The Old Tobacco Shop

Everyone jumped up, even Aunt Amanda. The Cabin-boy whispered in Freddie's ear, in great excitement, "N-n-n-now you'll s-see!"

A man came running down the deck, followed by all the skippers and mates. As he halted before Mr. Mizzen, he was evidently the Cook, by the white cook's cap he wore on his head. He took off his cap and wiped his forehead with his hand. He was in a state of mixed alarm and anger.

"We're lost!" he cried, and actually tore his hair with his hands. "It's that rascally Cabin-boy! The dippers is gone! Every last one of them! And the ship leakin' by the barrelful! Let me get at that boy once, and I'll learn him! Fryin' on a slow fire would be too good for him! Swore he'd get even, he did, and now he's gone and done it! Stole all the dippers – he's the one that done it, you can bet your last biscuit! There ain't a dipper left in the ship, and the water pourin' in by the barrelful! I just found it out, while them lazy skippers and mates was lying around doing nothing! Gimme one sea-cook for all the skippers on the ocean, that's what I say! Every last dipper gone! gone! We're lost!"

Everyone looked around for the Cabin-boy. He was nowhere to be seen, but his laugh was heard overhead, and his face was then seen looking down from the rigging just above.

"I've d-d-d-done it," he cried, shrieking with laughter. "I'm even with you n-n-n-n-now! M-m-m-m-mizzen he l-l-l-learned the parrot to m-m-m-mock me, he did, and Cook he b-b-b-basted me in the g-g-g-galley all the t-t-t-t-time, and now I'm e-e-e-even with all of 'em. They ain't g-g-g-going to t-t-t-torment me no m-m-m-m-more! I stole the dippers and th-th-th-threw 'em overboard, every last one of 'em, and n-n-n-now you're g-g-g-going to s-s-sink, sink, si-i-ink, d-d-d-down, down, d-d-d-down, to the bottom of the – bottom of the s-s-s-sea!"

He laughed louder than before, and the angry Cook sprang forward to climb up after him, but just then the ship gave a violent lurch backwards, nearly upsetting everyone, and settled down by the stern, so that that end of the boat was completely under water.

Aunt Amanda screamed. Toby and Mr. Punch came to her at once and supported her on each side. There was a great hubbub. Everyone tried to speak at once. Freddie felt his hand grasped in the strong hand of Mr. Toby, and he began to feel somewhat less afraid. Over the hubbub could be heard the Cabin-boy's wild laugh.

"Everybody quiet!" shouted Mr. Mizzen. "We must think what we had better do."

"Yes, yes," cried a number of voices. "What are we going to do?"

"I wish," said Mr. Mizzen, thoughtfully, "I wish we had thought to bring a rowboat with us."

"What!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Do you mean to tell me that you came away on this long journey without an extra boat?"

"We didn't think of it," said Mr. Mizzen. "We had plenty of dippers, and we never thought of anybody's throwing them overboard."

"No! no!" cried all the skippers and mates together. "We never thought of that!"

"Then bring out the life-preservers at once!" said Aunt Amanda. "And be quick about it!"

"We haven't any," said Mr. Mizzen. "What would have been the use of life-preservers if the dippers were all on board? We never thought we would need them."

"No! no!" cried all the skippers and mates together. "We never thought of that!"

"Then think of something now," said Aunt Amanda. "Don't you see the ship's settling deeper in the water?"

The ship was in fact deeper in the water. It was sinking rapidly. The deck began to list so much towards the stern that it was difficult to stand on it. The ship was making no headway whatever. The breeze was even lighter than before, and the sails were hanging limp. It would have taken a stiff wind indeed to have moved that water-logged boat; and it lay as if moored to a float, going up and down heavily in the long swell.

"Do you – er – think," said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, "that we are in – er – danger?"

"Danger!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Something must be done! Are you going to let us drown without turning a hand?"

"There's only one thing to do," said Mr. Mizzen, "and I don't know whether it will work or not; but we can try it. Boys, bring up all the mattresses from the cabins, and a coil of rope! Look alive, now!"

The skippers and mates ran off in great haste and disappeared down the hatchways. In a few minutes they had laid on the deck a great pile of mattresses. While this was being done, Aunt Amanda, whose bonnet and shawl had been brought to her by one of the men, tied her bonnet-strings under her chin and put her shawl about her shoulders, in readiness for departure.

"Now then," said Mr. Mizzen, "lash the mattresses together."

The men proved themselves very handy with ropes. With Mr. Mizzen's help, they lashed together securely a good number of the mattresses, and the first result of their work was a mattress raft some fifteen feet square, and some four or five feet thick. A supply of oil-cloth was found in the store-room, and this was bound by ropes all over and under and around the raft.

"I don't know whether it will do," said Mr. Mizzen, "but anyway there's nothing else that will do. Now, lads, over the side with her!"

All the men lent a hand, and the mattress raft was hoisted over the side and on to the water. To the satisfaction of everyone, it floated there quietly and easily, with its top well above the surface of the sea.

"Lucky it's a smooth sea," said Mr. Mizzen. "We ought to be pleased with the state of the weather; couldn't be better; I feel quite joyful about it."

"Oh, you do," said Aunt Amanda. "Well, I don't feel joyful about it. What next?"

"Put the provisions aboard," said the Able Seaman; whereupon some of the men placed on the raft a small barrel of water and some tins of meat, soup, biscuit, and other things.

"If you please," said Mr. Mizzen, when this had been done, "I think the passengers had better get aboard. When you're aboard, we'll make another raft for ourselves. Are you ready?"

The passengers were helped aboard the raft, one after another. Although the raft bobbed up and down on the swell, it was not a difficult matter for the men and the boy to get on, for it was held fast against the side of the ship at a point where it was about even with the deck-rail. Freddie gave a good spring, and was on in no time; Mr. Hanlon, who did not seem in the least uneasy, got aboard with the agility of a cat; there was no trouble with anyone except Aunt Amanda, whose lameness impeded her movements a good deal.

As the Sly Old Fox, with his high silk hat on his head, was about to step over the side, he turned and said:

"I feel it my duty, Mr. Mizzen, to register a complaint against the outrageous treatment to which we are being subjected. I submit under protest, sir; under protest. If I had for one moment imagined – "

"Oh bosh," said Toby. "Push him over, Mizzen." And the Sly Old Fox was in fact somewhat rudely pushed over on to the raft.

None of the others made any objection. Mr. Punch, who usually talked a good deal, was noticeably silent; and when Toby offered him a hand to help him over, he said stiffly:

"Hi thank you sir, but I do not require any hassistance."

When the Churchwarden took his seat in the middle of the raft, it went down alarmingly; but nothing happened, and when the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg was aboard, the party was complete. All the others sat around the Churchwarden, as close as they could huddle. It was evident that the raft would float them, at least until it should become water-logged, or a gale of wind should blow. The men on the ship now let go of the raft, and proceeded to lash together the remaining mattresses for themselves. The raft floated quietly away from the ship.

Aunt Amanda's arm was about Freddie. He did not feel, however, that he needed her protection. He had already forgotten his first alarm, and he was feeling most of all what an extraordinary adventure it was that had befallen him; the men from the ship would be nearby on the other rafts, the sea was calm, the air was warm, and they would probably be picked up by some vessel before the food gave out. He supposed there were very few boys who had ever sailed the open sea on a mattress.

"Well, Freddie," said Mr. Toby, as the raft continued to float slowly away from the ship, "what do you think of this, eh? Have you got the map of Correction Island with you?"

"Yes, sir, I have. It's in my pocket."

"Good! Don't lose it. We may get to the Island after all, some day; you never can tell. By the way, Warden, have you got your Odour of Sanctity?"

"Safe in my pocket," said the Churchwarden. "What about you? Have you got the Chinaman's head?"

"What? Me? The Chinaman's head? Oh merciful fathers! I clean forgot it!" cried Toby. "Blamed if I didn't leave it in my room on the ship! Never thought about it once! If that don't beat all! What'll we do? We can't get back! We're floating away! Great jumping Joan! What'll we do?"

"Well!" gasped Aunt Amanda. "Won't you never get a head on your shoulders, you Toby Littleback? Can't you never remember anything? I declare, Toby Littleback, you are the most addlepated, exasperating, – Oh dear, we'd better hail the ship, quick!"

The party on the raft set up a loud cry, which was answered from the ship.

"The Chinaman's head!" shouted Toby. "On the dresser in my cabin! I forgot it! Run and get it! Quick! We're floating away!"

"Ay, ay, sir!" came a voice from the ship.

The company on the raft waited anxiously. In a very few moments, which seemed like a great many, a hail came from the side of the ship, and they could see the Cabin-boy standing at a point of the deck where it was now sloped high out of the water, and he was holding the Chinaman's head aloft in both hands, as if about to throw it towards the raft.

"Don't throw it!" shouted Toby. "Tie a rope to it first!"

But he was too late. The Cabin-boy raised the Chinaman's head higher, swinging his body sideways, and as a dark figure came up behind him and tried to seize his arm, he gave a mighty heave and toss, and sent the Chinaman's head flying through the air in the direction of the raft.

For a second it glistened in the moonlight. In another second it descended towards the raft, and almost reached it; but not quite; it came down within five feet of it, and fell like a shot plump into the ocean. It splashed, and that was all. The Chinaman's head was gone.

A wail went up from the company on the raft at this terrible disaster. How terrible it really was they did not even yet understand, but they were soon to learn. Freddie was almost ready to burst into tears. Aunt Amanda was so exasperated that she could scarcely speak. The others seemed to be stupefied.

"Oh! oh! oh!" cried Aunt Amanda. "You Toby, you! Now you've done it for good. Why, why, why can't you never remember anything? It's your fault, and don't you never try to lay it to that Cabin-boy! And now what'll we do if we ever get separated from Mr. Mizzen? How'll we ever call him up to help us out of trouble if we get into it? Here's a pretty kettle of fish, now ain't it? I hope and pray we can stick close to Mr. Mizzen until we're all safe and – "

"Look there!" cried Mr. Punch. "Bless me heyes, what do I see? Look at the ship!"

It was high time to look at the ship. No sooner had the Chinaman's head disappeared into the depths of the ocean, than a change began to come over the ship. It grew paler and thinner in the moonlight. The green shutters along the side faded away one by one. The dark hull became lighter; the sails grew so thin that at last the watchers could see the stars shining through them. The whole ship seemed to waver and dissolve into a pale mist. It did not sink; no, the bow was still high out of the water, and all the masts and sails were visible. It simply faded away where it stood.

As it was becoming more and more vague, the voice of Marmaduke the parrot came across the water out of the rigging; a far-away voice, which grew fainter and fainter as the ship grew dimmer, until it died away as if in the distance.

"Th-th-th-three ch-ch-cheers!" it said. "Th-th-th-three ch-ch-cheers for l-l-l-l-liver and onions – th-th-three ch-ch-cheers – l-l-l-liver – and – "

As Marmaduke's voice died away, the ship dissolved like a pale ghost and vanished. The Sieve was gone.

The party of adventurers sat on their mattress raft in the midst of the wide ocean, with never a ship to be seen; the long sea-swell rolled placidly over the place where their ship had been. They sat huddled together in silence around the Churchwarden, too horrified to speak a word.

The moon glistened on the Sly Old Codger's high silk hat.

CHAPTER XIV

THE CRUISE OF THE MATTRESSES

"I wish," said Aunt Amanda, "that I had brought some sewing with me. I don't suppose I could sew very well by moonlight on a mattress in the middle of the ocean, but I don't believe this would have happened if I'd had my sewing with me."

"Hi carn't see 'ow that would 'ave – " began Mr. Punch.

"Now look here," said Toby. "We've got to sit in the middle of this here raft, or else she'll tilt over. Why don't you sit in the middle, Warden?"

"I am sitting in the middle," said the Churchwarden. "I wonder what the Vestry would say if they could – "

"I wish it distinctly understood," said the Sly Old Fox, "that I am here under protest. If I had for one moment imagined – "

"Now listen to me," said Aunt Amanda. "There's got to be a captain of this expedition, and as there's nobody here but a lot of helpless men-creatures, I suppose I've got to be the captain myself. All those in favor say aye. I'm elected. That's done. Warden, sit a little bit over to the right."

"Ay, ay, sir; ay, ay, ma'am; certainly," said the Warden.

"Now everybody sit up close to the Warden," said Aunt Amanda. "There. Is the raft balanced now?"

"Ay, ay, sir," said the Churchwarden. "I mean, ay, ay, ma'am."

"Then my orders as captain is, to sit still and see what's going to happen."

Nothing happened. Freddie grew sleepy, and leaned his head against Aunt Amanda's shoulder. As he was falling off to sleep, a slim dark object rose from the sea near by and whirred across the ocean and plopped into the water.

"Bless me heyes," said Mr. Punch, "hit's a flying-fish, as ever was."

"Is it, really?" said Freddie. "Did he really fly?"

"How wonderful is nature!" said the Sly Old Codger. "Such an opportunity to improve the mind! My little friend, I trust you will profit by what you have seen. It is very educational; very educational indeed."

"Ahem!" said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg. "What do you suppose – er – ahem! – if you will pardon me – what are those little things sparkling out there on the surface of the water?"

"Hit's a school of sardines!" said Mr. Punch. "Hi know them wery well; when I was a lad – "

"There must be millions of them," said Freddie. "Just look!"

The tiny fish were leaping by thousands on the surface of the water, immediately in the path of moonlight; and they flashed and sparkled as they leaped.

"Hi believe there's a great fish arfter them," said Mr. Punch.

"Maybe a whole regiment of big fish," said Toby. "By crackey, there's one now!"

As he spoke, a black fin cut the water near the sardines, and they became more agitated than ever; from the size of the fin, it must have been a very great fish indeed; and along the upper edge of the fin was a row of long sharp saw-teeth, looking big and strong enough to have sawed through a wooden plank.

"There's another one!" cried Freddie.

"And another! and another!" cried Aunt Amanda.

There must have been five or six of the great fish.

"I hope they won't come near this boat," said Toby. "One of 'em would just about turn us upside down if he struck us."

"Mercy!" said Aunt Amanda. "Don't say such a terrible thing."

At that moment a great round black back appeared above the surface of the water, some hundred yards or so away, and in another moment a great black blunt head joined itself to the back, and a spout of white vapor rose from the head.

"A whale!" cried several voices at once.

"Oh!" said Aunt Amanda. "Suppose he should come this way?"

The five or six fins of the great fish near the sardines now disappeared. The whale threw up his enormous tail, and went down head first beneath the water. Almost immediately, one of the saw-toothed fins reappeared, much nearer the raft than before.

"Merciful heavens!" cried Aunt Amanda. "He's coming towards us! Oh dear!"

The great fish was in fact evidently making straight towards the raft. Freddie clutched Aunt Amanda's arm. The fin cut the water at a high speed; it disappeared at times, but on each reappearance it was still pointed towards the raft.

"He's nearly on us!" cried Aunt Amanda. "Hold on tight, Freddie!"

The great fish came on with a rush, and as he reached the raft struck it with his back and slid under it. There was a tremendous bump, which nearly sent the company flat; then there was a rubbing under the raft, and everything was quiet again.

"He's gone," said Toby.

"No, 'e isn't," said Mr. Punch. "Look at 'is tail!"

A great tail could be seen beyond the edge of the raft, just below the surface of the water. It thrashed about and churned up the water violently for a few seconds, and then waved back and forth quietly; but it did not disappear.

"By crackey," said Toby, "he's stuck! His fin has got stuck into the bottom of the raft! He's got the whole kit and bilin' of us on his back!"

"Mercy on us!" said Aunt Amanda.

"Is it really true?" said Freddie.

"On due consideration," said the Churchwarden, "I think Toby's right."

"Hi believe 'e is!" said Mr. Punch. "Blimy if I ever rode on the back of a fish before! Now 'e's got us on 'is back, what's 'e going to do with us?"

"We're moving!" cried Freddie.

"So we are!" said Aunt Amanda.

"Blamed if we ain't," said Toby.

The mattress craft was in fact moving; very slowly, indeed, but still moving; and it was moving in the opposite direction to the fish's tail, which could be seen now and then under the water, waving back and forth like the tail of a swimming fish.

"If this don't beat all," said Toby. "That fish down there has certainly got his fin hooked into our mattress, and he's swimming along with us on top of him. I've seen a snail crawlin' with his shell on top of him, but a fish with a load of mattresses and live-stock is a new thing to me!"

"I'm the captain," said Aunt Amanda, "and my orders is to sit as still as you can and see where he's taking us to."

"Ay, ay, sir," said the Churchwarden. "I mean, ay, ay, ma'am."

The party huddled on top of the mattresses sat as still as mice, hardly daring to breathe. Their little craft continued to move gently through the water. They expected each moment that the fish would free himself, but evidently his fin had embedded itself so firmly in one of the bottom mattresses that he could not get loose; he went on swimming with his load on his back.

Hour after hour they waited to feel their craft stop; but hour after hour it moved gently and slowly across the surface of the sea. They settled themselves more comfortably against each other, and spoke very little. No one noticed that their raft was now much lower in the water.

The air was warm, the moonlight and the silence were extremely soothing, and the motion of the raft was gentle and languorous. Freddie's head sank against Aunt Amanda's shoulder, and his eyes closed; and in another moment he was asleep. Aunt Amanda herself nodded, and her eyes closed; she was asleep too. Toby yawned, and leaned heavily against the Sly Old Codger; his eyes closed, and – in short, every eye closed, and every frame relaxed heavily against its neighbor, and at last, doubled over in a closely huddled group in the exact center of their mattresses, the whole party slept; each and every one.

The raft went on steadily and quietly through the water, the moon glittered on the sea, the raft settled deeper and deeper, and there was absolute silence on the ocean, except for a slight groan which came regularly and gently from the nose of the Churchwarden.

CHAPTER XV

A FALL IN THE DARK

Freddie was the first to be awake in the morning. He was cramped and stiff. He sat up straight, rubbed his eyes, and stretched his arms. He looked abroad, and the sight which met him caused him to grasp Aunt Amanda's hand in excitement.

"Land!" he cried, so loud that everyone awoke.

"Blamed if it ain't," said Toby, and put on his white derby hat, considering that he had thereby dressed himself for the day.

All the others sat bolt upright, and stared across the smooth blue sea, sparkling in the sunlight.

Not more than a quarter of a mile away rose a tall black cliff straight up out of the water. It stretched away on either hand for miles and miles, and came to an end in the ocean at the right hand and the left, so that it was probably the side of an island. The sea rolled up and down at the foot of the cliff, making a beautiful white splash against the rocks.

"But how on earth," said Aunt Amanda, "are we ever to get ashore on such a place as that?"

"We're moving towards it," said Freddie.

"Blamed if we ain't," said Toby. "We'll soon know whether we can get ashore or not."

They moved very slowly, and it was a long time before they came close enough to the cliff to see what their chances of a landing might be. They floated at last within two or three hundred yards of the cliff. It was very dangerous looking; the waves rolled over huge black rocks at its foot and broke in white foam against its side; it seemed the last place in the world for a landing.

A great swell rolled in from the sea and brought them nearer the breakers.

"My word!" cried Mr. Punch, excitedly. "There's a harch!"

"A what?" said Toby.

"See!" said Aunt Amanda. "There's a little archway in the rock, like the mouth of a cave, over there to the right! Don't you see? With the water pouring in! Over there!"

It was true. There was an archway, like the mouth of a cave; and into this the water was streaming in a strong current, making a kind of passage-way, more or less smooth, through the breakers.

"Yes!" said Freddie. "And I believe we're headed towards it!"

Their course changed a little to the right, as if the fish who was piloting them had now taken a correct bearing. They found themselves in a passage through the breakers where the water swirled in towards the arch. They were caught in this current and were swept to a point close under the towering black rocks, and in another moment they were directly before the opening. The current seized the raft as if with strong hands and drew it in.

They were in a cavern, narrow and high, whose interior was lost in darkness. The current carried them onward into the dark. The roar of the breakers suddenly ceased, and as they looked behind them the archway was no more than a speck of light. Their raft turned slightly to the left, and at that moment the speck of light disappeared, as if they had turned a corner; and the darkness became so black that no one could see even the person sitting next to him.

"I wonder," said Toby, "if there are any matches and candles on board this boat. I'm going to see."

He was silent for a while, and it was evident from the tilting of the raft that he had moved his position. Finally he said "Ah!" and a match spluttered and went out in the breeze which was blowing past them; but after it went out there remained a glimmer, and Toby was holding up a lighted candle, and shielding it from the draught with his hand.

"Found 'em in the tin with the biscuits," said Toby.

He held the candle on high so that its little beam searched out the darkness in front and on both sides.

They were in a narrow passage-way. On each side was a wall of solid rock, not ten feet beyond the edge of the raft. How high the wall was they could not tell, for it was lost in the darkness overhead. They were slipping along a narrow alley-way of water. Toby held the candle higher, and everyone peered into the darkness ahead; but it was impossible to see more than a few yards.

"I wish it distinctly understood," said the Sly Old Codger, "that I am here under – "