Sea Urchins | Page 3

a good many pirates in my time, Bill, but this
is a new sort."
"Leave the boy alone," said the cook, a fat, good-natured man. "Here,
come 'ere, old man. They don't mean no 'arm."
Glad to escape, Ralph made his way over to the cook, grinding his teeth
with shame as that worthy took him between his knees and mopped his
eyes with something which he called a handkerchief.
"You'll be all right," he said kindly. "You'll be as good a pirate as any
of us before you've finished."
"Wait till the first engagement, that's all," sobbed the boy. "If
somebody don't get shot in the back it won't be my fault."
The two seamen looked at each other. "That's wot hurt my 'and then,"
said Dobbs slowly. "I thought it was a jack-knife."
He reached over, and unceremoniously grabbing the boy by the collar,
pulled him towards him, and drew a small cheap revolver from his
pocket. "Look at that, Jem."
"Take your fingers orf the blessed trigger and then I will," said the
other, somewhat sourly.
"I'll pitch it overboard," said Dobbs.
"Don't be a fool, Bill," said Smithers, pocketing it, "that's worth a few
pints o' anybody's money. Stand out o' the way, Bill, the Pirit King
wants to go on deck."
Bill moved aside as the boy went to the ladder, and allowing him to get

up four or five steps, did the rest for him with his shoulder. The boy
reached the deck on all fours, and, regaining a more dignified position
as soon as possible, went and leaned over the side, regarding with lofty
contempt the busy drudges on wharf and river.
They sailed at midnight and brought up in the early dawn in Longreach,
where a lighter loaded with barrels came alongside, and the boy smelt
romance and mystery when he learnt that they contained powder. They
took in ten tons, the lighter drifted away, the hatches were put on, and
they started once more.
It was his first voyage, and he regarded with eager interest the craft
passing up and down. He had made his peace with the seamen, and they
regaled him with blood-curdling stories of their adventures, in the vain
hope of horrifying him.
"'E's a beastly little rascal, that's wot 'e is," said the indignant Bill, who
had surprised himself by his powers of narration; "fancy larfin' when I
told 'im of pitchin' the baby to the sharks."
"'E's all right, Bill," said the cook softly. "Wait till you've got seven of
'em."
"What are you doing here, boy?" demanded the skipper, as Ralph,
finding the seamen's yarns somewhat lacking in interest, strolled aft
with his hands in his pockets.
"Nothing," said the boy, staring.
"Keep the other end o' the ship," said the skipper sharply, "an' go an'
'elp the cook with the taters."
Ralph hesitated, but a grin on the mate's face decided him.
"I didn't come here to peel potatoes," he said loftily.
"Oh, indeed," said the skipper politely; "an' wot might you 'ave come
for, if it ain't being too inquisitive?"

"To fight the enemy," said Ralph shortly.
"Come 'ere," said the skipper.
The boy came slowly towards him.
"Now look 'ere," said the skipper, "I'm going to try and knock a little
sense into that stupid 'ed o' yours. I've 'eard all about your silly little
games ashore. Your father said he couldn't manage you, so I'm goin' to
have a try, and you'll find I'm a very different sort o' man to deal with
to wot 'e is. The idea o' thinking this ship was a pirate. Why, a boy your
age ought to know there ain't such things nowadays."
"You told me you was," said the boy hotly, "else I wouldn't have
come."
"That's just why I told you," said the skipper. "But I didn't think you'd
be such a fool as to believe it. Pirates, indeed! Do we look like pirates?"
"You don't," said the boy with a sneer; "you look more like--"
"Like wot?" asked the skipper, edging closer to him. "Eh, like wot?"
"I forget the word," said Ralph, with strong good sense.
"Don't tell any lies now," said the skipper, flushing, as he heard a
chuckle from the mate. "Go on, out with it. I'll give you just two
minutes."
"I forget it," persisted Ralph.
"Dustman?" suggested the mate, coming to his assistance. "Coster,
chimbley-sweep, mudlark, pickpocket, convict, washer-worn--"
"If you'll look after your dooty, George, instead o' interferin' in matters
that don't concern you," said the skipper in a choking voice, "I shall be
obliged. Now, then, you boy, what were you going to say I was like?"
"Like the mate," said Ralph slowly.

"Don't tell lies," said the skipper furiously; "you couldn't 'ave forgot
that word."
"I didn't