Picked up at Sea Part 25

As the stranger vessel approached nearer with the intention of speaking, as he could understand, he lowered the revolver which he had held for more than a minute pressed against the first mate's forehead. But he had it still in his hand, as the trembling Tompkins was aware, ready for action, only that its muzzle was now touching his side instead of his temple.

"Now, answer correctly," whispered the corsair in the mate's ear, in a fierce thrilling whisper that penetrated through every fibre of his body, when the hail of the British man-of-war rang out in the air.--"Answer as I told you, or you are a dead man, if fifty English frigates were alongside!"

STORY TWO, CHAPTER SEVEN.

THE LAST OF THE OLD s.h.i.+P.

It was not an English frigate, as might have been supposed, from the observation of the pirate chief, but one of those despatch vessels that we usually keep in eastern waters in attendance on our Mediterranean fleet; and being a steamer, of course she could arrest her progress, and remain in proximity to the _Muscadine_ without the necessity of laying-to like a sailing-s.h.i.+p, or any trouble save slacking speed.

"Answer," repeated the corsair sternly, still in the same melodramatic whisper, enforcing his order with a dig of the revolver barrel in Tompkins' side.

"The _Mus_--" began the mate in faltering accents. But another savage dig of the pistol improved his articulation, and he shouted out, as loud almost as if he had a speaking-trumpet like the officer who had hailed them.

"The _Muscadine_ of Bristol," he cried with all the power of his lungs, "from Beyrout to Smyrna with a.s.sorted cargo."

"Any news from the Levant?" was the next query from the s.h.i.+p-of-war.

"Stop, I'll send a boat aboard."

This, however, was the last thing which the corsair desired, and he impressed some whispered instructions rapidly on Mr Tompkins, with the a.s.sistance again of the pistol barrel; and that worthy spoke equally rapidly, to prevent the other vessel from lowering a boat, which they were on the point of doing, as they could hear the men piped away by the boatswain's call for the purpose.

"Fever very bad at Beyrout," sang out the first mate, again, inspired by his tutor. "Had to leave half crew in hospital! Short-handed! Can you lend us a few men? Who shall we report as having met us?"

This answer at once arrested the intention of the commander of the despatch vessel, and prevented his sending a boat to them--as the corsair had surmised it would, from the fear of his bluejackets catching the infection, Syrian fevers being as much dreaded in the Mediterranean as the plague--for the reply shouted back was an apology for non-communication or help.

"Sorry for you, but cannot spare any men! You'll have to go into quarantine at Smyrna. Report _H.M.S. Batrachia_, from the Dardanelles to Malta."

And then, in obedience to the orders of the officer on the bridge, the despatch vessel circled round again on her way; and putting on full steam was soon lost to sight in a cloud of black smoke far-away to leeward.

To the captain and two lads below it was the keenest agony to hear the welcome hail of the English steamer followed by the mate's prevaricating reply, when they were certain that but one single word as to the real truth of the case would have summoned their countrymen to their rescue, and ensured the punishment of their lawless captors.

Of course they knew that Mr Tompkins had acted under intimidation, having been compelled to give the answers he did and prevented from calling for a.s.sistance; but both Tom and Charley would have died rather than have sacrificed the chance of their comrades' escape through any morbid fear as to their own personal safety.

They could not speak to each other, being gagged, and having a couple of a.s.sa.s.sin--looking scoundrels mounting guard over them in addition, as they lay where they were thrown down on the floor of the main cabin; but their eyes said, as plainly as eyes could speak, the thoughts that were uppermost in the mind of each--a feeling of disappointment at the hope of a rescue being so rudely dispelled when it looked so imminent, and a sense of disgust at the disgraceful cowardice of the mate.

It may seem strange that the corsair, who had spared the lives of the captain and the remainder of the crew of the _Muscadine_, and appeared really on such jovial terms with his prisoners up to the moment of his going below with Captain Harding to look at the s.h.i.+p's papers, should all at once change his demeanour and come out in his true colours; but, the matter is easy enough of explanation.

The corsair had been led to think that the merchant s.h.i.+p was freighted with a valuable cargo of silk and tobacco, the bulk of which he could have readily transferred to the felucca, as they were handy of s.h.i.+pment; consequently, when he found out that the vessel was only half-loaded with wine and fruit, which would require considerable storage room, and be then almost valueless in the only markets he could command, his rage knew no bounds. Added to this, Captain Harding, acting under a sense of duty to his owners, had concealed the fact of his possessing a considerable sum of money on board in drafts on bankers at Smyrna; while the pirate chief, supposing that he did have money, looked to find it in specie, and was correspondingly disappointed a second time. And thus it was that he was sorry at having spared the lives of the Englishmen after the fray had occurred; although he regretted that he had planned the capture of the s.h.i.+p at all, and placed himself and his companions in peril for a prize that was uncommonly like the king of Siam's present of a white elephant to one he meant to ruin; for it was useless to him, and he could not destroy the vessel or abandon it where she was, in the regular waterway of communication between the cities of the East, for fear of her being discovered, and he and his band of desperadoes pursued before they had ensured their safety by flight. He wished now to get rid of the s.h.i.+p, and secure whatever of her cargo he could carry away-- for his men must have some booty to repay their trouble and risk; but he must seek some out-of-the-way spot first, where he might unload her, and then, as he told his prisoners, burn her--and them, too, as far as he cared--to destroy all traces of his handiwork and the possibility of detection. Had he not thought it worth his while, he would certainly never have attacked the vessel.

To tell the truth, the corsair was in a quandary; so, when the smoke of the man-of-war steamer had melted into the air, he summoned Captain Harding and the rest on deck again, and having their gags removed, interrogated them once more.

"You say, captain," said he, knitting his brows and looking the skipper straight in the eyes, to see whether he was telling the truth, "that you have no money, beyond the few piastres and two or three English sovereigns I saw in your desk in the after cabin?"

The honest seaman could not tell a lie even to an enemy and a robber as this man was--at least, not unblus.h.i.+ngly; so, unlike his usual way, he could not face his questioner, but gazed down on the planking of the deck as he spoke.

"No--that is, yes," replied the captain hesitatingly: it was very different to his round, bluff way of bringing out his sentences with an honest straightforwardness.

"You had better be careful," said the other in a threatening manner.

"It is strange that you should be bound to Smyrna for more cargo, and not have the wherewithal to purchase it with! Have you got any more money or not? Reflect, it is the last time I shall ask you the question."

Mr Tompkins stood by unbound, while his fellow-prisoners had their hands bound behind their backs, and their legs likewise tied. He thought it a mark of the higher consideration in which he was held, whereas the corsair considered he wasn't worth the trouble of binding, being one who would not have the pluck to help himself or his fellows.

Unbound he was, however; and, anxious to ingratiate himself further with those in power, the mate up and spoke, heedless of Captain Harding's angry exclamation to hold his tongue, and the boys' cries of "Shame!"

"The captain forgets," Mr Tompkins said, addressing himself to the corsair. "He might not have hard cash, but he has a draft, I know, on a firm at Smyrna."

"Oh-ho!" exclaimed the pirate chief, a gleam of triumphant satisfaction pa.s.sing over his face for an instant, and then vanis.h.i.+ng as he again confronted the captain sternly.

"I thought an Englishman's word was his bond through the world," he said in a scornful tone, which made the captain redden as his conscience accused him of having told an untruth, or at all events, of having been guilty of an evasion.

"It wasn't my money," he said, as if to extenuate his previous denial.

"Then you have got a draft, such as this fellow speaks of?" continued the corsair, pointing contemptuously with his foot at the mate, with a kick.

"Yes," said the captain.

"Where is it?"

"In a note-book in the pocket of that coat of mine you've got on," said Captain Harding, with a gesture at the borrowed monkey-jacket which the other still wore.

"Oh, thanks! Then it is quite handy," said the corsair, clapping his hand in the breast-pocket of the appropriated garment, and producing a thick Russian leather wallet, which he proceeded to open with nervous hands.

"Respect my private papers," said the captain, as the other fumbled amidst a ma.s.s of memoranda and other doc.u.ments. "There is only one draft there, and nothing else valuable, I pledge you my word."

"Honour?" asked the other.

"On my honour there is not," replied Captain Harding with dignity. "I never said that when you asked me about money in the cabin; so, you may believe me."

"I do believe you, captain," said the pirate chief with a light laugh, which might have been caused by the sight of a banker's draft which he unfolded at the moment, as much as by his words. "I give you the credit of not being able to tell a lie with any spirit, as you tried to do just now. Here are your papers; this will be enough for me." And he then read out the draft, which ran as follows:--

"From Bracegirdle, Pollyblank, and Company, s.h.i.+p and Insurance Agents, Birchin Lane, London, to Miguel, Mavrocordato, and Thoma.s.son, Freres, Fruit Merchants and General s.h.i.+ppers, Smyrna, 17th March, 1881. At three days' sight pay to John Harding, master of the s.h.i.+p _Muscadine_, or order, the sum of one thousand five hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling. Value received.

"1575 pounds, 0 s.h.i.+llings 0 pence. Bracegirdle, Pollyblank and Co."

"This is a very nice little sum of money," said the corsair complacently, restored to all his previous good humour; "a very nice little sum of money!"

"Wait till you get it," said Captain Harding gruffly, by no means pleased at the other's satisfaction.

"Oh, I shall get it easily enough," replied the corsair airily. "You've only to put your signature to it, and the thing's done."

"When I sign it," said the captain, pointedly.

"Ah! my dear captain, there will be no bother about that, when I ask you politely," retorted the pirate chief, with a significant look, which did not have the slightest effect on the brave sailor--indeed it only made him smile.

"We will see," was all he said in reply, but his determined expression of face added the rest.

"I can wait," answered the other; "so we will not argue the point, for at present I have got more pressing matters to attend to."