ANCESTORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 18

ANCESTORS.

SHORT STORY.

At the end of the wharf lay the S.S. Freelance, now easing, now straining on her moorings. In the little office a conple of hundred yards away, Graft, the mate, completed the checking of his stores list, and, buttoning a copy in his pocket, moved toward the door. A moaning wind was springing up outside, and the sky was dark and threatening. " Seems we're goin' to get a squall, said Graft. " Can't understand the old man coining on this trip. Why can t he let me run her ?—l've sailed for him long enough." He growled a surly ."'good-day," slammed the door, and strode'off to his vessel. Welch, the clerk, gazed after him, meditating. He knew the man's type—all (fists and oaths, cursing and kicking a way in the world. He knew, too, that the governor, though at the very door of death, would persist in captaining his pride, the Freelance, to the last. And if the old man happened to die leaving Graft automatically in command? Well t—he wondered. It was the third day out of San Francisco that the trouble began. The old man was very ill in his bunk, gasping foi breath, and Graft was lording it over the crew to his great delight. Hooky .Waller, his crony, was in his seventh heaven as head of the fo'c sle. A general grouse was about. The food had been poor, and Graft, swaggering on deck after breakfast, was accosted by young Jim Steele, deputed to speak on behalf of the crew. "What?" snarled Graft. "You question the grub on the ship I m mate on ? What do you want, grilled chops an' silver on the table?" Steele looked at him squarely. " No, sir, the men would like a little more greens." "Oh, would they?" retorted the mate. " Let's see, you're the cove that hangs round the old man's parlour, ain't you? After! Miss Gates, eh? An' the old man's a bit crusty wi' you, ain't he? So 'ud I be with a preachy looking dud like you round me. —fresh greens! Hold this!" Stepping forward, he crashed his fist full into the other's face, and Steele dropped flat on the deck. " Now," said the mate, "tell her highness about that!" and, wheeling off forward he startled the crew into sudden activity. All that day the men were cowed, and it was not until night, in Hooky's absence, that their feelings came out. " Bloomin' bully," said one of the men. " Boys, the old man's not going to last long, • I know. I heard him wheezin' an' gurglin' this afternoon, sutliin' awful.-" " That means a lively spell for as then," said old Spinner. " Why didn't you 'it Graft back, Steele?" The reply was startling in its mildness to the ears of. the fo'c'sle. " Because 1 don't belive in fighting, boys. " Han? that for a yarn," one of them said. " You're alius like that—that s whv the old man don't like you; an I've 'eard," he went on confidentially, " I've 'eard as Miss Gates thinks you ain't quite like other men. 'cos you don't fight." . „ , "Oh here, that's not fair, gasped Steele painfully. " I've never heard her say it. Anyhow, what's the use of scrapping the mate of the ship you sail on?" . , Hooky Waller's reappearance made the crew's answer inaudible, ana they turned in fo:r the night. In his bunk Steele weighed up the day's events, and found himself repeating, " You ain't quite like other men." It worried him. Fighting had never appealed to him, even in his schooldays in England, so many years—it seemed —ago. His father often laughed at his peacemaking. "You're not like your line* Jimmy lad." he would say, " not a bit like a Steele." ..• • » - Old Gates breathed his last the day the Freelance steamed into Malaita harbour, and was committed to the sea as roughly as the mate dared to treat death. The general feeling aboard was that the sooner they dumped the cargo and got back to 'Frisco, the better for all. So discharging cargo was a quick job. The boat was running back light. When the old man died, the mate had the crew in front of the bridge, and rammed home the fact that he now stood as captain. Hooky had been made mate, making the prospects of a pleasant run home anything but hopeful. When everything was ready for sailing. Graft and Hooky went ashore, returning after a couple of hours, seeming very satisfied with themselves. The men heard the order for steam to be up as soon as possible; and made ready for fhe homeward run. At five in tne afternoon the anchor was housed, 3nd half-an-hour later the Freelance, was steering put of the harbour. s But it was not long before old Grinnell brought sta.rtling news to the fo c sle. " Here, boys." he said softly. " We're not shapin' 'Frisco way at all. Seems to me we're makin' for Bevande." The crew had signed on only for the double voyage, and the pay was rated for the same. Murmurs ran round, heated discussion arose, and disapproval was voiced so noisily that the new mate strode in scowling. " What's all this about ?" he demanded with, clenched fist. " You're a damn sight wors'n a lot of bees." " I'L's about our course," old Grinnell faltered. " We ain't makin' 'Frisco as we're goin'," " Wot the 'ell's the course got to do wi* you ?" yelled the mate. , " We're goin' all right." " Grinnell ought to know," put in one of the men. " He's been steerin'." "Hold your row!" growled Waller, stepping up to the speaker. The man scowled at him. " If we ain't makin' for 'Frisco.we want to—" Waller's fist crashed him to the floor, and the others became quiet, Hooky felt his advantage. "If any o' you starts to chew the fat agen, I'll out some on you." he said departing. Steele had watched that night, and it was with very mixed feelings that he went on deck. No sounds came from the fo'c'sle, to break the stillness of the tropical night. Steele waited awhile, then made his way aft, his objective the captain's cabin. He walked softly, knowing what to expect if caught listening. Stooping to the skylight, he heard Graft talking. " Yes," he said, " and I know Merton wouldn't twist us. There's nigh a tor, of ambererris dumped there, weighted with coral. He couldn't bring it with him—you know why." " Well what about shares ?" said Waller. " Fiftv-fifty ?" " Now. look here." Graft replied. "I m takin' the risk of pinchin' this ship. Welch'll know we've been off the track by our time. The crew don't count, the fool,s, I'm coin' to take two-thirds for my risk. You have the rest and a clear get-away." " 'Old on !" said Waller. " I ain't swallerm' all this risk business. It's as f as 7 for you to hook it at 'Frisco as doggedly. want?" sneered Graft. j»ru ~\ m 8?' n ' to chase a hundred v. ' up in quod into the nofc over half ?. »

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Waller raised his voice. " Think > I'm goin' ter stand the crew s chow, an fist 'em quiet from 'ere to the stuff an back to port?" he queried angrily. Graft stood facing him, fists tight, and Waller lost his self-control at the other's challenge. '• Yo\i ain't goin' ter rob 'Ooky Waller!" yelled the mate. "I'll tell the crew in the mornin' an' wot's m— Ah! would yer!',' The other leapt for him. Steele listened for a moment to the sounds that came up from below and then moved away. Quite suddenly a wave of fighting hate swept over him.' He seemed to see a line of men, from a crude, muscular, primitive man to one whom he recognised as his father, now dead. On each side of the deck they stood—fighters of the past; the line of Steele. His conscious self, beneath all the feeling of hate, and rage, wondered at the sudden, unexplainable desire to punch Graft's head. The phrase burnt in his brain: "He ain't quite like other men." Could Nellie Gates really have said that ? The thought drove him frantic. What did she want him to be ? Then across his mental vision flashed a picture. He saw himself as a Steele, following the line of his ancestors as a fighter. Suddenly he found he had wants as they had — wants he had not noticed before—command; power; and. most of all, a wife. The blood of the Steeles was aroused. And suddenly he saw the way he could fill his wants. Graft came on deck next morning swaggering as usual, and striding to the bridge he watched the crew working. The air of grievance was telling on the work of the men. "Say you!" he bawled, "put some ginger in it. Oh, you mutts! I'll give you all a nice party when we reach home! You shall have heaps of cake!" A touch on his arm made him wheel round. Before him stood Steele, pale but changed in expression. "Well, what do you want?" callenged the captain. The answer was startling. " I want to know why we're not homeward bound," said Steele with tightening jaw. The air seemed charged with electricity, making all hands stop work and cluster for'ard. They saw Graft's fist shoot out and knock Stegle clean off the bridge on to the deck below. The captain raced down the steps as Steele got up slowly. Graft confronted him, his face diabolical wth fury. " You swab!" he hissed, " do you know the bridge isn't for seamen scum ? Who the blazes do you think you are ?" Like a pistol shot snapped out the words," Your equal!" and Steele's fist caught the other's chin with a good half-arm jolt. Astonishment was on the faces of the crew as the captain got up and charged full on Steele; they presesd forward excitedly. Steele's mouth was tight; he was very pale, but he -measured the captain's rush with an exactitude any pro. might envy. Graft missed; wheeling with a terrible curse, he locked with Steele and they fell to the dock punching like wild men. Graft was first up and met Steele with a right that landed with a sickening crunch on the jaw. The crew's hopes fell ,with their mate. He rose; hesitated for a moment, looking up the dock as though seeing someone; and then suddenly his face twisted with rage. Hie pent-up mildness of years was snapped and he became a fighter, mad for his honour, filled with the lust to win. The two men battered each other, savagely, hut again and again Steele's right went full"to his opnonent"? stomach, until Graft pulled up. blown for a space, and then Steele went in with his mind full of the deeds of his ancestors and Nellie Gate's phrase. Graft had learned in a hard school; he still was game, and could fight any man—but not a madman, hacked by all his ancestors. Steele saw the end. his victory; and his hate was .concentrated as, for the last time, he stepped into the other's shaking guard. " Greens, I'll give yon fresh greens—hold this!" A mighty left smashed full into Graft's mouth, and. amid the cheers of the crew, he sank into the splashed deck, right out. Steele strode somewhat unsteadily to the bridge, while the hands clustered below joyfully. " Boys," he said, wiping away the blood that trickled into his eyes. " You've noticed Waller wasn't about to-day ? Graft's killed Waller—killed him last night in my watch. Why we altered our course was this. Graft was after a big dump of ambergris someone had pinched and hidden from a whaler. Waller wouldn't agree to share so they fought." He paused to let this sink into the minds of his listeners. " That man I'm going to put in irons before he's come round"—pointing to Graft—"and he'll take his stand before the law for his crime. The family of the Gates are going to have their ship hack and I'm to sail her to 'Frisco. Grinnell's mate from now on, and if anvhodv wants this shin they've got to fight me for it. Any offers ? " The crew's reply was a shout of delight. One and all felt that they were out of a nasty hole. Steele ordered Graft to be taken below and shackled, and with all hands once more at their posts, placed a broken-knuckled hand on the telegraph. "Full speed ahead!" rang down; and sweeping in a wide circle, the Freelance stood back on the course for 'Frisco — and Nellie Gates. Op. her bridge was the miracle of a man awakened —made, by the ghosts of his fathers.