That the sudden and violent disturbance alongside had, however, not passed unnoticed on deck was immediately apparent by the appearance of a human head over the rail by the fore-rigging, only to disappear instantly, however, and make its reappearance at the gangway. As it did so, a voice that I instantly recognised as Joe’s murmured, in low, cautious tones—
“Is that you, cap’n?”
“Yes, Joe,” I replied, with equal caution, as I paused with my eyes on a level with the rail. “How is it on board? Have the rascals drunk themselves stupid?”
“Ay! that’s just exactly what they have done,” answered Joe; “and I was just creepin’ quietly aft to cast Mr Forbes loose, by way of a start, when I heard the row alongside. How did it happen, sir? Did you slip and fall back’ards?”
“No,” I returned; “it was a shark that rose at me from under the ship’s bottom, and a narrow escape I have had of it; the brute struck me with his snout, as he sprang out of the water, and all but knocked me off the ladder.”
“A shark?” ejaculated Joe, in dismay. “My word, sir, you have had a narrer squeak, and no mistake! You stop where you are, sir, out of sight, for a minute, while I goes for’ard and just sees whether the rumpus have roused any of ’em. I’ll be back in a brace of shakes.”
So saying, Joe sauntered carelessly away forward again; loitered aimlessly about the foredeck for a few minutes; sauntered quietly aft again past the larboard gangway, and so round abaft the mainmast and capstan until he rejoined me again.
“All right, sir,” he whispered. “They ain’t all asleep; but every mother’s son of ’em is that helplessly drunk we can do anything we likes with ’em. Now, sir,” as I stepped in on deck, “if you likes to go to your cabin and shift into dry clothes, I’ll go and cut poor Mr Forbes adrift. I am afraid he ain’t none too comfortable, for it seemed to me as the beggars was passin’ the seizings pretty taut when they lashed him up to-night.”
“Is that so?” said I, indignantly. “Then we will go and cut him adrift before doing anything else, Joe. He may be enduring cruel torments all this time. Where is he?”
“Locked in his own berth, sir,” answered Joe. “And that reminds me, I don’t know who’s got the key.”