Sentence Deferred

by W. W. Jacobs

attempting to arrest him, they vied with each other in giving himelbow-room. He reached the harbor unmolested, and, lurking at aconvenient corner, made a careful survey. A couple of craft were workingout their coal, a small steamer was just casting loose, and a fishing-boat gliding slowly over the still water to its berth. His own schooner,which lay near the colliers, had apparently knocked off work pending hisarrival. For Sergeant Pilbeam he looked in vain.

  He waited a minute or two, and then, with a furtive glance right andleft, strolled in a careless fashion until he was abreast of one of thecolliers. Nobody took any notice of him, and, with his hands in hispockets, he gazed meditatively into the water and edged along towards hisown craft. His foot trembled as he placed it on the plank that formedthe gangway, but, resisting the temptation to look behind, he gained thedeck and walked forward.

  "Halloa! What do you want?" inquired a sea-man, coming out of thegalley.

  "All right, Bill," said the skipper, in a low voice. "Don't take anynotice of me."

  "Eh?" said the seaman, starting. "Good lor'! What ha' you----"

  "Shut up!" said the skipper, fiercely; and, walking to the forecastle,placed his hand on the scuttle and descended with studied slowness. Ashe reached the floor the perturbed face of Bill blocked the opening.

  "Had an accident, cap'n?" he inquired, respectfully.

  "No," snapped the skipper. "Come down here--quick! Don't stand up thereattracting attention. Do you want the whole town round you? Come down!"

  "I'm all right where I am," said Bill, backing hastily as the skipper,putting a foot on the ladder, thrust a black and furious face close tohis.

  "Clear out, then," hissed the skipper. "Go and send the mate to me.Don't hurry. And if anybody noticed me come aboard and should ask youwho I am, say I'm a pal of yours."

  The seaman, marvelling greatly, withdrew, and the skipper, throwinghimself on a locker, wiped a bit of grit out of his eye and sat down towait for the mate. He was so long in coming that he waxed impatient, andascending a step of the ladder again peeped on to the deck. The firstobject that met his gaze was the figure of the mate leaning against theside of the ship with a wary eye on the scuttle.

  "Come here," said the skipper.

  "Anything wrong?" inquired the mate, retreating a couple of paces indisorder.

  "Come--here!" repeated the skipper.

  The mate advanced slowly, and in response to an imperative command fromthe skipper slowly descended and stood regarding him nervously.

  "Yes; you may look," said the skipper, with sudden ferocity. "This isall your doing. Where are you going?"

  He caught the mate by the coat as he was making for the ladder, andhauled him back again.

  "You'll go when I've finished with you," he said, grimly. "Now, what doyou mean by it? Eh? What do you mean by it?"

  "That's all right," said the mate, in a soothing voice. "Don't getexcited."

  "Look at me!" said the skipper. "All through your interfering. How dareyou go making inquiries about me?"

  "Me?" said the mate, backing as far as possible. "Inquiries?"

  "What's it got to do with you if I stay out all night?" pursued theskipper.

  "Nothing," said the other, feebly.

  "What did you go to the police about me for, then?" demanded the skipper.

  "Me?" said the mate, in the shrill accents of astonishment. "Me?I didn't go to no police about you. Why should I?"

  "Do you mean to say you didn't report my absence last night to thepolice?" said the skipper, sternly.

  "Cert'nly not," said the mate, plucking up courage. "Why should I? Ifyou like to take a night off it's nothing to do with me. I 'ope I knowmy duty better. I don't know what you're talking about."

  "And the police haven't been watching the ship and inquiring for me?"asked the skipper.

  The mate shook his bewildered head. "Why should they?" he inquired.

  The skipper made no reply. He sat goggle-eyed, staring straight beforehim, trying in vain to realize the hardness of the heart that had beenresponsible for such a scurvy trick.

  "Besides, it ain't the fust time you've been out all night," remarked themate, aggressively.

  The skipper favored him with a glance the dignity of which was somewhatimpaired by his complexion, and in a slow and stately fashion ascended tothe deck. Then he caught his breath sharply and paled beneath thecoaldust as he saw Sergeant Pilbeam standing on the quay, opposite theship. By his side stood Miss Pilbeam, and both, with a far-away look intheir eyes, were smiling vaguely but contentedly at the horizon. Thesergeant appeared to be the first to see the skipper.

  "Ahoy, Darkie!" he cried.

  Captain Bligh, who was creeping slowly aft, halted, and, clenching hisfists, regarded him ferociously.

  "Give this to the skipper, will you, my lad?" said the sergeant, holdingup the jacket Bligh had left behind. "Good-looking young man with a veryfine moustache he is."

  "Give this to the skipper, will you, my lad?" said thesergeant.]

  "Was," said his daughter, in a mournful voice.

  "And a rather dark complexion," continued the sergeant, grinning madly."I was going to take him--for stealing my coal--but I thought better ofit. Thought of a better way. At least, my daughter did. So long;Darkie."

  He kissed the top of a fat middle finger, and, turning away, walked offwith Miss Pilbeam. The skipper stood watching them with his headswimming until, arrived at the corner, they stopped and the sergeant cameslowly back.

  "I was nearly forgetting," he said, slowly. "Tell your skipper that ifso be as he wants to apologize--for stealing my coal--I shall be at homeat tea at five o'clock."

  He jerked his thumb in the direction of Miss Pilbeam and winked with slowdeliberation. "She'll be there, too," he added. "Savvy?"