Roughriders of the Pampas: A Tale of Ranch Life in South America

by F. S. Brereton

"Hold me! Not a bit of it, Dudley!" came the swift answer. "Hush! I'm hurt I know, but a man recovers sooner if he shows pluck about a thing of this sort. Lad, if I had a hand to grip yours!"

There was a depth of feeling now in the voice, feeling which he would not show before. Mr. Blunt looked at his young deliverer with eyes which displayed his gratitude plainly. Then his features hardened, and Dudley saw the lines of pain again. At that moment the boat, which had been hastily lowered, came round the stern of the vessel, and the five who were in the water were lifted into her and conveyed to the gangway, which had now been dropped from the rail. They were greeted with shouts of delight, and Mr. Blunt was hurried off a second later by the captain to have his wounds attended to. For no surgeon was carried, and almost every skipper of ocean-going vessels in those days had picked up a smattering of surgical and medical knowledge from the seaman's hospital at Greenwich or in other ports. As for Dudley, he was seized upon by the passengers, hoisted to the shoulders of the stout and enthusiastic little man who had seemed on the point of following him into the water, and with the help of two others he was conveyed down to the saloon.

"There is no fear of his getting a chill out in these waters," cried the little man, blowing with his exertions. "Gentlemen——Pardon, ladies and gentlemen, for I see that there are two ladies with us, we cannot let Mr. Compton go to his cabin without a word of commendation for his pluck. He is just fresh from the most gallant rescue that I have ever witnessed, and there is no time therefore like the present. I speak for all here, my dear lad, for the passengers and crew of this vessel. We are proud to have you amongst us, and we thank you for letting us see what a young Englishman can do. It was fine, sir! Grand! I wish the lad were my son."

He beamed on Dudley, shook his wet hand till our hero winced, and then pushed him into the midst of the other passengers. It was, in consequence, a very bewildered young fellow who escaped from their friendly and enthusiastic attentions at length, and made his way into his cabin. Nor did congratulations cease for many an hour, for on that very afternoon a select committee of passengers went ashore and returned in the evening with a bulky package. That night, after supper had been served, for that was the custom in the days of which we write, the captain rose from his seat at the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said quietly, "it has fallen to my lot to perform a pleasant duty for one and all of us. This morning a member of this ship's company, who, if he will excuse my saying so, is little more than a boy, behaved like a man, a very gallant man, let me add. He showed us in one fearful moment how self can be forgotten in the hope of helping others. That he may never forget this noble act, that we may show him what we think of his courage, we ask him to accept this memento. He needs nothing to stimulate his courage, but at times these useful little implements may remind him that he has behaved like a man, and can look the bravest in the face without flinching."

Short and crisp, and happily turned, the speech drew loud cheers from the assembled passengers, from the stewards, and from the sailors crowding in the doorway, while from Dudley there came a gasp of surprise, and two tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. The lad had met with very little kindness during his young life; his had been a somewhat lonely existence, and such notice was strange to him. He walked with unsteady feet to the captain, and looked at the memento with eyes which were blurred. In a splendid leather case, housed in suitable compartments, were a double-barrelled shot-gun, a rifle of fine workmanship, and a revolver of the latest pattern. No wonder his heart swelled with gratitude. He turned to express his thanks, strove manfully to steady his lips, and, failing hopelessly, stared round at the assembled people. A second later his friend came to the rescue. Mr. Blunt sprang to his feet, cool as ever, his face just a little paler perhaps, and his arm in a sling.

"Permit me, captain, and you, ladies and gentlemen, to answer for my young friend and deliverer," he said. "No one here should appreciate the truth of the words which our captain has used more than I, and all must know how deeply grateful I am. Mr. Compton saved my life. He rescued me from a horrible death, and in doing so performed a gallant act. You have presented him with a handsome memento, which I know he will always treasure, and for which he is deeply grateful. I know that he would tell you that he has done nothing, that Mr. Carter there was about to attempt the same thing; but we know—in his own heart he knows—that he has done well. Yet this memento seems in his eyes too fine a thing. He does not realize that you who looked on cannot recognize such gallantry too handsomely, nor that I, if I were to present him with a memento of a thousand times its value should still be his debtor for life. Ladies and gentlemen, our young friend has started his new life well; he has won your unstinted praise, and to the end of his life he will remember this day. He thanks you for your overwhelming kindness."

There were more cheers at that, while the stout little man who had been so unexpectedly referred to flushed to the top of his bald head and shook his fist at Mr. Blunt. Dudley, still covered with confusion, took up his guncase and rushed to the privacy of his cabin, where he threw himself on his bunk and buried his face in his hands. He was shaken. He felt more confused and unnerved by far than he had done immediately after the rescue.

"If only they would forget all about it," he groaned. "If only Mr. Carter had been first, then there would have been no need for me."

"While I should not have lived to thank you," said a voice at his elbow. "Come, Dudley, let us look at the guns. My word, you are well set up for the new life! You will have to hide this case, or the gauchos will think you are a desperate fellow and will leave you very severely alone. And, by the way, I have something to say to you. You hoped to meet a Mr. Bradshaw?"