King o' the Beach Part 43

"What about Jack.u.m?"

"He would obey me now."

"Dessay he would, sir, but what about Old King Cole?"

Carey gazed at him with wrinkled brow and was silent for a few moments, for the question was hard to answer, and he gave it up.

"Get an axe," he said.

This-was soon done, and they repaired to the saloon skylight, where Bostock leaned his gun against the erection ready for use if wanted, and began to use the axe.

At the first blow there was a crash of gla.s.s, followed by a revolver shot from the bottom of the stairs, when Bostock dropped the axe and seized and c.o.c.ked his gun.

"The old un's at it, sir. Look out; maybe he's coming out."

"Fire at him if he fires at us," said Carey, excitedly.

"I'm a-going to fire at him, sir, afore he does," said the old sailor, st.u.r.dily. "See my swelled head, sir?"

Carey nodded.

"That's right, sir. Well then, 'cordin' to the rules of the game it's my first play this time, and yours too."

Carey was silent, and nothing followed the shot.

"He must be disabled, Bob?" whispered the boy. "Go on again."

Bostock struck once more, and there was another shot below, but this time the old sailor went on, striking again and again, beating out gla.s.s and dividing the cross pieces of wood to make an easy entrance for anyone to get down. But not a dozen strokes had been delivered before the black was once more at their side.

"Hullo!" cried Bostock; "you haven't eat all that damper."

"Jack.u.m eat allum damper, allum ticky-ticky. Good!" cried the black, grinning.

"Well, I couldn't ha' done it myself in the time," said Bostock. "Here, lay hold."

He pointed to the partially demolished light, which the black seized and wrenched off, threw it down on the deck, and then, without hesitation, glided through, and dropped softly into the saloon cabin.

"You go next, Bob."

"Nay, sir, oughtn't you to order me on guard to shoot down the enemy if he comes on deck?" Carey nodded.

"Yes, keep watch," he said. "I'll go down." The way was easy enough now, and the next minute Carey was on the saloon table, from which he leaped to the floor, to face Jack.u.m, who cried, eagerly:

"Doctor. Jack.u.m know."

The black led the way to the captain's cabin, and there was a faint cry of delight as the boy sprang forward and let his gun drop against the locker, to grasp Doctor Kingsmead's extended hands.

"Oh, doctor, doctor!" he cried. "At last! at last! But how thin and white you look."

"Loss of blood, my lad. Ah, Jack.u.m!"

For the black had crept close up to the berth and squatted down, gazing anxiously in the sufferer's face.

"Doc-tor mumkull?" he said.

"Killed? Oh, no, my man. I hope not for a long time yet."

"Mumkull--no," said Jack.u.m. "Brok.u.m?"

"Yes, broken if you like," and he pointed to the slit-up leg of his trousers and a large bloodstained bandage, tightly bound round.

"Who 'tick 'pear froo doctor leggum?" cried the black, springing up, with his eyes flashing and the look of war in his set teeth; and it was as if he wanted the name of the member of his pack, as he drew his club from behind, to shake it menacingly.

"No, no. Shot-gun," said the doctor.

"Ho! Big Dan?" whispered the black, and he pointed downward.

"Yes," said the doctor, and for a few moments his voice grew a little stronger. "Carey, lad, the cowardly ruffian must have been mad drunk this morning, for he came to me furious and foaming and accused me of encouraging you to set the blacks against him. I denied it, of course, and he grew more furious, using bullying and insulting language, till in my irritation I struck him, and he went away, while I began to repent, feeling how awkward our position was. But a few minutes later I had come to the conclusion that the time had arrived when we must strike for freedom, and I was looking longingly across the lagoon at where I could see you practising throwing the boomerang, and wishing you back. Then I turned to go forward and speak to Bostock, who was busy in the galley, when I saw that ruffian standing just outside the cabin entry, taking aim at me with a gun.

"I shouted and rushed at him, but he fired twice before I could reach him. I felt a tremendous blow on the leg, but I closed with him and we fell together, struggling down step by step to the saloon door, where I loosed my grasp and rolled in, to lie half insensible; but I heard the door banged to and locked on the outside. Then a deathly feeling of sickness came over me, and I lay wondering at the sounds I heard as of water splashing, as if bucket after bucket was dashed down to wash something away.

"That sound saved my life, Carey," said the doctor, after a pause, "for it seemed to revive me to a sense of what was wrong, and I crawled from the dreadful pool in which I lay, to tear a strip from the tablecloth and staunch the bleeding, before I fainted away, to be revived again by hearing a horrible crash as if someone had slipped upon the wet stairs.

The door was nearly driven in, but the fall continued, and I could hear Mallam cursing horribly as he tried to get up, but only to fall back and lie silent for a time. I must have fainted again, but the desire for life was strong, and I forced myself to see to my injury. It's a horrible wound, Carey, and bled so that I thought it would never stop; but the bone was sound, and I was surgeon enough to tie the artery, and--and--"

His voice had been growing weaker and weaker, and now it ceased, the poor fellow lying with his eyes half-closed.

"Doc-tor go mumkull," whispered Jack.u.m, but Carey made an angry gesture and, fetching water from the table, he moistened the wounded man's lips, and in a short time had the satisfaction of seeing him revive a little and in a faint whisper ask for a drink. Carey raised his head a little, and half a gla.s.sful was swallowed with avidity. This was reviving, and the doctor was soon able to press his young companion's hand.

"Where's Bostock?" he said at last.

"On deck," said Carey, promptly; but he said nothing about the old sailor's injury.

"Hah!" replied the doctor; "I can get better now. But what is the matter with you, my lad? Your voice sounds strange, and you keep one hand over your breast. What is it?"

"Oh, nothing much," said Carey, with a feeble attempt at a smile.

"Tell me," said the doctor, in almost a whisper; but there was a stern look in his eyes as he said, "I know. You have been overtaxing yourself. The old trouble has broken again."

"No, no," cried Carey, eagerly now. "I was on the cabin stairs seeking for you, when that old wretch fired at me, and I felt something strike me here." He pressed his hand upon his breast.

The knowledge that another was suffering seemed to renew the doctor's strength.

"Let me see," he said, more firmly.

Carey hesitated, but the stern eyes forced him to obey, and as he sat there with the last rays of the setting sun streaming into the cabin, he bared his breast, to show a great red patch as large as the palm of his hand.

"Spent or badly loaded bullet, Carey," said the doctor, faintly.

"Painful, but no danger, lad. The skin is not pierced." He could say no more, but lay holding the lad's hand, while Jack.u.m watched in the midst of an intense silence, till a shot suddenly rang out, just as the cabin was darkening.