Part 6 (2/2)
”Then ye're fond of the sea? Now, here's my idea: I'll keep ye, if ye like, aboard, and, please Goodness, bring ye home. If not, ye must telegraph home from Gib, and I must send ye back in some liner, somehow. Make up yer mind, it can't take long.”
”I suppose you think me a fool?” I exclaimed testily.
”I do _not_,” he replied, with the emphasis of the native Irishman; ”but maybe I will when I hear yer opinion.”
”Then, I'll stay,” I replied, feeling rather undecided nevertheless.
”But what will they think at home? My mother will fret.”
”Well, I'm sorry for yer mother, but I think she'll survive. I know something about ye from the boy forward. Now, tell me the truth about yerself. Who are ye, anyhow?”
I told him the truth. He listened quietly, nodding at intervals, and finally said--
”All right. Now, my lad, listen to me. I'll be the making of ye, and yer mother won't know ye when ye go back, eh?”
I hardly fancied that this would be an advantage for my parents, but I said nothing, and the captain continued--
”I'll make a man of ye, so I will. I'll just wire to yer daddy, and tell him I've got ye safe and sound, and will bring ye back. I'll clothe and feed ye and teach ye something, and maybe ye'll come back a second mate for the Company--the Shanghai and Hong Kong Tea Company.”
”Thanks,” I said briefly, rising as I spoke.
”Hold on a minute, there's one lesson first. When ye speak to the captain, say sir; d'ye mind?”
”Yes, sir,” I replied, blus.h.i.+ng furiously as I stood before the master.
”Very well, that's the first thing. Now, what can ye do? Can ye hand, reef, or steer? Speak up!”
”I can't furl a sail, sir. I can reef a fore and aft sail, and can steer a little.”
”Very well. Look here, now, I'll keep ye, and put ye under my man; he'll trim ye a bit, and Mr. Rose, the mate, will set yer lessons. By the time we reach the China Sea I expect ye'll know the ropes. Ye must work for your living here,--no skulking, now!”
”No, sir,” I answered respectfully.
”That'll do; I'll take the responsibility of ye, and bedad ye'll have to mind me! But I understand ye are a gentleman; so'm I, and ye'll be taken care of. Ye'll be a man before your mother yet.”
This I believed highly probable, and nearly said so, but the looks of the captain deterred me. He proceeded--
”Just keep quiet till we make Gib; then I'll see ye fix'd up, and put to work. My steward will berth ye and feed ye. Ye needn't go amongst the crew, mind; and needn't keep watch--unless ye like--at first. Now, are ye satisfied?”
”Yes, sir, I am; and am very grateful to you for all your kindness.”
”That's bully, now,” he exclaimed. ”Here's my hand on the bargain.
Ye'll do, when ye get the starch out of yer collar. We don't want any airs here, mind ye. What's yer name? Jule, is it?--what?”
”Julius, sir,” I replied, feeling terribly small.
”Julius Caesar? No, it can't be that, I suppose. Never mind, we'll call ye Julius until ye become a mate. In my country they'd say if ye wasn't the _mate_ ye'd be the boy to _serve it_! D'ye mind that? Come up now, and get a breath of the wind, young Caesar.”
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