A minute later he reappeared with the “kid” wrapped in a bunk blanket and clasped in one huge arm.
Plump, brown as a berry, auburn-haired and laughing, it was a very different child from the child that had come aboard yesterday.
“It pulled me beard,” said Bowers. “It’s as strong as Ham, b’gosh.—There, out you get and play in the sun, where you used to.”
He turned the naked child out of the blanket on to the deck. “Called me Dick as I was comin’ up with him,” said Bowers, now on his knees beside it, tickling it and rolling it over with his huge hand. “Called me Dick, did you—where’s your pants? Eh? Where’s your pants, you little devil, sold them, did you?—Hand’s a belaying pin, sir, till I knock the brains out of him.”
Stanistreet handed the pin.
“Now,” said Bowers, putting it in the two hands of the child, “bang the deck and be happy.”
He had no need to give directions.
“Well, sir, what do you think of that?” said the sailor, rising to his feet. “Looked like dying of wantin’ to go to sleep yesterday afternoon, and hark at it now!”
“It’s a fine kid,” said Stanistreet, contemplating it. “I’d make it to be getting on for two years, but I’m no judge of children. But I’ll tell you what, Bowers; it’s my opinion it wasn’t so much asleep when we got it aboard as doped. Did you see that sprig of a tree lying in the dinghy? Well, I’ll bet my hat that was arita. I’ve seen the stuff growing in some of the islands and it’s more poisonous than oap; a couple of berries will do for any man. I believe those two ate some of the berries, not knowing what they were, maybe, and maybe the child took the poison through the mother’s milk. I’m dead sure that’s how the thing went, for them two showed no signs of dying of starvation or thirst and they’d come a long way.”
“Maybe,” said Bowers, his eyes on the child. “Now then, now then, where are you rollin’ that pin to?—Come out of it or you’ll be tumblin’ down the hatch—God’s truth, I’ll have to hobble you before I’ve done with you.”