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Jack at Sea, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 13. Beginning To Grow Backward |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTEEN. BEGINNING TO GROW BACKWARD "Regular volcanic cinder heap, Jack," was Sir John's not new opinion of sun-scorched Aden, where, while the coal-bunkers were filled up again, the lad had amused himself by inspecting the place with his glass as he sat contentedly under the awning, preferring to submit to the infliction of the flying coal-dust to a hot walk through the arid place. Then he leaned over the side and half-contemptuously threw threepenny-bits and sixpences into the clear water in response to the clamouring young rascals who wanted to scramble for them far below and show their swimming and diving powers. "Come on board," cried the doctor, blowing his nose hard and coughing to get rid of the black dust. "Sacks counted, iron stopper put back in the pavement, and the wagon's gone, Jack." The lad looked up at him as if wondering whether he had gone out of his senses. "What are you staring at, sober-sides?" cried the doctor. "I know it's poor joking, but I'd have done better if I could. Hallo! what's the matter?" he continued, as, in what seemed to be a motiveless way, the boy threw sixpence over the side. "Got too much money?" "No: look!" said Jack. The doctor glanced over the rail to where the bright piece of silver was sinking fast and flashing as it turned over, while two merry little young scamps were diving down after it, racing to see which would get first to the coin. This soon disappeared in the disturbed water, while the figures of the boys grew more and more shadowy and distorted by the varying refraction. "My word!" cried the doctor, "how the little niggers can dive! Look: here they come again." It was curious to see them rising with the water growing more still as their frantic struggles ceased, and their forms grew plain as they rose quickly, one dark head suddenly shooting up like a cork on a pike line after the fish had rejected the bait, and its owner showing a brilliantly white set of teeth as he shouted, "Nurrer! nurrer!" The next moment a second head shot into the brilliant sunshine, the boy's lips opening into a wide grin of delight as he showed his white clenched teeth with the captured sixpence held between them. "Tell him to put it in his pocket, Jack," cried the doctor. "Puzzle him, eh? Hold your noise, you chattering young ruffians," he shouted. "Come, a dozen of you. Here, Jack, I'm going to waste a shilling, for it won't do the young vagabonds any good. It's only encouraging them to run risks of asphyxiating themselves or getting caught some day by the sharks." He held up a shilling as he spoke, and quite a dozen boys of all sizes splashed in out of canoes, and left the pieces of wood and one old boat to which they clung. They came swimming about near where the doctor and Jack looked over, shouting, splashing each other, and generally clamouring for the piece of money to be thrown in. "Ah! we must have a race for this," said the doctor, and he drew himself up and made a feint of throwing the shilling. There was a rush like a pack of black water spaniels going after a thrown stick, but the boys had been tricked too often by passengers stopping at Aden in the regular steamers, and they did not go far, but turned round, treading water and shouting. "Come back then," cried the doctor. "Here, close to the yacht." In all probability the boys did not comprehend a word, but the gestures made with the hand containing the shilling brought them all back, and they ranged themselves in a line close in, and shouted and splashed away till the doctor, whose left hand had been in his pocket, threw the shilling shining and twinkling through the sunny air as far as he could. Away went the boys with a tremendous rush, making the water foam, and naturally the biggest and strongest took the lead, leaving three little fellows well behind. The doctor had anticipated this, and drew their attention with a shout, at the same time holding up another shilling, and as they turned to swim back, he suddenly dropped the coin about six feet away from the yacht's side, where the water was still. _Plop_! down went one little fellow, who rose up, turned over, sent his heels gleaming in the sunshine, and disappeared, as _plop! plop_! down went the two others. "Just like a lot of dabchicks," cried the doctor; "now we shall see them race for it. See the shilling, Jack?" "Yes; here it goes." "Yes, and here they come. Look at them. Why, they go down faster than the coin. It's wonderful." Wonderful it was, for the dark little figures glided through the crystal water like seals, and every motion could be followed till the coin was reached and ceased to twinkle as it sank. Then once more the dark figures grew plainer and rose and rose, but somehow more and more astern, and Jack looked startled. "Why, there must be a tremendous current here," he cried. "They're being swept away. A boat! a boat!" The doctor looked as much startled as his companion, but a very gentle vibration enlightened them the next moment, for the engine was once more in motion, the screw revolving slowly, and the _Silver Star's_ prow was gradually coming round in answer to the helm, till she pointed straight for the open sea, where the throbbing and quivering of the vessel increased as she went easily ahead, and then faster still over the perfectly calm water, for there was not a breath of air. Then away and away through the burning sunshine the yacht glided, with the sea glistening like damascened steel frosted with silver, till the mountains above the coaling port grew distant; and away over the burning Afric sands there was a wondrous orange glow which deepened into fire, vermilion, crimson, purple, and gold of the most refulgent hues, and soon after it was night. It seemed to Jack as he stood gazing forward that they were gliding on between two vast purply black basins studded with stars, which were larger and brighter than any he had seen before, while deeper and deeper in the wondrous depths there were more and more, till the farthest off seemed like clusters and patches of frosted gold. There was not a breath of air when they went on deck after dinner, and with the exception of the throbbing and humming of the engine and propeller, and soft whish of the sea as it was divided and swept along the sides, all was wonderfully still. But the silence was soon after broken by a sharp call from somewhere forward, a clear musical voice rang out, and then, sounding very sweet and melodious on the soft air, the men began glee-singing, showing that they had good voices among them and no little knowledge of singing in parts. They were simple old glees and madrigals, and no doubt the surroundings helped, but Jack sat listening and thinking he had never heard music so sweet and beautiful before. "Why, captain," said Sir John, "this is a surprise." "Is it, sir? Hope you don't mind." "Mind?" echoed Sir John and the doctor in a breath. "Bartlett's fond of a bit of music, and he has a good voice too, but he is so precious modest you can't get him to sing alone; he's singing with the men though now. He trains them a bit when we're not busy, and they like it. Nothing pleases men like them more than singing in chorus; you see, they're most of them Cornish and Devon lads, and they take naturally to it. Many's the time I've heard the fishermen going out on calm evenings to their fishing-ground singing away in parts, so that you'd think that they had been well taught, and perhaps not one of them knowing a note of music." The glee-singing went on for about an hour, and ceased as suddenly as it had begun. Then the watch was set, and after standing leaning over the bows gazing at the glittering stars reflected in the deep water, and seeing the phosphorescent creatures add to the lustre as they were disturbed by the yacht's prow, or some large fish darting away, Jack heaved a deep sigh and turned to go aft to the cabin. "Unhappy, my boy?" said a voice at his elbow, which made the lad start and remain silent for a few moments, utterly unable to give expression to his feelings, before he said softly-- "No, father, not unhappy, but low-spirited and sad." "Sad, my boy?" said Sir John. "No, it isn't sad, because somehow, father, it makes me feel happy, and--and I can't explain it, but I never felt that I cared to stand and look at the sea and sky like this before. It seems so grand and beautiful, and as if--as if--" "The great book of Nature was being opened to you for the first time, my boy. Yes; this wonderful soft air, this glorious star-lit heaven, and the silence of the ocean through which we are gliding, impress me too in a way I cannot explain. But tell me now, my boy, are you sorry we came?" "Sorry!" cried Jack excitedly, as he caught at his father's arm. "No; glad." That night the melody of one of the old West-country ditties the men had sung in parts seemed to lull Jack Meadows to rest, and he slept one of those deep healthy slumbers which give us the feeling when we awake on a bright sunny morning, that a strange vigour is running through our veins, and that it is a good thing to live. _ |
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