Part 1

Chapter 14,433 wordsPublic domain

_BY W. W. JACOBS_

SEA WHISPERS DEEP WATERS THE CASTAWAYS NIGHT WATCHES SHIP’S COMPANY SAILORS’ KNOTS SALTHAVEN SHORT CRUISES CAPTAINS ALL DIALSTONE LANE ODD CRAFT AT SUNWICH PORT

_CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS_

SEA WHISPERS

BY W. W. JACOBS

_ILLUSTRATED BY BERT THOMAS_

CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS NEW YORK : : : : : : 1927

Printed in the United States of America

TO THE MEMORY OF MY FRIEND JAMES B. PINKER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE BRAVO 1

II. TAKING PAINS 31

III. HIS BROTHER’S KEEPER 57

IV. TRUST MONEY 84

V. KITCHEN COMPANY 113

VI. THE MODEL 140

VII. ARTFUL CARDS 158

VIII. HANDSOME HARRY 186

IX. THE BLINDNESS OF CAPT. FERGUSON 213

X. WAPPING-ON-THAMES 232

XI. THE INTERRUPTION 242

XII. BED CASES 272

ILLUSTRATIONS

“‘I’m going to give Peter something else to laugh about,’ ses Ginger” _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

“‘I want to come inside,’ he ses, shoving ’is face close up to mine. ‘I believe you’ve got my gal there’” 11

“‘Stand up,’ says Alf, pullin’ ’im by the collar--stand up and take wot’s comin’ to you’” _Page_ 27

The marvellous case of Old Mr. Jackson 35

“Ho, Ho,” said the other. “All right--don’t worry--mum’s the word” 61

“And then Mr. Jackson took ’im a bit to one side and whispered to ’im” _Page_ 97

“‘You’ve killed ’im,’ ses Peter, staring. ‘Good job,’ ses Ginger, thinking of ’is pore leg. ‘Come on, let’s get Sam’s money back.’” 104

The Captain stayed to see Fair Play 137

“Beautiful,” said the artist joyfully--“beautiful” 143

“Where’s old Sam?” he ses. “Wot ’ave you done with him?” 175

“Sam came into the room looking very bright and pleased with ’imself” _Page_ 181

“If he’s only half as good looking as what you say he is we might fall in love with him” 192

“No you mustn’t,” said his wife, pushing his great form back into the chair 215

While master-mariners sat drinking in the bow-windows afore-said 233

The last time he looked at Hannah was the first time for months he had looked at her without loathing and hatred 270

“Outside,” ses the Landlord--“d’ye ’ear me?--_OUTSIDE_” 275

The Bravo

There was a chill air off the river, and the water looked cold and dark. Side-lights were already appearing, and the siren of a large steamer coming up indulged in grievous lamentations. A slight shiver altered for a moment the contour of the night-watchman’s jersey. He patted it tenderly.

“There’s worse things than loneliness, though,” he said after a long silence, “and a man as does his dooty can always find something to do.”

He got up from the bollard and, with a faint grunt, stooped and picked up his broom. A voice from the next wharf told him to take care not to overdo it.

“That’s the new man next door,” said the night-watchman. “He’s feeling lonely and ’e wants me to answer him back--and I shan’t.

“I used to feel like it myself at fust; not that I ever gave any lip to my olders and betters; but I used to feel I wanted somebody to talk to. One time I let a painter chap come and paint ’ere. He used to paint ships and things, and that lasted till one day he asked to be allowed to paint my portrait. It took ’im three evenings. He showed it to me when it was finished as if ’e was proud of it; and then ’e went straight off ’ome, packing up his things as ’e went and talking about sending for the police.

“Arter that I ’ad a dog for company. Bull-terrier he was, and somebody must ha’ paid a lot o’ money for ’im. I had ’im a couple o’ months, and then the landlord of the ‘Albion’ offered me a couple o’ quid for ’im, and while I was trying to raise him to two pun’ ten some low, dirty, sneaking thief got ’im for nothing. There’s people about ’ere as would steal your whiskers off your face if they wanted ’em. And if you went to the police about it the fust thing they would ask is where you got them from.

“I ’ad another dog arter that, but ’e wasn’t wot you might call a success. He bit three people in a fortnight, and then ’e bit me. The last I see of him, he was trying to swim across the river with a brick.

“A watchman is best all alone by ’imself. He can’t cheat ’imself at cards, and any drink he pays for isn’t money wasted. I ’ad a little lesson once about keeping myself to myself and it done me good. Though I didn’t see it at the time.

“It was just such an evening as this might be. I ’ad been hard at work tidying up, and was just thinking of getting my ladder and lighting up, when the wicket was pushed open sudden and a young feller ’opped in follered by a gal. They shut it arter them very gentle and then stood there talking in w’ispers and looking round at me.

“‘’Ullo!’ I ses. ‘Wot’s all this about?’

“‘_Hsh!_’ ses the gal. ‘_Hsh!_’

“‘Wot d’you want?’ I ses, very loud, a-purpose. ‘Who asked you to come on my wharf and _hsh_ me about?’

“Pretty little thing she was, about eighteen, with nice large blue eyes and brown ’air.

“‘We’re escaping,’ she ses, coming up and catching ’old of my arm.

“‘Wot ’ave you been doing?’ I ses, trying to speak severe.

“‘Nothing,’ she ses, shaking her ’ead.

“‘Wot’s _he_ been doing, then?’ I ses.

“‘Nothing that I’m ashamed of,’ ses the young feller. ‘I’m only walking out with my young lady, that’s all.’

“‘Well, you can’t walk out with ’er on my wharf,’ I ses, rather sharp. ‘Is ’er father arter ’er or wot?’

“He stood there looking at me like a silly fool. A rather smallish chap, dressed up to the nines, with a necktie like a rainbow in a fit. If he’d been a gal I should ’ave called ’im rather good-looking, but ’e was too pretty-pretty for a man. Twice he opened ’is mouth to speak, and only gave a silly smile instead.

“‘It ain’t ’er father,’ he ses at last, with a funny little laugh.

“‘It’s the young man I used to walk out with afore I was old enough to know my own mind,’ ses the gal, turning to me. ‘I never reely liked ’im. He’s always getting into fights; and now he says if ’e sees Charlie with me he’ll knock ’is ’ead off and make ’im swaller it. I saw ’im behind us just now, and if your gate ’adn’t been open I don’t know wot would ’ave happened.’

“‘But you ain’t afraid of ’im?’ I ses to the young man.

“‘I ain’t afraid of any man,’ he ses, very upright. ‘But I don’t want my ’ead knocked off. ’Ow would you like it yourself?’

“‘’Ow big is he?’ I ses.

“‘About my size,’ ses Charlie, considering.

“‘Well, you needn’t be afraid of a little shrimp like that,’ I ses. ‘Neither of you can’t hurt each other enough to signify. You get off my wharf and, if he starts on you, knock ’im down. Give ’im one in the bread-basket with your left, and when ’e bends over drive your right to ’is jaw.’

“‘And s’pose ’e don’t bend over?’ ses Charlie.

“‘He wouldn’t,’ ses the gal. ‘Not if I know ’im. If Charlie did manage to hit ’im in the--where you said, he’d ’arf kill ’im.’

“Charlie nodded and turned pale. He could turn pale all right, but even the things I said to ’im couldn’t make ’im blush. She turned red instead, and I caught one look from ’er blue eyes--when she didn’t think I was looking--that fair startled me.

“‘Well, I’ve give you good advice,’ I ses, ‘and if you don’t take it you must leave it. If I was walking out with a gal like that I’d fight a rigdiment of soldiers for ’er; one down and t’other come up.’

“She gave me a nice look then and I began to feel a bit sorry for ’er. Gals can’t ’elp their feelings, when all is said and done.

“‘I’ll just step outside and see if there is anybody ’anging about,’ I ses; ‘if not, off you go.’

“I walked to the gate, but couldn’t see anybody. Then I strolled round the corner, careless-like, with my ’ands in my pockets, and the fust thing I see was a young feller walking up and down and looking all ways at once, as the saying is. Nasty face he’d got; sharp eyes and a nose that wasn’t, and big ugly teeth.

“‘Lost anything?’ I ses as I passed.

“‘Go an’ boil your face,’ he ses.

“I didn’t answer ’im; I gave ’im a smile instead. Just the sort of smile kind old ladies turn round and give to little children when they pass ’em. Then I walked back slow to the wharf, and I ’ad just got one leg inside the gate when a stone came along and caught me on the other.

“Nasty smack it was, too, and if I could ha’ got hold of ’im I’d ha’ tore ’im limb from limb. I went round the corner to look for ’im, but o’ course he ’ad disappeared, and when I got back to the wharf Charlie and the gal ’ad disappeared too.

“I got my ladder and lit the lamps. It was dark by the time I ’ad finished and ’ad a pipe in the office. I went out on the wharf again, and arter a time I began to fancy things. I thought I ’eard little rustlings and whisperings. Twice I stopped and listened and then everything was as silent as the grave. Then I ’eard a little sneeze.

“They was sitting on a box--a little box--be’ind a pile of empties in the angle of the warehouse there, holding each other’s ’and. I spoke to ’em sharp at fust, but the gal was so sorry when she ’eard about my leg that I ’adn’t the ’art to say much. Quite upset she was, with ’er little hanky up to ’er mouth and making funny little sobbing noises.

“‘That’s a nice quiet little corner,’ ses Charlie, as I walked down to the gate with ’em. ‘It might ha’ been made for us.’

“‘Only it wasn’t,’ I ses.

“He leaned up against me, and at fust I thought ’e was trying to hold _my_ ’and. Then I felt something ’ard put into it. I s’pose I was a fool, but I remembered my own young days, and I stood there trying to think wot I could do for ’em.

“‘The corner won’t run away,’ I ses, ‘and so long as there’s no craft alongside, or at any rate none of the hands about, I don’t know why you shouldn’t go there for a breath of fresh air sometimes.’

“They both thanked me at once, and I could see wot a load it was off Charlie’s mind to think as ’ow ’e could go on courting in comfort and safety. The gal went off by ’erself, in case the other chap, Alf Stevens, should be ’anging about, and arter I ’ad allowed Charlie to stand me a pint in the ‘Bull’s Head,’ he went off too.

“I didn’t see anything of ’em for the next two days, but on the third evening there was a little tapping noise on the gate, and when I opened the wicket the gal put ’er little ’ead in and smiled at me.

“‘Can I come in?’ she ses.

“‘Yes,’ I ses; ‘there’s nothing up to-night. You can ’ave the wharf all to your two selves. Where is he?’

“‘He’s coming a roundabout way,’ she ses. ‘It’s safer.’

“I didn’t say nothing; arter all it was _’er_ young man, but I coughed. I couldn’t ’elp it. And when she patted me on the back it made me cough again. Nice little ’and she’d got, but ’arder than wot I expected. Especially the second time.

“I stood talking to ’er a little while arter she ’ad got into ’er corner. Besides the other things, I ’ad moved three or four empty barrels in front so as to make ’em quite private, and she couldn’t thank me enough for it. She said it was evident I knew my way about, and she wondered ’ow many ’arts I ’ad broke afore I settled down. I told ’er of one or two, and just as she was shaking her ’ead at me and asking me whether all men was like that, or only sailormen, the wharf bell rang.

“‘Oh, make ’aste,’ she ses; ‘it sounds as if ’e was in a ’urry.’

“I trotted off and unlocked the gate and Charlie a’most fell into my arms. Pale as a ghost ’e was and shaking all over. Then I put my ’ead outside and saw Alf Stevens.

“He pulled up short as ’e see me, and we stood looking at each other; me inside and ’im outside. Then ’e steps forward, as bold as brass, to come on to the wharf.

“‘Wot do you want?’ I ses, blocking the way.

“‘I want to come inside,’ he ses, shoving ’is face close up to mine. ‘I believe you’ve got my gal there.’

“‘You run off ’ome and play,’ I ses. ‘I’ve ’ad enough o’ little boys coming on to my wharf and stealing lumps o’ coke. Go off an’ ’ave a little game of ’opscotch all by yourself.’

“I slammed the wicket just in time, and, judging by the noise ’is fist made on it, I didn’t lose anything I wanted much. He must ’ave pretty near broke ’is knuckles, and the langwidge ’e used about it was shocking. When I called out and asked ’im whether he ’ad ever been to Sunday School, it got worse.

“‘You’ve done it now,’ ses Charlie, trembling.

“‘Cheer up!’ I ses. ‘You’ve got the gal and you can’t expect to ’ave everything. Even if he does set about you ’e can’t kill you, and if ’e does he’ll be ’ung for it. I’ll see as ’ow he don’t escape.’

“I might ’ave saved my breath; and the gal was a’most as upset as ’e was. Alf Stevens was still outside talking to ’imself, and when I called out to ask whether he’d like a cough-lozenge they both caught ’old of me and asked me not to make ’im worse.

“‘Think of poor Charlie,’ ses the gal.

“They was both of ’em in such a state I didn’t like to leave ’em, so I found a little box for myself and sat down to keep ’em company. I told ’em some of the things wot ’ad happened to me while I was at sea; ’ow I’d nearly been shipwrecked three times, and ’ow on one ship we was short-’anded cos ’arf the hands was below in their bunks through fighting me. Then I made ’em feel the place on my ’ead where I’d been hit with the leg of a chair, but nothing seemed to cheer ’em up, and arter wasting about an hour of my time I got up and left ’em.

“I done a bit o’ tidying up fust and then I went into the office and ’ad a look at the newspaper. By the time I’d done that it was getting late, and I was just getting up to see ’ow Charlie and Maud was getting on when I see them looking at me through the winder.

“‘It’s time we was going,’ ses Charlie.

“‘I’ll come and open the gate for yer,’ I ses, feeling in my pocket.

“‘And wot about Alf?’ ses Charlie.

“‘Well, wot about ’im?’ I ses.

“‘Has ’e gorn?’ he ses.

“‘Must ha’ done,’ I ses. ‘You’ll get Alf on the brain if you ain’t careful. Besides, if ’e ain’t, he couldn’t ’urt you much to-night. Think wot a smash he ’it that gate with ’is fist.’

“‘I don’t like to think of it,’ he ses, with a shiver; ’it might ’ave been me.’

“‘Well, I’ll go and see if the coast is clear,’ I ses at last.

“I crept on tiptoe to the gate and unlocked it without a sound. Then I began opening it very gentle, and I ’ad just got it open about six inches when Mister Alf rushed at it with ’is shoulder.

“He got ’arf-way in and then ’e stuck. I stood agin it like a rock, and then I began to shut it, very slow. Nine stone don’t stand much chance agin fifteen, and swearing didn’t ’elp ’im. He was ’arf in and ’arf out, and, after squeedging ’im for a little while I talked to ’im about manners, I put my ’and on his chin and flung ’im into the road.

“‘Now make a bolt for it,’ I ses to Charlie. ‘Quick! while you’re safe.’

“‘_Safe!_’ ses Charlie. ‘’Ark at ’im!’

“Alf was at it agin, and the thing wot ’e said ’e would do to me when ’e got ’old of me showed wot a nasty mind he’d got. I locked the gate up, and then I stood for a minute wondering wot was to be done.

“‘We can’t stay ’ere all night,’ ses Charlie, as we walked down the wharf.

“‘No, I’ll see to that,’ I ses.

“‘If we don’t go soon she’ll get it from ’er father, and if we do go I shall get it from Alf Stevens,’ he ses. ‘If you’d on’y pulled ’im inside while you ’ad the chance and ’eld ’im we could ha’ got away all right. You lost your presence o’ mind.’

“‘I’ll lose something else in a minute,’ I ses, as soon as I could speak. ‘If you ’ad the pluck of a mouse you’d go out and fight ’im now.’

“‘Oh, don’t Charlie,’ ses the gal.

“‘I won’t,’ he ses, ‘for your sake.’

“They walked up and down arter that with their arms round each other’s waists. It was all ’is arm was fit for. I walked up and down too, and while I was wondering ’ow to get rid of ’em I suddenly remembered that one o’ the lightermen ’ad left ’is skiff tied up in the dock. I peeped over to make sure he ’adn’t taken it away, and then I went to Charlie.

“He paid up the five bob I asked ’im for neglecting my dooty, without a murmur. I got into the boat fust, and the gal follered as if she’d been used to ladders all ’er life. Then I ’ad to go up again ’cos Charlie wanted somebody to ’old ’is ankles while ’e came down.

“‘Wot are you going to do about meeting ’er now?’ I ses, as I started pulling.

“‘I don’t know,’ he ses, ’arf crying.

“‘I’ve got an idea,’ I ses, arter thinking a bit, ‘but it ’ud cost you money if it comes off.’

“‘I don’t mind that,’ ses Charlie, sitting up as if the Bank of England belonged to ’im. ‘Wot is the idea?’

“‘Suppose Alf Stevens came round ’ere next Friday,’ I ses, very gentle, ‘and thought it was you, and it wasn’t.’

“Charlie didn’t answer at fust; then ’e asked me to say it all over agin.

“‘Suppose it was a young feller I know dressed up like you and sitting be’ind the empties in the dark, pretending to make love to Maud,’ I ses, ‘and Alf comes along and sets about ’im?’

“‘Who is ’e?’ ses Charlie staring.

“‘He’s a young feller wot’s very much fancied by them as knows,’ I ses. ‘I see ’im boxing at ’Oxton one night, and ’e was in a class all by ’imself. Wonderful, it was.’

“‘Do you think ’e could beat Alf?’ ses the gal, clasping her ’ands.

“‘Beat ’im?’ I ses. ‘I tell you this chap is a _boxer_. One of the best at ’is weight I’ve ever seen. Alf Stevens would ’ave about as much chance with ’im as a baby would with its nurse.’

“‘Sounds all right,’ ses Charlie, considering. ‘It’s time somebody learnt ’im not to interfere where ’e ain’t wanted.’

“‘You be round on Friday night at seven,’ I ses. ‘I think I can get ’im all right. P’r’aps you’d better come by boat, in case of accidents. Bring ten bob in your pocket for Sid Groom--that’s ’is name--and five for me for my trouble, and you’ll find it’s the best bargain you ever made in your life.’

“I put ’em ashore at the stairs, and then rowed myself back to the wharf. It was as quiet and peaceful as the grave; and though I crept up to the gate and listened, I couldn’t ’ear nothing of Alf Stevens.

“I went again in about an hour’s time and looked out. At fust I thought he ’ad gorn, then I see something like a ’ead peeping round the corner.

“‘Why don’t you go ’ome?’ I ses. ‘Charlie ses he’ll ’arf kill you if you ain’t gorn in five minutes.’

“I thought that ’ud wake ’im up--and it did. ’Ow he could think o’ such things was a puzzle to me. And ’e did’nt ’ave to stop to think, neither.

“I believe ’e must ha’ stayed there pretty near all night. I know ’e was there at two in the morning, ’cos of ’arf a brick as took a bit out o’ the gate instead of me, by mistake, but ’e wasn’t there when the ’ands come on at six o’clock.

“I didn’t see ’im on my way ’ome, though I was quite ready for ’im, and stopped at every corner. I ’ad something to eat and a few hours in bed, and then I went out to try and find Sid Groom.

“He was out, as usual, and if I went into one pub I went into seven or eight. A man with proper feelings can’t go into a pub without ’aving something for the good of the ’ouse, and by the time I found Sid there wasn’t much of Charlie’s five bob left. ’Arf an hour arterwards there wasn’t any; and some of it wasted on ginger-beer.

“Sid didn’t like the idea of it at fust, ’cos ’e didn’t like hitting a man wot wasn’t a pro, but arter I ’ad talked to ’im about the ten bob and Maud’s blue eyes ’e gave way. He was in training at the time for a fight with a Bermondsey boy, and ’e said ’e might just as well punch Alf Stevens for ’arf a quid as a punching-ball for nothing.

“‘Mind,’ I ses, ‘we want ’im to think it’s Charlie, and if you keep your back to the light and slip into ’im ’ard and quick, I don’t see why ’e should know the difference.’

“‘Wot’s Charlie like?’ he ses.

“I told ’im.

“‘’Ow about slipping into ’im instead of the other bloke?’ he ses, spitting on the floor.

“‘I don’t think he’d pay you ten bob for that,’ I ses, shaking my ’ead at ’im. ‘You’ll enjoy it all right once you start. And don’t forget to put on a bowler-’at and a collar. And don’t speak.’

“He said something under ’is breath wot sounded like a little bit of Alf Stevens, but I didn’t take no notice, and afore I left ’im ’e promised faithful to come round and give Alf the surprise of ’is life.

“I didn’t see Charlie that evening, but a dirty little boy came round with a letter from ’im and I sent word back telling ’im Friday would be all right. The only thing that worried me was that Alf Stevens mightn’t be there, but as I see ’im prowling about soon after the boy ’ad gorn, I ’adn’t got much fear.

“Sid was the fust to turn up on Friday night. In fact, I sent ’im on in front of me. Good-looking young feller ’e was, and in a bowler-’at and a clean collar ’e looked nicer than I ’ad ever seen ’im. I stood talking to ’im till the foreman ’ad gorn, and then we sat down on the jetty and waited for the others.

“They came along by boat just afore seven, and Charlie come up that ladder as if it was a mile ’igh, and asking me to give ’im a ’and when ’e got to the top. I interduced them in a ’urry--to stop Sid’s mouth--and then I went to the gate and looked out just to make sure Alf Stevens was there.

“He was. I lit the lamps soon arterwards, all but the one near where they was going to be, and then I sat down alongside Maud, and was just going to show Sid ’ow to sit with his ’ead on ’er shoulder when she got up.

“‘I know ’ow to do it,’ ses Sid, pushing me away. ‘Just put them barrels a bit closer.’

“‘Wot for?’ I ses.

“‘’Cos I can do it better when there’s nobody looking,’ ’e ses.

“‘Wot’s the good o’ doing it at all till Alf comes?’ ses Charlie fidgeting.

“Sid didn’t answer ’im. He ’elped move one or two of the barrels ’imself, and then we ’eard ’im tell Maud to come and sit down.

“We stood there waiting for two or three minutes, and then Charlie, arter fidgeting about agin for a bit, put his ’ead over and asked them ’ow they was getting on.

“‘You mind your own bisness,’ ses Sid.

“Charlie come back to me trembling all over. ‘You go and speak to ’im,’ he ses at last.

“I waited a little while, and then I ses, in a off-’and way: ‘Sid, I’m going to let Alf Stevens in now. Be ready.’

“‘You let ’im in when I tell you, and not afore,’ ses Sid, very sharp. ‘We ain’t ’arf done practising yet. I’m learning to be as much like Charlie to ’er as possible, so as Alf Stevens won’t know the difference. And it takes time.’

“I thought Charlie would ha’ fainted, and the things ’e said to me about my cleverness you wouldn’t believe. If he ’ad only been as good with ’is fist as ’is tongue he’d ’ave been all right. It might a’most ha’ been my missis talking to me.

“I ’eard Big Ben strike eight, and then I ’eard a little whistle from Sid.

“‘I think I know my piece now,’ he ses, when I went over. ‘Tell Charlie to ’ide ’imself, and then open the gate.’