For Jacinta Read online

  CHAPTER II

  AN OVERHEATED JOURNAL

  The _Estremedura_ lay rolling gently off the quaint old Spanish city ofSanta Cruz, Teneriffe, most of the following day. It was, indeed, latein the afternoon when she went to sea, and while the jumble of whitewalls and red-tiled roofs faded astern Austin sat in a deck-chair undera lifeboat, while Jacinta, Mrs. Hatherly, and Miss Muriel Gascoyne, towhom he had been duly presented, occupied a seat close by. He was notparticularly charmed with the latter's company, and decided that she wascertainly as unlike Jacinta as she very well could be.

  Miss Gascoyne was a clear-complexioned, blue-eyed young Englishwoman,solidly put together, and endued with a certain attractiveness; but shewas quiet, and had a disconcerting way of looking at him in a fashionwhich vaguely suggested disapproval. There was also what he felt to be aslightly irritating air of authority about her, which seemed to suggestthat she recognised the responsibility of her station, as one who waslooked up to in a remote corner of rural England. Mrs. Hatherly, heraunt, was a little, withered old lady, with ruddy cheeks and the stampof vigorous health upon her, though she had apparently been orderedsouth for the winter. She became visibly interested when Jacintacontrived to mention that Austin was in charge of the _Estremedura_'smedicine chest.

  "It really isn't my fault, and I don't do more harm with it than I canhelp," he said.

  "Then you have a knowledge of medicine?" asked the red-cheeked lady.

  "No," said Austin, "not in the least. I had to get a sixpenny book fromEngland to tell me the difference between a scruple and a drachm, andI'm not sure about some of the measures yet. You see, I entered theprofession quite by accident. The manual in the drug chest was,naturally, in English, as it was sent on board a Spanish ship, and theskipper, who couldn't read it, passed it on to me. My first case was agreat success, unfortunately. We were loading pine, and one of the mencontrived to get a splinter into the inner side of his eyelid. I supposeit was a weakness, but I really couldn't watch him going about inagony."

  "Is the desire to relieve a fellow creature's suffering a weakness?"asked Miss Gascoyne.

  Austin appeared to reflect. "I almost think it is when the chances aretolerably even that you're going to blind him. Still, I got the thingout, and that man never quite knew the risks he ran. The next weekanother of them dropped a hogshead on to his foot, and smashed itbadly--they don't wear boots, you know. He seemed quite convinced that Icould cure him, and, as the risk was his, I undertook the thing. You cansee him on the forecastle yonder, and he isn't limping. After that myfame went abroad, and they send their cripples off to me at several ofthe desolate places we call at. I always give them something, butwhatever quantity of water the manual recommends I put in twice asmuch."

  Miss Gascoyne looked at him curiously. She had not met a young man ofthis type before, and was not sure that she approved of him. She alsofancied that he was a trifle egotistical, which he certainly was not,and it never occurred to her that he was merely rambling on for herentertainment because he felt it his duty.

  "Don't you think that one should always have faith in one'sprescriptions and act upon it?" said her aunt. "I endeavour to do sowhen I dose the village people who come to me."

  Austin laughed. "Well," he said, "you see, I haven't any, and, perhapsif I had, it would be a little rough on others. Still, as a matter offact, they do get better--that is, most of them."

  Miss Gascoyne looked startled. "Is it right to abuse the ignorantpeople's credulity like that?" she said, and stopped a trifle awkwardly,while a little twinkle crept into Jacinta's eyes.

  "Mr. Austin hasn't really killed anybody yet," she said. "You haven'ttold us what you think of Teneriffe, Muriel."

  Miss Gascoyne turned her face astern, and there was appreciation, andsomething deeper than that, in her blue eyes, which had seen very littleof the glory of this world as yet. High overhead the great black wall ofthe CaA+-adas cut, a tremendous ebony rampart, against the luminous blue,and beyond it the peak's white cone gleamed ethereally above itswrappings of fleecy mist. Beneath, the Atlantic lay a sheet ofglimmering turquoise in the lee of the island, and outside of that therewas a blinding blaze of sunlight on the white-topped sea.

  "It is beautiful--wonderfully beautiful," she said, with a littletremble in her voice. "Isn't it sad that such a country should besteeped in superstition?"

  Austin felt the last observation jar upon him, for he knew that theinhabitants of that land would, in respect of sobriety and morality,compare very favourably with those of several more enlightened places hewas acquainted with at home, and that was going far enough for him.Still, he could defer to another's convictions when they were evidentlysincere, and it seemed to him that Jacinta's warning glance was a trifleunnecessary. There was, however, an interruption just then, for asteward appeared with a laden tray at the door of the captain's room.

  "Doesn't Don Erminio take his comida in the saloon?" asked Jacinta.

  "No," said Austin. "Not when we have English ladies on board. He's adifferent man, you know, and some of them will insist on talking Spanishto him. It's a little trying to have to admit you don't understand yourown language."

  "Vaya!" said a deep voice beyond the open door. "Eso no me gusta," andwhile the steward backed out in haste, a couple of plates went flyingover the rail.

  "Don Erminio," said Jacinta, "evidently doesn't approve of his dinner."

  Miss Gascoyne appeared astonished, and looked at Austin gravely.

  "Does he often lose his temper in that fashion?" she asked. "Isn't itvery childish to throw--good food into the sea?"

  "The captain is, when you come to know him, really a very good-naturedman," said Austin. Then he stopped, and stood up suddenly as two figurescame towards them along the deck, and another from the oppositedirection. "It's Monsignor--I wonder what Macallister wants with him."

  A little, portly priest moved forward with a smile of good-humouredpride, and an ecclesiastic of a very different stamp walked at his side.The latter was a great man, indeed, a very great man, though he had oncetoiled in comparative obscurity. Even Miss Gascoyne had apparentlyheard of him.

  "If one could venture, I should like to speak to him," she said.

  Neither Jacinta nor Austin seemed to hear her. They were both watchingMacallister, and he, at least, clearly intended to accost the clerics.He was now dressed immaculately in blue uniform, and in that conditionhe was a big, handsome man, but he was also a North British Calvinist,so far as he had any religious views at all, and accordingly not one whocould reasonably be expected to do homage to a dignitary of Rome. Still,the little fleshy priest was a friend of his, and when the latterpresented him he bent one knee a trifle and gravely took off his uniformcap. The ecclesiastic raised two fingers and spoke in Latin. Macallistersmiled at him reassuringly.

  "That isn't exactly what I meant, but it can't do me any harm comingfrom a man like you, while if it does me any good I daresay I need it.You see, I'm one of the goats," he said.

  The great man glanced at his companion, who translated as literally ashe could, though he also explained that the SeA+-or Macallister notinfrequently made things easier for some of the peasants who travelledthird class on board the _Estremedura_. Then a whimsical but very kindlytwinkle crept into the great man's eyes, and he laid a beautiful,olive-tinted hand on the shoulder of the mechanic who had graciouslyapproved of him.

  "If he is kind to these poor hill men he is a friend of mine. Thecharity it covers many--differences," he said.

  Then, as they came aft together, Austin also took off his cap, andtouched Miss Gascoyne's arm as he turned to the cleric. The girl rosegravely, with a tinge of heightened colour in her face and a littleinclination, and, though nobody remembered exactly what was said, unlessit was the eminent cleric, who was, as usual with his kind, a polishedman of the world as well, he moved on with the girl on one side of himand Macallister talking volubly in a most barbarous jargon on the other.Mrs. Hatherly and the little priest took their places behind
them, andAustin gathered that as a special favour Macallister was going to showthem all his engines. Jacinta leaned back in her seat and laughedmusically.

  "Macallister," she said, "is always unique, and he will probably finishthe entertainment by offering Monsignor a glass of whiskey. It is to behoped he doesn't apostrophise his firemen with his usual fluency. Still,do you know, I am rather pleased with you? You have made Muriel happy."

  "If I have pleased you it is rather more to the purpose," said Austin,reflectively. "I have, however, noticed that when you express yourapprobation there is usually something else to be done."

  Jacinta smiled. "It is very little, after all, but perhaps I had betterexplain. Muriel met Jefferson, who had been to London to see somebody,on board the _Dahomey_, and--I'm telling you this in confidence--thereare reasons for believing the usual thing happened. She is really good,you know, while Jefferson is a somewhat serious man himself, as well asan American. They treat women rather well in his country--in fact, theyseem to idealise them now and then. Besides, I understand it wasremarkably fine weather."

  "Yes," said Austin, who glanced suggestively across the sunlit heavetowards the dim, blue heights of Grand Canary, "it is, one wouldbelieve, quite easy to fall in love with any one pretty and cleverduring fine weather at sea. That is, of course, on sufficientprovocation. There are also, I think, Englishmen with some capacity foridealisation--but hadn't you better go on?"

  Jacinta pursed her lips as she looked at him with an assumption ofseverity, but she proceeded. "Now, I had arranged for Mrs. Hatherly andMuriel to spend the winter in Grand Canary, but she has heard of adoctor in one of the hotels at Madeira, and is bent on going there.There is, of course, nothing the matter with her; but if she approves ofthe doctor in question it is very probable that she will stay in thathotel until the spring. Still, she is changeable, and if she doesn't goat once it is possible that she will not go at all. The Madeira boatleaves Las Palmas about half an hour after we get there, and I don'twant Mrs. Hatherly and Muriel to catch her. Muriel doesn't want to,either."

  Austin shook his head. "Don't you know that it is rather a serious thingto delay a Spanish mailboat?" he said. "Still, I suppose you havedecided that it must be done?"

  "I think so," said Jacinta sweetly. "I also fancy you and Macallistercould manage it between you. You have my permission to tell him anythingyou think necessary."

  She rose and left him, with this, and Austin, who was not altogetherpleased with his commission, waited until after the four o'clock comida,when, flinging himself down on a settee in the engineer's room, cigar inhand, he put the case to Macallister, who grinned. The latter, as arule, appeared to find his native idiom more expressive in the evening.

  "I'm no saying Jacinta's no fascinating, an' I've seen ye looking at herlike a laddie eyeing a butterscotch," he said. "Still, it can no bedone. Neither o' our reputations would stand it, for one thing."

  "We have nothing to do with the Madeira boat, and the Lopez boat forCuba doesn't sail until an hour after her," said Austin. "Besides,Jacinta wants it done."

  Macallister looked thoughtful. "Weel," he said, "that is a reason.Jacinta thinks a good deal of me, an' if I was no married already Iwould show ye how to make up to her. I would not sit down, a long wayoff, an' look at her. She's no liking ye any the better for that way ofit."

  "Hadn't you better leave that out?" said Austin stiffly. "I'm the_Estremedura_'s sobrecargo, which is quite sufficient. Can't you have aburst tube or something of the kind?"

  "A burst tube is apt to result in somebody getting scalded, an' steppinginto boiling water is sore on a Primera Maquinista's feet. Ye'll justhave to make excuses to Jacinta, I'm thinking."

  Austin, who knew he could do nothing without Macallister's co-operation,was wondering what persuasion he could use, when he was joined by anunexpected ally. A big, aggressive Englishman in tourist apparelapproached the mess-room door and signed to him.

  "You were not in your room," he said, as though this was a grievance.

  Austin looked at him quietly. "I'm afraid I really haven't the facultyof being in two places at once. Is there anything I can do for you?"

  "There is. I particularly want to catch the Liverpool boat _via_ Madeirato-night, and the time you get in cuts it rather fine. It occurred to methat you might be able to hurry her up a little."

  "I'm sorry that's out of the question," said Austin, languidly. "Yousee, I'm not expected to interfere with this steamer's engines."

  He was wondering how he could best favour the Englishman with a delicateleft-handed compliment, when Macallister, who was once more very dirty,and wore only a dungaree jacket over his singlet, broke in:

  "I would," he said, "like to see him try."

  "May I ask who you are?" said the passenger, who regarded himsuperciliously.

  "Ye may," and there was a portentious gleam in Macallister's eyes. "I'monly her chief engineer."

  "Ah!" said the other, who did not consider it advisable to mention thathe had supposed him to be a fireman. "Well, there are, I believe, meansof obtaining a favour from a chief engineer. You naturally don't getmany pickings in this kind of boat."

  Austin laughed softly, for he knew his man. It is now and thenpermissible to bestow an honorarium upon a chief engineer over a deal incoals, but it requires to be done tactfully, and when the strangersuggestively thrust his hand into his pocket, Macallister hove his sixfeet of length upright, and looked down on him, with a big hand clenchedand blazing eyes.

  "Out o' this before I shake some manners intil ye, yefifteen-pound-the-round-trip scum!" he said.

  The stranger backed away from him, and then bolted incontinently asMacallister made for the door. Austin laughed softly when he heard himfalling over things in the dark alleyway, and Macallister sat downfuming.

  "A bit doosoor on the coal trade is one thing, but yon was--insultin',"he said, and then looked up with a sudden grin. "I'll fix the waster.Can ye no smell a crank-pin burning?"

  "I can't," said Austin. "Still, under the circumstances, I'm quitewilling to take your word for it."

  He went up on deck. It was dark now, but the moon was shining, and hewas not surprised to see a sooty fireman clambering in haste up thebridge ladder. Then the throb of the propeller slackened, and when the_Estremedura_ lay rolling wildly athwart the long, moonlit heave, anuproar broke out in the engine room below. The Castilian is excitable,and apt to lose his head when orders which he cannot understand arehurled at him, while Macallister, when especially diligent, did nottrust to words alone, but used lumps of coal and heavy steel spanners.He was just then apparently chasing his greasers and firemen up and downthe engine room. There was a rush of apprehensive passengers towards theopen skylights, from which steam as well as bad language ascended, andAustin, who went with them, found Jacinta by his side.

  "I suppose it's nothing dangerous?" she said.

  Austin laughed. "If it were Macallister would not be making so muchnoise. In fact, I don't think you need worry at all. When Miss JacintaBrown expresses her wishes, things are not infrequently apt to happen."

  Jacinta smiled at him. "I have," she said, "one or two faithfulservants. Shall we move a little nearer and see what he is doing?"

  "I'm afraid the conversation of one of them is not likely to be of akind that Miss Gascoyne, for example, would approve of."

  "Pshaw!" said Jacinta, and followed when Austin made way for her to oneof the skylights' lifted frames.

  The _Estremedura_ was rolling wickedly, and very scantily attired menwere scrambling, apparently without any definite purpose, beneath thereeling lights which flashed upon the idle machinery. They, however,seemed to be in bodily fear of Macallister, who held a spouting hose,while a foamy, soapy lather splashed up from the crank-pit on the big,shining connecting-rod. Austin could see him dimly through a cloud ofsteam, though he could think of no reason why any of the latter shouldbe drifting about the engine room. There were several English passengersabout the skylights, and the one with the a
ggressive manner wasexplaining his views to the rest.

  "The man is either drunk or totally incapable. He is doing nothing butshout," he said. "You will notice that he spends half the time washingthe connecting-rods, which, as everybody knows, cannot get hot. If wemiss the Madeira boat I shall certainly call upon the company'smanager."

  Perhaps he spoke too loudly, or it may have been an accident, thoughAustin, who saw Macallister flounder on the slippery floor-plates as thesteamer rolled, did not think it was. In any case, he drew Jacinta back,and a moment later a jet from the spouting hose struck with a greatsplashing upon the glass. The aggressive passenger, who was looking downjust then, got most of it in his face, and he staggered back, dripping,and gasping with anger. When he once more became vociferous, Austin ledJacinta away.

  "I'm afraid we will not catch that boat, but I really don't think youought to hear Mack's retort," he said.

  It was not quite half an hour later when the _Estremedura_ moved onagain, and Macallister informed Austin that he could not allow twojournals to become overheated in the same voyage. It would, he said, betoo much of a coincidence, and some of his subordinates did know alittle about machinery. They had accordingly some few minutes yet inhand when they swung round the high Isleta cinder heap into sight of LasPalmas. It gleamed above the surf fringe, a cluster of twinkling lightsat the black hills' feet, and there were other lights, higher up, onships' forestays, behind the dusky line of mole. In between, the longAtlantic heave flashed beneath the moon, and there was scarcely twomiles of it left. Austin, standing forward with a pair of night-glasses,and Jacinta beside him, watched the lights close on one anotherdejectedly.

  "We'll be in inside ten minutes, and I think the Madeira boat has stillher anchor down," he said. "I had to give the quartermaster orders tohave our lancha ready, and he'll take any passengers straight across toher."

  "I believe you did what you could," said Jacinta. "Still, you see----"

  "Oh, yes," said Austin. "You like success?"

  Jacinta looked at him with a little enigmatical smile. "When any of myfriends are concerned, I believe I do."

  Austin went aft, and a little while later found Macallister standing bythe poop, which was piled with banana baskets, among which seasickCanary peasants lay. The big crane on the end of the mole was now on the_Estremedura_'s quarter, and they were sliding into the mouth of theharbour. Close ahead, with white steam drifting about her forecastle,lay the Madeira boat.

  "They're heaving up," said the engineer. "Jacinta will no' be pleasedwith ye, I'm thinking."

  "There's only one thing left," said Austin. "One of us must fall in."

  Macallister grinned. "Then I know which it will be. It was not me whoswam across the harbour last trip. But wait a moment. There's a dozen ortwo Spaniards among the baskets, an' I'm thinking nobody would miss oneof them."

  Austin, who knew what his comrade was capable of, seized hold of him,but Macallister shook his grasp off and disappeared among the baskets.Then there was a splash in the shadow beneath the ship, a shout, and aclamour broke out from the crowded deck. A gong clanged below, thecaptain shouted confused orders from his bridge, and the _Estremedura_slid forward, with engines stopped, past a British warship with herboats at the booms. Then in the midst of the confusion, Austin, who wasleaning on the rail, wondering what had really happened, felt himselfgripped by the waist. They had slid into the shadow of the Isleta, whichlay black upon the water just there.

  "Noo's your chance," said a voice he knew. "It's a hero she'll think ye.In ye go to the rescue!"

  Austin, who was by no means certain that there was a man in the water atall, had no intention of going if he could help it, but, as it happened,he had no option. The _Estremedura_ rolled just then, he felt himselflifted, and went out, head foremost, over the rail. The steamer had goneon and left him when he rose to the surface, but there was nobody eitherswimming or shouting in the water behind him. He knew it would be aminute or two yet before they got the big passenger lancha over, but the_Estremedura_'s propeller was thrashing astern, and when she came backtowards him he seized the boat-warp already lowered along her side.Nobody appeared to notice him, for one of the British warship's boatswas then approaching. She flashed by as he crawled in through the openedgangway, and a man stood up in her.

  "Spanish mail ahoy!" he cried. "Anybody speaking English aboard of you?If so, tell your skipper to go ahead. We have got the banana basket hedropped over. He can send for it to-morrow."

  Austin slipped, unnoticed, into his room, but he laughed as he heard theroar of a whistle, and saw a long, black hull ringed with lights slideby. It was the Madeira boat, steaming down the harbour.