Sail Ho! Part 38

"Bob!" I e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed, as a feeling of delight sent a flush of blood to my cheeks, and I felt hot and excited once more, "you don't mean to say that--"

"But I just do, sir. 'Tarn't likely I should run all this risk if I didn't mean it."

"You hear, Mr Frewen," I whispered.

"Yes, but--"

"Look here," said Bob Hampton, angrily, "am I to creep in and stuff something into your mouth, Mr Dale, sir? You don't know how sounds run on a still night like this. It's grim death for me if I'm found out."

"Then you are true to us all the same, Bob?" I cried, reaching out to lay my hand upon the man's shoulder.

"True as gorspel, sir; and ready along with Neb Dumlow and Barney Blane to pitch old Frenchy overboard, or drown him in a water-cask, if you say the word, or Mr Frewen either, though I'd rayther take it from you, my lad, as you're one of the officers of the Burgh Castle and it'd come better like than from our doctor, and no disrespectment either."

"How are we to know that we are to trust you, Hampton?" said Mr Frewen.

"Tell you dreckly, sir, soon as I can get foot-hold. I'm pretty strong in the arms, but you can't hang by them as long as you can stand on your legs, 'less you're born a monkey, which I warn't. You see there's no board nor nothing to get a foot on, and I knows without trying that I couldn't get through that window."

"How can we help him, Dale?" whispered Mr Frewen. "I suppose we must trust him?"

"Trust him? Yes, of course. Stop a moment. Yes, I know." Then thrusting my arms out--"Hold hard a minute, Bob," I whispered. "Let me get hold of the rope and haul up the end."

"What for, lad?"

"For us to draw in here and make fast, then you can stand in the bight like a stirrup."

"Well, you are a wunner, Mr Dale, sir," he replied. "Haul away, there's plenty down below; I should never have thought of that."

In a very few seconds I had pulled in the lower part of the rope by which he was swinging, got hold of the dripping end and pa.s.sed it to Mr Frewen, letting the rest fall back like a big loop, but not so quietly as I could have wished. Then we hauled in slowly, till after a little management we had the bight so exactly adjusted that Bob Hampton's feet rested upon it while we held the rope tight.

"Hah!" he whispered, with his face close to the cabin-window, "that rests my flippers. Mind, I'm going to ease off a bit now, but if you two slacken down I shall go, and there won't be time to say good-bye."

"You may trust us, Bob," I said.

"Ay, ay, my lad, I will, and the least thing as you can do is to trust me and my mates."

"I will, Bob, and I'm sure Mr Frewen will, but we couldn't help thinking you were a traitor."

"Course you couldn't, lad. On'y nat'ral. But you see now as it was on'y make-believe."

"There's my hand, Hampton," said Mr Frewen.

"Thankye kindly, sir. That sounds English, on'y I can't give it a grip, 'cause I'm holding on. But if you'd just stuff one finger in my mouth I'll bite it if you like, to show I mean square and honest by you all."

"Never mind that, Hampton," said Mr Frewen; "we'll take it as being all right."

"Right it is then," said Bob Hampton, with a satisfied grunt, "on'y let's speak gently."

"Can you help us to escape, Bob?" I whispered. "Can't we re-take the s.h.i.+p?"

"Steady, my lad, don't get out o' breath. That's what we come about, and Neb Dumlow's bylin' over to do it."

"Tell us first what is the state of affairs," said Mr Frewen.

"State of affairs is, that all the orficers and you the doctor, along with the pa.s.sengers, is prisoners, and Frenchy Jarette's skipper of the Burgh Castle, with that there rat of a 'prentice or middy, or whatever he calls hisself, first mate."

"But where are we going?" said Mr Frewen.

"n.o.body knows but Frenchy, and there is times when I think he don't know. For he's as mad as a whole cargo o' hatters or he'd never ha'

done what he has. But look sharp, sir, I can't stop long. If he found out, he'd cut the rope and send me adrift as soon as look at me, and that would be a pity, 'cause if there's one man as I do respeck and like it's Bob Hampton, mariner, spite of his looks."

"Yes, we'll be quick," said Mr Frewen.

"Is anything the matter?" came in a loud whisper.

"Oh lor'! Here I goes," groaned Bob Hampton.

"No, no; it's all right," I whispered. "That was only Mr Preddle."

"I thought it was Frenchy, sir."

"Hus.h.!.+ No, nothing wrong. Help come," whispered Mr Frewen. "Wait!"

Then coming back to the window--

"Now, Hampton, what can you suggest?"

"Well, sir, I've been thinking that if you gents--Pst!"

He ceased whispering in at the cabin-window, for just then we heard steps overhead as if two people were walking along the deck, and directly after I could make out voices in eager conversation fairly loud for a few moments, and then they died away, and I knew by the sounds that the speakers had gone right aft. Then Jarette's voice was heard making inquiries of the man at the wheel, to whom he stopped talking for a few minutes, which seemed to extend into an age of anxiety to me who listened so anxiously and in such dread lest the scoundrel should return and lean over the bulwark, or run his hand along, feel the rope, and so discover poor Hampton. Then I felt sure that he would have no hesitation in cutting him adrift, and that meant death to a brave and true man.

I felt a horrible pang of dread at these thoughts, and softly thrusting out my hand, I felt for and gripped Bob Hampton's great paw as it held on to the rope, and then whispering to Mr Frewen to do the same, I took tightly hold of the man's wrist with some idea of saving him if the scoundrel on deck should hear, and cut the rope.

The next minute, to my horror, as with one hand grasping the rope and the other Bob Hampton's arm, Mr Frewen and I stood face to face close to the cabin-window, we heard the voices on deck come nearer, then stop just overhead, and as far as I could judge, the speaker stood leaning against the bulwarks, so that we could distinctly hear Walters say--

"Why don't you send them all adrift in one of the boats?"

"Because we are not near enough to land, my son," replied Jarette; "and I am so anxious about my young lieutenant. It would grieve me to death to see him hung for a pirate."

"I wish you would talk common-sense, Jarette, and not be so fond of chaffing me. You'll make me wish some day that I had not joined you."

The Frenchman laughed derisively. "Why, my little brave," he cried, "what a dust-filled-eyed one you think me. Do I not know that you have been in a tremble ever since?"

"No, you don't," said Walters, sharply. "I'm sure I've done everything I can."

"My faith, yes; we will say it is so," said Jarette, with another sneering laugh. "It is wonderful how nervous men are who have their necks in the noose--boys too."

At that moment we felt Hampton softly loosen his hold of the rope with one hand, and pa.s.s it and his arm in at the window so as to get a grip inside, for evidently he expected that the rope would be discovered and cut. Though even then, unless Jarette were willing to save him, it would only be prolonging his existence for a few minutes, since it would have been impossible for us to draw so bulky a man through the circular hole which lit and ventilated Mr Frewen's cabin.

But he was safe for the time, come what might, and we remained there listening to the conversation overhead, gathering that there was very little friends.h.i.+p existing between Walters and his new captain, who let us know that he was in great perplexity about his prisoners, and certainly not in the mind then to end their lives. What might happen afterwards we could not say.