“It matters not,” she answered. “I will take no rest until I have finished it.”
“You will not, however, begin until I have talked with Jimmy? If I see reason to distrust him, we must think of another plan.”
“Promise him plenty of dollars if he is faithful,” said she, “and threaten him with death if he fails you.”
We continued for some time longer to talk over my scheme. I then walked to the stand of arms, and looked, with much irresolution in my mind, at the muskets and the cutlasses, and at several pistols hanging near. My instincts cautioned me to disturb nothing.
“No,” said I, wheeling round to the lady; “those weapons must remain as they are. The magazine is down there,” said I, pointing to a part of the deck that formed the ceiling of a small compartment just forward of the lazarette. “It is entered by that hatch, and, therefore, if the men require ammunition—and it is likely as not they’ll go ashore armed—they must pass through this cabin to get at the magazine. Nothing must be disturbed.”
At this point the lad arrived to prepare our supper. Miss Aurora walked to her berth. I sat upon a locker and watched the youth, as he went round the table furnishing it for the meal. I have elsewhere described him. Since the date to which that description belongs he appeared to have grown somewhat; he had broadened; his face had gathered from the dye of the weather something of the manly look of the sailor; but that was all. It was still a stupid, insipid, grinning face. He breathed hard, and put down the knives and forks and plates with the characteristic energy of a weak-minded youth who is always very much in earnest. He was more than usually in earnest now, because I watched him. I took the altitude of his head, and guessed him taller than I, who was a pretty big chap, too. I took a view of his hands. Methought they fell not far short of Yan Bol’s in magnitude. They were not fat, like the hands of Yan Bol; on the contrary, they were bony and rugged with muscle and veins. They were hands to hold on with—to hit hard with.
Presently, reflection in me became a torment; nay, without straining words, I may say that it rose into anguish. Should I put my life and the life of the girl into the hands of that youth, who was little more than an idiot? I waited until he had prepared the table for supper. I could then endure the agony of irresolution no longer, and I rose and walked to my berth, bidding him follow me. When he was entered I shut the door. He stared at me, slightly grinning, but his look had a little of wonder and fear in it.
“Jimmy,” said I, “you’re often in the forecastle, aren’t you? You follow the talk of the men, I guess. Where do you sling your hammock?”
“In the eyes, master.”
“You hear the men talk. Do you understand ’em?”