Part 68 (1/2)

”Why, Tom,” cried Murray angrily, ”that is disobeying your officer's orders.”

”Disobeying, sir?” said the man sharply. ”Nay, sir; not me. Only you see, sir, you was a-telling me about the way in which them snakes p.r.i.c.ked a man with their tails.”

”Tails! Nonsense, man! Teeth.”

”I didn't 'member for sartin, sir, which end it was; but you said they did it so sharp, sir, that it killed a man out-and-out before the doctor could 'stract the sting.”

”Yes, I did tell you something of the kind, Tom.”

”Nay, sir, not something of the kind,” cried the sailor reproachfully; ”that's what it was azackly. And then you see, sir, I don't want to brag, but you telled me yourself another time that I was a werry useful man.”

”That must have been a mistake, Tom, for you are not proving it now,”

said Murray, speaking sternly but feeling amused by the man's evasions all the while. ”Why, Tom, I thought you were not afraid of anything that was solid.”

”No, sir, but you can't call them squirmy tie-theirselves-up-in-a-knot things solid; now, can you?”

”Tom May, you're a sham, sir,” said Murray sternly. ”There, I am deceived in you. I'll go myself;” and he made for the screen quickly.

But the man was quicker, and sprang before him.

”Nay, you don't, sir! I am mortal skeared of snakes and sarpints, but I arn't going to let my officer think me a coward and call me a sham.

Case I do get it badly, sir, would you mind 'membering to tell Dr Reston, sir, as they say whiskey's the best cure for bites? And as there's no whiskey as I knows on aboard, p'raps he wouldn't mind trying rum.”

”I'm sure the doctor wouldn't like me meddling with his prescribing, Tom,” said Murray shortly. ”Now then, up with you!”

”Ay, ay, sir!” cried the man, in tones which sounded like gasps; and Murray stood by, dirk in hand, ready to make a chop at any reptile which might appear, while Tom drew himself up into the shadowy loft, and after a good look round lowered himself down again with a sigh of relief.

”No Mr Allen's up there, sir,” he said.

”Then where can he be?” cried the middy excitedly, and he ran back across the hall and into the study, to pa.s.s his hand over the couch, which still felt slightly warm.

”P'raps he's gone into the gunroom, sir,” said Tom respectfully.

”What, the hall where the guns and things are?”

”Nay, nay, sir; I meant the eating quarters--the dinin'-room, as you call it.”

Murray ran back across the hall to see at a glance that no one was beyond, and he turned upon his follower again.

”Tom,” he exclaimed angrily, ”what do you make of this?”

The man shook his head.

”But he can't have come out of the study while we were looking out at the back.”

”That's so, sir,” said the man, shaking his head the while. ”It's quite onpossible, sir, but he did.”

”Tut, tut, tut!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Murray quickly. ”We must visit all the posts and see if any one saw him pa.s.s.”

”They couldn't, sir, 'cause if they had they'd have challenged and stopped him.”