The very name of fruit made my mouth water, and I thought I would give a great deal just to have one good suck at an orange. Great was my disappointment, therefore, when shortly afterwards Mark came in, and said that a strong north-easterly wind had sprung up, and that we were standing away from the islands, but that the captain, he believed, intended to put into Rio de Janeiro.
“I must wait patiently till we get there,” I said. “I hope it won’t take us long.”
“We have to pass through the horse latitudes, and to cross the line first, and Rio is some way to the south of that, so I’m afraid you must suck your fingers instead of oranges,” he answered.
I was now rapidly getting better, and I began to pine for fresh air and exercise.
“You’ll be wiser to stay where you are, Master Dick,” said Mark. “No one believes that you’re a gentleman’s son, and if they did I’m very sure it would make very little difference. I should, perhaps, benefit by your getting about, as you would have all the dirty work to do which now falls to my lot. It’s only surprising that the captain has allowed you to remain so long in the berth, for he knows that you’re aboard, though he takes no notice of you. Still I’d advise you, as long as you can, to stay where you are.”
I had not long the opportunity. Two days afterwards the third mate came into the berth with a short, knotted rope in his hand.
“Come, youngster, you have been long enough malingering here,” he exclaimed; “I find the cook has been serving out no end of good grub to you, and you’ve done nothing for it. We don’t want idlers aboard the ‘Emu;’ show a leg there pretty smartly.”
I attempted to rise. Tom had washed and dried my clothes. I got hold of my trousers, and slipt my legs into them. When I attempted to stand upright, my knees gave way and down I sank. At the same moment the mate’s colt descended on my back. I was taken so completely by surprise that I shrieked out with pain. I tried to lift myself up by the supports of the bunk, and succeeded in getting on my feet.
“I thought I’d cure you. Do you want another dose of this rope?”
“Oh! No, sir! No, sir! Don’t! I’ll dress as fast as I can,” I called out.