The fact was, I had better acknowledge it at once so as to preserve the poor animal’s character, which was, and is, so far as I know up to the present, as spotless as his coat, never having had a slur cast upon it, save in this one respect, that ‘Gyp,’ as the master-at-arms said, in his funny way, “smelt a mice.”
Not only that, ‘Gyp’ smelt rats; and, what is more, he managed to nab one very cleverly as the rodent was leisurely hopping up the hatchway in the most free and easy manner from below, with a piece of cheese in its mouth which the beggar had appropriated from the steward’s pantry, or from the mess of some Johnny below!
This happened in the afternoon, just after inspection on the upper deck and when the divisions were dispersing to their respective drills, for I was going below with some of the other chaps at the time to man the pumps on the orlop deck, the second time I had been put to this job since I had come on board, and I can’t say I liked it!
Now, whether ‘Gyp’ carried the rat he had captured cosily to the captain’s quarters, or through some one taking the tale aft, I’m sure I can’t say; but, while the working party of us boys told off to clear the bilge were pumping away for dear life, and looking out for old Jellybelly, who was superintending our task, to sing out ‘spell ho!’ to give us breathing time, down comes a lot of the officers after their lunch, with the captain at the head of them, accompanied by Master ‘Gyp,’ who, somehow or other, didn’t need anybody to show him the way, though he hadn’t been below in the ship there to my knowledge before, his nose being as good as a compass, and pointing out where he thought his services might be required.
“I hear, Tarbolt,” said the captain, addressing old Jellybelly by his proper name, “you have rats aboard here?”
“Aye, aye, sir,” replied the quarter-master, drawing himself up sharp from the act of touching up with his cane one of the boys a little way from me, whom he fancied wasn’t putting sufficient elbow grease into his work. “I believe, sir, as how the ship reg’lerly swarms with ’em. They wore working away, sir, last night at some of the b’ys’ hammicks; and one of ’em yelled out that they was nibblin’ their toes!”
“Oh!” cried the captain, “we must put a stop to that. My dog here is a good ratter, and I think he’ll be able to polish off a few for you. Where do you think, Tarbolt, the brutes hang out?”
“Away forrard, sir, under some o’ that spare gear thet’s stowed there, sir; and likewise down in the bilge amongst the ballast and dunnage.”
“Very good; shove your lantern, Tarbolt, over here,” said the captain, edging forwards as he spoke, with ‘Gyp’ and the rest of the officers a-following him. “Boys, you can stand off for a bit from your pumping and come and see the fun.”
We didn’t need any further invitation, being only too glad to let go of the beastly crank-handles; not to speak of the interest we took in the anticipated enjoyable sport.