CHAPTER V.
CAPTAIN ROY SURPRISES AND GRATIFIES HIS SON, WHO SURPRISES A NEGRO, ANDSUDDENLY FORMS AN ASTONISHING RESOLVE.
Arrived in Batavia--the low-lying seaport and capital of the Dutchisland of Java--Captain Roy had his brig examined, and found that thedamage she had sustained was so serious that several months wouldprobably elapse before she would be again ready for sea.
"Now, Nigel, my lad," said the old gentleman, on the morning after theexamination had been made, "come down below with me; I want to have aconfabulation with 'ee."
"Why, father," said the youth, when seated at the small cabin tableopposite his rugged parent, "you seem to be in an unusually solemn frameof mind this morning. Has anything happened?"
"Nothin', boy--nothin'. Leastwise nothin' in particular. You know allabout the brig, an' what a deal o' repair she's got to undergo?"
"Of course I do. You know I was present when you talked the matter overwith that fellow--what's-'is-name--that gave you his report."
"Just so. Well now, Nigel, you don't suppose, do you, that I'm goin' tokeep you here for some months knockin' about with nothin' to do--eatin'your grub in idleness?"
"Certainly not," said the youth, regarding the stern countenance of hisparent with an amused look. "I have no intention of acting such anignoble part, and I'm surprised at you askin' the question, for you knowI am not lazy--at least not more so than average active men--and theremust be plenty of work for me to do in looking after the cargo,superintending repairs, taking care of the ship and men. I wonder atyou, father. You must either have had a shock of dotage, or fallen intoa poetical vein. What is a first mate fit for if--"
"Nigel," said Captain Roy, interrupting, "I'm the owner an' commander ofthe _Sunshine_, besides bein' the paternal parent of an impertinent son,and I claim to have the right to do as I please--therefore, hold yourtongue and listen to me."
"All right, father," replied the young man, with a benignant grin;"proceed, but don't be hard upon me; spare my feelings."
"Well now, this is how the land lies," said the old seaman, resting hiselbows on the table and clasping his hands before him. "As Mr. Moor andI, with the stooard and men, are quite sufficient to manage the affairso' the brig, and as we shall certainly be here for a considerable timeto come, I've made up my mind to give you a holiday. You're young, yousee, an' foolish, and your mind needs improvin'. In short, you want agood deal o' the poetry knocked out o' you, for it's not like yourmother's poetry by any means, so you needn't flatter yourself--not builton the same lines by a long way. Well--where was I?"
"Only got the length of the holiday yet, father."
"Only, indeed. You ungrateful dog! It's a considerable length to get,that, isn't it? Well, I also intend to give you some money, to enableyou to move about in this curious archipelago--not much, but enough tokeep you from starvation if used with economy, so I recommend you to gointo the town, make general inquiries about everything and everywhere,an' settle in your mind what you'll do, for I give you a rovin'commission an' don't want to be bothered with you for some time tocome."
"Are you in earnest, father?" asked Nigel, who had become moreinterested while the captain unfolded his plan.
"Never more in earnest in my life--except, p'raps, when I inquired overtwenty years ago whether you was a boy or a gurl."
"Well, now, that _is_ good of you, father. Of course I need not saythat I am charmed at the prospect you open up to me. And--and when may Istart?"
"At once. Up anchor and away to-night if you choose."
"But--where?"
"Anywhere--everywhere, Java, Sumatra, Borneo--all Malaysia before youwhere to choose. Now be off, and think over it, for I've got too much todo to waste time on you at present," said the captain, rising, "and,stay--Nigel."
"Well?" said the youth, looking back as he was about to leave the cabin.
"Whatever you do, don't grow poetical about it. You know it is saidsomewhere, that mischief is found for idle hands to do."
"All right, father. I'll keep clear of poetry--leave all that sort o'nonsense to _you_. I'll--
"I'll flee Temptation's siren voice, Throw poesy to the crows, And let my soul's ethereal fire Gush out in sober prose."
It need scarcely be said that our hero was not slow to take advantage ofthe opportunity thus thrown in his way. He went off immediately throughthe town, armed with the introduction of his father's well-known name,and made inquiries of all sorts of people as to the nature, theconditions, the facilities, and the prospects of travel in the MalayArchipelago. In this quest he found himself sorely perplexed for thevery good reason that "all sorts" of people, having all sorts of ideasand tastes, gave amazingly conflicting accounts of the region and itsattractions.
Wearied at last with his researches, he sauntered towards afternoon inthe direction of the port, and began in a listless sort of way to watchthe movements of a man who was busily engaged with a boat, as if he weremaking preparations to put to sea.
Now, whatever philosophers may say to the contrary, we hold strongly tothe opinion that likings and dislikings among men and women and childrenare the result of some profound occult cause which has nothing whateverto do with experience. No doubt experience may afterwards come in tomodify or intensify the feelings, but it is not the originating cause.If you say it is, how are we to account for love at first sight? Beautyhas nothing necessarily to do with it, for men fall in love at firstsight with what the world calls plain women--happily! Character is notthe cause, for love assails the human breast, ofttimes, before the lovedobject has uttered a word, or perpetrated a smile, or even fulminated aglance to indicate character. So, in like manner, affection may arisebetween man and man.
It was so on this occasion with Nigel Roy. As he stood abstractedlygazing at the boatman he fell in love with him--at least he took apowerful fancy to him, and this was all the more surprising that the manwas a negro,--a woolly-headed, flat-nosed, thick-lipped nigger!
We would not for a moment have it supposed that it is unnatural to lovesuch a man. Quite the reverse. But when such a man is a perfectstranger, has never uttered a word in one's presence, or vouchsafed somuch as a glance, and is gravely, stolidly engaged in the unsavoury workof greasing some of the tackling of a boat, it does seem unaccountablethat he should be unwittingly capable of stirring up in another man'sbosom feelings of ardent goodwill, to put it mildly.
After watching him for some time, Nigel under an almost involuntaryimpulse shouted "Hullo!"
"Hullo!" replied the negro, looking up with a somewhat stern frown and apout of his thick lips, as much as to say--"Who are _you_?"
Nigel smiled, and made that suggestive motion with his forefinger whichsignifies "Come here."
The frown fled and the pout became a smile as the negro approached,wiping his hands on a piece of cotton-waste.
"What you want wi' _me_, sar?" he asked.
"Well, upon my word," said Nigel, somewhat perplexed, "I can't verywell say. I suppose something must have been in my mind, but--anyhow, Ifelt a desire to have a talk with you; that is, if you can spare thetime."
The first part of this reply induced a slight recurrence of the frownand pout, but at its conclusion the black brow cleared and the mouthexpanded to such a gum-and-teeth-exposing extent that Nigel fairly burstinto a laugh.
"You's bery good, sar," said the man, "an' I's hab much pleasure to makeyour acquaintance.--Der an't no grease on 'em now."
The last remark had reference to the enormous black paw which he heldout.
Nigel at once grasped it and shook it heartily.
"I's bery fond ob a talk, sar," continued the negro, "so as you wantsone, heabe ahead."
Thus encouraged, our hero began by remarking that he seemed to bepreparing for a trip.
"Dat's zackly what I's a-doin', sar."
"A long one?"
"Well, dat depends on what you call short. Goin' to Sunda Straits, whichp'raps you know, sar, is nigh a hundred miles fro' here."
r /> "And what may you be going to do there?" asked Nigel.
"Goin' home to Krakatoa."
"Why, I thought that was an uninhabited island. I passed close to it onmy way here, and saw no sign of inhabitants."
"Da's cause I was absint fro' home. An' massa he keeps indoors a gooddeal."
"And pray who is massa?" asked Nigel.
"Sar," said the negro, drawing up his square sturdy frame with a look ofdignity; "fair-play is eberyt'ing wid me. You've ax me a heap o'questions. Now's my--turn. Whar you comes fro'?"
"From England," replied Nigel.
"An' whar you go to?"
"Well, you've posed me now, for I really don't know where I'm going to.In fact that is the very thing I have been trying to find out all day,so if you'll help me I'll be much obliged."
Here Nigel explained his position and difficulties, and it was quiteobvious, judging from the glittering eyes and mobile mouth, that hepoured his tale into peculiarly sympathetic ears. When he had finished,the negro stood for a considerable time gazing in meditative silence atthe sky.
"Yes," he said at last, as if communing with himself, "I t'ink--I ain'tquite sure, but I t'ink--I may ventur'."
"Whatever it is you are thinking about," remarked Nigel, "you mayventure to say anything you like to _me_."
The negro, who, although comparatively short of stature, was herculeanin build, looked at the youth with an amused expression.
"You're bery good, sar, but da's not what I's t'inkin' ob. I's t'inkin'whedder I dar' ventur' to introdoce you to my massa. He's not fond o'company, an' it might make 'im angry, but he came by a heaby loss latelyan' p'raps he may cond'send to receibe you. Anyhow you 'd be quite safe,for he's sure to be civil to any friend ob mine."
"Is he then so fierce?" asked Nigel, becoming interested as well asamused.
"Fierce! no, he's gentle as a lamb, but he's awrful when he'sroused--tigers, crokindiles, 'noceroses is nuffin' to him!"
"Indeed! what's his name, and what does he do? How does he live?"
The negro shook his head. "Da's more'n I dar tell till I ax his leave,sar. I kin only say de peepil around calls 'im the hermit ob Rakata,'cause he libs by his self (wid me, ob course, but _I_ counts fornuffin), close under de ole volcano ob Krakatoa. Dey tink--some ob defoolish peepil--dat he hab sold his-self to de dibil, but I knowsbetter. He's a good man, and you'd hab great fun if you stop wid him.Now, what I's a-gwine to advise you is, come wid me an' see de hermit.If he lets you stop, good. If not, I fetch you ober to de mainland--whar you please--an' you kin come back here or go whar youchoose. Its wort' your while to take your chance, anyhow."
The negro said this with such an earnest look that Nigel made up hismind on the spot to accept this curious invitation.
"I'll go!" he exclaimed with sudden energy. "When do you start?"
"To-morrer at daybreak, sar."
"Well, I shall have to talk it over first with my father, but I'm surehe won't object, so you may look out for me here at daybreak. Shall Ihave to fetch any provisions with me for the voyage?"
"No, nuffin'. Boat's crammed wi' grub. But you'd better bring a gun o'some sort an' a 'volver, an' a big knife, an' a mortal big appetite, fora man's no good widout dat."
"I always carry that about with me," said the youth, "whatever else Imay leave behind; and I'll see to the other things.--By the way, what'syour name?"
"Moses."
"Is that all?"
"Isn't dat enuff?" returned the negro with a look of dignity.
"Quite; but I have the advantage of you there, Moses, for I have twonames--Nigel Roy."
"Well, I don't see much use ob two, but which does you like to becalled by--Nadgel or Roy?"
"Whichever you please, Moses; I'll answer to either. So now, good-byefor the present, and look out for me to-morrow at daylight."
"Good-bye, Massa Nadgel, till to-morrer."
The negro waved his hand and, sauntering slowly back to his boat,remarked in an undertone, "I lub dat young feller!" Saying which, heresumed his greasing operations.
Of course Captain Roy made no objection to his son's proposal, though hefreely gave his opinion that it was a wild-goose chase.
"However, lad, please yourself and you'll please me," he added; "andnow, be particular to bear in mind that you've got to write to me everytime you get within hail of a post-office or a passing ship or steamerthat may chance to be comin' this way, and in each letter be sure totell me where you're goin' to next, so as I may send a letter there toyou in case I want you to return sudden or otherwise. We mustn't losetouch, you see. You needn't write long screeds. I only want to know yourwhereabouts from time to time. For the rest--you can spin it out inyarns when you come back."