Commodore Junk Part 64

"Those who try to escape. Silence!"

Mistress Greenheys reeled up against Humphrey and would have fallen but for his strong arm which encircled her, lifted her from the ground and held her firmly as he stepped softly back, followed by Dinny, who did not speak till they had reached the shelter of some trees.

"Look at that, now!" he whispered out of the black darkness. "Have ye got the darling safe?"

"Yes, safe enough; but what does this mean?"

"Mane, sor? Sure and it's Bart yander wid two min."

"Take us down to the sea by some other path."

"Shure an' don't I tell ye there is no other path, sor. It's the only way. Murther, look at that!"

For at that moment a light flashed out and shimmered on the sea, sank, rose, and became brilliant, shining forth so that they could see that the three men down upon the sh.o.r.e had lit a pile of some inflammable material, beyond which, floating easily upon the surface of the sea and apparently close insh.o.r.e, was a boat--the boat that was to bear them safely away.

They were sheltered by the trees, and besides, too far off to be seen by the men, whose acts, however, were plain enough to them, as one of them was seen to wade out to the boat, get hold of her mooring rope, and drag her ash.o.r.e.

"The murtherin' villains!" muttered Dinny. "They're takkin' out the shtores. Look at that now! There's the barl o' wather and the bishkit, and now there's the sail. What'll I do intoirely? My heart's bruk wid 'em."

"Hush, my lad! You'll be heard," whispered Humphrey. "Is there no other boat we can get?"

"Divil a wan, sor, and if we shtay here we shall be tuk. What'll we do now?"

"Make a bold fight for it, and take them by surprise."

"Wid a woman as wan of our min, sor! Sure an' it would be a mad thrick.

Wan of us would be sure to go down, you or me, even if we bate the divils. Look at 'em, the fire's going down, and they're coming back!"

Humphrey gave an angry stamp, for in her agony of dread Mistress Greenheys gave herself a wrest from his arm, and hurried back.

"What's that?" whispered Dinny.

"Mistress Greenheys."

"What? gone back, sor? Whisht! darlin'. Stop!"

If the woman heard his words they only added to her alarm, for she hurried on, apparently as well acquainted with the way back as Dinny, who immediately started in pursuit.

"What are you going to do?" whispered Humphrey.

"Do, sor! Go afther her."

"No, no; we must escape now we've got so far."

"Shure an' we will, sor; but to go forward's to go into prishn for you and to be dancing on nothing for me. Come on, sor. Let's catch up to me poor freckened darlin', and then tak' to the woods."

They hurried back in pursuit of their companion, but fear had made her fleet of foot, and in spite of their efforts they did not overtake her.

"She'll have gone back to her quarthers," said Dinny dismally. "Shall we go back to ours?"

"No!" cried Humphrey imperiously. "Good heavens, man! our absence has been found out before now. Let's take to the woods or hide in one of the ruins till we can get away."

"Shure an' ye're roight, sor. They've been afther ye, av coorse, and I've been missed and can't show meself now widout being thrated as a thraitor. Will ye thrust to me, and I'll find a place!"

"Trust you? yes," said Humphrey; "but what do you propose doing?"

"Doing, sor? Hoiding till we can find a chansh of getting away."

"Where will you hide?"

"Ye said ye'd thrust me, sor," whispered Dinny. "Come on."

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.

ON THE QUI VIVE.

The buccaneer had sought the ruined temple that evening in lowness of spirit and utter despondency. The old daring spirit seemed to be departing, and supremacy over the men pa.s.sing rapidly away, and he knew how they talked among themselves, consequent upon Mazzard's teaching, of the growing weakness of their commander.

"And they're right," he said, bitterly. "I am losing power and strength, and growing more and more into the pitiful, weak creature they say. And yet how I have tried!"

He sprang to his feet, for at that moment there was the reflection of a flash which lit up the interior of the old temple, showing the weird figures sitting round as if watching him in his despondent mood.

It was but momentary, and then came a crash as if heaven and earth had come together, followed by a long, muttering roar as the thunder of the explosion died away.

The minute before the buccaneer had been inert, despondent and hopeless.

The knowledge of what must have taken place brought back his flagging energies, and with a great dread seeming to compress his heart that evil might have befallen his prisoner, he tore out of the dark temple, and as fast as the gloom of the winding path would allow him toward the old amphitheatre.

Haste and the excitement made his breathing laboured as he strove to get on more rapidly, but only to be kept back by the maze-like paths, where he pa.s.sed Humphrey and Dinny, and, gaining the open ground, dashed on to where his men were gathered.

"Bart! quick!" he cried, as soon as he was convinced that no harm could have befallen his prisoner. "Take men, and down the path to the sh.o.r.e.

There will be an attempt to escape in the confusion, and they'll make for the sea."

Bart grasped the urgency of the case, called two men, and set off at a run, while Dinny was next summoned.

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain, drawing his breath between his teeth; "a traitor in the camp!"

He called for lights, and went straight to the corridor, entered and walked down it to the chamber, tenanted now by the grim idol alone, and stood for a few moments looking round.

"Well," he muttered, "he will learn the truth of what I said. The firing of the powder must have been planned."

He went back to where his men were waiting outside and walked through to the terrace above the old amphitheatre, to find that the magazine was completely swept away; but the darkness hid the shattered stones lying in all directions and the trees blasted and whitened and stripped of leaf and bark.

"My prisoner has escaped," he said aloud. "I think with the man who was his attendant, the Irishman, Dennis Kelly. Capture both; but no violence to either, on your lives."

There was a low murmur either of a.s.sent or objection, and he was turning away when d.i.c.k, the sailor, came up.