“Can’t help that,” said Mr. Dobell, still laughing; and stepping to the door he motioned to the men outside and eight stalwart sailors marched in.
“Boys,” said Jack, “I ain’t sayin’ you won’t git me, but I think it’s my duty to give you all the trouble I can, so I’ll just take this poker”—
Jack reached forward and was about to seize the poker, when Dicky, as active as a cat, whisked it out of the way. The next weapon at hand was a stool, but before Jack could get hold of it Mr. Dobell gave it a kick which sent it flying. The sailors closed in with a rush, but Jack, with his stout arms swinging around like a Dutch windmill, laid more than one of them low before he was overpowered. The struggle was short and sharp, and in a minute or two Jack’s arms were pinioned by a couple of grinning sailors, while two that he had floored were scrambling to their feet.
“Sir,” said Jack to Mr. Dobell, “I calls you to witness that I made a fight for my promise, and I axes you to give me your word in writin’ as how I was took by force.”
“I will,” answered Mr. Dobell, “and I think you have barked the shins and blacked the eyes of two of my men, so come along. You, boy, remain here until your mother comes to explain affairs to her.”
Jack was carried on board the Raleigh and in due course of time was offered his choice by Captain Thompson of enlisting or being put in irons.
“If you please, sir,” said Jack respectfully, “now as you’ve took me I’ve got to sarve, but I’d ruther not be on the ship’s books.”
“Of course,” answered Captain Thompson, “I would enlist you under another name.”
“’Tain’t that, sir,” said Jack. “I’m willin’ to sarve for my vittles and does, but I don’t want no pay and no prize money, because I want to let Cap’n Forrester know some day as I didn’t break my word and I didn’t make nothin’ out of bein’ took, and I ax you to make a note in writin’ and give it to me.”
This the captain agreed to do, and Jack, with his testimony from Mr. Dobell and that from the captain stored away in his ditty box, took his place among the ship’s crew with a goodwill and the happiest heart in the world. Captain Thompson, moreover, to ease Jack’s mind still further, gave orders that he was to be watched and on no account to be given liberty to go ashore, so that even had he wished to run away he would have found it impossible; and within a week the Raleigh had tripped her anchor and was off for a cruise along the southern coast. Never were there two happier human beings than Jack Bell and Dicky Stubbs. Dicky, it is true, occasionally felt down-hearted when he thought how lonely his mother must be, but he chose rather to think of the joy of meeting her again, and determined to try meanwhile and lead the life his mother would wish him to lead. Jack kept a sharp eye on him and if he showed any slight inclination to do what was not perfectly correct, or to shirk his work, Jack would bring him up with a round turn. So, what with a naturally good disposition and a wholesome restraint and discipline Dicky was both a good and a useful boy. His singing made him universally popular on board, and he was often sent for in the long evenings to sing to the officers in the ward room and even to the captain in the cabin. As for the fok’sle, Dicky could easily have got all of his work done in exchange for his singing, which was a great diversion, particularly when one of the petty officers taught him to scrape a little on the violin. But Jack Bell was always at hand to make him do his full share and more of all there was to do—in which Jack proved himself to be Dicky’s best friend. The story of the song about General Prescott had got abroad in the ship and Dicky was incessantly chaffed about it.