Mother Carey's Chicken Part 31

"Now go down and talk with the major. Poor Morgan is helpless?"

"Yes, quite."

"Well, ask the major if he will stand by me. There are only two courses open. We must either try and retake the ship or escape at once before morning."

"Which do you think is best, Strong?" said Mr Gregory huskily.

"I'm pulled two ways, Gregory. I want to save my ship; but, on the other hand, there is the thought of these helpless women and our position if we should fail."

"Well," said Gregory slowly, "I'm for the fight. We've got some weapons now, and hang me if I'm going to strike to a set of treacherous pirates like this."

The captain grasped his hand and began smoking.

"Quiets the pain a bit," he whispered. "An ugly wound; but I don't think the kris was poisoned."

"Why, Strong," said the first-mate sympathetically, "we ought to give up and escape."

"My dear Gregory, I'm quite a cripple; but if you and the others will stand by me, we'll stick to the ship till she sinks, if we have such bad luck as that; and if she doesn't sink, we'll save her."

"I'll answer for it they will stand by you," said the mate, and going to the window he lowered himself down, and told those below how matters stood.

"Now, major," he said, "what do you say?"

"Say, sor!" whispered the major; "why, there isn't anything to say.

I've paid for my pa.s.sage and the pa.s.sages of the wife and daughter to Hong-Kong, and does Captain Strong think I'm going to let them finish the voyage in a sc.r.a.p of an open boat. No, sor; fight, sor, fight, of course."

"Will you stand by us, my lads?" said Mr Gregory.

"Will we stand by you, sir!" growled Small. "Why, of course we will. I want to make J Small, his mark, on some of their brown carkidges. Don't you, boys?"

A low whispered growl came in reply, a sound that was as full of fight as if it had been uttered by some fierce beast.

"That will do then," said the first-mate. "You slip up there first, Billy Widgeon, and you others go next. Stop: Billy, send down a table-cloth."

"Table-cloth, sir?"

"Yes, to tie the dog in; we mustn't leave him."

Widgeon went up, his mates followed one by one, for the cotton rope stood the strain, and then a big white table-cloth was dropped into the boat.

"Now, Bruff, my lad, you've got to go up like a bundle. Will you go quietly, or are you going to betray us?"

The dog made no resistance, but allowed himself to be stowed in the middle of the cloth, which was tied up bundle-wise, the end of the sheet-rope was attached, a signal made, and the animal drawn up and in at the cabin-window without his uttering a sound.

A minute more and the rope came down.

"Can you bear it round you, my lad?" whispered Gregory to Morgan.

"I'll bear anything," was the calm reply; and he did not wince as the rope was secured about his chest. Then a signal was given, and he was drawn up, to be dragged in at the cabin-window with his wound bleeding again and he insensible.

"Can you climb up, major?" said Gregory as the rope came down again.

"No, sir," said the major stoutly. "I shall have to be hauled up like a pa.s.senger, I suppose. I am no climber. But won't they hear us on deck?"

"I wonder they have not already," said the mate, though all was perfectly still, and the stern stood out so much that they were in some degree protected.

"This is confoundedly undignified, sir, confoundedly," said the major, as the cotton rope was secured about his waist. "Hang it, Gregory, I don't like it, sir. Can't I climb?"

"You said you could not. Will you try?"

"No; it's of no use. But really I do object to be swinging there at the end of a string like a confounded leg of mutton under a bottle-jack.

Not too tight."

"No; that knot will not slip. There, shall I give the signal?"

"Yes--no--yes; and let me get it over as soon as I can. Good gracious!

if the men of my regiment were to see me now!"

The signal was given, the rope tightened, and the major uttered a low cry as he was sharply lifted off his feet, and before he could check himself surely enough he began to turn slowly round and round as if he were being roasted.

Left alone now, Mr Gregory waited patiently till the rope came down again, when he caught it and secured it round his waist, after which he went to the bows of the gig, took the painter, and by pressing the stern of the ship managed to draw the prow close up to the hull, and then after a little search he discovered a ring-bolt upon the rudder-post, to which he drew the boat, running the painter right through and making it fast, so that the little vessel was well out of sight, unless seen by the crews of one of the praus.

This done he went to the stern, tightened the rope, and found that if he swung off he would go into the sea with a splash, an act sufficiently noisy to arouse the watch presumably set on deck.

This was out of the question, and he was about to lower himself into the water when the thought occurred to him to feel about the boat as to whether anything had been left; and it proved to be as well that he did, for beneath one of the thwarts his hand came in contact with a bag which proved to contain the ammunition and one of the revolvers.

Gregory secured the bag to his neck, hoping and believing that he would be able to keep it dry; and now, taking well hold of the rope, he let himself glide down over the side of the boat into the deep water, hanging suspended till the men above began to haul and without leaving him to climb, he was drawn up to the window and helped in, to stand dripping on the floor, and far more concerned about the contents of the bag than his own state.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

HOW MARK Pa.s.sED A BAD NIGHT.

The prisoners had been gathered together in the cabins, of which the whole were in their possession, and were still discussing various plans for proceeding when the splash of oars was heard through the open cabin-window, and as Mark was one of the first to run and look out he could plainly see that the prau they had pa.s.sed was returning, her course being marked by the undulating streams of light which flashed away at each dip of the long sweeps.

In a few minutes the vessel had pa.s.sed, going right up to the bows of the _Petrel_, and now a loud burst of talking was heard on the night air. It rose and fell and rose again, quite a discussion full of commands and protests, so they seemed from the tones of the voices, lasting for a full quarter of an hour, and then all was still, not so much as the tramp of a foot being heard upon the deck of the ship.

The ladies had retired into one of the cabins, the sailors seated themselves quietly in one corner, sipping the cold grog the captain gave them, and Mark sat near his father listening to the discussion going on.

The major was for a bold attack upon the pirates and driving them overboard.

Morgan, who was wounded, proposed that the ladies should be lowered down into the boat at once, and that they should escape and take refuge upon the island.

Gregory said scarcely anything, and when pressed he cried in a harsh tone:

"I'm ready for what my captain settles to do. Then I'll do my best, but I'll not take any responsibility."