“Dr Cockle has seen him and says so,” I answered boldly.
“Tell him to come up, or I’ll send a couple of hands to bring him neck and crop,” thundered the captain.
I was as determined as before not to tell Esdale, knowing that he would come if sent for.
“Go below and bring up that lazy young rascal,” shouted the captain to Tom Ringold and another man standing near him.
I immediately dived below to persuade Tom to let Esdale remain in his bunk.
“It will be his death if he is exposed to this weather,” I said.
“I am not the fellow to kill a shipmate if I can help it,” answered Tom. “Tell him to stay and I’ll take the consequences.”
When Tom returned on deck, the captain enquired in a fierce voice why he had not carried out his orders.
“Because he is too ill to be moved, Captain Hawkins,” answered Tom, promptly.
The captain, uttering an oath, and taking a coil of rope in his hand, was just about to go below when Doctor Cockle came on deck, and guessing, from the few words he heard, what was the captain’s intention, came up to him and said—