And what a chest!Jeremy had never conceived that any human being could be so thick and so broad.The back,spreading to the farthest limits of the shiny seams of the coat,was like a wall.The thighs were pillows,the arms bolsters and yet not fat,mind you,simply muscle,all of it.One could see in a minute that it was all muscle,the chest thrust forward,the legs spread wide,the bull-neck bursting the handkerchief,everything that Jeremy himself most wished to be.A sailor,a monument of strength,with the scent of his "shag"strong enough to smell a mile away,and--yes,most marvellous of all,gold rings in his ears!His chest would be tatooed probably,and perhaps his legs also!
There,on the back of his hand,was a blue anchor.Jeremy looked up and trembled lest the vision should fade,then flung a hurried look around him to see whether Miss Jones were near.No one was about.He was alone with the desire of his life.
"I'm so so sorry I haven't a match,"he said."I'm not allowed to have them,you know.""No,I suppose not,"said the vision."Just my blamed luck.There I am with 'undreds of pounds lying around my room at 'ome careless as you please,and then held up for a bloomin'match.What's gold to a man like me?But a match .there you are .that's life."He looked at Jeremy with great interest;he took in,as Jeremy realised,every detail of his personal appearance.
"I like boys,"he said."'Ad two myself--'ealthy little nippers they was.Both dead-'ere to-day and gone to-morrer,as you might say.Got your nurse 'anging around anywhere?""Nurse?"said Jeremy indignantly."I don't have a nurse.I'm much too old!There is a governess,but she's over there talking to Mary.
She's my sister--but they won't bother yet--not till the Cathedral bell begins.""No intention of 'urting your feelings,young fellow my lad.Didn't think you'd want a nurse of course--big chap like you.Thought you might 'ave a baby brother or such.No offence--I suppose you 'aven't begun to smoke yet.Can't offer you some tobacco."Jeremy coloured.The man was laughing at him.
"I'm eight if you want to know,"he said,"and I'm going to school in September.""School!"said the mariner,sniffing contemptuously."I don't think much of school if you ask me.Now I never went to school,and I can't see that I'm much the worse for not 'aving been there.
Contrariwise--I've seen many a fine promising lad spoiled by too much schoolin'.Be a man of the world,I say;that's the direction you want to sail in.""Did you really never go to school?"asked Jeremy.
"Not I!"relied the sailor."Flung out at the age of six,I was,turned into a boat sailing to the West Indies and left to shift for myself--and 'ere I am to-day a Captain of as fine a craft as you're ever likely to see,with gold in 'er lockers and peacocks in the 'old--all in a manner of speaking,you know."Jeremy's eyes glittered;his face was flushed a brilliant red.
Hamlet had returned from his rabbit hunting and sat with his tongue out and a wild adventurous eye glittering up at his master from behind his hair,yet he was not noticed.
"You were very lucky,"he said devoutly,then he went on hurriedly:
"Would you mind--you see,Miss Jones may come at any moment--would you mind--"he choked.
"Would I mind what?"asked the Captain.
"Would you mind telling me?Are you tatooed on your body,snakes and ships and things,like a gardener once we had?He had a sea-serpent all down his back.He showed me one day."The Captain smiled proudly.
"Tatooed!Talk of tatooing!I'll show yer--and it isn't everybody I'd do it for neither.But I've taken a fancy to you,like my own young nipper what died."With an air of vast ceremony,as though he were throwing open the door to all the universe,he slowly unwound from about his neck the dark blue handkerchief,unbuttoned his coat,then a grimy shirt and displayed a wall of deep brown chest.This fine expanse had no hair upon it,but was illuminated with a superb picture of a ship in full sail against a setting sun,all worked in the most handsome of blue tatoo.Jeremy gasped.He had never dreamed that such things could be.He ventured to touch the ship with his finger,and he could feel the Captain's manly heart thumping like a muffled hammer beneath the skin.
"There's Queen Victoria on my right thigh and Nelson on my left,and the battle of Trafalgar on the middle of my back.P'raps I'll show 'em you one day.It wouldn't be decent exactly 'ere--too public.But one day you come to my little place and I'll show 'em you.""Will you really?"said Jeremy."Didn't it hurt terribly?""Hurt!"said the Captain."I should just think it did.I 'ad to put cotton wool behind my teeth to prevent myself from screaming.But that's nothing.What do you say to being tortured by the Caribbees natives every day after breakfast for three 'ole months.A tooth out a day--""But your teeth are all there,"said Jeremy.
"False,"said the Captain."Every one of 'em.And the things they'll do to your toenails--it 'ud make your 'air creep on your 'ead to listen to the things I could tell you--""Oh,it's awful!"said Jeremy."And where is your ship now?""Ah,my ship!"the Captain replied,winking in the most mysterious fashion;"it would be telling to say where that is.I can trust you,I know;I'm a great judge o'character,I am,but not even with my own mother,gone to glory now twenty years and as holy a soul as ever breathed,I wouldn't trust even 'er with the secret.""Why is it a secret?"asked Jeremy breathlessly.
"Treasure,"said the Captain,dropping his voice.
"Treasure,nothing less nor more.Between you and me there's enough gold on that there ship to satisfy the Prime Minister 'imself,to say nothing of the jewels--rubies,pearls,diamonds.My word,if you could see them diamonds.I'm looking about me now for an extra man or two,and then I'm off again--silent come,silent go's my motto--""I suppose you don't happen to want a cabin-boy?"gasped Jeremy,his voice choked in his throat.