“Dey done nothing,” answered Potto. “Dey good, obedient seamen. What for de captain put dem in irons? I only try and find out, and tink and guess what dey want to do.”
“True,” I observed; “then all we can do is to watch till they commit some overt act, as the lawyers call it.”
“I don’t know what overt act is,” observed my friend; “but I know dat if dey stick de kriss into me, or de mate, or Massa Tarbox, dey no stop dere. When dey begin, I know what dese fellows are.”
“Then, what we must do, is to watch them narrowly,” I observed.
“Ay, ay, Massa Walter, I got my eyes about me; neber fear of dat. Dey tink me go to sleep. When cunning Lascar talk and plot, and say what he will do, Potto lies wid one eye just little open, peeping out of de bunk and awake, and snore all the time like de big animal you call ’nosorous in my country. Dey say, ‘Dat black cook is fast asleep—he no understand what we say.’—Now, good-night, Massa Walter; me go below and talk of de tree glass of grog I got, and den lie down, and go off to sleep and snore. Ha, ha, ha! Potto Jumbo no sleep when his friends in danger, and their enemies plotting.”
He said this in his usual low voice, and leaving me, dived below. By the next forenoon the sea had almost completely gone down. The reefs had been shaken out of the sails, and under our usual canvas we were making good speed across the ocean. Passing near the caboose, Potto Jumbo popped out his head.
“Tell de first mate to be on de watch. Dey going to do something—mischief—never fear dat; me know not what dough, dey so quiet; but dey intend to take away a boat, dat I heard dem say.”
Having thus delivered himself, Potto drew his head in within his den. As soon as I could return aft, I found an opportunity of telling Mr Thudicumb what Potto had said.
“Not much fear of their getting off,” observed the first mate. “It would be difficult for the serang and his men to lower a boat without being discovered. We must, however, keep a strict watch over him. He probably supposes that we are near some land which he hopes to reach. Still, whatever may be his intentions, we will be even with him.”
The sun had set in a glorious glow of red. The passengers were on deck enjoying the coolness of evening, though the shades of night quickly came down over the ocean. Suddenly there was a startling cry of “Fire, fire!” and a thin wreath of dark smoke was seen ascending up the fore-hatchway.