Читать книгу Roughriders of the Pampas: A Tale of Ranch Life in South America - F. S. Brereton - Страница 5

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Shouts of excitement, the shrill falsetto of one of the lady passengers shrieking in her fright, and loud cries of encouragement accompanied Dudley as he sprang into the sea, and were cut off abruptly as the water closed over his head. A burly sailor, barefooted and with dripping hands, leaped on to the rail, and clambered out on to the stern of the dangling boat, from which point of vantage he stared down at Mr. Blunt as he struggled with the shark, and deep and bitter words escaped his bearded lips in his excitement. Then a stout little passenger, with florid countenance and remarkably bald head, followed him on to the rail, and for an instant appeared as if he would leap after the young fellow. The intention was there, the fire of youth was in his eye, and no doubt this stout little man had, in his young days, been capable of a rescue. But he was too stout now, and he knew it. He paused, held back, and then shouted like a maniac. Behind him the other passengers crowded, till a voice ordered them to stand aside.

"Stand away, gentlemen, please" came from the captain in stern tones. "Allow this man to pass. Now, lads, sling him over, and, Tom, make good use of that boat-hook."

Quick as lightning a sailor thrust his way through the throng, clambered over the rail, and let himself go, four of his comrades lowering him hurriedly by means of a stout rope till he was close to the water and within reach of the struggle. Meanwhile Dudley had struck out, had reached the surface, and had looked round for Mr. Blunt and the shark. Hardly half a minute had passed since he leaped from the rail, but in that short space of time he had decided on his course of action, though when he plunged into the water he had no idea what course to pursue. Then, like a flash, he remembered reading in some book about sharks, and of how natives in some odd corner of the world were in the habit of attacking them.

"A shark is helpless if you can tear his tail," he said to himself. "I recollect the natives did it with their teeth. I'll try."

Treading water for an instant, he saw the long, ugly snout of the monster close to Mr. Blunt's shoulder, he noticed the crimson streaks which now dyed the sea, and also how the dangling boat swayed as the man clung desperately to it. Then he drew in a big breath, dived beneath the surface, and struck out for the tail of the giant fish, easily seen at that distance. It was still for the moment, the monster simply retaining its hold and clinging to Mr. Blunt's arm. Dudley darted towards it, seized it between both hands, and pulled with all his strength, only to find that his hands slipped from the surface, and to receive a blow from the tail which beat him off promptly. But he was returning to the attack within an instant, and knowing that there was no time to be lost, he gripped at the tail again, dug his fingers into the slippery surface, and a second later had buried his teeth in the centre of the very extremity. Ah! This was different. He had a firm hold this time, and though the beast made frantic efforts to throw him off he clung to the tail, and with a sudden movement of both arms and of his teeth ripped it from end to end. Not till then did he let go his hold, to rise, gasping, to the surface a moment later.

What a shout greeted him! Hoarse roars of excitement, bravoes, and the hysterical shrieks of the lady passenger fell on his ears.

"Bravely done! A splendid act, and the only effective way to tackle him," shouted the captain, now standing on the rail and clinging to a halyard. "He has let go his hold! Strike at the brute, Tom. You have him within reach. Ah! That should settle the matter."

He leaned over, breathless with excitement, and watched as the sailor, dangling over the side, steadied himself against the ship with his bare toes, aimed at the floundering fish, and then struck with the boat-hook with all his strength, driving the iron end deep into the shark's body.

"Hold him, Tom," called out the captain. "Mr. Blunt, trail on to the bow of the boat for a moment longer. Another is being lowered from the port side, and will be round. You're all right?"

"Never stronger in my life," came the cool answer. "But that brute has mauled my shoulder rather badly. Who came after me?"

"Dudley Compton," shouted the stout passenger, now all aquiver with excitement. "The brave lad leaped straight in."

"I thought he would. I guessed he would be the one," came the calm reply. "Don't fret, Skipper. We're all snug down here for a while if there are no more of those brutes. Ha, Dudley, that you?"

He nodded coolly as the young fellow swam to his side and gripped the bows.

"Look before you leap," he laughed. "In other words, don't dive into a sea where sharks are expected."

The man was made of iron. Dudley watched him closely as they clung, waiting for the relief boat, and plainly saw the lines of pain drawn on his friend's face, the suffering which this strong settler from South America was too proud and too courageous to show. He was suffering, anyone could tell that from the red streaks which issued from the rents in his coat, and he was shaken, for his lips twitched suspiciously.

"You're hurt, sir. Shall I hold you and so take the weight from your other arm."

"Hold me! Not a bit of it, Dudley!" came the swift answer. "Hush! I'm hurt I know, but a man recovers sooner if he shows pluck about a thing of this sort. Lad, if I had a hand to grip yours!"

There was a depth of feeling now in the voice, feeling which he would not show before. Mr. Blunt looked at his young deliverer with eyes which displayed his gratitude plainly. Then his features hardened, and Dudley saw the lines of pain again. At that moment the boat, which had been hastily lowered, came round the stern of the vessel, and the five who were in the water were lifted into her and conveyed to the gangway, which had now been dropped from the rail. They were greeted with shouts of delight, and Mr. Blunt was hurried off a second later by the captain to have his wounds attended to. For no surgeon was carried, and almost every skipper of ocean-going vessels in those days had picked up a smattering of surgical and medical knowledge from the seaman's hospital at Greenwich or in other ports. As for Dudley, he was seized upon by the passengers, hoisted to the shoulders of the stout and enthusiastic little man who had seemed on the point of following him into the water, and with the help of two others he was conveyed down to the saloon.

"There is no fear of his getting a chill out in these waters," cried the little man, blowing with his exertions. "Gentlemen——Pardon, ladies and gentlemen, for I see that there are two ladies with us, we cannot let Mr. Compton go to his cabin without a word of commendation for his pluck. He is just fresh from the most gallant rescue that I have ever witnessed, and there is no time therefore like the present. I speak for all here, my dear lad, for the passengers and crew of this vessel. We are proud to have you amongst us, and we thank you for letting us see what a young Englishman can do. It was fine, sir! Grand! I wish the lad were my son."

He beamed on Dudley, shook his wet hand till our hero winced, and then pushed him into the midst of the other passengers. It was, in consequence, a very bewildered young fellow who escaped from their friendly and enthusiastic attentions at length, and made his way into his cabin. Nor did congratulations cease for many an hour, for on that very afternoon a select committee of passengers went ashore and returned in the evening with a bulky package. That night, after supper had been served, for that was the custom in the days of which we write, the captain rose from his seat at the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said quietly, "it has fallen to my lot to perform a pleasant duty for one and all of us. This morning a member of this ship's company, who, if he will excuse my saying so, is little more than a boy, behaved like a man, a very gallant man, let me add. He showed us in one fearful moment how self can be forgotten in the hope of helping others. That he may never forget this noble act, that we may show him what we think of his courage, we ask him to accept this memento. He needs nothing to stimulate his courage, but at times these useful little implements may remind him that he has behaved like a man, and can look the bravest in the face without flinching."

Short and crisp, and happily turned, the speech drew loud cheers from the assembled passengers, from the stewards, and from the sailors crowding in the doorway, while from Dudley there came a gasp of surprise, and two tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. The lad had met with very little kindness during his young life; his had been a somewhat lonely existence, and such notice was strange to him. He walked with unsteady feet to the captain, and looked at the memento with eyes which were blurred. In a splendid leather case, housed in suitable compartments, were a double-barrelled shot-gun, a rifle of fine workmanship, and a revolver of the latest pattern. No wonder his heart swelled with gratitude. He turned to express his thanks, strove manfully to steady his lips, and, failing hopelessly, stared round at the assembled people. A second later his friend came to the rescue. Mr. Blunt sprang to his feet, cool as ever, his face just a little paler perhaps, and his arm in a sling.

"Permit me, captain, and you, ladies and gentlemen, to answer for my young friend and deliverer," he said. "No one here should appreciate the truth of the words which our captain has used more than I, and all must know how deeply grateful I am. Mr. Compton saved my life. He rescued me from a horrible death, and in doing so performed a gallant act. You have presented him with a handsome memento, which I know he will always treasure, and for which he is deeply grateful. I know that he would tell you that he has done nothing, that Mr. Carter there was about to attempt the same thing; but we know—in his own heart he knows—that he has done well. Yet this memento seems in his eyes too fine a thing. He does not realize that you who looked on cannot recognize such gallantry too handsomely, nor that I, if I were to present him with a memento of a thousand times its value should still be his debtor for life. Ladies and gentlemen, our young friend has started his new life well; he has won your unstinted praise, and to the end of his life he will remember this day. He thanks you for your overwhelming kindness."

There were more cheers at that, while the stout little man who had been so unexpectedly referred to flushed to the top of his bald head and shook his fist at Mr. Blunt. Dudley, still covered with confusion, took up his guncase and rushed to the privacy of his cabin, where he threw himself on his bunk and buried his face in his hands. He was shaken. He felt more confused and unnerved by far than he had done immediately after the rescue.

"If only they would forget all about it," he groaned. "If only Mr. Carter had been first, then there would have been no need for me."

"While I should not have lived to thank you," said a voice at his elbow. "Come, Dudley, let us look at the guns. My word, you are well set up for the new life! You will have to hide this case, or the gauchos will think you are a desperate fellow and will leave you very severely alone. And, by the way, I have something to say to you. You hoped to meet a Mr. Bradshaw?"

Dudley shot up suddenly, ashamed of the emotion he had shown.

"Yes, sir," he said. "I was to disembark at Montevideo, and you told me that you would help me when I landed. I suppose I shall have little difficulty?"

"None whatever," was the calm answer. "That is, you will have no great trouble before you in finding work, for that, I suppose, is what you want."

"I will do anything," replied our hero eagerly. "I have fifty pounds in my valise, which will keep me going for some time. I hope to obtain employment with my guardian's friend. He promised to keep a place for me."

"And would keep that promise were he able to. But listen, my lad. I have kept the news from you till this. Mr. Bradshaw was killed six months ago in one of the frequent Indian raids. His estancia was sold up at once, and his successor might not want hands. But I do. Will you come? I offer you a fair wage, plain living in my house, and plenty of exercise."

Would he come? Would Dudley accept a post than which he could wish for nothing better?

Our hero leaped to the floor of the cabin and stared at his friend, too much surprised at the news he had just learned to make a reply. It was a blow to him to hear that this Mr. Bradshaw was dead, and that the friend to whom he was going would not be there to greet and help him. But that disappointment was wiped away in an instant by the handsome offer made him.

"I am truly sorry about Mr. Bradshaw," he said at last, "and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your offer. Of course I accept it. I would come for nothing, for I expect I shall be useless at first, and as you offer me a home, I shall be able to look round and get to know the country. There is no one with whom I would go so gladly as with you."

"Then the matter is settled. You are my employé from this moment," was the swift answer. "Your salary will commence from to-day also, as I shall wish to commence your instruction immediately. No, not a word of protest, if you please! You are too apt to make little of yourself. You say that you will be useless till you know the work required on a rancho. That is not so. Any young fellow who is willing, and does not fight shy when work is in prospect, can make himself of use. A day or two will teach him sufficient, and after that he is becoming more efficient every hour. But I want to tell you something more. This post that you have accepted is no sinecure. You will be about at the first streak of day and galloping over the rancho. Often enough you will be sent off on expeditions to round up cattle and horses, and on those occasions you will not even have a tent. You will sleep with the stars twinkling overhead, and wake with the dew lying heavily on you. Maybe, on rare occasions, a frost will come, and then your blanket covering will be stiff with cold."

Dudley laughed a gay laugh, which showed that none of these hardships had any terrors for him.

"It will be a grand experience, sir," he smiled. "Besides, have you not lived that sort of life for years? And look how fit and well you are."

"It has made a man of me, lad. When I am away from the house on the rancho I feel free as the air. I eat and sleep heartily, and fine weather, sunshine, frost, or rain are one and the same to me. Give me the gauchos' camp on the plains, or amidst the small forests, the crackling fire of thistle tops, a saddle to rest my head on, and a thick blanket to cover me. I am happy then. I enjoy every minute of the day, and sleep soundly at night. But there is something else. Lad, there are Indians. I have been raided twice already, and on each occasion I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. Fifteen of my gauchos were killed on the last occasion, and all my stock was cleared out."

"And still you are going back to the place, and sighing to get there, sir," came Dudley's answer, short and abrupt. "If you can face an Indian raid, why, I shall try to do so also."

"Then our compact is settled. Not that I thought that you would flinch; but there are some who would. Now for a few words as to myself. You have told me who you are. I will let you have a little of my own history. You hear me use strange expressions sometimes. They are Italian, and though I am an Englishman born and bred, yet I have Italian sympathies and interests. My father lived many years in Rome, and often had a villa in Sicily, to which I used to go for my holidays. I speak Italian like a native, and know the southern portions of Italy and the whole of Sicily very well. I married an Italian lady, and settled in the island I have mentioned, till one of the foulest acts of treachery drove me from it and sent me out here. You have heard of the vendetta?"

Dudley had heard of it in some obscure way, and had a faint idea of its meaning, but he was not quite sure.