Part 3 (1/2)
”Much obliged to you, friend,” said d.i.c.k; ”he is a fine little chap, isn't he?”
The black grinned and seemed to understand him, and patted the child on the head.
”Well, Charley, my boy, have they treated you well?” asked d.i.c.k, as he took up the child and kissed him affectionately.
Charley said that the gentlemen had been kind, and had given him all sorts of things to eat, and some strong stuff to drink, which made him sleep most of the time.
d.i.c.k carried Charley to the only shady spot he could find unoccupied, and sat down with him on his knees. Charley prattled away merrily, but he soon stopped and complained of a headache, and of the strong stuff the officers had given him to drink. This made d.i.c.k suspect that they had been amusing themselves by trying to make the child tipsy.
”It was a shame in them,” exclaimed d.i.c.k, indignantly. ”You must stay by me, Charley. I can't trust you out of my sight.”
d.i.c.k after this kept Charley by his side, and at night made him sleep in his hammock.
Several days pa.s.sed by, and the s.h.i.+p lay without movement on the smooth ocean. A breeze at length springing up, the crew were all life and activity, with a look-out at each mast-head. Towards noon a sail was espied, and all sail was made in chase. She was a brig under English colours. On the stranger being come up with, a gun was fired across her bows; and as she did not heave-to, a shot was sent cras.h.i.+ng into her hull. She then hauled down her colours. The boats were manned and shoved off to her. They quickly returned, laden almost to the water's edge. The s.h.i.+p stood on again nearer to her, when the boats towed her alongside. Her cargo, consisting of bales of merchandise, was transferred to the s.h.i.+p.
”I thought so,” said d.i.c.k, when he saw the proceedings. ”She is no better than she should be, and if it had not been for this little chap, I would rather have remained on the raft than have come aboard her. I wonder what they will do with the crew.”
That matter was soon, to d.i.c.k's horror, settled. One after the other he saw the poor fellows compelled to walk to the end of a long plank, when the inner end was lifted up and they were sent overboard. The brig was set on fire, and the pirate, letting down the sheets, proceeded on her course.
Some days after this, when d.i.c.k came on deck, he saw at a short distance a small island with a few cocoa-nut trees growing on it. Several of the officers who were on deck were consulting together, every now and then casting a look at him and Charley. At last one of them called him up and made him understand that they were well-disposed towards him, and that as they understood he had been the means of saving the life of the little child, they wished to treat him kindly--that otherwise he would have shared the fate of the brig's crew, if they had not left him on the raft to perish. To show their regard, they intended to land him on the island, where he would find water and sufficient food to support life; though, if he wished it, they would take care of the child, to follow their n.o.ble profession.
”Thank you for nothing,” answered d.i.c.k. ”I would sooner heave the little chap overboard, to be munched up by a shark, than leave him with you; and as to quitting the s.h.i.+p without him, I will not do it; but if it please you to put him and me on sh.o.r.e, I'll go willingly enough, and trust to One better able to take care of us than you are.”
Though the pirates did not understand what d.i.c.k said, they comprehended that he was perfectly willing to be left on the island. A boat was accordingly lowered, and numerous articles which the pirates had taken out of the brig, and were likely to prove useful to him, were put into her. Charley ran up and shook hands with the officers, but hastened back immediately to d.i.c.k, for he was afraid of being left behind. Poor little fellow, he felt grateful to them for their kindness, having no notion of the villains they were.
d.i.c.k, taking him in one arm, descended the s.h.i.+p's side into the boat, which pulled away towards the land. Numerous shoals and rocks surrounded the island, among which the boat threaded her way, and at length landed him and the boy, with the articles they had brought, on the sandy beach of a sheltered bay.
d.i.c.k had no inclination to shake hands with the crew who had so lately murdered his countrymen, and probably very many people besides, nor did he feel at his ease till he saw the boat again pulling out towards the s.h.i.+p. As soon as she had gone, d.i.c.k, who had held Charley in his arms, placed him on a rock, and examined the articles which had been sent with him.
”I am much obliged to the villains, at all events,” he said; ”but can only wish them a better calling and a happier end than most of them are likely to meet with. To be sure, they can afford to be generous, seeing that they stole the things and had more than they could use. Here are some carpenter's tools, a saw and axe, a hammer and nails, and a piece of canvas that will do for a tent; a bale of cloth, and calico, and needles, and thread; here are fish-hooks and lines, and shoes; three casks of flour and rice, and some pots, and pans, and knives; and a decent-looking fowling-piece and powder and shot. Well, if I hadn't seen what I did see, I should have taken them to be kind-hearted decent chaps, who, for some reason or other, didn't wish to keep me among them, and so had put me ash.o.r.e, and wished to do their best to make me comfortable. Ah, I have a notion how it is--the skipper, or one or other of them has got a little chap like this at home, and they have done it for his sake; and savage as their hearts may be, they didn't quite like keeping him on board their wicked-doing craft. Yes, that's it; so if I have saved Charley's life, he has saved mine, though he doesn't know it, bless him!”
d.i.c.k having finished his soliloquy, cut a pole from a tree growing near, and quickly rigged up a tent, beneath which he placed Charley out of the heat of the sun. He then collected wood, of which there was an abundance on the beach, and soon had a fire burning, and next proceeded to cook some of the provisions for Charley and himself. Not far off was a spring of water, which would afford him an abundant supply of that necessary of life.
”We sha'n't be so badly off, Charley, after all,” he said; ”only I hope these fellows won't come back again, in case they may take it into their heads to carry you away.”
”I will not leave you, d.i.c.k,” answered the boy, taking his hand and beginning to cry at the thought.
”You sha'n't, Charley, you sha'n't,” said d.i.c.k. ”We will move away to another part of the island, where they cannot find us; may be there is water elsewhere, that's what we shall want most. There are plenty of cocoa-nuts, and I dare say other vegetables, and with the gun I shall be able to shoot birds, and with the hooks catch as many fish as we shall want. We are better off than on the raft, anyhow.”
d.i.c.k having made up a bed with the cloth for Charley to sleep on, cut some gra.s.s for himself, and then prepared to pa.s.s the night.
”You say your prayers, Charley,” said d.i.c.k; ”and mind you thank G.o.d for bringing us ash.o.r.e in safety.”
d.i.c.k had a feeling that the little innocent boy could offer up his prayers more effectually than he himself could; but yet d.i.c.k did his best to pray in his own fas.h.i.+on, though he could seldom say more than, ”I am a desperately wicked fellow; G.o.d be merciful to me, and, if He thinks fit, take care of me and make me better.”
He, however, taught Charley a much longer prayer than this, suitable, as he considered, to his condition.
The rough sailor and the child having finished their devotions, lay down on their beds, and, fearless of evil, fell asleep.