Chapter 18
"Will it?" groaned Jack. "I was afraid to come down for fear they should see and laugh at me. Oh, how bad I am! Why did we come?"
"I dunno, sir. It was the guv'nor's doing. But you try and keep up."
"It is impossible. You don't know how bad I feel."
"No, sir, but I know how bad I feel."
"You!" said Jack dismally. "Surely you are not going to be ill?"
"Why not, sir? I feel just as if my works had gone all wrong, but I haven't got time to be ill. Come on deck, sir."
"No. Help me to my berth."
"Right, sir," said the man; and waiting till the vessel seemed steadier, he took tightly hold of his young master's arm, helped him to his legs, and tried to guide him across the cabin to his little state-room; but at the first step Jack made a dive, and they went down together.
"Please, sir, this ain't swimming lessons."
"Let me crawl," groaned Jack.
"No, sir, don't do that. Here, give me your hand again. Up you gets.
That's the way. This time does it. Told you so. Here we are."
"Don't, please don't talk to me," said Jack in a low voice. "Help me into the berth.--Yes, thank you. Now go away and leave me."
"Won't roll out, will you, sir?"
"Don't--don't talk to me. Please go."
"Poor chap!" muttered Edward. "I do wish he'd got just a little bit o'
pluck in him. But it do make you feel a bit queer. S'pose I go and shake it off on deck."
He went up, saw that the gentlemen were right aft, and he walked forward to where the crew were busy here and there, and nodded first to one and then another in the most friendly way, as if he had known them all his life. Then he thrust his hands in his pockets, trying to look perfectly unconcerned, and balanced himself so as to try and give and take
But it was no good; he fought against the inevitable as long as he could, and finally staggered to the cabin hatch and descended to where Jack was lying. "Here's a go, sir," he cried. "I thought it only wanted a bit of pluck, and it would be all right."
"Oh, go away," groaned Jack. "Don't bother me. I'm dying."
"I'm worse than that, sir," said the man piteously. "What's to be done, sir?"
"Oh, go to your hammock or berth. I can't bear to be bothered now."
"But it will be dinner-time soon, sir, and I shall have to help wait at table. I couldn't carry the soup or fish, sir. I couldn't carry myself. What will the guv'nor say?"
"Ned, will you please to go!" said Jack with a groan.
"Certainly, sir; directly, sir; but I can't move."
"Nonsense!"
"Yes, sir, that's what I thought about you, and that you'd only got to make a try; but it isn't to be done."
"Go away," groaned Jack.
"Wish I could, sir. I oughtn't to have come. It's all through being so jolly c.o.c.k-sure that I could do anything, and I can't. Wish I was at home cleaning the plate. Oh, Master Jack, can you feel how the boat's a-going on?"
"Yes, it's dreadful," sighed Jack.
"Is it going to be like this always, sir?"
"Don't! pray don't bother me. Can't you see how ill I am?"
"No, sir, not now. I can only see how bad poor miserable me is. Oh dear! did you feel that, sir? she give a regular jump, just as if she went over something.--Master Jack!"
There was no reply.
"Master Jack!" groaned the man. "Oh, please, sir, don't say you're dead."
"Will you go away and leave off bothering me!" cried the boy angrily.
"Wish I could, sir; I'd be glad to."
There was a pause, during which the yacht bounded along before a fine fresh breeze. Soon Edward began again.
"Mr Jack!"
No answer.
"Mr Jack, sir!"
"Ned! will you go!"
"I can't, sir. 'Strue as goodness, sir, I can't."
"Where are you?" moaned the boy, who was lying on his back staring with lack-l.u.s.tre eyes up at the ceiling just above his head.
"I dunno, sir; I think I'm lying on the carpet, sir, close to the shelf I put you on."
"Then go away somewhere; you make me feel as if I could kill you."
"Wish you would, sir," groaned the man. "I'd take it kindly of you."
"Oh, don't talk such nonsense," sighed Jack. "Oh, my head, my head!"
"Oh, mine, sir, and it ain't nonsense at all. It's real earnest. Why was I such a fool as to come, and why did I grin at you, and say as you was a poor-plucked 'un? It's like a judgment on me. But I always was so conceited."
"Call some one to help you to your berth."
"I dursn't, sir. If I did, those sailor chaps would see as it was all over with me and pitch me overboard."