Part 52 (1/2)
”What nonsense, Tom!” said the middy sadly. ”You're old enough to know better.”
”Maybe, sir, but you said I was to charnsh it, and that's what I'm a-doing of; and if I don't find the way down to the boat it won't do us no harm as I can see; so come along.”
The man stepped off, keeping as nearly as he could to the line he had marked down, and without turning his head he called back to his young officer--
”Don't you mind me giving o' you orders, sir, but you telled me to lead on, and I should like to say, sir, as you'd find it better if instead of walking hard and stiff, sir, like the jollies march up and down the deck, you'd try my way, sir, trot fas.h.i.+on, upon your toes, with a heavy swing and give and take. You'd find that you wouldn't sink in quite so much, seeing as one foot's found its way out before t'other's got time to sink in.”
”I'll try, Tom,” said the middy quietly; and after following the man for a few dozen yards he whispered, ”Yes, I think that's better, Tom; but I have no faith in your _Blind Man's Buff_ plan.”
”Give it time, sir; we arn't half tried it yet.”
”Go on, then,” cried Murray; and the man trotted on as fast as the tangled growth would allow him, pausing from time to time to listen before going on again.
”I'm afraid we must make a change, Tom,” said Murray, at last, when the man drew up suddenly. ”Are you, sir?”
”Yes; this seems hopeless.”
”That's what it all seems, sir, but I don't like being in too great a hurry to pitch a hidee overboard. There's nothing like trying, sir, and just as like as not we may be getting nigher and nigher to poor old t.i.tely.”
”I'm afraid--”
Murray did not finish his sentence, but made a spring forward and clapped his hand hard upon his leader's shoulder.
”What's wrong, sir?” cried the sailor, turning sharply upon him.
”Hark! Listen!” cried Murray excitedly.
”Oh, Mr Murray, sir,” groaned the man despairingly, ”you've been and gone and done it now!”
”Nonsense! What do you mean?”
”Pitched me off my bearings, sir. I've looked round, and I shall never pick 'em up again.”
”Well, what does that matter?” cried Murray. ”Don't you hear?”
”Hear, sir? Hear what?”
”Oars. I heard them rattling in the rowlocks as plain as possible.”
”Whereabouts, sir?”
”Away there through the canes yonder. Didn't you?”
”No, sir,” said the man gloomily; ”I didn't hear no oars.”
”I did, quite plainly,” said Murray, leaning forward and straining his ears. ”No, it's stopped now.”
”Yes, sir,” said the man, shaking his head; ”it's stopped now.”
”Well, don't talk like that, Tom. You look as if you didn't believe me.”