The Golden Harpoon — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

faces, high cheek-bones, and that peculiarly fierce eagle gleam of the eye, natural to the pesple of his race. There was a ring in each car, another hanging pendent from his nostrils, aud his coun7iance was disfigured in many paces by tattoo marks of yellow and blue. Un the present occasion his thin lips wore a peculiarly sinister expression, that excited much uneasiness in the bosom of Alice, not- |' withstanding that she had been accustomed during the voyage to see the wild natives of the Pacific shores. The islander, however, seemed perfectly unconscious of the presence cf those who were so stealthily watchmg him, but with his face thrust forward over the rail, and his chin supported by his hands, he re- mained as motionless as a statue, gazing steadily towards the floe that glittered in the distance. * Do_you see anything of the boats, Driko?” inguired Stump, quitting his original position and placing himself between Alice and the naetive, “De boat me no see. Dey too far in ’e ice. No come back to barque nebber more.” “ And why not, Cd like to know? You must not make such a foolish speech as that again, ‘Blueskin.? You frighten Miss Howard!” and scizing his pigtail, he gave the savage a light bow across the nose with it, as he spoke. “'fakee care!” growled the native, starting upright with glittering eyes and placing a hand upon his sheath-knife, “takee care, you stump. No strike me too much with ‘ piggle- tail,’ or me makee you Stump no more.” “And boil me afterwards in the try-pot, I suppose, seein’ as that’s one of your ‘ pow- wow’ customs !” “Ffi! hi! hi!’ muttered the New Zealander, while a malicious smile flashed across his dark face. “Me like plenty Stump to eat. Good for boil more better dan whale—dis Stump so fat make very much good!” “Ay, ay, too good for such a lean, ravenous, blue-skinned rascal as you are to digest. But how about, those boats? Why do you think they'll neyer come back?” ‘““Nebber come back to barque—no, nebber more!” exclaimed the savage, with a sinister Jape ; and turning upos his heel, with the air of one not caring to be ‘questioned further, he made his way to the forward part of the vessel and joined his four shipmates. “You had better go below, Alice,” said Stump, “and that will look as though you don’t suspect that anything is wrong. Trust to. me to ferret out the rascals’ plans.” “But they may murder you!” shudderingly murmured the young girl. “Put your hand there!” exclaimed Stump, straightening himself, and indicating his left breast. “Oh, I know your heart is all right. Rut = “Put your hand there,” persisted Stump, again pointing towards his heart. This time Alice obeyed, and she felt the stock of a revolver that was concealed beneath the guernsey, | Pe = Se a oS Pn eS Oe : ae V4 aaa oe =e Sa; = es To z <= —rs - = THE GOLDEN HARPOON, “You are armed !” “Ay, ay!” exclaimed Stump, “two hearts, like two heads, are better than one. An iron heart for the blueskins, hang ’em! and Stump’s own heart for Alice Howard, at your sarvice.” And making his best bow, the speaker turned and rolled off like a cask of oil, in the direction. of the windlass. 7 Alice then moved to the companion-way and descended into the cabin, CHAPTER IL. THE RESULT. AN S Stump rolled on, he turned his glances seawards, and perceived that a light breeze from the north-west was be- ginning to wrinkle the surface of the water. He glanced uneasily towards his dusky ship- mates, and saw a momentary gleam of exuita- tion flash across their dark features, as they were turned in the direction of the ripples gradualiy spreading over the bosom of the ocean, Driko stood a little apart from the rest of his shipmates, and Stump did not fail to notice that the eyes of the savage were now directed significantly aloft, as though he felp impatient to loosen the topsail. : The watchful seaman felt that he could no longer entertain a doubt in regard to the inten- tions of the conspirators, and gliding behind the try-works, he seated himself upon the coopers bench, in the hope that a few mo- ments’ reflection might suggest to him some plan that would enable him to defeat their schemes. But scarcely had he begun to reflect, when, chancing to turn his eyes in the direc- tion of the maintop, his glances alighted upon a roll of red bunting that had been carefuily placed in that quarter. It was the recall sig- | nal, which was used as a summons to the boats to return when they were absent from the vessel, and it was deemed expedient that they should come back. On every such occasion, the bunting was hoisted to the main truck by means of the signal halliards, which were always kept rove for that purpose. Stump sprang from the bench, mentally pronouncing himself a fool, because the idea suggested by the sight of the red cloth had not occurred to him before. The boats, he thought, could not by this time be so far from the vessel that their occupants would not perceive the signal when he should haye hoisted it to its proper position; but feeling conscious that there was no time to lose, he began at once to waddle towards the main rigging as fast as the bulky proportions of his body would permit. Not until he had gained the seventh ratlin in the shrouds did he venture to direct a glance towards the spot where he had last seen his five shipmates, and he then gave his lips a satisfactory twist towards: his right ear, for the men were engaged in earnest conversation, and the face of each of them was turned from ‘him. He continued his way as speedily as he could, and presently succeeded in passing the oO COMmiIchboo S com