Sail Ho! Part 23

She gave me a quick, half-resentful look; but her face lit-up directly and she smiled.

"I suppose you are right," she said with a sigh. "It is so hard to be a woman, and not be able to help. I should not mind so much if I could be busy."

"But there is nothing to do now, Miss Denning," I said,--"that is, for you. There, I must go now."

"Tell me though--my brother ordered me to stay here in the cabin--tell me--couldn't I be of some help? The captain and mate are both wounded, are they not?"

"Yes, a little," I said encouragingly; "but Mr Frewen has seen to them.

Shall I ask him if you can come and attend on the captain?"

"Yes; do!" she cried. Then quickly--"No, no! I must go by what my brother says."

"And I must go out in the saloon and help. When all is safe I shall see you again."

"When all is safe," she whispered despondently.

"Yes, and it is going to be. Oh, it will be all right. May I take this?"

I pointed to a chest, and she tried to say yes, but only gave a nod; and shouldering the little box, I hurried with it to find that it was not wanted, for Mr Frewen was just forcing one in between the top of the pile and the ceiling, by standing upon a box which Mr Preddle was holding steady.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

"Oh dear me--dear me, Alison Dale," said Mr Preddle, rising up from his stooping position very slowly and wiping his broad fat face, which was covered with drops of perspiration, "this is a very sad business, isn't it?"

"Horrible!" I said, "but it will all come right." He laid his hand upon my shoulder.

"Come into my cabin," he whispered; and I followed him.

"You think it will come right?" he said, looking at me in a terribly perplexed way.

"Oh yes, I think so," I said; "Mr Denning and Mr Frewen will give the rascals a good peppering and bring them to their senses."

"And so will I!" he cried excitedly. "I never tried to fight seriously since I left school, but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to if I tried,--do you?"

"Of course not sir," I replied, smiling. I wanted to laugh outright, for he did not at all come up to my ideas of a fighting man.

"I can see," he went on mildly, "you don't think I could, but I shall try."

"I won't laugh at you, Mr Preddle," I said; "indeed you have more cause to laugh at me when I say that, boy as I am, I mean to fight and try to defend Miss Denning."

He caught hold of my hand, held it in his left, and brought his big soft right down into it with a sounding slap, and then squeezed my fingers as hard as he could.

"That you will, Alison. You're a brave lad, I know. We'll all try and fight like men against the ruffians. Like lions, eh, Dale? Like lions."

"To be sure, sir," I said; "but hadn't we better go back into the saloon?"

"Yes, yes, directly," he said hastily, and I saw him turn very red in the face. "I suppose the mutineers know that we have a very valuable cargo?"

"Yes, sir; I expect that's it," I replied. "But they're not going to have it. We'll sink the ship first, and escape in one of the boats."

"To be sure we will, but it's a sad business, Dale. There is my consignment of salmon and trout. Do you think the scoundrels would let me go and see to them?"

"No, sir," I said, "I don't believe they would. Come along."

"I'm afraid you are right. Yes; I'll come directly; but there was something else that I wanted to say to you. Dear me, what a memory I have! Oh, I know!"

He stopped short and turned redder than ever, while I stared and waited.

"Yes; it was about--oh yes--that was it. It's a terrible business, and--how does Miss Denning seem? Does she bear up about it all?"

"Well, pretty fairly, sir. Of course she is very much alarmed, and she is anxious about her brother."

"Is she, though?" he said. "Poor girl. Of course, yes, she would be.

Did she seem very anxious about any one else--Mr Frewen, for instance?"

"No, sir; I don't remember that she mentioned him."

"Poor girl. No, of course not, nor me neither, I suppose?"

"Oh no, I'm sure of that, sir," I said decisively. "She certainly did not mention your name. But we must go back now, sir, and see if we are wanted."

"Of course. Come along," said Mr Preddle, hurriedly; and we went into the saloon, where I found the captain standing by the table in the middle, looking very white, and I saw now that his arm was in a sling, and the lower part of his head bandaged.

He was arranging some pistols and rifles on the table as we entered, and he looked up, nodded at us, and said--

"Two more. There, boy, you'll have to try and fight with the rest of us."

"I'll try, sir," I said, and I looked at him wonderingly, for I had been under the impression that he was unwell in the cabin; I had forgotten the fact that he too had been on deck and received several severe injuries when the mutineers made their attack.

"Oh, look here, Dale," he said suddenly, "while I think of it, my lad.

I went on deck last night to have a look round at the weather, and when I came back I found that my cabin-door was fastened up. Was that your doing?"

"No, sir," I replied. "Certainly not."

"That's right," he said, looking at me searchingly. "I went back on deck to make some inquiries, and when I reached the men's quarters, I was attacked. But I should like to clear that matter up. The steward swears it was not his doing; it would not have been one of the crew.

Where is your messmate, Walters?"

I shook my head.

"Not hurt?" he cried, anxiously.

"No, sir. Not that I know of. Last time I saw him he was quite well."

"Where is he?"

There was a dead silence for a few moments, and then Mr Brymer spoke--