! there they go,” he exclaimed, with a humorous smile at a hearty shout of laughter which was heard just outside the hut, ”enjoyin' the old 'un; but it's nothin' to wot the noo 'un'll be w'en it's finished.”
At this exhibition of amus.e.m.e.nt on the countenance of his friend, Jumbo threw back his head and again showed not only his teeth and gums but the entire inside of his mouth, and chuckled softly from the region of his breast-bone.
”I'm dreaming, of course,” thought Harold, and shut his eyes.
Poor fellow! he was very weak, and the mere act of shutting his eyes induced a half-slumber. He awoke again in a few minutes, and re-opening his eyes, beheld the two men still sitting, and occupied as before.
”It is a wonderfully pertinacious dream,” thought Harold. ”I'll try to dissipate it.”
Thinking thus, he called out aloud,--”I say, Disco!”
”Hallo! that's uncommon like the old tones,” exclaimed the seaman, dropping his knife and the leg of wood as he looked anxiously at his friend.
”What old tones?” asked Harold.
”The tones of your voice,” said Disco.
”Have they changed so much of late?” inquired Harold in surprise.
”Have they? I should think they have, just. W'y, you haven't spoke like that, sir, for--but, surely--are you better, or is this on'y another dodge o' yer madness?” asked Disco with a troubled look.
”Ah! I suppose I've been delirious, have I?” said Harold with a faint smile.
To this Disco replied that he had not only been delirious, but stark staring mad, and expressed a very earnest hope that, now he had got his senses hauled taut again, he'd belay them an' make all fast for, if he didn't, it was his, Disco's opinion, that another breeze o' the same kind would blow 'em all to ribbons.
”Moreover,” continued Disco, firmly, ”you're not to talk. I once nursed a messmate through a fever, an' I remember that the doctor wos werry partikler w'en he began to come round, in orderin' him to hold his tongue an' keep quiet.”
”You are right Disco. I will keep quiet, but you must first tell me what you are about, for it has roused my curiosity, and I can't rest till I know.”
”Well, sir, I'll tell you, but don't go for to make no obsarvations on it. Just keep your mouth shut an' yer ears open, an' I'll do all the jawin'. Well, you must know, soon after you wos took bad, I felt as if I'd like some sort o' okipation w'en sittin' here watchin' of you--Jumbo an' me's bin takin' the watch time about, for Antony isn't able to hold a boy, much less _you_ w'en you gits obstropolous--Well, sir, I had took a sort o' fancy for Yambo's youngest boy, for he's a fine, brave little shaver, he is, an' I thought I'd make him some sort o' toy, an' it struck me that the thing as 'ud please him most 'ud be a jumpin'-jack, so I set to an' made him one about a futt high.
”You never see such a face o' joy as that youngster put on, sir, w'en I took it to him an' pulled the string. He give a little squeak of delight he did, tuk it in his hands, an' ran home to show it to his mother. Well, sir, wot d'ee think, the poor boy come back soon after, blubberin' an' sobbin', as nat'ral as if he'd bin an English boy, an'
says he to Tony, says he, `Father's bin an' took it away from me!' I wos surprised at this, an' went right off to see about it, an' w'en I come to Yambo's hut wot does I see but the chief pullin' the string o'
the jumpin'-jack, an' grinnin' an' sn.i.g.g.e.rin' like a blue-faced baboon in a pa.s.sion--his wife likewise standin' by holdin' her sides wi'
laughin'. Well, sir, the moment I goes in, up gits the chief an' shouts for Tony, an' tells him to tell me that I must make him a jumpin'-jack!
In course I says I'd do it with all the pleasure in life; and he says that I must make it full size, as big as hisself! I opened my eyes at this, but he said he must have a thing that was fit for a man--a chief-- so there was nothin' for it but to set to work. An' it worn't difficult to manage neither, for they supplied me with slabs o' timber an inch thick an' I soon blocked out the body an' limbs with a hatchet an'
polished 'em off with my knife, and then put 'em together. W'en the big jack wos all right Yambo took it away, for he'd watched me all the time I wos at it, an' fixed it up to the branch of a tree an' set to work.
”I never, no I never, did,” continued Disco, slapping his right thigh, while Jumbo grinned in sympathy, ”see sitch a big baby as Yambo became w'en he got that monstrous jumpin'-jack into action--with his courtiers all round him, their faces blazin' with surprise, or conwulsed wi'
laughter. The chief hisself was too hard at work to laugh much. He could only glare an' grin, for, big an' strong though he is, the jack wos so awful heavy that it took all his weight an' muscle haulin' on the rope which okipied the place o' the string that we're used to.
”`Haul away, my hearty,' thought I, w'en I seed him heavin', blowin', an' swettin' at the jack's halyards, `you'll not break that rope in a hurry.'