Such was the apartment to which our adventurers found themselves welcomed; but if the truth must be told, their eyes—notwithstanding their recent meal on board the launch—were chiefly attracted to the cabin table whereon was spread—on a not over clean table-cloth—an abundant display of plate and a substantial yet appetising meal to which their host urged them to do full justice, himself setting a good example.
For a short time, and while host and guests were taking the keen edge off their appetites, very little was said. At length, however, Captain Johnson looked up, and addressing Captain Staunton, said—
“Waal, stranger, as I said before, I’m real glad to see you all; yours are the first friendly faces I’ve looked upon for many a long day; but I guess I’m considerable troubled what to do with you all. You see our accommodation is sorter limited. There’s plenty of room for your men in the fo’ks’le; but here’s no less than ten of you, reckonin’ the piccaninny—bless her dear purty little face! I wish she’d give me a kiss. Four years ago I left just such another on the wharf at New York, kissin’ her hand to me and wavin’ me good-bye as we cast off our moorin’s, and I guess I’ll never see her sweet face ag’in.”
At her mother’s suggestion, little May slid down off the locker on which she was perched, and, somewhat reluctantly, went to the man’s chair and held up her little mouth for a kiss.
Johnson at once bent down, and taking her on his knee, gazed long and eagerly into the bright young face uplifted to his own in childish curiosity. Then he kissed her eagerly three or four times, stroked her curly head tenderly with his great brown hand, and finally burst out—
“See here, my purty little dearie—If e’er a one of them great rough men on deck there says a bad word to you, or dares to as much as look unkind at you, you tell me, and curse me if—I beg your pardon, strangers, I guess I didn’t know just then what I was talking about. Run along, little ’un, and get your breakfast.”
The child at once slid down from his knee, and with some little haste returned to her former place by her mother’s side, Johnson’s gaze following her abstractedly.
“You were speaking about the inconvenience to which our appearance seems likely to put you,” at length suggested Captain Staunton.
“I guess not, stranger,” he retorted, pulling himself together as it were with a jerk. “I was simply p’inting out that our accommodation for passengers is kinder limited; and I’m puzzled to know where I can stow you all away. The inconvenience ’ll be yourn, stranger, not mine. There’s reasons, you see, why I should keep possession of my own cabin; and there’s reasons, too, why the mate should keep possession of his’n. I reckon the best plan ’ll be to clear away a place for you down in the after-hold, where you must try and make yourselves as comfortable as you can for the few days you’ll be on board. And as for you ladies, I’d sorter advise you to stay below all you can. If you must go on deck at all let it be at night-time, when there ain’t so much chance of your bein’ seen.”
“Where are you bound, captain?” inquired the skipper.