CHAPTER X.
AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER.
About a week after this Dicky was told by his friend Jenkins, the boatswain’s mate, that he would be needed that night to pilot the way to his mother’s cottage. Dicky grinned with delight and could hardly wait until night came. At last, after the longest day he ever spent, eight o’clock arrived. Jenkins called him and, in company with eight sailors and Mr. Dobell, they dropped into one of the ship’s boats alongside; and, pulling with a steady man-’o-war’s stroke, soon reached a lonely spot on the shore near the Widow Stubbs’ cottage and silently took their march up the rocky path, Dicky leading to show them the way.
Arrived at the cottage they peered through the window and saw Jack Bell sitting alone and dismally before the fire, smoking as usual. The Widow Stubbs was nowhere to be seen. Mr. Dobell, noticing Jack’s brawny figure and hale and hearty countenance, was more than ever in favor of having him among the Raleigh’s crew. He directed Dicky to knock at the door, and Jack opened it, whereupon Mr. Dobell and Dicky walked in, leaving the eight sailors to watch outside.
Jack Bell recognized Dicky at once by the light of the spluttering pine logs, and after a moment of hesitation rose and saluted Mr. Dobell.
The officer returned the salute and then said in a jovial voice:—
“Do you want to know what we came for? Well, I’ll tell you. We know that you are a first-class sailor and a good man, and we want just such brave fellows on the Raleigh; and, as I hear you promised Captain Forrester not to enlist in the American navy, we concluded we’d get you by other means. So come along quietly with me, or I’ll call in eight men I have outside and take you.”
For a minute Jack Bell’s face was a study. He saw the whole scheme, and the struggle between his delight and his sense of duty to his promise was plain. After a moment he spoke, saluting again as he did so.
“Sir,” said he, “I’m a uneddicated man, and maybe that’s why it is I don’t always know what my duty is—but I want to do it if I can find it out. Now, I don’t go for to say as I don’t want to be took—God knows I do—but I hadn’t oughter give in without a fight—and if you’ll jist let me square off and make a fight agin them eight chaps ’twould make me easy in my mind.”
“You won’t stand much of a show, my man,” replied Mr. Dobell, laughing at Jack’s simplicity but respecting it, “so you might as well give in.”
“One moment, sir,” asked Jack. “I don’t like to have no fightin’ in a respectable widder woman’s house like this ’ere”—