King of the Air Part 11

"Say they want to come on ship, sir-see the captain-do trade for guns and powder."

"What do you say, Bodgers? Shall we let a few of them come aboard?"

"I would, sir. A few won't do no harm, and if we can make friends of them, so much the better."

Accordingly, half a dozen Moors were allowed to mount to the yacht's deck. They appeared to be much disappointed when Mr. Greatorex politely explained through Abdul that he had no commercial object; his ostensible purpose, to see the country, scarcely satisfied them. But they recovered their spirits when he offered to show them over the vessel; and afterwards when, at the suggestion of Captain Bodgers, who knew something of the Moorish habits, they were each given a cup of weak tea and unlimited sugar, they smacked their lips and declared themselves well pleased with their reception.

While they were still sipping their tea, squatting on the deck, Salathiel ben Ezra, who had hitherto kept in the background, came to Mr.

Greatorex and begged the favour of a few minutes' conversation.

"I ask you, excellency, to be so kind, as let me go with the men, when they leave this ship. I have business on land; and thank you for your kindness, and take leave respectfully."

"Hm! Moors _friends_ of yours, eh?"

"No, no; the Moors do not love the men of my nation; they oppress us; they call us dogs and sons of swine."

"Well then, you'd better stay aboard, you know. You wouldn't be _safe_ among them in a wild spot like this. We can land you at Rabat in a day or two; you'll be safer in a port."

"Ah, excellency, but I do not love the sea. It has wrecked my vessel; I have much fear of the sharks. I am not at ease until I set foot again on dry land."

Mr. Greatorex was perplexed. He had no reasonable excuse for detaining the Jew: yet, remembering that the man had seen the airship at work, he recognized that it would be in the highest degree impolitic to allow him to go ash.o.r.e and spread the news. He beckoned Tom forward and told him of the Jew's request. Tom instantly grasped the situation.

"Mr. Salathiel forgets," he said, "that we have a claim for salvage on his effects. (Whether we have such a claim legally I don't know," he said to Mr. Greatorex afterwards, "but it was the first thing that came into my head.")

"That is most true," said the Jew, with a smile; "but alas! I lost everything in the wreck; and have only my clothes, and they--"

He shrugged expressively.

"Sorry for you," said Tom. "Still, it would not be fair to your companion Abdul to leave him to meet our claim alone."

"But he can come with me," said Salathiel eagerly. "He will be with his countrymen."

"You were not so anxious for his company when I first saw you," replied Tom drily. "No, Mr. Salathiel; it will be better for you both to come with us to Rabat: there we can lay this little matter of salvage before the authorities."

The Jew heaved a sigh as of weariness, and acquiesced with a smile.

Neither Tom nor Mr. Greatorex was aware that while the Moors were being shown over the vessel, Salathiel had had a few moments' conversation with one of them. The only man on board who had observed this-and he had not given a second thought to it-was M'Cracken, the new stoker.

The Moors left the yacht; the felucca sailed away; not sh.o.r.ewards, as Tom had expected, but out to sea. The crowd on the cliff dispersed and disappeared, and Tom's final preparations were made un.o.bserved.

Night fell, and the little bay, hemmed in by the surrounding cliffs, was enveloped in pitchy darkness. Ten o'clock had been fixed as the time for the ascent of the airship, and up to the last moment Tom employed himself in seeing that all was right. Mr. Greatorex was fidgety, asking the same questions, repeating the same warnings, over and over again, until Tom began to fear that even now he would change his mind and prohibit the expedition. His excitement infected every member of the crew. The men had eyes only for the wonderful machine and for the figures that moved to and fro about it in the light of the yacht's electric lamps. Even the men of the watch were diverted from their duties when they perceived that the lashings holding the airship to the deck were being cast loose. Thus it was that no one had observed a small craft gliding into the bay; no one had noticed that a rope hung over the side of the yacht from the main deck forward; no one was on the look-out when a dusky form clambered silently up and helped to lower Salathiel ben Ezra into the boat riding alongside.

But it happened that Timothy Ball, going forward at that moment to fetch his reefer, which he had left in the fore cabin, noticed what was afoot just as he reached the companion way. With a shout he dashed forward to lay hands on the intruder. But, quick as thought, the Moor whipped out a knife and struck at Timothy; and when the sailors came running to the spot they found the poor fellow groaning on the deck, and caught a glimpse of a felucca speeding away into the gloom.

CHAPTER VII-THE HILLS OF ZEMMUR

For the moment the airship was forgotten. The whole ship's company flocked to the foredeck and formed a group around the prostrate form of Timothy Ball. Tom was already on his knees beside the man, putting in practice the principles of first aid, and receiving unexpected a.s.sistance from M'Cracken, who showed remarkable adeptness.

"How did it _happen_?" cried Mr. Greatorex, supposing that his man's plight was due to some accident.

"The Jew!" said Timothy, faintly.

"The villain! Bring him _here_, some one."

"He ain't here, sir; went over the side. It wasn't him that stabbed me; it was a Moor that came up out of a boat and helped the Jew to get away.

Never mind me, sir; I'm all right."

Mr. Greatorex fumed.

"This puts a _stop_ to it, Tom. It's a villainous business, and we'll go straight back home."

Tom made no reply. He was completing the adjustment of a tourniquet.

"And we've no doctor on board!" Mr. Greatorex went on. "We'll run back to Gibraltar and get a.s.sistance. Can't let the poor fellow bleed to _death_, you know."

"He'll no bleed to death," said M'Cracken huskily. "It's just a wee flesh wound. He'll be a' richt in a twa-three days."

"Glad to hear it."

"The question is, who shall I take with me now?" said Tom, rising to his feet and ignoring Mr. Greatorex's expressed determination to go home.

"The sooner I'm off the better, for that rascally Jew will tell all he knows about the airship, and the Moors will be on their guard."

"But we're going _home_, Tom."

"Surely you won't let our enterprise be ruined by a rogue!" replied Tom.

"There's all the more reason for going on with it."

"Gad, you're right," cried Mr. Greatorex, veering round again. "We'll do it in the _teeth_ of them. But you'll want some one with you in place of Tim. If I were twenty years younger I'd go myself. You want a man who knows _something_ about engines. Can't spare _you_, Mumford, I'm afraid."

"No, sir," replied the engineer, "and I'm rather heavy. But there's young M'Cracken; he's a light weight; an uncommonly handy fellow too, and judging from some remarks of his when we've been watching the airship, he knows something about 'em; seems to have read a good deal. I can do without him for a day or two, especially if we lie at anchor here."

"Ah! Yes! Where _is_ he? He was here a few seconds ago."

M'Cracken was haled from below. He appeared even more grimy than ever.

"Look here, M'Cracken," said Mr. Greatorex. "Mr. Dorrell wants some one to _help_ him, and Mr. Mumford suggests you: speaks _well_ of you, you know. You've never been on an airship, of course; but all you've to do is to keep _calm_, and do _exactly_ as you are told. You're not _afraid_-no _nerves_, oh?"

"No, sir."

"You're very hoa.r.s.e still. It will do you _good_, you know, to be away from that furnace for a day or two. Well, you'd better get a wash."

"No time for that," said Tom quickly. "It's past ten o'clock, and we ought to have started long ago."

"Very well. You're not going _visiting_, to be sure. Well, M'Cracken, go and put on your reefer; the night's cold, and will be colder."