"Be careful, please," I added quickly; "my arm's very bad, and you'll
hurt me."
"Careful!" cried Ike; "I'll shake it as easy as if it was a young shoot
o' sea-kale, boy. There, hear him, master! Hear what this here boy
says!"
He shook hands with me, I dare say thinking he was treating me very
gently, but he hurt me very much. The grip of his hard brown hand alone
was bad enough, but I bore it all as well as I could, and tried to smile
in the rough fellow's face.
"That's the sort as I like," he said in a good-humoured growl. "Put
that down on the slate. That's being a trump, that is; and we two's
shipmates after this here."
Old Brownsmith did not speak, and Ike went on: "I say, master, what a bad un you do think me! I'd ha' hated myself as
long as I lived, and never forgive myself, if I'd done such a thing.
Look ye here--my monkey's up now, master--did yer ever know me ill-use
the 'orses?"
"No, Ike," said Old Brownsmith shortly.
"Never once. There's the white, and I give it a crack now and then; but
ask either Capen or Starlit, and see if ever they've got anything agen
me. And here's a man as never ill-used a 'orse, and on'y kicked young
Shock now and then when he'd been extry owdacious, and you say as I
tried to upset the load on young un here. Why, master, I'm ashamed on
yer. I wouldn't even ha' done it to you."
I felt sorry for Ike, and my sympathies were against Old Brownsmith, who
seemed to be treating him rather hardly, especially when he said
shortly: "Did you fasten off that hind rope?"
"Yes, master, I did fasten off that hind rope," growled Ike.
"Then, now you're out o' breath with talking, go and get your sleep.
Don't start later than twelve."
Ike uttered a low grunt, and went off with his hands in his pockets, and
Old Brownsmith came and laid his hand upon my shoulder.
"Pretty well bed-time, Grant, my boy. Let's go in."
I followed him in, feeling rather low-spirited, but when he had lit a
candle he turned to me with a grim smile.
"Ike didn't like what I said to him, but it won't do him any harm."
I looked at him, wondering how he could treat it all so coolly, but he
turned off the conversation to something else, and soon after he showed
me my bedroom--a neat clean chamber at the back, and as I opened the
window to look out at the moon I found that there was a vine growing up
a thick trellis right up to and round it, the leaves regularly framing
it in.