KOMFY AND THE KING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5762, 5 January 1897, Page 4

KOMFY AND THE KING.

/ [Bt G. Hawley.] (Sti-aurt Magazine.) Picture a long, roiling sea, and a low, stormy sky ; light up the westward with a baleful glow as if a furnace door, leagues wide, were flung open ; switch across a thin band of black purple where the lurid clouds join the sea ; cover all the water with a sheet of rushing spray like steam ; then imagine a hot, roaring wind, driving a tumbled old ship along Avith a snowwhite bed of foam ever rolling from tlie bows; and you have the Ariadne, with Monte Video for the purple streak astern, and the hot " pampero " blowing. The ship was the last afloat or in a wrecker's yard to take, to herself such a name. She was a rusty, paint-begrudged 'old barque, hog- backed, too. Her sails were ill-fitting, arid patched in every seam ; at present she did not show! much of them. Her inky-black spars were nearly stripped. She roiled and plunged, creaked and groaned, while the crew snugged her down ii or the gale. They matched the ship. The men in the waist had stopped with the ropes half coiled on the pins. Some thing had happened. They were staring aft at the ship's officers, and they in their turn were staring over the captain's shoulders into the cabin. A little mite of a girl, not more than four years old, sat on the locker under the skylight, and soberly gazed back at the heads in the doorway. She had a bright blue cloak round her, and a vivid yellow handkerchief over her curls and tied under her chin. It was like the setting of a bunch of flowers in a marine store. Now, this ship of all ships was branded " tramp," from her copperless. keel to her paintless truck. Since daybreak all hands had been trimming the ship to run, and here was breakfast-time, and the ship snugged down— and a passenger ! Never before had one crossed her deck or stowed a trunk in her cabin. And here was one below," and'that- one, of all people, a helpless child ! . "Where did you come from? Who brought you here ? " gasped the old man, at the little, yellow-decked head. " Junie. tooked me, an' l'm Belle Steve, •d. injineer's nino," said the little one, with .confidence. The old man rubbed his nose and mopped his hot face. " Well ! " turning to his officers, " this is a bare pole-sarcher. Nobody know ? Here, Komfy, smart, you limb of the dark." "Ise coming, sah," and the black cook hurried from the galley. "Who's this?" "Lady passenger, sah ! " " Can't I ' see ? But who in thunder brought her on board ? " "Lady bro't her at daybreak. Said us take mos' big care of her. So promised, sah." " You addle-headed nigger. Why didn't you tell, her we arn't a passenger boat? •Why didn't.you fetch me?" "'Scuse me, sah; you mighty busy in de dark, an' de lady said all her baggage in your' cabin 'waiting her ma.' '' " Utter nonsense. Nobody brought any. Ifs a put-up — — Lord, I see it ! " turning to the mates. "Some silly woman has mistaken us for the Europa, and here we are howling out to sea and hot a ghost of a chance to put back. Whew ! Let's ..think.it out.*"

' Thie7conrtVoif inquiry, adjourned to the Ideckandthe nigger',pe*«s,ed;in.,.' 77 ; 7 The .'captain' scowled" at the spreading fire-cploured: vapours .'rolling. up astern.' Then he cast a sour glance at the ".railing foam in the wake. He ragged his beard glumly. "Guess we'll have enough to do to hold our scalps on before dark. There's no- putting back against that ! " The officers nodded in unison. He broke out again. " This is a fix ! Why, she ain't any togs ! Only, a stand-up kit. Oh ! if my ; old woman weren'tin Bootle." He moved to the skylight. "Komfy! get the kid something to eat." " Dats what dis son's doing of, sah." I ' " And something to drink." I" "Yea, sah! How much water am Ito put in dr um?" " None, you scallywag. Give it milk and water and some sugar, d'y hear ?" " Mos' certain, sah." "And send the carpenter aft to fix a i berth up for her." • The old man swung up and down, peering under the eaves of his eyebrows at the ever-spreading dull glow, as 7 he paced aft, and at the straining, scant sail, as he paced forward. At every halt he shook his head and muttered : "No help now, she's got to go." The. day wore on and it came to night. The ship was far off the land, and racing over hilk and through white phosphorescent valleys of water. She leapt, and Reeled, and burst shuddering through the rolling seas. The "pampero" screamed and whistled through the weather-beaten cordage. Men splashed along the flooded decks in short runs, when the watch time came, to relieve the wheel ; and the men from the wheel crept limp and aching to the fo'c'sle. : In the cabin the little nino lay in the j berth watching, with wide-open eyes the 1 black shadows -froim; the ; lamp crawl'jto ahd fro-' oh the' deck .above; - She heard ■the dull-thuds of the ! seavbreaking over, the rstern • how . and- again short rushes of heavyrbobted men, and the flinging down of ropes answered loud orders roared on deck. Ever and again wet oilskin-covered •men camein., , Then. the nino's eyes closed, for the men came softly— though the old ship's timbers creaked and groaned ter-ribly-—and gently fastened the bedding more, securely in the new bunk. At last the tired eyes closed in earnest, and Belle fell asleep without/ fear. She had been born on i;he Pampas, and the' town child's littie trick- of questioning was not hers. She had only seen implicit obedience to her father's orders. , And Belle had come down noble Parana river a thousand miles, with a kiss from her father, to sail with her mother.

, Surely. the little nino. was not afraid to be among these sailors After passing down the river with half savages. And the wind and plunging ship ! What were they after the. dark, trackless forests, brooding under the noonday sun ? And the night . time, .when they were on fire for leagues, and wild; things howled and screamed and fouglit on the banks, and swam round the boat with gleaming eyes ? They had told her to sleep then, and she had slept. " You. must be a good nino," her father had said. So Belle was a good -nino. The morning broke, and the ship had outrun the "pampero." Aloft and on the decks men were busy covering the naked spars with swelling sails. The rising sun brightened the smoke eddying from the galley chimney. It rose higher, and crept under the foot of the foresail, and every time the ship stooped her old square bows a flash of light swept into the galley. Komfy was there resplendent in a soldier's red coat and white belt. It was Sunday morning. He was scratching his wool in deep perplexity. The fresh milk had been finished last night, yet the nino must have breakfast. On the poop the captain and second mate tramped up and down. They were perplexed, too. The old man wagged his head. " Well, M'Binks, I take it that duty's duty, whether it's a woman's or a man's. Now, being no woman here, and the duty to be done — mind yeu — none of our bringing — why, we've got to do it. Lucky the little chip ain't sick." The mate burst out enthusiastically: " Now; that's what I was thinking. This nipper's got points about her. My kids have to be coaxed and kissed and banged to make 'em go to bed. Why, bless me, after we shipped that big sea, I slipped down to see if' she were all right. Not turned a finger ! Lay thero a smiling in her sleep ! However, the duty's to be done, captain, as you say, and more ■ so as we'rp both married men and nippers of our own." The two men pulled themselves together and gingerly entered the cabin." The ; skipper slipped his head out again and sent a scixinre, forcible command to koep the ship steady. • . 7 " V Belle was sitting up in hei* berth. " Please, may I get up ?" .'.-•.. j ; "Bless your heart, of course. > Hold on,

now." They helped her out and began to undertake their " duty." The lead-line J cask was half filled with warm water, and they commenced to tub the child. The second mate produced a " levy " of handkerchiefs to act as towels. It was wonderful to see the big, knotted brown hands of the skipper pat, patting so gently the little, rosy back. Belle was dried, and sat on a reefer waiting orders. The two old men were staring at one another and then at the little heap of clothes. They were lost in dismay. The skipper whispered — at least he meant to, but it was a good-toned rumble—" Which came off last ?" "Dunno," said the mate, rubbing hischin. Belie said. "Please, may I put my .things on ?" Both men slapped one another'sjknees. " Now, there's a clipper for you!" and forth-with made a fence of their big' fists round her, for the ship was still rolling. The dressing difficulty was no sooner got over than another cropped up. Komfy reported "No milk!" But this was triumphantly got over in the same way. The little one could drink coffee and eat bacon. " Well," said the old man as he turned in, "things don't look so black windward now." '■'■ Belle went on deck in the cook's arms. She shouted with delight as the seas rolled up and swept along the old tramp's sides. And when duty called Komfy to his galley, wasn't there the whole fo'c'sle crowd waiting to train as nurses ?— sea nurses, that is. That afternoon the ,sailmaker entered the cabin as a dressmaker. He had much advice, though but little material. However, there were some odd remnants of ounting ..lying in; the, lockers, a.nd what was lacking in style was made up in colour. The ship steadily ploughed her easting to get the S.E. trades. As the days went hy the nino became a centre from which all things were ruled. It was a dirty day: well, the best hands were at the wheel dogging the old square bows through the seas, as dry as dry could be. It was a fine day : gocd ; a swing was rigged up under the boom, and the nino swung and watched the blue seas run past, and saw the clouds solemnly sailing up from the horizon. But of all her new friends the negro was the chief. On a fine day, and work done, he would seat the nino on the galley locker and shut the weather door. "Put on soldier," the nino would say, and Komfy presently strutted in with his red coat and white belt and saluted gloriously. Then, as the dusk fell, he and the nino would watch the purple deepening on the sea, and here and there a trembling, star peep out from the sky, and watch and watch until the Southern Cross was glittering overhead. " There goes d' dragon," the nino would say. Then the nigger's yellow eye-balls shone in the firelight as he eerily whispered, "Whof fo' you call de clou' d' dragon ?" "Dey swallow up de stars at night. See! dere he go, he's eaten half d' cross up!" The nigger would rumble a big, deep "O — oo — aye," and crane his head round the door and whisper in thrilling confidence to one of the watch smoking under the galley lee : " Dis chile in heah Obee ■ chile, an' can put the blight on yo. — soh mind !" ■ ■ . »

Then the hoarse voice of the skipper would ioll.alohg the dark deck. - ."Bedtime, Belle Steve's nino! Lay. along, Komfy. Steady at the wheel while •aheieomes." It was Komfy's part to march aft and hand' her to the skipper, solemnly salute; and return his coat to its box, ready for the next day. It came to the last day of the easting, and sorrow came on board. The sky was fall of dragons that night, and the nino was tired. In the morning her breakfast was untouched. Komfy was deep in woe. " I'se made it clar an' juicy, whof fo' you no eat him ?" But the little head was weary. It was hot, too, and wanted to keep it down. That afternoon found the old man and the mates sitting round the berth, helpless as children to face the trouble. . The nino was delirious and talking fast in a strange tongue. The medicine chest was open on the floor, and exposed its shameless array of empty holes and halffilledbottles. The old man turned the leaves of the medicine-book with his big, rough thumb. "Now, if it was only yellow-jack or cholera — see, we could just mix up for that — is there enough in that one ? Yes." "But it' ain't," broke in 'the mate. " It's likely one of them cussed shore fevers." He turned round and replaced the clothes the little, restless hands threw oif. The old man closed the book and sat staring across the cabin, ruefully shaking his head. There came a patter of bare feet, and Komfy's big frame loomed dark against the twilight streaming through the cabin door. " Cap'n, ship way to wind'ud, big ship, an' mos' shuah of doctah !" The old man seized the glasses, but the mate took them from him and sprang up the rigging in big lifts. : "Make sail; sir," he hailed down. "She ? s a passenger boat, dead true." And he came surging down the ' rigging. <•■.■-'■■•

rThen the old : man's voice broke out, and the . hands below tumbled out and leaped aloft. "More sail! Another sweat on the sheet forward there. Stand along, you holy-grub scoffers ! Another sweat on the main-tack. Smar. now! altogether, make your bowline screech forward there I tell you. , Lift it, lift it. That's the style.

''More sail yet ! She'll stand it. Smart, boys. Hold on all. Home with the sheets. Let her have it. Let her have it ! She's got to go. Soh! coil up, men, and get your wind." And the crowd of hot, panting men trirumed the loose ;ends, and hung on to the belaying-pins from sheer exhaustion. / The old barque leant over, and lifted and* bxvrst at the seas ; the foam roared in her hawse and over the -catheads. It swilled along the decks and burst at the poop^break. The night-wind roared up with the dark. The reeling masts whipped at the dragons racing up between them and the distant ship. On, and on— there ! the far ship" had, vanished in the darkness. A rocket flauied up fi'oin the barque's deck — another, and yet another ; until at last a faint streak of fire shot up on the horizon and burst into a little cluster of falling stars. The - dragons could not swallow them, they were too quick. Komfy chuckled as he hung in the rigging, watching. On roared the barque through the dark seas ; on, until a shadow began to grow ahead and twinkling lights break out. On, until she swept under the stern of the shadowy mass, from which came the surging volleys of beating sails and chafing gear. A hail came across the black sea. " "What d'you want?" ''■ Got a doctor ? " " Aye, aye." " Stand by for our boat." Komfy was the first man in the barque's boat as it left the side. Before another ten minutes had passed, a skilful hand was feeling the little wrist , and smoothing the hot brow, while the grizzled old skipper and his mates gathered round the little ship thafc labcfured so heavily in the sea of fever. Hope and fear, fear and hojie, chased ono another in the dingy cabin. Hope at last drove fear away to tho dragons and tho dark, wet night.- --" AVe'll tow the little ship into port, yet. Captain, some hot blankets." . "Aye, aye. . Hot blankets 'tis, sir ! " And away they rushed, and the sparks swirled up from Komfy's chimney. There was running of men like powder monkeys, with the blankets rolled tight and hot under their jackets. " Captain," said the doctor, in a lull, . " you've given us - a terror of a chase. We're the Europa, and have this little one's mother on board. Don't signal who • you are till we get this nino standing into port." • "Aye, aye." . And. through the night the men sat round the doctor, and as the little brow grew, moist and the littlo hands grew quiet, they nodded and- slapped' .one, another's knees. Komfy at the door, seeing this,

passed the new 3 forward in a howl of triumph. And from the Danes, Finns, Swedes and English of the forecastle a rolling cheer went across the night to the shadowy ship beyond. Back in its proper time came the answering echo, for it is the law of the Goth crowd that a cheer must be answered by a cheer, and a blow by a blow, the second one . being, heavier than the one received. N When the sun leapt up (there was not a i dragon in the sky) the mother was on \ board the old tramp. She was kneeling by the little berth, crying and laughing by turns, and kissing the little brown hands. The two ships were heading for San Roche together : the big clipper with shortened sail to keep pace with the old, square-bowed tramp. Three days thus, and then the Ariadne's rigging was covered with her crew cheering three times three to Belle as they carried her up tyie big ship's side. And all the time the little nino watched the red coat in the rigging until it was lost amidst the patched and dingy huddle of the old tramp's sails dropping astern. At sunset the clouds were packed on the horizon, and the distant ship seemed to lose its way among them and disappear. A cloud high up took on to itself a red glow from the setting sun. The nino cried to her mother- "See, d' dragons have swallowed all but Komfy. See, see, he's climbed up sky to fight dem. Fight, Komfy !"