The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY.

  A WARM BLUSH.

  Uncle Paul sat very quietly thinking for some time, while the otheroccupants of the cabin were waiting for him to deliver himself of whatseemed to be gathering in his brain. "You see, Captain Chubb," he saidat last, "human nature has always been prone to exaggerate. If a boylike my nephew here hooks a fish and loses it, he goes home and tellseverybody that it was about five times as big as it really was."

  "Oh, uncle!" cried Rodd indignantly. "I am sure I never did!"

  "Well, well, perhaps not," said Uncle Paul shortly. "Don't say `perhapsnot,' uncle. That isn't fair. You know I always try to tell thetruth."

  "Well, well; yes, yes, yes, yes," said Uncle Paul testily. "I am notaccusing you, Rodney. I am only alluding to what people who tellstories do."

  "Why, of course, uncle, they say what isn't true if they tell stories."

  "Will you oblige me, Rodney, by letting me continue what I was about tosay?"

  "I beg pardon, uncle."

  "Yes, Captain Chubb," continued Uncle Paul, "there is that naturaldisposition born with us, one which requires a great deal of educationto eliminate; that disposition to exaggerate in talking about things wehave seen and others have not."

  "Yes, sir, I know," grunted the skipper. "People will stretch."

  "Exactly," said Uncle Paul--"magnify wonders that they have seen."

  "Quite right, sir. I did just now about that sparm whale. I don'tbelieve after all that they get to a hundred foot."

  "Still," said the doctor, "we know what a spermaceti whale is; but thissupposed creature which has been reported of over and over again underthe name of the sea-serpent still lives only in the land of doubt--"

  "Oh, uncle!" cried Rodd.

  "Well, sir, I didn't see much doubt about that thing."

  "H'm! no," replied the doctor thoughtfully; "but still you must grantthat we did not have a fair examination, and that neither of us, even ifwe were clever with our pencils, could sketch an exact representation ofthe natural phenomenon."

  "Nat'ral, sir?" said the skipper gruffly. "Well, to my mind it is avery unnatural sort of thing."

  "I think I could sketch it, uncle, if I were clever with my pencil,which I am not, for I can seem to see it quite plainly now, as it raisedits neck out of the water when it swam by."

  "You think you could, my boy; but a great deal of it must have beenunder water, and your representation would be open to doubt."

  "Humph! What was it like, youngster?" said the skipper gruffly.

  "Just the same shape as a swan," said Rodd, with something like ashudder, "only enormously, big; but instead of having wings and feet itwas just as if it had four great paddles."

  "That's right," grunted the skipper; "just like what I see about tenyears ago in the Indian seas. I didn't see enough of this one to beable to tell."

  "Well," said the doctor gravely, "I for a long time have been of opinionthat the reports that reach us from time to time about the sea-serpentmust have some truth in them, though they have doubtless been greatlyexaggerated."

  "Don't hear of many reports now, sir," said Captain Chubb. "Wesea-going people have been laughed at too much."

  "Yes, I know," said the doctor, "and I have thought over these matters agreat deal, and fully believe that we have a great many things todiscover, both at sea and on land, quite as wonderful as the so-calledsea-serpent. There's plenty of room, and I see no reason to doubt thatthere are great fish--"

  "This warn't a fish," growled the skipper.

  "Reptiles, then," grunted Uncle Paul, "which as a rule dwell far down inthe depths of ocean, and which only occasionally seek, or are forced upto, the surface."

  "Forced up, uncle? What could force up a great thing like that?"

  "You ask that, Rodd? Why, what forces a fish up sometimes, to floatupside down on the surface?"

  "Oh yes, I know," replied Rodd; "something wrong with its swimmingbladder."

  "Exactly; and I should say such a creature as you saw would in itsnatural state be always living deep down in the ocean."

  "'Cept when he comes up to feed," growled Captain Chubb. "This 'ere onewas hard at work in that shoal of fish."

  "I don't see that that interferes with my argument, Captain Chubb," saidthe doctor; "but what I was going on to say was this. There was a timein the history of this earth, when just such creatures as my nephew heredescribed used to be plentiful."

  "How long ago?" asked the skipper.

  "Ah, that's more than any one of us can say; but I have seen theirremains turned to stone, laid bare in a stone quarry--that is to say,their skeletons, which show pretty well what must have been their shape;and if they existed once there is no reason why some of theirdescendants, though very rarely seen, may not still survive, though I amhalf afraid that my nephew here must have some half-forgotten lingeringmemories of one of these creatures that he has seen in some geologicalwork, and upon seeing that fish or reptile let his imagination run riotand finished it off by memory."

  Rodd shook his head.

  "I saw it plainly enough, uncle."

  And the skipper gave his head a sapient nod, while the doctor shook his.

  "What were you going to say, Captain Chubb?"

  "Only this 'ere, sir. I have 'eard more argufying and quarrelling aboutsea-sarpints than about almost anything else. I say sarpints, but Imean these things, and I say this. It will never be settled properlytill one of 'em is caught--which aren't likely--or one of them is castashore so as everybody can see fair and square. I believe in 'em, andI've good reason to."

  "So do I, uncle," cried Rodd.

  "Well," said Uncle Paul, "I have for a long time had my doubts, and nowI am no longer a sceptic."

  He looked very hard at the skipper as he spoke, and feeling that he wascalled upon to answer, the sturdy captain shook his head and brought hisbig hand down heavily upon the cabin table.

  "That you are not, sir," he said; "your head's too full of science andknowledge and larning to be what you say. I don't quite exactly knowwhat it means, but I'll answer for it you are not that; and now if youdon't mind I should like for us to go up on deck again and have a goodlook round. It's 'most as light as day, and if a thing like that isplaying around we are just as likely as not to sight it again. What doyou say, sir, to taking your glass and being on the look-out?"

  "By all means," said the doctor. "Get the glass, Rodd. Hullo! What'sthe matter with you?"

  "Oh, nothing, uncle," said the boy, hastily rising.

  "Why, you took hold of the table as if you felt dizzy."

  "No, no, uncle. I am all right."

  "Not afraid, are you?"

  "I--I was for a moment, uncle."

  "Good lad and true! Naught to be ashamed on, and spoke out like a man,"grunted the skipper.

  "But I tell you I am all right now," cried Rodd angrily, and he darted afierce look at the speaker.

  "Of course you are, youngster; but you felt a bit skeart again, and'nough to make you."

  "Yes," said Rodd sharply, "I did feel startled for a moment, but it'sall gone now. Come on, uncle; I have got the glass;" and the boy made adash for the cabin stairs.

  "I say," whispered the skipper, "that's better than brag, doctor."

  "Yes," said Uncle Paul, drawing a deep breath; "a great deal."

  They both then hastened up the stairs, to find Rodd half-way along thedeck, hurrying with the glass under his arm to join the men, who wereall gathered together at the bows, save their solitary messmate at thewheel.

  "Well, my lads, did you make it out again?" shouted the skipper.

  "No, sir," replied Joe Cross, who took upon himself the part ofspokesman. "Aren't seen a sign of it. We have been casting it up amongus that it got more than it liked in the shape of that bullet, and aftergoing down, it turned waxy-like and come up again to have something tosay to us, but turned worse and went down."

  "Humph!" grunted the skipper. "Then you think we hit
it?"

  "Yes, sir; and some of the lads have been saying that if they was youthey'd load the big gun well with a lot of grape-shot, and if the beggarcome up again be on the look-out and let him have it."

  "Some on us, Joe Cross; not all."

  "Nay, but you meant it, Ikey Gregg," said Joe.

  "Not me, messmate. I says it's dangerous to be safe to get meddlingwith things like that."

  "Ay, ay!" came from two or three of the other men, but only in ahalf-hearted way.

  But it was encouragement enough for slow, quiet, fat Isaac Gregg tocontinue--

  "You see, gentlemen, it's like this. That there long-necked sarpintthing has only got to make a rush and chuck itself out of the wateraboard us here, and break the schooner's back, and where should us bethen?"

  "I don't know," said the skipper shortly. "But what do you say,doctor?"

  "Well, for my part, speaking for the advancement of natural history,Captain Chubb, I should like to see that creature lying dead upon thesurface, and left floating long enough for you and your men to takemeasurements, while my nephew and I did the best we could with pen andpencil to describe what might very well be called one of the wonders ofthe world."

  "And what do you say, squire?" asked the skipper, speaking eagerly.

  "I say you'd better load the gun again, Captain Chubb," replied Rodd,speaking very hurriedly. "We might hit it if it came up, and then wecould try and do what my uncle says."

  "Right," growled the skipper. "Man the gun again, and you, Cross, comebelow with me and fetch a canister of grape-shot and a full businesscharge to load the piece. You lads who are not wanted for the gun, eachof you take a musket and an axe. It aren't likely that we shall come toclose quarters, but if we do--well, you know what."

  Every man on board joined in a hearty cheer, and in a very short timethe preparations were made, even the cook playing his part of keepingthe galley fire ready, while directly afterwards he edged up to whereJoe Cross was in conversation with Rodd.

  "Thought I would come the old-fashioned dodge as well, sir," he said.

  "Old-fashioned? What do you mean?"

  "For firing the gun, sir. I've left the poker in between the bars toget red-hot. Put that to your touch-hole. Beats slow match hollow;don't it, Joe?"

  "Ay, that it do, mate, if you have got the fire, and the poker's hot;but you have to come back to the slow match if neither one nor t'other'sready. Well, Mr Rodd, sir, it don't look as if any of us is going tohave the watch below to-night."

  "No, Joe, it doesn't. Do you think the monster will come up again?"

  "Can't say, sir, I'm sure, and to speak honest, there are times when Ihope it will and there are times when I hope it won't. Sea-sarpintsaren't much in my line. I have had a turn in a whaler, and though aright whale is a nasty kind of a bird to tackle when she is in herflurry, you know what you are about. There's the harpoon in her, andyou have got her at the end of your line, and you're waiting for herwith your lances ready to put her out of her misery. But even if youhave got a few shot in her, a sea-sarpint's different sort of cattlealtogether, and I didn't like the looks of this 'ere one at all. Shecame up quite vicious-like to look after us. You see her eye, Mr Rodd,sir? I did, sir, for a moment. There was a sort of leery look aboutit, and it seemed to me as if she had just picked you out and meant tohave you. All the lads here know I'm one as never brags, but if there'sa bit of fighting on I am always ready to stick to my mates, just as Iwould now."

  "Ay, ay, Joe! That's a true word," came in chorus.

  "Thank you, messmates," said Joe modestly. "Well, then, I'll speak out.Between you and me and the post, my lads, I hope this 'ere annymilewon't come up to give us a shot."

  There was a low murmur at this which sounded very much like assent.

  "It's narvous sort of work, you see. If the schooner had been fittedout as a sea-sarpinter with the right and proper sort of tackle, why,that's another thing. But then you see, she aren't been. We haven'tgot the proper sort of tools, and we aren't been drilled to use themeven if we had."

  "That's a true word, messmate," came in chorus.

  "And that's why I says I hope she won't look us up to-night; but if sheis following us up and keeping one of them great sarcer eyes upon ourkeel somewheres far away down below, I hope she'll leave it tillmorning. After sunrise we shall be able to see better, and have hadtime to get rid of a nasty unked sort of feeling which rather bothers mejust now, though I don't know how it is with you. There, Mr Rodd, sir,you faced the thing splendid. I see you, sir. You didn't turn roundand run away like Ikey Gregg. You stood fast there with your handsresting on the rail, staring the thing straight in the face. How youmanaged to do it I don't know. But do it you did, and I admired you,sir."

  It was moonlight, and the change in Rodd's face passed unobserved, butit was scarlet, and felt so hot that the boy involuntarily raised hishand to his cheek, while a feeling of annoyance pervaded him as helooked at Joe Cross suspiciously, in the belief that the man must bebantering him; but as far as the boy could make out, Joe Cross's frankcountenance was quite innocent of guile and he was speaking exactly ashe felt.

  But Rodd was not at rest, and in the calm still watch that followed,with every one on the look-out and ready to imagine that eachphosphorescent flash in the sea meant the moving upwards of the uncannyenemy, Rodd waited till all was still and restful and they seemed likelyto be undisturbed, to make his way to Joe Cross's side and get himalone.