Chapter 6

The Skipper looked quite two years older in the face, as he trudged along through the wood as fast as he could walk, thinking of what he was about to do, for it never once came into his young mind, that he was going to add to the pain his mother was already feeling; and with his mind quite made up, he went straight to the station, to find the boy clerk behind, waggling the handle of the telegraph.

"When's the next train?" asked the Skipper.

"Where to?"

"Portsmouth," said the Skipper.

"Town or Harbour?"

"Where my father's ship is," said the Skipper.

"That's Harbour," said the boy clerk, grinning in recognition. "Going after the Captain?"

The Skipper nodded.

"What class?"

"First," said the Skipper, at a venture.

"Two and four, single," said the clerk, picking out a ticket from the rack, and stamping it, by sticking it in a noisy nick, before the would-be traveller could speak. When he could, it was with a bright shilling, given him at his father's last visit, a threepenny-piece, and twopence halfpenny, in his hand.

"Two and four," said the clerk again.

"I--I haven't enough."

"Well, we don't give credit here," said the clerk, laughing.

"If you please, I'll pay the rest when I come back."

"Hum!" said the clerk, "when are you coming back?"

"To-night."

"Then you want a return?"

"Yes," said the Skipper, nodding.

"Well, I oughtn't to give you credit. What are you going to Portsmouth for?"

The boy choked for a moment, and felt annoyed at the question.

"To say good-bye to my Papa before he goes. I must go directly, or he will be gone."

"But a return's ever so much more, squire."

"I'll be sure and pay you when I come back."

The clerk hesitated, but he knew that the young traveller lived at The Pool House, and that his father had gone by the mid-day train, so he said good-humouredly: "Look here; you'd better have a third return; that's two shillings, and you can pay me one, and give me the other to-morrow."

"Yes, please," cried the Skipper eagerly.

"Here she comes too," said the clerk, and he took the first-class ticket, juggled another in the stamping-machine, and dabbed it down through the pigeon-hole.

"Oh, thank you," cried the Skipper, snatching it up, and rushing towards the door.

"Hi! you haven't paid," shouted the clerk, and the boy ran back, with his face scarlet, to place his bright shilling on the little bracket.

"That's your sort," said the clerk; "don't you forget you owe me another." But the Skipper did not hear him, being half-way to the door, and then, ran panting out on to the platform, just as the train glided in.

The porter knew him, clipped his ticket, and he, being the only passenger from the little station, opened the carriage door, gave it a third-class bang, which, as everyone knows, is three times as loud as a first-class bang, and the next minute, with Bob's heart beating hard like the throbbing of the engine, the eventful journey began.

There was only one other passenger in his compartment, and he was asleep, but his presence was quite comforting to Bob, for he was a sailor, who had placed his canvas bag in a corner for a pillow, and was snoring loudly, with his mouth open, and his hat had fallen on the floor.

The Skipper sat watching the man for a few minutes, as the train rattled along, and then, got softly down, picked up the hat, and placed it on the seat in front of the man, noticing as he did so, that it bore on the riband "H.M.S. Taurus."

This was comforting too, and the boy felt as if he had met a friend; but the man slept on till the train slackened speed, and then pulled up with a jerk, while Bob was looking out, to read the name of the station.

Then he started round, for from the far corner the sailor shouted fiercely: "This Portsmouth?"

"No, sir, it's Pately," said the Skipper, in alarm.

"Ho!" grunted the man. "Mustn't miss my station," and he was settling himself down to sleep again, when, as he glanced at his fellow-traveller, he caught sight of the Skipper's rig-out.

"What cheer, messm't!" he cried boisterously. "Whither bound?" and his features expanded into a broad grin.

"Portsmouth," said the Skipper.

"Right you are, messm't. So'm I. What ship? 'Flash,' eh! My stars! You aren't a middy, are yer?"

"Not yet," said the boy; "but I'm going to be some day."

"Right you are," cried the man again; and Bob felt as if he should like to tell the man he ought to say, "You are right;" but the man went on, still looking him over from head to foot: "Then you aren't going to jyne the 'Flash'? she's a-lying out yonder."

"No," said the Skipper, "I am only going to see my father. He's the Captain."

To Bob's astonishment the man jumped up, pulled his forelock, and kicked out his right leg behind.

"Why didn't you say you was a orficer afore?" he cried. "Going to see your father, eh! Well, now, that is rum. I've just been to see my old mother at Ringwood, and going back to my ship--_Old Bull_."

"The what?" said Bob, who felt puzzled.

"_Old Bull_," said the man, picking up his cap and pointing to the letters on the riband; "_Tore--hus_ means 'old bull,' you know."

"Oh, yes; I know now."

"That's your sort. How yer going to get aboard--boat waitin' for you?"

"Oh, no!" said Bob, looking at the man wistfully.

"Then you'll have to take one, and they're reg'lar sharks."

"Are they, sir?"

"Ay! that they are, my lad; they'll want a shilling to row you aboard, or perhaps as you're a orficer, like, they'll want two shillings."

Bob's heart sank.

"But thruppence is plenty, speshly as you ain't got no kit."

Bob's spirits rose again, and the man began to whistle a very doleful tune, but left off in a minute or two.

"Like holidays?" he said suddenly.

"Yes, very much."

"I don't," said the sailor, "goes home to see my old mother, and she don't want me to come away again. Says she shan't never see me no more if I go, but she allus does. This makes ten times in ten years I've been, since I went to sea. Awful old."

"Is she?" said the Skipper.

"Awful. Eighty-seven, and looks ninety. You'd like her."

"Yes, I suppose so," said the Skipper.

"Nicest old woman as ever was:--I say," he added, as if struck by a sudden thought, "how much money have you got?"

The Skipper told him, and the man laughed.

"More'n I have. Spent some, give the old ooman the rest. On'y got thruppence left. Look here: you and me's shipmets,--travellers. S'pose we jyne?"

"A ship?" faltered Bob.

"No! jyne in a boat. I'll work it: I'm bigger than you. We'll go down to the stairs together. 'Boat ahoy!' says I, and half a dozen'll want to take us, but I picks one and he'll want ever so much; but I says: 'Thruppence a-piece to our ships,' and tells him we won't pay no more. He'll be glad enough to go. Only a little way. Then I sets you aboard the 'Flash'; you gives me your thruppence, and I makes him take me to the _Old Bull_, and pays him then."

"Yes, that will be capital," said the Skipper.

"Right you are. Sailors allus helps a messmet. I helps you and you helps me, eh!"

"Yes, of course," said Bob.

"Well, I'm going to have a caulk till we gets to Portsmouth. Will you take the watch?"

"The watch?"

"Ay! you won't go to sleep?"

"Oh, no!" said the Skipper; "I couldn't now."

"I could," said the man, grinning; "look-ye here."

He snuggled up in his corner, laid his head on his canvas bag, shut his eyes, and the next minute he snored his hat off, ready for his fellow-traveller to pick it up again, lay it on the seat, and then look out of the window as the train dawdled along, stopping at every station, a long time at a junction.

It was rapidly growing dark when they reached the harbour, the sailor sound asleep; and the Skipper had to shake him and shout in his ear:--

"Portsmouth!"