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"'HEAVEN ABOVE!' EJACULATED JACK; 'WHY IT'S MR. MOLE.'"
JACK HARKAWAY AND HIS BOY TINKER. VOL. II.--_Frontispiece_]
JACK HARKAWAY'S BOY TINKER AMONG THE TURKS
BEING THE CONCLUSION OF THE "ADVENTURES OF YOUNG JACK HARKAWAY AND HIS BOY TINKER"
BY BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG
BOOK NUMBER FIFTEEN
CHICAGO M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker AMONG THE TURKS.
JACK GETS INTO HOT WATER--A MORAL LESSON, AND HOW HE PROFITED BYIT--ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.
The matter was not ended here, however.
When they got on board, there was a very serious reception awaitingthem.
Their project had been discovered and betrayed to the skipper by someofficious noodle, and Captain Willis was not a little alarmed.
The consequences might be very serious.
So the captain had Jack and Harry Girdwood up, and gave them a word ortwo of a sort.
"We wish to preserve the most friendly relations with the people here,Mr. Harkaway," said he, severely; "and this sort of adventure is notcalculated to achieve our object."
Jack did not attempt to deny what had occurred.
"We have done no harm," he said; "we were simply cruising about when wesaw murder done. We arrived too late to prevent it, but Tinker waspleased to take it upon himself to avenge the murdered woman, for awoman it was, as we could tell from her shrieks as the sack went underand stifled them for ever."
The captain was somewhat startled at this.
"Is this true?"
"I would have you know, captain, that I am not in the habit of sayingwhat is not true."
The captain bowed stiffly at young Jack's rebuke.
"I don't wish to imply anything else," he said; "but before you get toohigh up in the stirrups, young gentleman, remember that I command here.Remember that in your own thirst for excitement, you act in a waylikely to compromise me as well as everybody on board. You are notwanting in a proper appreciation of right and wrong. Before you addanything worse to the present discussion, reflect. The injured airwhich you are pleased to assume is out of place. I leave you to yourown reflections, young gentleman."
And so saying, the captain turned away and left him.
Jack's first impulse was to walk after the captain, and fire a partingshot.
But Harry Girdwood's hand arrested him.
"Don't be foolish, Jack," said he.
"Let go, I----"
"Don't be foolish, I say, Jack," persisted Harry Girdwood. "Do you knowwhat you are saying?"
"Are you siding against me?" exclaimed Jack.
"In a general sense I am not against you, but I can't approve of yourreplies. You had no right to retort, and I shouldn't be a true pal,Jack, if I spoke to your face against my convictions."
Jack sulked for a little time.
And then he did as the captain had advised.
He reflected.
He was very soon led back to the correct train of thought, and being alad of high moral courage, as well as physically brave, he was notafraid to acknowledge when he was in the wrong.
Harry Girdwood walked a little way off.
Young Jack--dare-devil Jack--coloured up as he walked to Harry and heldout his hand.
"Tip us your fin, messmate," he said, with forced gaiety. "You areright, I was wrong, of course."
He turned off.
"Where are you going?" demanded Harry.
"To the captain."
"What for?"
"To apologise for being insolent."
Off he went.
"Captain Willis."
"Do you want me, Mr. Harkaway?" asked the captain.
"The chief mate was standing by, and Jack did not feel that he had sofar offended as to have to expiate his fault in public.
"When you are disengaged, Captain Willis, I would beg the favour ofhalf a word with you."
"Is it urgent, Mr. Harkaway?" he asked.
"I have been refractory, Captain Willis."
A faint smile stole over the captain's face in spite of his endeavourto repress it.
"I will see you below presently," he said to the mate. "Come down to mein a quarter of an hour or so."
"Yes, sir," said the mate.
"Now, Mr. Harkaway, I'm at your service," said Captain Willis, walkingforward.
Jack grew rather red in the face at this.
Then he made a plunge, and blurted it all out.
"I have been an idiot, Captain Willis, and I want you to know that Ithoroughly appreciate your fairness and high sense of justice."
"Now you are flattering me, Mr. Harkaway," said the captain.
"Captain Willis," said impetuous Jack, "if you call me Mr. Harkaway, Ishall think that you are stiff-backed and bear malice."
"What a wild fellow you are," said the captain. "Why, what on earthshall I call you?"
"Jack, sir," returned our hero. "John on Sunday and holidays, if youprefer it, just as a proof that you don't bear any ill feeling to amadman, who has the good luck to have a lucid interval, and toapologise heartily as I do now."
The captain held out his hand.
Jack dropped his into it with a spank, and grasped it warmly.
"Don't say any more on this subject, Mr.--I mean, Jack," said thecaptain, smiling, "or you will make me quite uncomfortable."
And so the matter ended.
Jack could not be dull for long together.
He plucked up his old vivacity, and went off to Mr. Figgins' cabin.
"I must go and give the orphan a turn," said he.