Many Cargoes Read online

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks, David Widger, and and theOnline Distributed Proofreading Team.

  *MANY CARGOES*

  _By_

  W. W. JACOBS

  _Second Edition_

  _New York_

  _1894_

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  CONTENTS

  A CHANGE OF TREATMENT A LOVE PASSAGE THE CAPTAIN'S EXPLOIT CONTRABAND OF WAR A BLACK AFFAIR THE SKIPPER OF THE "OSPREY" IN BORROWED PLUMES THE BOATSWAIN'S WATCH LOW WATER IN MID-ATLANTIC AFTER THE INQUEST IN LIMEHOUSE REACH AN ELABORATE ELOPEMENT THE COOK OF THE "GANNET" A BENEFIT PERFORMANCE A CASE OF DESERTION OUTSAILED MATED THE RIVAL BEAUTIES MRS. BUNKER'S CHAPERON A HARBOUR OF REFUGE

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  A CHANGE OF TREATMENT

  Yes, I've sailed under some 'cute skippers in my time," said thenight-watchman; "them that go down in big ships see the wonders o' thedeep, you know," he added with a sudden chuckle, "but the one I'm goingto tell you about ought never to have been trusted out without 'is ma. Agood many o' my skippers had fads, but this one was the worst I eversailed under.

  "It's some few years ago now; I'd shipped on his barque, the JohnElliott, as slow-going an old tub as ever I was aboard of, when I wasn'tin quite a fit an' proper state to know what I was doing, an' I hadn'tbeen in her two days afore I found out his 'obby through overhearing afew remarks made by the second mate, who came up from dinner in a hurryto make 'em. 'I don't mind saws an' knives hung round the cabin,' he sesto the fust mate, 'but when a chap has a 'uman 'and alongside 'is plate,studying it while folks is at their food, it's more than a Christian mancan stand.'

  "'That's nothing,' ses the fust mate, who had sailed with the barqueafore. 'He's half crazy on doctoring. We nearly had a mutiny aboard onceowing to his wanting to hold a post-mortem on a man what fell from themast-head. Wanted to see what the poor feller died of.'

  "'I call it unwholesome,' ses the second mate very savage.' He offeredme a pill at breakfast the size of a small marble; quite put me off myfeed, it did.'

  "Of course, the skipper's fad soon got known for'ard. But I didn't thinkmuch about it, till one day I seed old Dan'l Dennis sitting on a lockerreading. Every now and then he'd shut the book, an' look up, closing 'iseyes, an' moving his lips like a hen drinking, an' then look down at thebook again.

  "'Why, Dan,' I ses, 'what's up? you ain't larning lessons at your timeo' life?'

  "'Yes, I am,' ses Dan very soft. 'You might hear me say it, it's thisone about heart disease.'

  "He hands over the book, which was stuck full o' all kinds o' diseases,and winks at me 'ard.

  "'Picked it up on a book-stall,' he ses; then he shut 'is eyes an' saidhis piece wonderful. It made me quite queer to listen to 'im. 'That'show I feel,' ses he, when he'd finished. 'Just strength enough to get tobed. Lend a hand, Bill, an' go an' fetch the doctor.'

  "Then I see his little game, but I wasn't going to run any risks, so Ijust mentioned, permiscous like, to the cook as old Dan seemed ratherqueer, an' went back an' tried to borrer the book, being always fond ofreading. Old Dan pretended he was too ill to hear what I was saying, an'afore I could take it away from him, the skipper comes hurrying downwith a bag in his 'and.

  "'What's the matter, my man?' ses he, 'what's the matter?'

  "'I'm all right, sir,' ses old Dan, 'cept that I've been swoonding awaya little.'

  "'Tell me exactly how you feel,' ses the skipper, feeling his pulse.

  "Then old Dan said his piece over to him, an' the skipper shook his headan' looked very solemn.

  "'How long have you been like this?' he ses.

  "'Four or five years, sir,' ses Dan. 'It ain't nothing serious, sir, isit?'

  "'You lie quite still,' ses the skipper, putting a little trumpet thingto his chest an' then listening. 'Um! there's serious mischief here I'mafraid, the prognotice is very bad.'

  "'Prog what, sir?' ses Dan, staring.

  "'Prognotice,' ses the skipper, at least I think that's the word hesaid. 'You keep perfectly still, an' I'll go an' mix you up a draught,and tell the cook to get some strong beef-tea on.'

  "Well, the skipper 'ad no sooner gone, than Cornish Harry, a great biglumbering chap o' six feet two, goes up to old Dan, an' he ses, 'Gimmethat book.'

  "'Go away,' says Dan, 'don't come worrying 'ere; you 'eard the skippersay how bad my prognotice was.'

  "'You lend me the book,' ses Harry, ketching hold of him, 'or else I'llbang you first, and split to the skipper arterwards. I believe I'm a bitconsumptive. Anyway, I'm going to see.'

  "He dragged the book away from the old man, and began to study. Therewas so many complaints in it he was almost tempted to have somethingelse instead of consumption, but he decided on that at last, an' he gota cough what worried the fo'c'sle all night long, an' the next day, whenthe skipper came down to see Dan, he could 'ardly 'ear hisself speak.

  "'That's a nasty cough you've got, my man,' ses he, looking at Harry.

  "'Oh, it's nothing, sir,' ses Harry, careless like. 'I've 'ad it formonths now off and on. I think it's perspiring so of a night does it."

  "'What?' ses the skipper. 'Do you perspire of a night?'

  "'Dredful,' ses Harry. 'You could wring the clo'es out. I s'pose it'shealthy for me, ain't it, sir?'

  "'Undo your shirt,' ses the skipper, going over to him, an' sticking thetrumpet agin him. 'Now take a deep breath. Don't cough.'

  "'I can't help it, sir,' ses Harry, 'it will come. Seems to tear me topieces.'

  "'You get to bed at once," says the skipper, taking away the trumpet,an' shaking his 'ed. 'It's a fortunate thing for you, my lad, you're inskilled hands. With care, I believe I can pull you round. How does thatmedicine suit you, Dan?'

  "'Beautiful, sir,' says Dan. 'It's wonderful soothing, I slep' like anew-born babe arter it.'

  "'I'll send you some more,' ses the skipper. 'You're not to get up mind,either of you.'

  "'All right, sir,' ses the two in very faint voices, an' the skipperwent away arter telling us to be careful not to make a noise.

  "We all thought it a fine joke at first, but the airs them two chapsgive themselves was something sickening. Being in bed all day, they wasnaturally wakeful of a night, and they used to call across the fo'c'sleinquiring arter each other's healths, an' waking us other chaps up. An'they'd swop beef-tea an' jellies with each other, an' Dan 'ud try an'coax a little port wine out o' Harry, which he 'ad to make blood with,but Harry 'ud say he hadn't made enough that day, an' he'd drink to thebetter health of old Dan's prognotice, an' smack his lips until it droveus a'most crazy to 'ear him.

  "Arter these chaps had been ill two days, the other fellers began to puttheir heads together, being maddened by the smell o' beef-tea an' thelike, an' said they was going to be ill too, and both the invalids gotinto a fearful state of excitement.

  "'You'll only spoil it for all of us,' ses Harry, 'and you don't knowwhat to have without the book.'

  "'It's all very well doing your work as well as our own,' ses one of themen. 'It's our turn now. It's time you two got well.'

  "'WELL? ses Harry, 'well? Why you silly iggernerant chaps, we shan'tnever get well, people with our complaints never do. You ought to knowthat.'

  "'Well, I shall split, 'ses one of them. "'You do!' ses Harry, 'you do,an' I'll put a 'ed on you that all the port wine and jellies in theworld wouldn't cure. 'Sides, don't you think the skipper knows what'sthe matter with us?'

  "'Afore the other chap could reply, the skipper hisself comes down,accompanied by the fust mate
, with a look on his face which made Harrygive the deepest and hollowest cough he'd ever done.

  "'What they reely want,' ses the skipper, turning to the mate, 'iskeerful nussing.'

  "'I wish you'd let me nuss 'em,' ses the fust mate, 'only tenminutes--I'd put 'em both on their legs, an' running for their livesinto the bargain, in ten minutes.'

  "'Hold your tongue, sir,' ses the skipper; 'what you say is unfeeling,besides being an insult to me. Do you think I studied medicine all theseyears without knowing when a man's ill?'

  "The fust mate growled something and went on deck, and the skipperstarted examining of 'em again. He said they was wonderfully patientlying in bed so long, an' he had 'em wrapped up in bedclo'es and carriedon deck, so as the pure air could have a go at 'em. WE had to do thecarrying, an' there they sat, breathing the pure air, and looking at thefust mate out of the corners of their eyes. If they wanted anything frombelow one of us had to go an' fetch it, an' by the time they was takendown to bed again, we all resolved to be took ill too.

  "Only two of 'em did it though, for Harry, who was a powerful,ugly-tempered chap, swore he'd do all sorts o' dreadful things to us ifwe didn't keep well and hearty, an' all 'cept these two did. One of 'em,Mike Rafferty, laid up with a swelling on his ribs, which I knew myselfhe 'ad 'ad for fifteen years, and the other chap had paralysis. I neversaw a man so reely happy as the skipper was. He was up an down with hismedicines and his instruments all day long, and used to make notes ofthe cases in a big pocket-book, and read 'em to the second mate atmealtimes.

  "The fo'c'sle had been turned into hospital about a week, an' I was ondeck doing some odd job or the other, when the cook comes up to mepulling a face as long as a fiddle.

  "'Nother invalid,' ses he; 'fust mate's gone stark, staring mad!'

  "'Mad?' ses I.

  "'Yes,' ses he. 'He's got a big basin in the galley, an' he's laughinglike a hyener an' mixing bilge-water an' ink, an' paraffin an' butteran' soap an' all sorts o' things up together. The smell's enough to killa man; I've had to come away.'

  "Curious-like, I jest walked up to the galley an' puts my 'ed in, an'there was the mate as the cook said, smiling all over his face, andladling some thick sticky stuff into a stone bottle.

  "'How's the pore sufferers, sir?' ses he, stepping out of the galleyjest as the skipper was going by.

  "'They're very bad; but I hope for the best," ses the skipper, lookingat him hard. 'I'm glad to see you've turned a bit more feeling.'

  "'Yes, sir,' ses the mate. 'I didn't think so at fust, but I can see nowthem chaps is all very ill. You'll s'cuse me saying it, but I don'tquite approve of your treatment.'

  "I thought the skipper would ha' bust.

  "'My treatment?' ses he. 'My treatment? What do you know about it?'

  "'You're treating 'em wrong, sir,' ses the mate. 'I have here' (pattingthe jar) 'a remedy which 'ud cure them all if you'd only let me try it.'

  "'Pooh!' ses the skipper. 'One medicine cure all diseases! The oldstory. What is it? Where'd you get it from?' ses he.

  "'I brought the ingredients aboard with me,' ses the mate. 'It's awonderful medicine discovered by my grandmother, an' if I might only tryit I'd thoroughly cure them pore chaps.'

  "'Rubbish!' ses the skipper.

  "'Very well, sir,' ses the mate, shrugging his shoulders. 'O' course, ifyou won't let me you won't. Still I tell you, if you'd let me try I'dcure 'em all in two days. That's a fair challenge.'

  "Well, they talked, and talked, and talked, until at last the skippergive way and went down below with the mate, and told the chaps they wasto take the new medicine for two days, jest to prove the mate was wrong.

  "'Let pore old Dan try it first, sir,' ses Harry, starting up, an'sniffing as the mate took the cork out; 'he's been awful bad sinceyou've been away.'

  "'Harry's worse than I am, sir,' ses Dan; 'it's only his kind heart thatmakes him say that.'

  "'It don't matter which is fust,' ses the mate, filling a tablespoonwith it, 'there's plenty for all. Now, Harry.'

  "'Take it,' ses the skipper.

  "Harry took it, an' the fuss he made you'd ha' thought he was swalleringa football. It stuck all round his mouth, and he carried on so dredfulthat the other invalids was half sick afore it came to them.

  "By the time the other three 'ad 'ad theirs it was as good as apantermime, an' the mate corked the bottle up, and went an' sat down ona locker while they tried to rinse their mouths out with the luxurieswhich had been given 'em.

  "'How do you feel?' ses the skipper.

  "'I'm dying,' ses Dan.

  "'So'm I,' ses Harry; 'I b'leeve the mate's pisoned us."

  "The skipper looks over at the mate very stern an' shakes his 'edslowly.

  "'It's all right,' ses the mate. 'It's always like that the first dozenor so doses.'

  "'Dozen or so doses!' ses old Dan, in a far-away voice.

  "'It has to be taken every twenty minutes,' ses the mate, pulling outhis pipe and lighting it; an' the four men groaned all together.

  "'I can't allow it,' ses the skipper, 'I can't allow it. Men's livesmustn't be sacrificed for an experiment.'

  "''T ain't a experiment,' ses the mate very indignant, 'it's an oldfamily medicine.'

  "'Well, they shan't have any more,' ses the skipper firmly.

  "'Look here,' ses the mate. 'If I kill any one o' these men I'll giveyou twenty pound. Honour bright, I will.'

  "'Make it twenty-five,' ses the skipper, considering.

  "'Very good,' ses the mate. 'Twenty-five; I can't say no fairer thanthat, can I? It's about time for another dose now.'

  "He gave 'em another tablespoonful all round as the skipper left, an'the chaps what wasn't invalids nearly bust with joy. He wouldn't let 'emhave anything to take the taste out, 'cos he said it didn't give themedicine a chance, an' he told us other chaps to remove the temptation,an' you bet we did.

  "After the fifth dose, the invalids began to get desperate, an' whenthey heard they'd got to be woke up every twenty minutes through thenight to take the stuff, they sort o' give up. Old Dan said he felt agentle glow stealing over him and strengthening him, and Harry said thatit felt like a healing balm to his lungs. All of 'em agreed it was awonderful sort o' medicine, an' arter the sixth dose the man withparalysis dashed up on deck, and ran up the rigging like a cat. He satthere for hours spitting, an' swore he'd brain anybody who interruptedhim, an' arter a little while Mike Rafferty went up and j'ined him, an'it the fust mate's ears didn't burn by reason of the things them twopore sufferers said about 'im, they ought to.

  "They was all doing full work next day, an' though, o'course, theskipper saw how he'd been done, he didn't allude to it. Not in words,that is; but when a man tries to make four chaps do the work of eight,an' hits 'em when they don't, it's a easy job to see where the shoepinches."

  A LOVE PASSAGE