Mother Carey's Chicken Part 30

This was consequent upon a faint flash of light appearing not twenty yards away; then it seemed as if there was a tiny flame burning, and directly after complete darkness.

"The _Petrel_ or a prau," said Mr Gregory in a low voice, and with his lips to the major's ear.

"The ship," said Mark excitedly, striking in.

"How do you know, lad?"

"By the height up."

"You're right, boy; so it is."

"And there," said Mark softly, "it was someone lighting a cigar."

"Yes; I can smell it. But hist!"

"It was my father," said Mark excitedly. "I know what he's doing: smoking at the cabin-window."

"May be," whispered back the mate cautiously. "Here, pull that starboard oar, Small."

The boatswain obeyed, and the one impulse seemed to send them all into a greater darkness, while the odour of tobacco pervaded the air quite strongly and a little point of light shone above their heads.

"Father!" whispered Mark, for he could not control himself, and the word slipped from his tongue.

"Mark? Hush!" came back to set all doubts at rest.

"Here, hook on, Small, keep the boat as she is," said Mr Gregory; and this was done in silence; but it was some few minutes before they were in their former position, all being done with the most extreme caution.

"Have you a rope, Strong?" said Gregory in a low voice.

There was no reply, but the glowing end of the cigar disappeared from where it shone some fifteen feet above their heads, and at the end of a few minutes something was lowered down, which proved to be so many sheets tightly rolled up and knotted together.

The first-mate seized the extemporised cord and drew hard upon it to see if it would bear. It proved to be made quite fast, so he turned to Mark:

"Now, young un," he said, "you can climb that rope. Go up and hear from your father how matters stand."

Mark said nothing, but seized the soft cord, and, with the mate's help, was soon half-way up, but the rest, as he quitted the support of the mate's shoulders, was more difficult. Still, the knots helped him, the distance was short, and, after a little exertion, he felt a couple of strong hands pa.s.sed under his arms, when, after a bit of scuffling and plenty of hoist, he felt himself half-lifted in at the cabin-window, and the next instant clasped in a pair of softly-clinging arms.

"My poor boy!" whispered Mrs Strong.

"Hist! don't speak! Don't make a sound!" said the captain sternly.

"There may be a sentry at the door."

"But, father, are you hurt?"

"A little, my boy; not much," said the captain.

"Terribly, Mark," whispered Mrs Strong; and the lad felt a shudder run through him.

"No, no! Don't alarm the boy," said the captain; and just then Mark felt a little hand steal into his, and heard a faint sob, while another hand was laid upon his shoulder.

"Miss O'Halloran! Mary!" whispered Mark.

"Yes: the major?"

"Papa?"

Two voices whispered those questions at the same moment.

"He's quite right, and down there in the boat," said Mark.

"Now, my boy, quick!" said the captain, catching Mark by the shoulder; "who's below in the boat?"

"All of them, father."

"Unhurt?"

"Mr Morgan has got a nasty spear wound."

"Ah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain. "Very bad?"

"Through his shoulder, father."

"Did you meet one of the praus?"

"Yes, as we came across."

"Gone to destroy your boat," said the captain. "I heard the orders given. Now go down to the boat and tell Mr Gregory that we are partly prisoners here. I say partly, because I have barricaded the cabin-door.

Tell him that one of the praus came alongside to beg for water. The crew said they were dying for want of it, and the scoundrels had hidden their arms. I can hardly tell now how it was done, my lad, but one moment I was giving orders for the water to be pa.s.sed over the side, the next I was lying on the deck struck down, and when I came to, the men were secured below and the deck was in possession of the Malays, a second prau having come up and helped the men of the first."

"But we heard firing, father?"

"Yes, my boy, so did I, as if it was in a dream, and I found afterwards that my poor lads had made a brave fight of it, and driven the first party out, but the crew were without a leader, and the Malays fired into them till they came close alongside and boarded together."

"Was--was anyone killed?"

"Don't ask now, my lad. Tell Gregory we were driven in here, and the ladies are all right. Ask him to climb up and talk the matter over with me, as to what we shall do."

"Pst!" came from the cabin-window, and directly after Mr Gregory climbed in.

"I could not wait," he said, "and I found the rope would bear me. Now, Strong, how do matters stand?"

The captain explained the position.

"And the men--down below deck?"

"No," said the captain bitterly; "half the poor fellows died like men-- no, like sheep," he cried excitedly, "for they had no weapons but the capstan bars. The other half were sent afloat in one of the boats, I suppose, and one of the praus kept firing at them till they got beyond reach."

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the mate.