Chapter 3. Fits Of Temper

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_ CHAPTER THREE. FITS OF TEMPER

"Don't go to sleep, Dozey."

"Who's going to sleep?"

"Your eyes were nearly shut."

"Well, who's to keep them open in this glaring sun?" cried Dean, half angrily.

"Well, don't jump down a fellow's throat."

"It's enough to make one. I just put my eyes half to, because there's no shade, and you begin at me directly because once or twice I wouldn't keep awake to listen to your prosing about something or another after we had gone to bed, and I did not want to hear."

"I beg pardon," cried Mark, with mock politeness.

"Don't!" cried Dean pettishly. "Now then, what was it you wanted to say?"

"Well, I was going to say, what do you think of it now we have got here?"

"Not much; and if it's going to be all like this I shall soon be wishing we had stayed at home."

"Same here. I say, what a lot of gammon they do write in books! I always thought Africa was quite a grand country; very hot--"

"Oh, it's hot enough," said Dean sharply. "Yes, it's hot enough to make everyone seem lazy. Look at those black fellows there, fast asleep in the sun with their mouths open and the flies buzzing about. But I say, I don't think much of these soldiers. What little under-sized fellows!"

"Haven't done growing, perhaps," said Dean.

"Oh, yes; they are old 'uns. But they do look like sunburnt boys. But I say, I expected something very different from this. What stuff people do write in books! I mean to say it's too bad."

"Yes; just over a month since we started from Southampton, and here we are dropped in this miserable place along with all our luggage and boxes, and been caged up in that hotel. Do you know what I felt when I first looked ashore?"

"No, but I know what I did--as if I should have liked to tell uncle that we had better stop aboard the steamer, for I was sure we had made a mistake and come to the wrong place."

"No, no, I say, play fair; that's what I felt," said Mark.

"You felt? You couldn't, because that's what I felt."

"Well, I could, for I did feel it exactly. I say, though; where are Bob and Pretty Dance?"

"Pretty Dance," said Dean dreamily. "Yes, we have been in a pretty dance, and no mistake. I don't know where they are. Wandering about somewhere having a look at what shipping there is, for there isn't much to see in the town."

"I say, I hope those two fellows are keeping an eye on the cases. It would be a nice job if someone opened our luggage and got at the guns."

"Oh, the landlord said that would be all right. Phew! It is hot! Here, let's go and talk to the doctor."

"No, don't disturb him; he's lying down and having a nap. Let's go and talk to uncle."

"He's gone to lie down and have a nap too."

"Bother! I thought as soon as we got ashore it was all going to be interesting and beautiful, and that we should be having glorious adventures. I don't know how we are going to get through it."

"Get through what?"

"Those three days before we can start up the country."

"Oh, there they are," said Dean sharply.

"Who?"

"Our two keepers."

"Let's go and talk to them, then. Poor old Bacon. If it's going to be like this Bob will be frizzled."

"Well, don't walk so fast. I say, it must be hot."

"Why?"

"Because I feel as if I had got too many clothes on."

"Ah, it will be hotter than this; but it's the only thing that makes me think we are in a foreign country. Here, who's this? Why, it's that sailor again."

"Yes," said Dean. "What does he want? He was following us about all day yesterday when we were trying to look at the town."

"What does he want? Coppers, of course. He's a beggar."

"Well, he doesn't look like one. No, that isn't it. He's got a boat somewhere, and wants to take us up the river for a row. Shall we go?"

"No; it's too hot. Think we could buy an umbrella somewhere?"

"What for? It looks as if it had not rained here for a twelvemonth."

"Keep the sun off."

"Oh, I see. Come along, then, till we get to those stores, and we can buy one there, I daresay; but I shan't walk with you if you put it up. Bother you and your umbrella! Are you afraid you'll melt?"

"I am melting."

As Dean spoke very surlily, "that sailor," as Mark called him, a little stumpy fellow who looked as though he should have been plump and rosy, but who was ghastly pale instead, sauntered up slowly, looking very hard at Mark, and opened his lips as if to say something, but closed them again as if with an effort.

He was dressed in a sailor's canvas frock and loose trousers, both of which articles of attire were old and shabby but scrupulously clean, while his hat, a very old straw, showed an ugly rent which its owner had apparently tried to hide by means of the silken band just above its brim. But the band had slipped upwards so that a good-sized patch of crisp, curly, black hair had escaped and thrust its way out into the sun.

As the man came abreast, he opened his lips and closed them twice before passing on, and in the sultry stillness of the sleepy place they heard him give a faint sigh.

"Doesn't look much like a beggar," said Dean. "He's had a fever, or something."

"Well, I shouldn't like to have a fever here," said Mark. "I don't mean to be ill. If I am it's because I have come to a place where there's nothing to do and nothing to see. Oh, I am disappointed! Here he comes back again. He must be a beggar, and he's ashamed to ask us to give him something. No, it can't be that. For foreign beggars are not ashamed to beg. I shall ask him if he has been ill."

"No, don't. He mightn't like it," said Dean.

"Then he will have to dislike it."

"Don't talk so loud," whispered Dean, for the sailor passed close to them again, looking from one to the other wistfully.

"Poor beggar!" said Mark, as the man passed on. "I am sure he is a beggar, and he's too stupid and drowsy to beg."

"'Tisn't that," said Dean. "He wants a job."

"Well, that means he wants money. _Hola_!"

The man stopped and looked round eagerly, and the boys could see that his lips were quivering as he made a movement with his hand as if in salute.

"_Dinheiro_," continued Mark, slapping his pocket.

"Ah, gentlemen, then you are English?"

"Rather!" said Mark. "Are you hard up in this sleepy place?"

"Yes, sir--no, sir," cried the man hastily.

"What is it, then? Do you want a job?" And Mark drew out a shilling.

"Yes, sir; badly, sir."

"Well, have you got a boat?"

"No, sir; I wish I had. No, sir; thank you, sir. I did not mean that;" and the man thrust his hands deeply into his pockets, while Mark thrust his out of sight as well, shilling and all, and somehow his cheeks felt a little hotter than before, as he felt that he had made a mistake.

"I thought you wanted to take us for a row."

"Oh no, sir."

"Then what are you doing here in this out-of-the-way place?"

"Ask him where his ship is," whispered Dean.

"Yes, that's it. Do you belong to some ship in the harbour?"

"No, sir. She sailed away three months ago. I was too bad to go away with her. Fever, gentlemen."

"Oh, that's bad," said Mark. "Sick in a strange place."

"Oh, I haven't got anything to grumble at, sir. The consul's been very good to me; but I am as weak as a rat, sir, and--and--"

The poor fellow's voice during the last few words had trailed off, and ended in silence, while the two boys looked at him sympathetically and felt very uncomfortable.

"I shall be better directly, gentlemen," he said at last, with quite a gasp; and then with an effort he went on, "I beg pardon, but I heard of you. Someone told me about a party of English gentlemen going up the country towards the mountains where a fellow could shake off the fever. I can't get on, gentlemen--so weak. Better directly."

"All right," said Mark. "Take your time."

"Thank you, sir. I thought you were going away. It ain't catching, sir."

"Nobody thought it was," said Mark. "Here, let's walk on down towards the waterside."

"Thank you, sir. There, I can get on now. I heard about you gentlemen, and I thought I would make bold enough to ask you to take me with you. Sailor, sir," he continued, turning to Dean. "Turn my hand to anything, sir. Make myself useful. Consul said that a turn up in the mountains would put me right in no time. Make me strong to get a ship again. I arn't begging, sir. Look here, gentlemen," and he pulled one of his hands out of his pocket half full of silver.

"I say, Dean," said Mark, "what are we to do?"

Dean shook his head helplessly. "We can't take him: we've got two men already."

"I say, look here," said Mark; "I can't do as I like, but I will ask my father, and I daresay he will pay your passage home to England."

"Thank you, sir," said the man, with a sigh, and he shook his head sadly, "but I don't think I should live to get there."

"Oh, don't talk like that!" cried Dean, and he looked so appealingly at the man that the poor fellow smiled.

"All right, sir, I won't. They say drowning men catch at straws. I'm kind of drowning like, and when I hears as you gentlemen were going up the country, something seemed to say to me, try 'em, mate; it can't do no harm. And when I see you two young gents I tried to speak, but somehow I couldn't, and now I have--well, I have asked you, and you can't, and I might have made sure of it before."

"But you see--" began Dean.

"Yes, sir, I understand," said the man. "Thank you all the same, and good luck to you both."

He turned quickly and walked feebly away, the two boys watching him, both feeling that they must call him back; but somehow no words came.

"Oh, Dean," cried Mark, at last, "how I do hate this place! Just as if it wasn't miserable and disappointing enough before! If that poor fellow were not so bad I feel as if I should like to kick him for coming and telling us about how ill he had been. Just as if it was our fault! It is enough to make one turn ill oneself. Here, let's go in out of this broiling heat or you will be going and catching sunstroke just out of spite."

"Likely!" said Dean bitterly.

"Now, don't you turn disagreeable. I know what you are thinking."

"What?" cried Dean, in surprise.

"You are thinking that I might ask father to go to the expense of taking that poor fellow up the country. Why, he'd think I was mad."

"I'd take him if I had got the money," said Dean.

"So would I if I had got the money," retorted Mark, "but I haven't. Oh, there are our two chaps again," cried the boy eagerly, as if glad to get away from the unpleasant subject. "They can see us, and are coming."

The two gamekeepers came strolling up, and Dance saluted them with, "Nice day, gentlemen! Pity we arn't got some of it at home. Shouldn't want no coke for the old vinery."

"No," said Mark shortly. "Well, what do you think of an African port?"

"Don't think nothing on it, sir. Do you, mate?"

"Think it's a fine place to get away from," replied his companion grinning uncomfortably. "Say, Mr Mark, don't you wish you was at home?"

"Oh, don't talk nonsense!" cried Mark angrily. "What's the use of saying things like that? We wanted to come, and we have come."

"But we are not going to stop here long, are we, Mr Mark, sir?"

"No, not long. Certainly not a week."

"That's a comfort, sir, because Peter Dance and me have been thinking that we should like to go and ask the gov'nor if he would send us back."

"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" snapped out Dean, upon whom the scorching sun seemed to have the effect of taking the skin off his temper.

"Well, I don't know about Bob here, sir, but I do feel that I was a fool for wanting to come," said the keeper.

"Then you would both go," cried Mark angrily, "and leave us in the lurch just because you don't like this place?"

"Well, I put it to you, Mr Mark, sir," said Bob, "speaking as gamekeepers, we thought we was coming out here to a beautiful country where it was going to be shooting all day long. And just look about you! Don't it look as if it was the last place that was ever made?"

"I don't know," said Mark shortly, "but I didn't expect that you two would have played the sneak as soon as there was a little trouble."

"Who's a-going to, Mr Mark, sir?" said Bob gruffly. "You asked us how we liked Africa, and we only as good as said we didn't like it a tiny bit. We arn't a-going to play the sneak; are we, Peter?"

"Not us," grunted Dance. "I shouldn't like to go and tell Sir James that; should you, Bob?"

"No-o!"

"Come along, Dean," said Mark, turning from the men; and the boys walked away. "Let's get indoors. I don't know what's come to me; I feel as if I could quarrel with everybody. Let's go in and see if father's awake yet."

"Why, you can't quarrel with him," said Dean, staring in wonder at his cousin.

"Well, who said I could, stupid? Do you want to make me quarrel with you?"

"Yes, if you like. I feel as if a nice row would do me good. I'm miserable. It's been a wretched voyage, bad weather all the time, and uncle cross, and the doctor wishing--I could see he was--nearly all the time, that he had never said a word about travelling; and now after longing to get to land we have been set down here."

"Well," said Mark, "you are a nice fellow to try and cheer one up! I had just said a word or two about how wretched I was and how I felt, and then you begin quarrelling." _

Read next: Chapter 4. All In To Begin

Read previous: Chapter 2. How Mark Roche Gained The Day

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