The Powder Monkey | Page 2

so come
along o' me and I'll get yer something to eat, anyhow. Here, hook on to
my fin."
The man's tone was so friendly, and he held out his hand in such a
kindly way, that the little fellow caught at it eagerly, and with the
darkness thickening fast, began to trot beside his new friend as he
strode off, but only to totter breathlessly at the end of a few minutes
and then stumble, ready to fall but for the strong arm which dragged
him up.
"Why, hillo!" cried the man. "What's this here?"
"I--I don't know," said the boy, feebly. "I'm so tired--and my feet
hurt--and--and--and I can't go any farther, please. Don't be cross with
me, sir; I can't help it--I'm obliged to cry."
His legs sank beneath him as he spoke and doubled so that he naturally
came down upon his knees, and raising the hand that was not held, to
join the other, the boy seemed in the gloom to be praying for mercy to
the big, rough man.
"Why, matey, I didn't know you were on your beam ends like this
here," he growled, softly. "Here, I'll help yer. Let me lift yer on to this
'ere bank. That's the way. Steady, now, while I turn round. Give's

t'other fin. There you are. Heave ho! and you're up and on my back.
Now, then, I'll tow you into port where I'm going, and you an' me'll
have a bit o' supper together, and after that--well, look at that now!"
As he spoke the sailor had got the boy up on his shoulders, pig-a-back
fashion, and began to tramp steadily along the road, not feeling the
light weight, and talking pleasantly to the little fellow all the while, till,
in his surprise, he uttered the last words in a low tone, and followed
them up by exclaiming:
"Tired out, poor bairn. I'm blessed if he ain't fast asleep!"
The sailor stood in the middle of the road thinking and talking aloud to
himself as if he were someone else.
"This here's a pretty set-out, Jack Jeens," he growled softly, so as not to
awaken his load. "Here you are, my lad, just finished your holiday,
spent half your arnings along with your friends, and give t'other half to
yer old mother to help her along till you come back from sea again--
bless her old heart! On'y I wish when she kisses yer and says,
`good-bye, and bless you, my dear boy!' she wouldn't cry quite all over
yer. But as I was a-saying, Jack, here you're going back quite comfy to
join the Sairy Ann schooner, lad, with nothing to do but join your ship,
when down upon you comes this here boy, tired and hungry, and crying
as bad as your old mother, my lad. You didn't want a boy, Jack, and
now you've got him you don't know what to do with him, nor who he is,
nor where he's going, nor where he comes from. Strikes me he don't
know himself. Take him aboard the Sairy Ann, my lad, and show him
to the skipper. `Now, then,' says you, `here's a boy.' `So I see,' says the
skipper. `Well, what's to be done with him?' says you, and he turns it
over in his mind, and 'fore you know where you are he's settled it all
and told you what to do and where to put him.
"That's the way to do it," said Jack Jeens, with a low, soft chuckle.
"Poor little bairn! The skipper has got a wife and little uns of his own,
and understands these sort o' things. Shouldn't wonder if he finds a new
father and mother for him."

Jack's messmates said nothing, for they never knew, though the rough
sailor began to carry out his plan, going onward with the boy fast
asleep upon his back, too much wearied out to heed where he was
going or to think of the troubles which had befallen one so young. For
his sleep grew deeper and deeper till the lights of Torquay came into
sight round about the port at the bottom of the hill; and he did not stir
when Jack, stopping short at the door of a shabby-looking little inn
upon the Strand--a place much frequented by seamen--and the boy did
not heed Jack Jeen's voice when he cried, "What cheer?" to the
landlady, and asked for a room and bed for the night with supper to be
ready directly.
The simple supper was soon placed upon the table of the mean-looking
room; but the boy could not eat.
"Tired out?" said the landlady, sourly.
"Ay, ay; that's it," said Jack. "Here, missus, I'll carry him up and put
him to bed."
And this the rough