Bill's Paper Chase Read online

slept on that mattress for years," says the second mate, looking at'im from the corner of 'is eye. "I don't believe I could sleep onanother. Still, to oblige you, Bill, you shall 'ave it at that if youdon't want it till we go ashore?"

  "Thankee, sir," says Bill, 'ardly able to keep from dancing, "and I'll'and over the two pounds when we're paid off. I shall keep it all mylife, sir, in memory of you and your kindness."

  "And mind you keep quiet about it," says the second mate, who didn't wantthe skipper to know wot 'e'd been doing, "because I don't want to bebothered by other men wanting to buy things as keepsakes."

  Bill promised 'im like a shot, and when 'e told me about it 'e was nearlycrying with joy.

  "And mind," 'e says, "I've bought that mattress, bought it as it stands,and it's got nothing to do with Jimmy. We'll each pay a pound and halvewot's in it."

  He persuaded me at last, but that boy watched us like a cat watching acouple of canaries, and I could see we should 'ave all we could do todeceive 'im. He seemed more suspicious o' Bill than me, and 'e kep'worrying us nearly every day to know what we were going to do.

  We beat about in the channel with a strong 'ead-wind for four days, andthen a tug picked us up and towed us to London.

  The excitement of that last little bit was 'orrible. Fust of all we 'adgot to get the mattress, and then in some way we 'ad got to get rid o'Jimmy. Bill's idea was for me to take 'im ashore with me and tell 'imthat Bill would join us arterwards, and then lose 'im; but I said thattill I'd got my share I couldn't bear to lose sight o' Bill's honest facefor 'alf a second.

  And, besides, Jimmy wouldn't 'ave gone.

  All the way up the river 'e stuck to Bill, and kept asking 'im wot wewere to do. 'E was 'alf crying, and so excited that Bill was afraid theother chaps would notice it.

  We got to our berth in the East India Docks at last, and arter we weremade fast we went below to 'ave a wash and change into our shoregoingtogs. Jimmy watched us all the time, and then 'e comes up to Bill biting'is nails, and says:

  "How's it to be done, Bill?"

  "Hang about arter the rest 'ave gone ashore, and trust to luck," saysBill, looking at me. "We'll see 'ow the land lays when we draw ouradvance."

  We went down aft to draw ten shillings each to go ashore with. Bill andme got ours fust, and then the second mate who 'ad tipped 'im the winkfollowed us out unconcerned-like and 'anded Bill the mattress rolled upin a sack.

  "'Ere you are, Bill," 'e says.

  "Much obliged, sir," says Bill, and 'is 'ands trembled so as 'e could'ardly 'old it, and 'e made to go off afore Jimmy come on deck.

  Then that fool of a mate kept us there while 'e made a little speech.Twice Bill made to go off, but 'e put 'is 'and on 'is arm and kept 'imthere while 'e told 'im 'ow he'd always tried to be liked by the men, and'ad generally succeeded, and in the middle of it up popped Master Jimmy.

  He gave a start as he saw the bag, and 'is eyes opened wide, and then aswe walked forward 'e put 'is arm through Bill's and called 'im all thenames 'e could think of.

  "You'd steal the milk out of a cat's saucer," 'e says; "but mind, youdon't leave this ship till I've got my share."

  "I meant it for a pleasant surprise for you, Jimmy," says Bill, trying tosmile.

  "I don't like your surprises, Bill, so I don't deceive you," says theboy. "Where are you going to open it?"

  "I was thinking of opening it in my bunk," says Bill. "The perlice mightwant to examine it if we took it through the dock. Come on, Jimmy, oldman."

  "Yes; all right," says the boy, nodding 'is 'ead at 'im. "I'll stay up'ere. You might forget yourself, Bill, if I trusted myself down therewith you alone. You can throw my share up to me, and then you'll leavethe ship afore I do. See?"

  "Go to blazes," says Bill; and then, seeing that the last chance 'adgone, we went below, and 'e chucked the bundle in 'is bunk. There wasonly one chap down there, and arter spending best part o' ten minutesdoing 'is hair 'e nodded to us and went off.

  Half a minute later Bill cut open the mattress and began to searchthrough the stuffing, while I struck matches and watched 'im. It wasn'ta big mattress and there wasn't much stuffing, but we couldn't seem tosee that money. Bill went all over it ag'in and ag'in, and then 'e stoodup and looked at me and caught 'is breath painful.

  "Do you think the mate found it?" 'e says, in a 'usky voice.

  We went through it ag'in, and then Bill went half-way up the fo'c's'leladder and called softly for Jimmy. He called three times, and then,with a sinking sensation in 'is stummick, 'e went up on deck and Ifollered 'im. The boy was nowhere to be seen. All we saw was the ship'scat 'aving a wash and brush-up afore going ashore, and the skipperstanding aft talking to the owner.

  We never saw that boy ag'in. He never turned up for 'is box, and 'edidn't show up to draw 'is pay. Everybody else was there, of course, andarter I'd got mine and come outside I see pore Bill with 'is back upag'in a wall, staring 'ard at the second mate, who was looking at 'imwith a kind smile, and asking 'im 'ow he'd slept. The last thing I sawof Bill, the pore chap 'ad got 'is 'ands in 'is trousers pockets, and wastrying 'is hardest to smile back.