Sail Ho! Part 41

"I want to do it if I can, my lad, without shedding blood, unless one could not do that without risking life."

I could not help shuddering slightly at this.

That day pa.s.sed by slowly and monotonously. We were visited from time to time by Jarette or one of his men, but always with a strong guard outside, in which I noted Blane and Dumlow, but they were not allowed to enter the cabin or hold any communication with us, for they had not originally been of the mutineer party, and Jarette evidently mistrusted them still.

I was anxious and excited for fear that orders should come for me to occupy another cabin, but none came, and no more orders for Mr Frewen to see the captain. Toward evening a strong wind arose, which kept Jarette's men pretty well occupied in reducing sail.

"The scoundrel must be a good seaman," Mr Frewen said to me that night.

"The ship is well handled, you see, and it strikes me that we are going to have a rough night."

His words proved true, for now as the ship rose and fell creaking and groaning, and the wind swished through the rigging, I could begin to realise how horrible it was to be shut below there in the darkness, for if those now in command of the vessel proved wanting at some particular crisis of the storm, our fate was sealed. They might try to save themselves in the boats, but they would not stop for us.

"What are you thinking about?" said Mr Frewen, suddenly, some time after dark.

I started, for we had been silent for some time, listening to the hiss and roar of the waves, and the rough blows given from time to time as some heavy sea struck us and then rushed by. And now that Mr Frewen did speak it was quite aloud, for there was no need for whispering.

"I was thinking about what Captain Berriman and Mr Brymer must feel," I said.

"About the management of the ship? Yes, poor fellows, and both suffering too. You see that scoundrel has let the whole day pa.s.s by without letting me go and attend the captain. You are right, Dale, they must both be feeling horribly about the ship. Think you can sleep?"

"Sleep? No; nor you. It is far too rough for that. Think this is a good seaworthy ship, Mr Frewen?"

"I think so. I hope so," he replied. "The owners stand high for their character. I wish the crew were as good as the ship. Dale, do you think we might break out to-night? We could do it without being heard; I am sure that I could saw round the lock of the door."

"But Bob Hampton and the others would not be ready for us, and we should not have their help," I protested.

"But this seems such a chance, my lad, with all that noise, and I want to be clear in case of accidents."

"Hist!"

"What is it?"

"Something tapped at the cabin-window."

I ran to it, and began to unscrew the fastening, for it was closed tightly to keep out the spray, since more than once a great wave had struck against it with a heavy thud that evening, and we did not want a wet cabin to add to our other miseries.

I swung open the round iron frame, and gazed at the furious sea, all covered with its white foam, but there was nothing visible for a time.

Then all at once something swung by as the ship rose after careening over and literally rolling in the hollow between two great waves.

It was momentary, and like a faint shadow, but directly after, with the swing as of some great pendulum, it pa.s.sed by again.

The next time I was ready for it, feeling as I did that it was some of Bob Hampton's work, and reaching out as far as I could get my arm, I gazed straight before me, trying vainly to make out what it was in the darkness.

"See anything?"

"No," I said; but the next instant something struck my hand, swept by, came back, and I had hold of it to draw into the cabin, cut the string again, and then hastily closed the window--just in time too, for a wave broke against it directly after with a heavy thud.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

As soon as the roar and rush of water had pa.s.sed, Mr Frewen whispered--

"Another pistol?"

"Yes," I said, for I had been hurriedly tearing off the drenched canvas in which it had been wrapped so securely that though the woollen bag in which pistol and cartridges lay was quite damp, as far as I could tell they were none the worse for being dipped again and again into the sea.

For there is a capital quality in canvas as a protector; as the material gets thoroughly soaked it swells and tightens, till it is a long way on toward being waterproof; and after carefully feeling the weapon, and examining it in every way we could in the darkness, Mr Frewen expressed his opinion that it was uninjured, and placed it in his breast to dry.

"This will do for Mr Preddle," he said, and after listening at the door, where nothing was to be heard but the creaking of the ship's timbers as she laboured on, sounding to me as if at any moment she might come to pieces, my fellow-prisoner tapped softly at the part.i.tion, and placing his lips to the opening, called softly upon Mr Preddle.

This had to be repeated several times without effect, and it was not until I had taken Mr Frewen's place and jerked a little empty phial bottle through, so that it fell upon him where he was sleeping, that Mr Preddle started up and cried loudly--

"Who's there?"

"Hist!" I whispered, and he came quickly to the opening.

"Oh, it's you," he said. "I had just lain down, and the noise of the waves prevented my hearing you."

"I thought you were asleep," I said dryly.

"Asleep? Well, perhaps I was nearly. You've come to tell me that all the water will be tossed out of those trays. Oh, my poor fish!"

"I hadn't," I said, "Mr Frewen wants to speak to you. He has a pistol for you ready for when we try to escape."

"Oh dear! oh dear!" he sighed. "We shall never try to escape. We're shut in here, and shall be drowned. Is the ship going down?"

"No, no; she'll ride it out."

"But those men don't know how to manage her, do they?"

"I think so," I replied. "I don't half understand big ships, but they seem to be doing what my father would do with a yacht."

"Let me come, Dale," whispered Mr Frewen.

I drew back, but I was still near enough to hear every word that was said as the pistol was pa.s.sed through by Mr Frewen.

"Take it, and be careful. When it is light, you had better make sure that there is no moisture in the chambers."

"But when are we going to try and do something?" said Mr Preddle, in quite an ill-used tone. "I thought you were going to saw out one of these boards."

"We are going to act as soon as the word comes from our friends outside.

We can do nothing better than be ready."

I clapped my hand over Mr Frewen's lips, and forcing myself by him, whispered sharply to Mr Preddle--

"Quick,--lie down!"

I had no occasion to warn my companion, for he had seen my reason for checking him, and lay down at the side of the cabin, while I glided into the cot. For I had caught sight of a gleam of light beneath the door, and I had hardly settled myself in my sleeping-place, the noise of the waves and wind covering any sounds we made, when the door was thrown open, and Jarette and two men stood in the entrance, holding up lanterns which made their dripping oilskins glisten.