"And Hoggett and Wabberley--what about them?" I said, having seen from
the first that these two were not among them. They looked from one to
another as if reluctant to speak, and then Pumfrey said bluntly, "They
won't come, sir," and when I asked why not, he said he didn't know;
they only said they wouldn't, with a great deal of cursing and swearing.
"Very well," said I, "then you must make them come. Every one of you
must come to the rock, Hoggett included. If he and Wabberley won't
consent, you must overpower them and carry them to the rock like
parcels."
[Sidenote: Terms]
They looked very mumchanced at this, and I could see that they still
held Hoggett in some dread. They began to talk in undertones among
themselves, and thinking to quicken them I turned on my heel, telling
them pleasantly to think it over. On this they broke forth into cries,
beseeching me to let them come across at once, because they were so
hungry; and when I said that I could permit none to come until every
man of them was ready, Colam and one or two more of the boldest swore
that they would not starve for the sake of Hoggett, and Chick vowed
that he would make Wabberley see reason, or he would know the reason
why. Whereupon, to encourage them, I said that I would give them a
little provision as an earnest of my engagement; and calling up to
Billy, I bade him bring down a little smoked pork and fish, as well as
a quantity of bread-fruit. At this the men cheered with an unfeigned
heartiness that I found infinitely moving, and they cheered again when
Billy appeared, carrying very unwillingly, as I could see, the small
quantity of provision I had ordered. And then those men must needs go
about to ingratiate themselves with Billy, choosing the wrong way, as
ignorant and foolish folk often will. "That's never little Billy
Bobbin!" says one. "How he's growed, to be sure!" says another.
"Fancy little Billy turning into such a fine figure of a man!" says a
third; and all the time I think they hardly knew what they said, their
eyes being fixed on the things he carried. Billy's round face became
as red as a lobster when it is boiled, and his eyes flashed fire, and
for a moment I thought he was going to fling his burdens over the ledge
into the sea; but he put a curb upon himself and brought the things to
me, and then, as though no longer afraid of doing hurt to my property,
he stood at the very brink of the ledge and cried, "Yes, I'm Billy
Bobbin, and I've growed, and I won't have my master put upon; and if I
ain't as handsome as Pumfrey, I ain't got a squint like Chick--and this
is our grub what we smoked and such with our very own hands, and you
ought to go down on your bended knees and say grace for it, and for
what you are going to receive----"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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