Part 49 (2/2)
Fillot and Stepney seized the chain and brought the end forward
”Ready, sir,” cried the former, as the links rattled and clinked over the deck; and they stood waiting for the cask to be removed for the chain to be laid down in its place
”Now then, in with it!” cried Mark
”In with it, sir?”
”Yes; into the cask”
”Oh!” cried Tom Fillot, with an exultant cry, and the nextrattled into the empty cask at a rapid rate, and in very short ti the place of the water
”I think that'll puzzle 'em now, sir,” cried Toain
But there were the blacks to punish, and the rily upon the two culprits, who stood treht from a lantern one of the men had fetched thrown full upon their faces
Only a short tie, but now in this very brief space, though unable fully to corown to realise what discipline and authorityand stern, he literally shi+vered, his eyes dropped, and he stooped before thea blow For he knew that he had betrayed his trust, and that some punishment was about to be inflicted upon hierly, and thoughts of flogging, putting in irons, even of hanging, flashed across theirofficer's face
Mark did not speak for a fewhis youthfulness, everything in the fact that he was in supreme authority as a British officer there, he spoke out firmly
”It is of no use to waste words with you, my man,” he said ”I was ready to trust you and treat you as a British sailor, but you have broken faith You cannot understand my words, but your own heart tells you that you have done wrong There--I cannot punish you for being neglectful and ignorant, but in future you will be only one of the blacks”
He turned his back upon the great felloho shi+vered at the lad's words, and then, with a cry of despair, ran after his officer, flung himself down on the deck at his feet, and held up the cutlass he had drahen he went on duty and had held ever since He held it up by the blade, and ns for Mark to take it and use it upon him
”There is no need to punish you,” said Mark, quietly; ”you feel your position quite bitterly enough There, get up, ht to have known better than to trust you Get up”
As the black still grovelled at his feet, Mark stooped down and caught hold of his collar, giving it a drag, and the ns; ”sheathe your cutlass I am not a West-coast tyrant, ready to take off your head Get them away, Bannock, I want to think of what is to be done next”
The sailor stepped forward, and clapped the big black on the shoulder
”Coot off wonderfully easy No cat for you to-day It's all right”
”All righ'?” cried the black, eagerly
”Yes”
”No all righ',” he continued, mournfully, as he shook his head and rose to follow the sailor; but he turned directly and ran to Mark's side, sank on one knee, and kissed his hand Then he rose, and hurried off with his fellow sleeper
”You're a ruht it of a savage? Why, it was reg'lar polite and genteel I couldn't ha' done that Who'd ha' expected it of a chap who dresses in an orstridge feather and a wisp o' grass when he's at ho hard tomore puckered every moment
”Dessay you were a prince when you was over yonder; now you're a foremast man Well, ups and downs in life we see, Soup old chap Mebbe I shall be a prince solad you haven't got flogged”