He gazed fixedly at their faces, and some at once put on a surprised air as though they had never seen a belaying-pin before. He held it up. ‘This is my affair. I don't ask you any questions, but you all know it; it has got to go where it came from.’ His eyes became angry. The crowd stirred uneasily. They looked away from the piece of iron, they appeared shy, they were Page 100embarrassed and shocked as though it had been something horrid, scandalous, or indelicate, that in common decency should not have been flourished like this in broad daylight. The master watched them attentively. ‘Donkin,’he called out in a short, sharp tone.
Donkin dodged behind one, then behind another, but they looked over their shoulders and moved aside. The ranks kept on opening before him, closing behind, till at last he appeared alone before the master as though he had come up through the deck. Captain Allistoun moved close to him. They were much of a size, and at short range the master exchanged a deadly glance with the beady eyes. They wavered, -- ‘You know this,’ asked the master. -- ‘No, I don't,’answered the other with cheeky trepidation. -- ‘You are a cur.
Take it,’ordered the master. Donkin's arms seemed glued to his thighs; he stood, e yes front, as if drawn on parade. ‘Take it,’repeated the master, and stepped closer; they breathed on one another.
‘Take it,’ said Captain Allistoun again, ****** a menacing gesture. Donkin tore away one arm from his side. -- ‘Vy hare yer down hon me?’ he mumbled with effort as if his mouth had been full of dough. -- ‘If you don't.... ’ began the master. Donkin snatched at the pin as though his intention had been to run away with it, and remained stock still holding it like a candle. ‘Put it back where you took it from,’ said Captain Allistoun, looking at him fiercely. Donkin stepped back opening wide eyes. ‘Go, you blackguard, or I will make you,’ cried the master, driving him slowly backwards by a menacing advance. He dodged, and with the dangerous iron tried to guard his head from a threatening fist. Mr. Baker ceased grunting for a moment. -- ‘Good! By Jove,’ murmured appreciatively Mr. Creighton in the tone of a connoisseur. -- ‘Don't tech me,’ snarled Donkin, backing away. -- ‘Then go.
Go faster.’ -- ‘Don't yer 'it me.....I will pull yer hup afore the magistryt.....I'll show yer hup.’ Captain Allistoun made a long stride and Donkin, turning his back fairly, ran off a little, then stopped and over his shoulder showed yellow teeth. -- ‘Further on, fore-rigging,’ urged the master, pointing with his arm. --‘Hare yer goin' to stand by and see me bullied,’ screamed Donkin at the silent crowd that watched him. Captain Allistoun walked at him smartly. He started off again with a leap, dashed at the fore-rigging, Page 101rammed the pin into its hole violently . ‘I will be heven with yer yet,’ he screamed at the ship at large and vanished beyond the foremast. Captain Allistoun spun round and walked back aft with a composed face, as though he had already forgotten the scene. Men moved out of his way. He looked at no one. -- ‘That will do, Mr. Baker.
Send the watch below,’ he said quietly. ‘And you men try to walk straight for the future,’ he added in a calm voice.
He looked pensively for a while at the of the impressed and retreating crowd. ‘Breakfast, steward,’ he called in a tone of relief through the cabin door. -- ‘I didn't like to see you --Ou gh! -- give that pin to that chap, sir,’ observed Mr. Baker;‘he could have bust -- Ough! -- bust your head like an eggshell with it.’ -- ‘O! he!’ muttered the master absently. ‘Queer lot,’ he went on in a low voice. ‘Isuppose it's all right now. Can never tell tho', nowadays, with such a....years ago; I was a young master then -- one China voyage I had a mutiny; real mutiny, Baker. Different men tho'. I knew what they wanted: they wanted to broach cargo and get at the liquor. Very ******.....We knocked them about for two days, and when they had enough -- gentle as lambs. Good crew.
And a smart trip I made.’ He glanced aloft at the yards braced sharp up. ‘Head wind day after day,’ he exclaimed bitterly.
‘Will we never get a decent slant this passage?’ --‘Ready, sir,’ said the steward appearing before them as if by magic and with a stained napkin in his hand. -- ‘Ah!
All right. Come along Mr. Baker -- it's late -- with all this nonsense.’
