Fire Mountain Part 41

"Tell him," Martin commanded Ichi, "tell him, 'Come ash.o.r.e!' Come, sing it out. Remember the Deep Place!"

"Come ash.o.r.e!" howled Ichi.

"Anything wrong?" demanded Carew.

"Tell him, 'Yes,'" commanded Martin. On the spur of the moment he added, "Tell him I have been lost. That's it. An accident. And you need him. Out with it."

"Yes! Accident! Mr. Blake lost! You come and helpful, Captain!" Ichi called, obediently.

"What's that--the cub lost--gone?" shouted Carew. He seemed not overcome by the news. He laughed, and slapped Asoki on the back.

"D'ye want me to help locate the stuff?" he hailed back to Ichi.

"Shall I bring the girl?"

"My G.o.d!" breathed Little Billy.

Martin jerked viciously on the strap. "Tell him yes, d.a.m.n you, tell him yes!" he cried.

"Yes--the girl!" called Ichi.

Carew waved his arm. "Coming!" he replied. "Meet me on the beach!"

CHAPTER XXII

TABLES TURNED

They waited there at the window for some time longer, watching the preparations made for Carew's coming ash.o.r.e. Carew, himself, had disappeared below, but a sailor appeared on the main deck, and hauled the dingey alongside. He was the cabin guard, thought Martin. Asoki, the mate, left the p.o.o.p and lent a hand at the task, and supervised the placing of the oars in the boat, and the adjusting of the Jacob's ladder.

And they in the cave watched not only this task. Events were proceeding forward. It was evidently very near the noon hour, for Yip was preparing to serve the dinner to the crew. Even before Carew left the deck, the Chinaman banged a pan, at the galley door, announcing his purpose to the world. And now, three new figures were visible on the deck, coming up from the foc'sle.

Martin stared closely. The newcomers did not appear to carry their arms with them; the sunlight gleamed on but three rifles, the one carried by the fore-hatch guard, and the two weapons in the possession of the men lounging abaft the house, amidships. All of the j.a.ps, save only the guard at the fore hatch, lounged over to the rail and watched their compatriots aft prepare the dingey. They were evidently more interested in this work, and in the aspect of the beach, than in the meal that Yip was now spreading for them on the deck abaft the house.

Presently, Carew was visible again--on the main deck, this time, at the rail. And--Martin's heart leaped into his throat--Ruth was with him.

Ruth, cloaked and bowed, stood submissively by Carew's side.

Carew noticed his men lounging forward, gaping at him. He evidently disliked the sight, or perhaps, some word of theirs' about the girl reached his ears--he flung an order to Asoki, and the latter chattered angrily at the loafers. They left the rail precipitantly, and cl.u.s.tered about the mess kits Yip had just finished placing on the deck. The Chinaman, Martin noticed, retreated immediately into the galley; and, a second later, reappeared on the other side of the deck.

He peeked around the side of the house at the diners; then he strolled forward.

Carew was already in the dingey, and Ruth was being helped to the rail by the j.a.p mate. The sailor was in the dingey, too, seated at oars, ready to give way. Martin had the thought: "There is now no guard in the cabin, and if Captain Dabney really has his sight--" But he did not pursue the speculation. He was thinking of Ruth, watching her descend the Jacob's ladder into Carew's waiting arms. He forgot to watch Yip. He forgot everything save Ruth, and the hated hands that fastened upon her waist and lifted her into the boat.

Grim-faced, savage-eyed, Martin stared down at the little boat; watched Carew seat Ruth beside him in the sternsheets; watched the sailor bend to the oars as Asoki cast off the painter. And Martin's mood was exultant as he watched. Carew was coming! Now he was going to square accounts with the renegade beast! Now he was going to wipe the smirk from those cruel lips! That sneering mouth would never again babble the brute's unclean love into _her_ unwilling ears, by heaven, no!

It was a gasp from Ichi, and a stuttering exclamation from Little Billy, that brought his mind--and eyes--to the ship again. Something was happening amid the group of eaters. One of them was rolling on the deck, another was staggering about, consternation reigned over the rest, and their cries of surprise and fear were audible in the cave.

Asoki was running toward the scene.

"The hatch! Yip!" cried Little Billy.

A blood-curdling whoop rode the air. Yip's whoop. The Chinaman was dancing on the deck, away forward by the foc'sle scuttle, brandishing something over his head. More than that, Martin saw--the fore hatch was open. Other figures appeared by Yip's side. The gigantic figure of the bosun appeared around the forward corner of the house, and he was rushing aft.

He--and his followers--almost reached the after end of the house before the rattled j.a.ps spied them. Then was pandemonium. One of the armed j.a.ps shot point blank at the bosun. He missed the mark at which he aimed, though a man behind the bosun fell; but the bosun, before his enemy could fire again, leaned over and scooped into his arms the figure that had been writhing on the deck, and, half straightening, hurled it at the man with the gun. The body hurtled true to its mark--both target and missile went scooting across the deck, to fetch up motionless in the scuppers. Then the bosun had the rifle and was swinging it, clubbed, the center of a melee.

Carew's voice, roaring at Asoki, brought Martin's gaze down to the small boat. It had made some hundred yards towards sh.o.r.e when the shot was fired at the bosun--the first inkling Carew had, it seemed, that his conquest of the ship was in jeopardy. He was standing up in the boat, trying to get a glimpse of the deck of the ship, and calling to know what was wrong. The man at the oars was backing water, holding the boat motionless; but as the sounds of general conflict came to the captain's ears, he evidently gave the sailor instructions, for the boat began to swing back to the brig.

But Carew was not destined to set foot again on stolen decks. A new factor suddenly entered the struggle. Martin noticed first, with a great gasp of astonishment; then Little Billy exclaimed, "The captain!

Skipper Dabney! See!" and excitedly wagged his finger at the figure just emerging into the sunlight of the p.o.o.p deck through the cabin hatch.

Captain Dabney was coatless, barelegged, bare-headed, all his white hair blowing. But he moved with the swiftness of a young man, and his step was no blind man's step. As soon as he reached the deck he spied and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the rifle that was leaning against the skylight--it was Asoki's rifle, left behind when that worthy went to supervise Carew's departure--and rushed to the rail.

Carew shook his fist and roared a curse at the wild figure that so suddenly appeared at the p.o.o.p rail. Asoki was climbing the p.o.o.p ladder, come for his rifle or perhaps to take the Captain from behind.

There was a shot forward (it was Hardy, the Australian, with the rifle taken from the hatch guard, Martin afterwards learned) and Asoki fell backward, out of sight. Then Captain Dabney drew down his bead, and his rifle barked--and Carew's cap flew from his head.

Carew did a thing that drew a growl of rage and fear from two of the watchers in the cave. He ducked, seized Ruth and swung her in front of him, covering his own body with hers. And in response to his orders, the sailor at the oars began to furiously pull towards the beach.

Martin never remembered much about that second, headlong pa.s.sage of the caves, when he and Little Billy, and the cowering Ichi, retraced their path to the beach. He was in a frenzy of rage and fear. The hunchback was weeping and cursing in the same breath. Their prisoner howled hysterically as they kicked him along the ledge by the chasm edge.

Martin could never afterwards figure out why they troubled with Ichi when time was so precious; he had no further use for the j.a.p that he knew of. But they dragged the little wretch all the way to the beach.

Not quite to the beach. Little Billy, in the lead, guided them into another pa.s.sage, and instead of emerging through the Elephant Head, they found themselves in the great open-mouthed chamber where Billy had hidden before.

The beach lay revealed before them. Thirty yards distant, at the water's edge, the oarsman was beaching the dingey. Carew and Ruth were already halfway up the beach; he was literally almost dragging the girl over the sand, for she was struggling in his grasp. He was making for the Elephant Head.

"Ichi! Where are you? Lend a hand here!" Carew shouted. "You white-livered sneak--send a man out here if you are afraid!"

"Answer him!" Martin urged Ichi. "Tell him, 'This way!'"

Ichi stuttered, and hesitated. He was evidently less anxious to face Carew than was Martin.

Out on board the brig, the battle apparently was over, with victory for Martin's side. For Martin saw one of the _Coha.s.set's_ boats swinging out in the davits, and heard the bosun's stentorian bellow as he encouraged the launching. On the p.o.o.p still stood Captain Dabney, his rifle trained sh.o.r.ewards. Even as Martin looked, the rifle cracked, and the sand spurted about the feet of the j.a.p sailor by the dingey.

The closeness of the miss seemed to rattle the man, to take his wits and lend wings to his feet. He had been landing the gear of the boat; he now dropped his task and sped for the caves. He would have been quite safe had he fallen in behind his captain and unwilling companion, for they would not have ventured a shot from the ship with Ruth in line of fire. But he attempted to speed by Carew and gain the--as he thought--comparatively safety of the caves.

"Help me here--hey, you--stop!" commanded Carew, as the man dashed past. "d.a.m.n you then--take, that!" And he threw down with the pistol he was brandishing, and shot the sailor in the back. The fellow pitched forward on his knees, and then fell face down on the sand.

In the cavern where the trio lurked, Ichi suddenly yelped as Little Billy pressed the point of his knife a half inch into the yellow hide.

"Call to him," he commanded.

Ichi screamed it. "This way! This way, Captain!"

"Where? Show yourself! Give me a hand, here!" roared Carew.

Martin thrust Ichi half out of the cave, and, when Carew glimpsed him, jerked him back again. Swearing vilely, Carew changed his course, and began to draw Ruth towards the open-mouthed cave.

He had his hands full with the girl. His hand, rather, for he held her with one arm, leaving his other, his weapon arm, free. She was struggling furiously to break free from his grasp, wriggling, kicking, clawing, using all of her vigorous strength against him. Almost she succeeded. Then he had recourse to brute tactics to subdue her.

"Curse you, come along!" he exclaimed, and struck her heavy blows in the face with the fist that held the revolver. She sagged limply in his arm.

Something seemed to snap in Martin's mind at this sight. Gone was his caution, forgotten his plan. With a hoa.r.s.e, wordless cry, he cleared the cave entrance with a bound, and threw himself forward towards his enemy.