We saw nothing more of him for two or three days; at the end of which
time he paid us another call, telling Pat that Wilson was inexorable,
having refused to set him at liberty, unless to go aboard the ship.
This, the priest now besought him to do forthwith; and so escape the
punishment which, it seems, Wilson had been hinting at to his
intercessor. Pat, however, was staunch against entreaties; and, with
all the ardour of a sophomorean sailor, protested his intention to
hold out to the last. With none of the meekness of a good little boy
about him, the blunt youngster stormed away at such a rate that it
was hard to pacify him; and the priest said no more.
How it came to pass - whether from Murphy's speaking to the consul, or
otherwise, we could not tell - but the next day, Pat was sent for by
Wilson, and being escorted to the village by our good old keeper,
three days elapsed before he returned.
Bent upon reclaiming him, they had taken him on board the ship;
feasted him in the cabin; and, finding that of no avail, down they
thrust him into the hold, in double irons, and on bread and water.
All would not do; and so he was sent back to the Calabooza. Boy that
he was, they must have counted upon his being more susceptible to
discipline than the rest.
The interest felt in Pat's welfare, by his benevolent countryman, was
very serviceable to the rest of us; especially as we all turned
Catholics, and went to mass every morning, much to Captain Bob's
consternation. Upon finding it out, he threatened to keep us in the
stocks if we did not desist. He went no farther than this, though;
and so, every few days, we strolled down to the priest's residence,
and had a mouthful to eat, and something generous to drink. In
particular, Dr. Long Ghost and myself became huge favourites with
Pat's friend; and many a time he regaled us from a quaint-looking
travelling case for spirits, stowed away in one corner of his
dwelling. It held four square flasks, which, somehow or other, always
contained just enough to need emptying. In truth, the fine old
Irishman was a rosy fellow in canonicals. His countenance and his
soul were always in a glow. It may be ungenerous to reveal his
failings, but he often talked thick, and sometimes was perceptibly
eccentric in his gait.
I never drink French brandy but I pledge Father Murphy. His health
again! And many jolly proselytes may he make in Polynesia!
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
LITTLE JULIA SAILS WITHOUT US
TO MAKE good the hint thrown out by the consul upon the conclusion of
the Farce of the Affidavits, we were again brought before him within
the time specified.
It was the same thing over again: he got nothing out of us, and we
were remanded; our resolute behaviour annoying him prodigiously.
What we observed led us to form the idea that, on first learning the
state of affairs on board the Julia, Wilson must have addressed his
invalid friend, the captain, something in the following style:
"Guy, my poor fellow, don't worry yourself now about those rascally
sailors of yours. I'll dress them out for you - just leave it all to
me, and set your mind at rest."
But handcuffs and stocks, big looks, threats, dark hints, and
depositions, had all gone for nought.
Conscious that, as matters now stood, nothing serious could grow out
of what had happened; and never dreaming that our being sent home for
trial had ever been really thought of, we thoroughly understood
Wilson, and laughed at him accordingly.
Since leaving the Julia, we had caught no glimpse of the mate; but we
often heard of him.
It seemed that he remained on board, keeping house in the cabin for
himself and Viner; who, going to see him according to promise, was
induced to remain a guest. These two cronies now had fine times;
tapping the captain's quarter-casks, playing cards on the transom,
and giving balls of an evening to the ladies ashore. In short, they
cut up so many queer capers that the missionaries complained of them
to the consul; and Jermin received a sharp reprimand.
This so affected him that he still drank more freely than before; and
one afternoon, when mellow as a grape, he took umbrage at a canoe
full of natives, who, on being hailed from the deck to come aboard
and show their papers, got frightened, and paddled for the shore.
Lowering a boat instantly, he equipped Wymontoo and the Dane with a
cutlass apiece, and seizing another himself, off they started in
pursuit, the ship's ensign flying in the boat's stern. The alarmed
islanders, beaching their canoe, with loud cries fled through the
village, the mate after them, slashing his naked weapon to right and
left. A crowd soon collected; and the "Karhowree toonee," or crazy
stranger, was quickly taken before Wilson.
Now, it so chanced that, in a native house hard by, the consul and
Captain Guy were having a quiet game at cribbage by themselves, a
decanter on the table standing sentry. The obstreperous Jermin was
brought in; and finding the two thus pleasantly occupied, it had a
soothing effect upon him; and he insisted upon taking a hand at the
cards, and a drink of the brandy. As the consul was nearly as tipsy as
himself, and the captain dared not object for fear of giving offence,
at it they went - all three of them - and made a night of it; the
mate's delinquencies being summarily passed over, and his captors
sent away.
