Part 5 (2/2)
”And he never treated you unkindly, I am very sure.”
”He never treated me any way, for I never saw him; and I would not walk a hundred miles barefooted to see him, either. I am no gentleman or anything of that sort, Ma.s.sa-- Captain Pa.s.sford, but if I ever go back on you by the breadth of a hair, then the Alabama River will run up hill.”
”I am satisfied with you, Dave; and here is my hand,” added Christy, extending it to the steward, who shook it warmly, displaying a good deal of emotion as he did so. ”Now, Dave, you know Mulgrum, or Pink, as you call him?”
”Well, sir, I know him as I do the rest of the people on board; but we are not sworn friends yet,” replied Dave, rather puzzled to know what duty was required of him in connection with the scullion.
”You know him; that is enough. What do you think of him?”
”I haven't had any long talks with him, sir, and I don't know what to think of him.”
”You know that he is dumb?”
”I expect he is, sir; but he never said anything to me about it,”
replied Dave. ”He never told me he couldn't speak, and I never heard him speak to any one on board.”
”Did you ever speak to him?”
”Yes, sir; I spoke to him when he first came on board; but he didn't answer me, or take any notice of me when I spoke to him, and I got tired of it.”
”Open that door quickly, Dave,” said the captain suddenly.
The steward promptly obeyed the order, and Christy saw that there was no one in the pa.s.sage. He told his companion to close the door, and Dave was puzzled to know what this movement could mean.
”I beg your pardon, Captain Pa.s.sford, and I have no right to ask any question; but I should like to know why you make me open that door two or three times for nothing,” said Dave, in the humblest of tones.
”I told you to open it so that I could see if there was anybody at the door. This is my secret, Dave. I have twice found Mulgrum at that door while I was talking to the first lieutenant. He pretended to be cleaning the bra.s.s work.”
”What was he there for? When a man is as deaf as the foremast of the s.h.i.+p what would he be doing at the door?”
”He was down on his knees, and his ear was not a great way from the keyhole of the door.”
”But he could not hear anything.”
”I don't know: that is what I want to find out. The mission I have for you, Dave, is to watch Mulgrum. In a word, I have my doubts in regard to his deafness and his dumbness.”
”You don't believe he is deaf and dumb, Captain Pa.s.sford!” exclaimed the steward, opening his eyes very wide, and looking as though an earthquake had just shaken him up.
”I don't say that, my man. I am in doubt. He may be a deaf mute, as he represents himself to be. I wish you to ascertain whether or not he can speak and hear. You are a shrewd fellow, Dave, I discovered some time ago; in fact the first time I ever saw you. You may do this job in any manner you please; but remember that your mission is my secret, and you must not betray it to Mulgrum, or to any other person.”
”Be sure I won't do that, Captain Pa.s.sford.”
”If you obtain any satisfactory information, convey it to me immediately. You must be very careful not to let any one suspect that you are watching him, and least of all to let Mulgrum know it. Do you understand me perfectly, Dave?”
”Yes, sir; perfectly. n.o.body takes any notice of me but you, and it won't be a hard job. I think I can manage it without any trouble. I am nothing but a n.i.g.g.e.r, and of no account.”
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