Sail Ho! Part 48

I gave a sharp knock at the door, and then unfastened it and entered, lantern in hand, to see Mr Denning looking ghastly as the light fell upon his face, where he stood before his sister with a tiny revolver in his hand, while the other was behind him holding the poor girl whom he was ready, poor weak creature that he was, to defend as long as he had life.

They had been so long in darkness that the light of the lantern, feeble as it was, dazzled them, and they could not see who it was.

Before I had time to speak Mr Denning cried fiercely--

"Keep back, scoundrel, or I'll fire!"

"No, no! Mr Denning," I cried; "it's all right now, and we've mastered the mutineers."

"Ah!"

I started forward at that cry--a long, low, pitiful cry--uttered by Miss Denning; and I heard Mr Frewen's step behind me as I dropped the lantern and tried to catch the poor girl. For the good news, after the long and terrible strain, was more than she could bear. I knew afterwards that she had acted like a heroine all through the fearful excitement, and had worked hard to comfort and sustain her brother; while now that the tension was removed, she reeled and would have fallen in spite of my effort. But as the lantern fell, and we were in darkness, I felt some one brush by me, and I knew by the sound that she had not struck the cabin-floor.

"Quick, a light, Bob!--matches!" I cried.

"Right you are, sir," he said; and as he came into the cabin, I heard him fumbling about and trying to strike a match, but for several minutes there was nothing but a phosph.o.r.escent streak made on the boards of the part.i.tion.

"Yah! everything's so plaguy wet," growled the sailor.

"Here, let me come, matey," I heard Dumlow say. "Mine's bra.s.s box."

And the next minute there was a sharp crick, crick, crack, a burst of flame, and I saw Mr Frewen holding poor Miss Denning in his arms, ready to lay her carefully and reverently down as the lantern was re-lit.

"Yes, Mr Denning," he said quietly, "I think there is no more cause for anxiety now, except from the storm. Will you see to your sister, and bathe her face? It is only a fainting fit from the sudden shock."

"Yes, thank you," said Mr Denning, coldly and ungraciously, I thought.

"Be good enough to take away your men."

"Of course. Come, my lads," said Mr Frewen; and he stepped out of the cabin, followed by Bob Hampton and Dumlow.

"It's all right, Mr Denning," I said. "Nothing to mind now."

But somehow I did not speak very warmly, for I was hurt by his cold reception of a man who had been risking his life to save him and his sister.

My feelings changed though the next moment, for to my astonishment Mr Denning laid hands on my shoulders, and he quite broke down and sobbed, while his words were choking and strange.

"Thank G.o.d!--thank G.o.d!" he said. "Oh, Dale, if you only knew what we have suffered, my poor sister and I!"

"Yes, yes, it has been horrible," I said, trying to comfort him, for his illness had made him weak as a girl; "but that's nothing to mind now.

We've thrashed the scoundrels and locked them up, and Mr Frewen has behaved like a hero."

"Yes; and--and I'm afraid I spoke very sharply to him, but I could not help it, Dale."

"Well, you weren't very warm to him," I said; "and he does deserve something."

"Yes, yes," he cried hastily; "and I'll try and thank him another time.

Hush! she's coming to."

"Yes, and I mustn't stay," I cried quickly; for I was miserably uncomfortable, and wanted to get away before Miss Denning quite came to, and burst out sobbing and crying, as I was sure she would.

"Can't you stop--a few minutes?" he said.

"No; I must go on deck. There's everything to do, and we're short-handed. I'll leave you the light."

"Thank you, yes," he cried, wringing my hand.

"Tell Miss Denning I'm so glad," I said hastily; and then I hurried out.

But I was no sooner outside than I remembered my message, and ran back, to find, as I expected, that Miss Denning was sobbing on her brother's shoulder; when to my horror she left him, and with a cry flung her arms about my neck and kissed me.

"Oh, Alison Dale," she cried warmly, "bless you, and thank you! You have always been like a dear good brother to us both, ever since we have been on board."

"He has--he has," cried Mr Denning warmly, and he looked as pleased as could be at his sister's behaviour; while as for me, I would have given anything to be outside the cabin. For to a lad of my age, being thanked for what I had done was painful in the extreme; and in a hurried way I hastened to tell them my message, and briefly about how we had found friends in the mutineers' ranks, and then of our attack and success.

But my stay was brief. We had so far mastered one enemy, but were suffering from the attack of another, which we had ignored for a time; while now it was impressing itself upon us all, as I soon found, in a very serious way.

On reaching the deck, along which I had to guide myself by holding on by the side, and catching at rope and belaying-pin, I found that the sea had risen higher, and the wind was rushing through the rigging with almost hurricane force. But I made my way to the forecastle-hatch, where Mr Preddle was still on guard, as I could see by the light of the swaying lantern, and Mr Brymer was with him.

"Ah, Dale," he cried, "I'm glad you've come. I want you to stay on guard with Mr Preddle. You have a pistol?"

"Yes," I said, pointing to my belt.

"That's right. I want to go to the wheel. Hampton is there now. I should like to do more, but it is terrible work now, short-handed as we are; and we must run on in this blind fashion, for I have no idea where we are."

Just at that moment there was a tremendous crack overhead, followed by a snapping as of pistol-shots; for one of the sails had got loose, and was now being torn into ribbons, which snapped and cracked like so many cart-whips on a gigantic scale.

"Is that dangerous?" I shouted, for the wind carried away my voice.

"No; a blessing, my lad. It will save her. I only want steering power.

Look here, don't fire unless you are obliged. If you do, mind, I take it as a signal that you want help, both of you; and then of course we shall come to your help. But what about Mr Denning?"

As he spoke, the invalid came struggling along by the bulwarks, and I ran to help him to where he could stand in shelter.

"Glad to see you, Mr Denning. Ah, that's right. Rather a small pistol, but I dare say it can do its duty. You will help them?"

"As far as my strength will let me," he said.

"That's right. Now, Mr Preddle, I must go. Sorry about your fish, but we can do nothing till the weather mends."

"No, I'm afraid not," Mr Preddle yelled.

"I don't hear that crying out now."

"No; I haven't heard it since Mr Dale came," panted Mr Preddle, with the wind driving his words back so that he could hardly get his breath.

"That must wait too. The safety of the ship is all we can look to now."

He made a dash for the weather-bulwark, and disappeared at once into the darkness and mist of spray which flew before the gale, hissing by us, and drenching us to the skin.

"You ought to have brought a waterproof, Mr Denning," I said.