Mr. Trunnell, Mate of the Ship Part 19

As every sailor carries a sheath-knife, the fight promised to be an interesting one if the men of the _Sovereign's_ crew saw fit to fight it out. England, however, who was stronger than any two of our men, did not like going into the matter with the same spirit as Journegan, Daniels, and Andrews. After he had received a severe cut and had cracked the skull of the sailor who had given it by knocking him over the head with an iron belaying-pin, he began to retreat along the deck. Chips had planted his knife in Andrews's thigh, and had cut Dalton and Journegan badly in the mix-up.

The Irishman was unharmed save for a few scratches, and being aided by Johnson, he soon had the men backing away toward the break of the p.o.o.p, the third mate crying out shrilly to stop fighting. The queer young man was defending Andrews mightily with a knife, and for this reason alone the scoundrel managed to get to his feet and retreat with the rest, backing away as they did to the mizzen and from there to the p.o.o.p rail, where they were brought to bay.

Daniels, however, fared worse. We had a struggle for some moments alone, and just as my knife was in a good position a man struck him from behind, throwing him off his guard and letting my blade penetrate his throat until it protruded three inches beyond the back of his neck. Then the fight was over.

Chips stopped at my side with Andrews's revolver in his hand.

"'Tis a pity we've no cartridges fer th' weepin," he panted; "'twould save th' hangman a lot o' trouble. Now there'll be a butcher's shop aboard."

"Come on," I said. "You get to starboard, and I'll take the port side.

We'll rush them and make a finish of it. Here, Frank," I called to a sailor, "lend me your knife. Mine's no good for this work."

"My own is broken, sir," said he.

"Hold on," cried Journegan; "we're not making any fight."

I could see the five ruffians talking brokenly together while they recovered their breath. Our third mate was holding forth in a piping tone, but too low for me to hear the words.

"We don't want to press the outfly any further," said England. "We ain't no pirates. All we did was to defend ourselves. One of your fellows cut me arm open and I hit him over the head, not meanin' no more than to knock him out for the time bein', as the sayin' is."

"Will you surrender and put down your knives?" I asked.

Andrews gave his fierce snort and was about to say something in reply, but the third mate seized him and stopped him. The a.s.sa.s.sin was badly wounded and swayed as he stood, but his spirit was not in the least beaten. He had killed five men out of six shots from his pistol and would have had me in the list but for the knife I placed in my breast as a precaution at the warning from Chips on taking him aboard. His coolness and steadiness were marvellous. Not a shot had he wasted, and if he had been relieved a trifle sooner by his half-hearted followers, he would have had the whole crowd of us at his mercy. No man could have faced a pistol of that size in the hands of one so quick and steady.

There was no answer to my question, and I repeated it, Chips adding that they would go free if they would give up the men who had done killing.

"Why o' course, we ain't no pirates," said Journegan.

"Well, chuck out your knives, or we'll be for closing with you," I cried.

"This thing is over, and one or the other will be in command."

"Why don't ye take the boat an' go clear? Dalton, here, will give ye the provisions, an' you can get to the north'ard and make port. There ain't no room for both of us aboard here now, even if we gave up, which we ain't got no idea o' doin' unless you come out square an' fair."

"Yes," said Jenks, "you men don't want to make a Kilkenny cat go out of this ship. Do the square an' fair thing, an' git out. You know, Tommy,"

he went on, addressing a sailor, "I don't want to hurt you; but you know me. You boys can't make no show agin an old man-o'-war's man like me, as has been up to his waist in blood many a time, an' never ware the worse for it."

The sailor addressed spoke to me.

"Don't you think it a good way, sir? They are good for us if they try hard, for England can whip any three of us, an' I, for one, don't want to run against him if it can be helped. We have a boat."

"Nonsense," said Chips. "We must take 'em."

I thought a moment. There was a young girl below. Probably she was even now frightened nearly to death. If anything did go wrong with us,--and it certainly looked as if it would, when I sized up that crowd,--she would be worse than dead. There were seven of us left against six, although Andrews was too badly hurt to fear, but they were much better men physically. After they had once started to do for us, they were not the kind who would stick at anything. I was much exhausted, myself, and while I thought the matter over, it seemed as though to go were the better way out of the trouble.

Chips, however, insisted on closing with the men.

It took me some minutes to convince him that the young fellows with us were not of the kind to depend on in such a fracas, and that he would be in a bad way should he tackle England alone. Journegan, Jenks, and Dalton were all powerful men, armed with sheath-knives sharper and better than our own, for they had evidently prepared for just such an emergency.

"Let Dalton provision the whale-boat, and you men get out," said Mr. Bell after I had finished whispering my views to Chips.

"Yes," said the steward; "you men stay where you are, and I'll put the stuff aboard for you, and then you can get out."

"All right," I answered; "go ahead."

Some of us sat about the after-skylight, while Andrews and his gang disposed themselves, as comfortably as they might, around the mizzen.

Dalton went down over the p.o.o.p, and entered the cabin from forward, and Chips, Johnson, and myself looked over our dead.

Jim lay where he fell. There was no sign of life, and Chips swore softly at the villain's work, when we laid his head back upon the planks. Hans breathed slightly, but he was going fast. We poured some spirits between his lips, but he relaxed, and was lifeless in a few minutes. Phillippi lay with his eyes staring up at the sky. His knife was still clutched in his dark hand, and his teeth shone white beneath his black mustache. The other sailor was dead, and while we looked for some sign of life, I heard a smothered sob come from aft. We turned and saw a slender white form bending over the body of Captain Sackett. The moon was rising in the east, lighting the heavens and making a long silver wake over the calm ocean. By its light I made out Miss Sackett, holding the head of her dead father in her lap, and crying softly.

XVI

The moon rose higher, and Dalton came and went, carrying provisions up from the cabin. These he lowered into our boat, which was hauled alongside, Jenks taking a hand when necessary, although he never came aft far enough to encounter any of our men. Andrews sat quietly on the deck and had his cuts bound up and dressed, while Mr. Bell went below to the medicine chest for whatever he wanted. We kept well apart, each side feeling a distrust for the other, and neither caring to provoke a conflict.

In about an hour Dalton announced the boat was ready.

"There's salt junk enough for all hands a week or two, and ship's bread for a month. There's water in the breaker. You can go when you're ready,"

said Journegan.

I went aft to Miss Sackett, where she had sat motionless for a long time with her face buried in her hands, as if to shut out the cruel sight around her.

"We will leave the ship in a few minutes," said I, taking her by the hand, and trying to raise her gently to her feet. "You must try to bear up to go with us. Try to walk evenly and quickly when the time comes, for there may be a struggle yet."

She let fall her hands from her face, and I saw her eyes, dry and bright in the moonlight.

"Can't you kill them?" she asked quietly. "Oh, if I were only a man!"

Then she drew herself up to her full height, and gazed hard at the group of ruffians at the mizzen.

"I'll have to go below first, and get my things," she said. "I suppose you know what is best, to go or stay?"

"Hurry," I said. "I will wait here at the companion."

She went below with a firm tread, and I heard her slam the door of her stateroom. Andrews looked toward me and spoke.

"You can leave the girl aboard," said he. "You'll have enough in the boat."

"Chips," I called, "stand by for a rush. Don't let Dalton get forward alive. Miss Sackett either goes with us, or we all stay here together and fight it out."

Andrews, who had recovered somewhat, now staggered to his feet and drew his knife.

"Stand by and follow along the port rail," he said to Journegan and England. "You two," addressing Bell and Jenks, "go to starboard."

Dalton, who was below and separated from his fellows, would be our object.

Jenks, however, remonstrated at the attack.