The Castaways Part 17

to have no more truck with them other chaps; they're no better than murderers; they've mide up their minds to leave you and the lidy aboard; and there's no movin' of 'em from that."

"All right, my lad," said I. "You will find, before many hours are over your head, that you have made a wise choice. Can you read?"

The fellow intimated that he could.

"Then," said I, "I will write out such instructions as it will be necessary for me to give you, and you must find an opportunity to read them over, un.o.bserved by the rest. And you must also obey them to the letter; for upon your obedience will depend the success or failure of my scheme."

With which I left him, and went below for my s.e.xtant.

Upon working out the result of my meridian observation, I found that we were close upon one hundred and forty miles from Staten Island, which bore North by East a quarter East of us--a distance which might be traversed in less than forty-eight hours by a properly-equipped boat, in fine weather. But what if it should come on to blow again? It was a contingency that I did not care to contemplate. There was one point in our favour: the mercury was rising slowly and steadily; and, please G.o.d, if we were able to leave the brig in good time we might succeed in reaching shelter of some sort before the setting-in again of bad weather. And, in any case, it was a contingency that had to be faced, since it was perfectly clear, by this time, that the brig had been so severely battered and strained during the late gale that nothing we could do would avail to keep her afloat much longer.

Having p.r.i.c.ked off the brig's position on the chart, I proceeded to write out my instructions to the man Harry. It may perhaps be thought that, in committing those instructions to paper, I was doing an imprudent thing--that I was, in fact, furnis.h.i.+ng irrefutable evidence of my intentions, should the man choose to play me false, and show the paper to his companions. But I had faith in the fellow; there was an honest look in his eyes; and the fact that he had of his own free will warned me of the other men's intentions was another point in his favour.

And, last but not least, I believed that he had wit enough to see that he would be better serving his own interests by attaching himself to me than by throwing in his lot with the others, and that consequently he would have no interest in playing me false; I therefore unhesitatingly handed him his instructions at the first opportunity, and left him to carry them out with as little delay as possible.

Upon returning to the deck, after working out my sights, I found that the men had knocked off pumping, but were hanging about the deck, as though waiting for something, instead of going below to dinner. And presently I found out what was in the wind, the man known as Sam stepping forward to inquire whereabout my observation placed the s.h.i.+p.

I told him.

"Then," said he, "if we steers nothe-an'-by-east a quarter east, steady, we're bound to fetch this here Staten Hiland, are we?"

"Certainly," said I. "And I hope that we shall make it some time the day after to-morrow."

"The day a'ter to-morrer!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the man. "Do ye mean with this here brig?"

"No," said I; "I mean with the boats. The brig could never fetch it, in her present disabled condition, except with a fair wind, even if you could keep her afloat so long, which I do not for a moment believe."

A grim smile of satisfaction--which the fellow strove to conceal-- flickered for a moment over his rugged, sullen features, and then he turned away, without another word, and slouched forward, followed by his companions. As for me, I went aft and took the wheel from the man who was tending it; and, as soon as he had disappeared, lashed it, and set about certain preparations that I felt it was now high time to make.

These did not occupy me long, and upon their completion I went below, where--the cook and Steward having been busy at the pumps all the morning--Florence was awaiting me with a good, appetising dinner prepared by herself. While we were discussing the meal together--the steward having gone forward with the others--I told my companion that the supreme moment was at hand when it would be necessary for us to make a bold dash for our lives, and I warned her to prepare for it by putting all her slender stock of clothing together in a parcel, and to be ready to act with me at a moment's notice as soon as the boats were in the water. She received my intelligence very quietly, and although she lost her colour and became marble-white to the lips for perhaps a minute while I explained my plans, her courage never faltered; and when I had finished she put her hand in mine, with the simple remark:

"Very well, Charlie dear; you have only to tell me what you wish me to do, and you will find me obedient in every particular."

Meanwhile, the wind, which had been blowing a strong breeze at breakfast-time, had been dropping steadily all through the day, until toward the close of the afternoon it had softened down to the strength of a royal breeze, with a corresponding diminution in the height of the sea; yet it was evident that it would not be possible to safely lower a boat for some hours to come. But that the men were eager to be off was also perfectly evident, for instead of manning the pumps again after dinner, they had spent the entire afternoon hanging about the decks, inspecting and overhauling the boats, getting provisions, water, and other necessaries together--the cook lighting a fire in the galley, and boiling a considerable quant.i.ty of meat in the coppers--while, at intervals, one or another of them would sound the well, and report the result to his comrades; their actions being marked by a curious commingling of stealthiness and candour, as though they were quite unable to decide whether to keep their intentions a secret from me, or whether it would be possible to still more completely hoodwink me by a pretence of being perfectly frank and open. At length, however, the latter plan seemed to be the favoured one; for about sunset the man Sam came to me with the information that they, had decided to leave the brig at daybreak, and they'd be glad to know whether I thought the hooker 'd keep above water until then without pumpin'. Before replying, I inquired what depth of water there was then in the hold, and at what rate it was making, after which a brief calculation enabled me to a.s.sure them that she would probably last until noon next day; but that nevertheless I would recommend them to prepare for a start the first thing after breakfast; and that the lady and I would be ready by that time.

From this time forward the brig--hove-to, and with her helm lashed--was left to take care of herself, the greatly-improved condition of the weather permitting of this, while the men proceeded, in their own slow, deliberate fas.h.i.+on, with their preparations for abandoning her. As for us aft, our preparations were of the simplest possible kind, consisting merely of the stowing of our clothing in a bundle that could be flung into the boat at a moment's notice--and the very careful loading of the brace of duelling-pistols with which my unknown French friend had presented me. These little matters attended to, I urged Florence to lie down and endeavour to secure a few hours' sleep, following the same good advice myself as soon as she had retired to her cabin.

I was awakened about midnight by the man Harry, who had been anxiously awaiting the moment for the others to get to sleep, in order that he might slip aft, unnoticed, to inform me of the progress of his own particular share in our enterprise.

"Well, Harry," said I, "how do matters stand? Have you succeeded in accomplis.h.i.+ng all that I directed you to do?"

"Yes, sir," said he. "I was afride at first that I shouldn't get a chaunce to go down into the fore-peak without bein' noticed; but 'the doctor' made that right by asting for somebody to fetch him up a bit more coal. Which I offered to do for him. Once I was down in the peak, the rest was easy enough; the arms-chist hadn't never been locked, so I collared a couple of pair of pistols, and then sc.r.a.ped the coal away from under the chist until the whole bag o' tricks fetched away and slid down into the water, where n.o.body won't ever find it again. Then I had a look at the magazine what poor Chips had knocked together. The door was only fastened by a staple, so I soon had it open; and when I'd found a couple o' packets of pistol-cartridges, I just hove everything else I could lay hands on down a'ter the arms-chist. So, even though some of 'em has pistols, they won't have no ammunition for 'em--unless they happened to have a few cartridges by 'em--which makes us all right."

"Capital!" exclaimed I. "And, now, as to the final arrangements of the men; what are they?"

"Why, 'twas arranged that I was to be on deck, so's to keep a sort of general heye on the brig and you; and to call all hands for'ard at daybreak--or earlier if the sea flattens down enough to launch a boat afore then. Then we're goin' to lower the gig that you had when you picked us up--she bein' the most wholesomest boat of the two--and put everything into her that we're goin' to tike with us--includin' plenty o' grub and water. And at the last minute, when we're ready to shove off, you and the lidy are to be set upon and battened down below, and then we all jumps into the boat and makes sail."

I considered a while, and then said, reflectively:

"It is just questionable whether it would not, after all, be the best plan to let the scoundrels get right away, and then launch the French boat."

"That's no good," interrupted Harry; "the French boat is stove. Sam thought of that last night; says he: 'If we don't mind our weather heye, that there feller aft may break his way out from below a'ter we're gone, and get away in t'other boat.' And Dirk, he says: 'Tike the "doctor's"

coal hammer and smash in a bottom plank. That'll stop any sich little gime as you speaks of, Sam.' And a'ter a little more talk, Sam ups and does it while you was below, asleep."

"The scoundrels!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed I fiercely. "So they are absolutely determined to murder us, are they? Very well; their blood be on their own heads! Now listen to me, Harry." And therewith I unfolded my final plans, and gave him a few last instructions; after which Harry went on deck again, to be there in the event of any of the others taking it into their heads to go on deck and have a look round.

Anxious to get as much rest as possible, I flung myself down upon one of the sofa-lockers; but my nerves were just then rather too tautly strung, and all my senses too keenly on the alert, to admit of anything like sound sleep, and I simply dozed, hearing Harry's every movement on deck, until the grey light of dawn began to ooze down through the skylight, when I went to my berth, soused my head in a basin of cold water, had a good refres.h.i.+ng wash, and then went on deck to look round; the people forward appearing on deck at the precise moment when I emerged from the companion. They seemed to be rather disconcerted at seeing me, but I feigned not to have noticed it, devoting my immediate attention to the weather. It was quite fine now, with a nice little royal breeze from about due east; the sea had gone down wonderfully during the night, and there was very little more than the heavy swell to contend with, while even that looked a great deal more formidable than it really was. As for the brig, she was much more buoyant than I had expected to find her; I gave her fully six hours longer to live--quite long enough to enable the wretches who meditated my destruction to repair and launch the boat that they had wilfully damaged, while the job would occupy them long enough to enable me to gain a good start and get clear away from them.

The cook went to his galley, and lighted his fire, quite in the ordinary way, and set about preparing breakfast, while the rest, going to the _City of Cawnpore's_ gig, looked into her, talking together in low tones. Then they cast off the gripes and tackle falls, and lowered her until her gunwale was just level with the rail, when they began to pa.s.s into her and stow the kegs of water, provisions, and other matters that they intended taking with them; and by the extreme care that each man bestowed upon the storage of his own particular bundle of "dunnage," I felt tolerably certain that their respective parcels of gems were concealed therein. Seeing them thus employed, I slipped down below, gave Miss Onslow a call, and then returned to the deck with her and my own bundle, together with the chronometer and s.e.xtant, all of which, in an easy, off-hand manner, I placed in the stern-sheets. As I did so, the man Sam looked up, and exclaimed savagely:

"Here, what the--" but was instantly interrupted by one of his mates, who murmured a few words in his ear.

"What is the matter?" demanded I, with a great affectation of innocence; "surely there is room in the boat for the few things belonging to the lady and myself?"

"Oh, ay," he growled surlily; "there's room enough--or, if there ain't, we'll _make_ room, so's you and the lady shall have plenty o' clothes for your trip--eh, mates?"

The others responded with a sinister laugh at the grim humour of the joke; but without taking any notice, I looked on at the work with just that amount of interest that I might be reasonably expected to take, until the steward called me to say that breakfast was ready. Then, with a glance of intelligence at Harry--to which he responded--I turned away and went below.

The breakfast was a very good one--just the substantial, appetising kind that one would wish to sit down to upon such an occasion; and I did ample justice to it. At length, at what I judged to be the right moment, I signed to Miss Onslow to go on deck, and then rose to my feet as though to follow her; but instead of springing up the companion ladder I turned to the steward, seized him by the throat, and flung him violently to the deck. The shock stunned him; and before he recovered consciousness I had got him lashed arms and legs together, like a trussed fowl, with a gag in his mouth that I had already prepared for the purpose. Making sure that he was quite secure, and could not possibly release himself, or cry out, I dashed up the companion ladder, and drew over the slide, securing it and the doors with wedges. Harry was sitting on the windla.s.s barrel, taking his breakfast _al fresco_, and acting as lookout generally while the others breakfasted below; and directly he saw me throw up my hand as a signal to him, he slid off the windla.s.s, crept softly to the fore-scuttle, and swiftly closed the hatch, securing it by thrusting a wooden pin through the staple. There was an immediate outcry from below, quickly followed by savage bangs upon the underside of the hatch; but, taking no notice of these manifestations, the fellow rushed aft and at once a.s.sisted me to place Miss Onslow in the gig. Then, springing to the tackle falls, we lowered the boat smartly the short remaining distance to the water, and, springing into her, unhooked the tackles and shoved clear of the brig.

Then, still working for our lives, we stepped the mast, set the sails, and headed the boat to the northward. Nor were we much too quick; for we had scarcely placed a cable's length between us and the brig when we heard a crash aboard her, and the next instant we saw the fellows rising out of the forecastle and rus.h.i.+ng aft. Of course they at once caught sight of us, and promptly blazed away with their pistols at us; but none of the bullets came anywhere near. Then they began to shout imprecations at us, and prayers to us to return; but we remained equally deaf to both, and in a few minutes--the boat slipping nimbly along through the water--we were out of hearing of them, and congratulating ourselves and each other upon our good luck in having succeeded in so neatly effecting our escape without being obliged to fight for the possession of the boat.

I headed north, with the intention of making Staten Island if possible; but we had scarcely been under way two hours when Harry, who was forward, keeping a lookout, sighted a sail dead to windward, heading our way, and we at once so manoeuvred the boat as to intercept her. She came bowling down toward us, hand over hand, and when she was within about three miles of us I made her out to be a frigate. She was coming so directly for us that it was impossible for us to miss each other, and within half an hour of the moment when we first discovered her I had the supreme satisfaction of a.s.sisting Florence up the side of Her Britannic Majesty's s.h.i.+p _Ariadne_, commanded by my former s.h.i.+pmate and very good friend Harry Curtis; while half an hour later the five men whom I had left aboard the brig were taken off her, and safely lodged in irons on the _Ariadne's_ lower deck. Of the excitement that ensued upon our rescue I have no s.p.a.ce to dwell; suffice it to say that the _Marie Renaud_ had duly arrived in Table Bay, and had there reported the act of piracy of which she had been the victim, my letter being at the same time placed in the hands of the authorities, who, after a proper amount of deliberation, had despatched the _Ariadne_ in search of the piratical brig.

Is there anything else to tell? I think not, except it be to mention that Miss Onslow was the heroine of the s.h.i.+p, and every man, fore and aft, her devoted slave during our pa.s.sage to the Cape, where the six survivors of O'Gorman's gang were duly put upon their trial for piracy upon the high seas. The man Harry, acting upon my advice, offered to turn Queen's Evidence; and the favourable report that I was able to make of his conduct caused his offer to be accepted, with the result that he received a free pardon, while Dirk the Dutchman was sentenced to death, and the other four to penal servitude for life; the Dutchman, however, cheated the gallows by _dying_ in prison of his wounds, after lingering for so long a time that it seemed as though he would after all recover.

"And the gems that were the prime cause of so much of your trouble--what became of them?" I fancy I hear some fair reader exclaim.

Well, there proved to be such insuperable difficulties in the way of establis.h.i.+ng their rightful owners.h.i.+p that the Home Government very kindly undertook the charge of them until the man who could satisfactorily prove his right to them should put in an appearance. It was a marvellously curious circ.u.mstance, however, that I should have happened to antic.i.p.ate this precise difficulty and its probable solution, almost at the moment when I first identified the distant _Ariadne_ as a man-o'-war; with the result that--well, there is no need to be _too_ explicit, is there? it will perhaps suffice if I say that the seaman Harry is to-day living very comfortably indeed as an independent gentleman of considerable means; while the four magnificent suites of jewellery--rubies, diamonds, emeralds, and pearls--that Mrs Charles Conyers, _nee_ Florence Onslow, sports from time to time are the eternal envy and admiration of all who get the opportunity to see them.

THE END.