Ratlins raised himself on his elbow and swore a bitter oath.
“How did you know that was the very thing I was dreaming of? But what’s the use? A sailor is only made to be kicked like a dog, anyhow, and if one mate kicks harder than another, why that’s all it is, and we’re homeward-bound, you know.”
“Homeward-bound,” muttered Jake; “he’s homeward-bound if I get hold of him, for I’ve got murder in my heart, and it’s his own lookout, for he put it there! I’ve got a mother at home that’s done praying enough for me to bring a worse ship into port, but she may as well give it up about this time. I tell you, Penfield is going overboard before his second dog-watch is over, unless I can get three or four of you to lend me a hand and help me settle him in some way that he’ll know more about, and wont leave a mark on me that she’d feel quite so much aground about, if she knew it. What do you say? Ned and Jim are pretty much agreed.”
“Oh, luff a little, shipmate,” said Ratlins, “and let a fellow sleep on it, anyhow. I’ll stand by you somehow, for he deserves it; but I reckon you’ll ease off a little by morning, if you don’t lay to altogether.”
“Not I,” said Jake; “but give me your hand on doing something.”
Ratlins gave him his hand, and Jake went to his bunk to nurse his revenge and lay plans for what should be done in case the men would agree to unite.
“But if they don’t,” he muttered, “’t wont save the mate. When a worm does turn, it’s sure to sting, and he’ll never go through another midnight-watch safe with me!”
The breeze died down again, and the watch was a lazy one, and Carter’s thoughts, after making voyages round the world, came back to Jake again.
“Now I suppose a fellow like that is my neighbor,” he said, “let sailors be what they will. God put a soul in him once, anyhow, and I can’t believe it’s altogether dead yet. Of course it isn’t, or he wouldn’t care for Penfield until it came to breaking his head with a marlingspike, or something of that kind. I’ve got a fellow in my watch that couldn’t feel anything less than that, but it isn’t so with Jake. I wonder if I could manage to give him a lift. Who knows but there’s somebody watching for him at home, that doesn’t want to see him spoiled? At any rate, there’s One watching above, that laid down his life for him as well as the rest of us, and it’s a pity to see a fellow so tormented, if nothing worse should come of it.”
Penfield’s dog-watch came, the men did their duty, and then went forward for breakfast. Jake’s face had lost none of its darkness with the sunrising, but was harder and more threatening than ever.