Mother Carey's Chicken Part 33

"All right!" said the mate; "but it's my opinion that we shall have no fighting at present. They'll wait for wind and get us ash.o.r.e in some creek hidden among the mangroves, and there plunder the ship."

The mate went out, whispered a few words to the major, and then turned in--a process which consisted in lying down on the cabin-floor, with a revolver in his hand; while to the major, who was seated on a chest by the barricaded door, with an unlighted cigar in his lips, it seemed as if Gregory sighed softly and was then fast asleep.

Mark got up once or twice and went into the saloon, where all was still.

Then he walked to the window and looked out, to find that not a breath of air had arisen, and that the mist was gathering more thickly over the sea.

Going back to where his father was seated he too sat down; and then it seemed to him that a dull oval sun rose out of the sea--a sun so dull that its flattened oval shape suggested that it must have been squeezed so as to get nearly all the light out of it. And there that sun stared at him blankly, as if wondering to see him there; while he was as much surprised to see the sun--and more surprised as his brain cleared and he realised that he had been asleep and was staring at the plate-gla.s.s cabin-window, and that it was broad day!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

HOW MEN FIGHT FOR LIFE.

Mark started up in terror as he saw his father's face, pale, haggard, and smeared with blood; but as soon as he encountered his son's eye he smiled pleasantly.

"Have I been asleep, father?"

"Capitally, my boy," said the captain kindly. "A good four hours, I should say."

"And you've been watching?"

"No--only resting and thinking, my boy. I'm better now. Go out and see how things are."

Mark stepped softly into the saloon, which was now full of light from the stern windows, and a dull sense of horror and misery came over him as he noted the desolate aspect of the place, with the screwed-up doors, the barricade, the look of the men asleep, and above all the pallid aspect of Mr Morgan, who seemed to have grown old since the previous day, so seriously had his wound affected him.

This was all seen at a glance; and he was going toward the door when he stopped short, startled, for there stood the major with a double gun at his shoulder taking so straight an aim at him that Mark seemed to see nothing of the gun but the muzzle, looking like a pair of spectacles without gla.s.ses, and through which frames he was trying to peer.

Not a pleasant prospect for him if he could have looked, for it would have been right down the barrels at the wads of a couple of cartridges; but as he stared the piece was lowered and the major said in a low voice:

"I could have brought you down like a bird. Why, you looked just like a Malay. Mark, what have you been doing, sir? rubbing your powdery hands all over your face?"

"I suppose so, major. What time is it?"

"Time the ship was cleared, my lad, but I suppose we must wait. Let me see," he continued, referring to his watch. "I didn't like to look before; it makes a man impatient for his breakfast, I'm seven o'clock.

That's three bells, isn't it?"

"I think so," said Mark.

"Think, and you the son of a captain in the merchant service! Why, I should have thought you would have been born a sailor."

"Have you heard the Malays, sir?"

"Heard them! Yes, my lad, going about the ship with their bare feet on the planks; but they haven't tried the door. There, rouse up the men while I wake Gregory."

He touched the first-mate, who sprang up, revolver in hand, wide-awake, and ready for instant action.

He glanced sharply round, realised that all was right, and stuck the revolver in his belt.

"How's the skipper?" he asked.

"My father seems worn out and ill," said Mark sadly.

"Make him lie down," muttered the mate; and he strode across to the captain's cabin, but came back shaking his head, and went to the cabin-window, where he leaned out and was trying to see whether the boat was all right when a faint noise overhead made him instinctively draw in his head.

It was a narrow escape, for as the mate drew back there was a dark line seen to dart across the cabin-window and return.

"Well, I'm not a spiteful man," said the mate, rubbing his ear, "but I should certainly like to give that fellow a pill that would lay him up for six months. Now, what pleasure would it have afforded him, Mark, my lad, if he had run that spear through my neck?"

"It's his nature, sir," said the major shortly. "Those fellows value a life at about a rupee, and sometimes not at that."

The men had risen, stretched, and were looking round in a discontented way; but they began to beam shortly after when a fair supply of biscuits and sardines from the captain's private supply was handed round, and followed by some bottled beer, the opening of which seemed to cause a commotion on deck, and an excited talking as if the Malays thought some kind of weapon was being fired.

The breakfast worked wonders in the gaunt, untidy-looking throng, and when the captain said a few words to them asking their help, and that they would stand by him to the last, there was a hearty cheer, one which caused a rush of feet upon the deck, and then a hurried buzzing sound was heard as if the Malays were gathering for an attack.

In view of this the men were placed well armed by the barricaded door, and the major stood ready at their side, while Small was stationed beneath the sky-light armed with a gun, and with orders to fire through the first hole driven down in the panels of the door Mr Gregory had placed for protection.

"So far so good," said the captain cheerily, and the excitement seemed to remove the haggard look in his pale face. "But look here, gentlemen, we must leave a way open for retreat."

"Of course," said the major, "never lose touch of that."

"My plan is to defend the ship to the last, and then take to the boat-- that is, if the case has become hopeless. So, Gregory, sooner or later they will find out that the boat is here, and try to cut it adrift. You will go to the cabin-window which commands the boat's painter, and shoot down whoever tries to cut it."

Gregory nodded, took a gun and some cartridges, and walked to one of the cabin-windows, then to another, and changed again.

He had hardly reached the last and looked out when there was a shot, a yell, and a second shot.

The captain rushed to his officer's side.

"What is it?" he cried.

"Only just in time," said the mate, coolly reloading. "One of the scoundrels had swum round, was in the boat, and cutting her away."

"Did you--"

The captain paused and looked inquiringly in the mate's eyes.

"We're fighting for our lives and the lives of these ladies, Captain Strong," said Gregory. "Suppose we do our duty and ask no questions afterwards. The Malay did not cut the painter."

Captain Strong nodded and returned to where the men stood by the barricaded door, to answer the major's inquiring look with a few words as to matters being all right, and then they waited, with the ladies pale and anxious, in one of the cabins, and Mark standing ready to supply ammunition when it should be required.

They had not long to wait for an attack. The discovery that the man who had tried to get the boat had been shot was met with a loud burst of angry yells, and this was followed by a fresh attempt, as was shown to the defenders of the door by another shot from the mate.

There was another burst of yelling, and at intervals three more shots were fired by Mr Gregory.

"Why, he's getting all the fun, Strong!" said the major. "They might come this way; but the mischief is that we've left no holes to fire from. Never mind; if we had they would have been able to see in."

Mark about this time walked to where Mr Gregory was leaning against the bulkhead with the muzzle of his gun bearing upon the spot a man must reach to cut the painter.