Sail Ho! Part 87

A hand touched my arm, glided down to my wrist, and then a warm palm pressed mine hard.

"Then you shall go, Dale," said Mr Brymer, firmly. "Keep a good heart, my lad, for the darkness will protect you from Jarette's pistol, and you can recollect this, we shall be close at hand lying across the stern ready to row along either side of the ship if we hear a splash. That splash would of course be you leaping overboard, and you must remember to swim astern to meet the boat."

"And what is he to do when he gets on board, sir?" said Mr Frewen.

"Make for the Dennings' cabin at once?"

"No," I said sharply. "That's just where I shouldn't go. Some one would be sure to be watching it. I should try and find out which was the cabin Jarette uses, for the arms would be there, and then I should tie some guns--"

"And cartridges," whispered Mr Preddle, excitedly.

"Oh yes, I shouldn't forget them. I'd tie 'em together and lower them down out of the window. He's sure to have the captain's cabin, and the window will be open, ready."

"Bravo!" cried Mr Preddle. "Oh dear! I wish I was a boy again."

"And the best of the fun will be," I continued excitedly, "old Jarette will never think anyone would go straight to his cabin, and be watching everywhere else."

"Then you think you can do this?" said Mr Frewen, eagerly.

"Oh yes, I think so, sir."

"I'd better come with you, my lad," he continued.

"No; that would spoil all. A boy could do it, but I don't believe a man could."

"He is right, Frewen," said the mate. "Then understand this, Dale, you will have to act according to circ.u.mstances. Your object is to get weapons, which you will hang out so that we can get hold of them; perhaps you will be able to lower them into the boat and then slide down the rope you use. But mind this, you are not to try and communicate with the Dennings."

"What?" said Mr Frewen, angrily.

"It would be fatal to our success," said the mate, firmly. "Now, Dale, you understand, guns or revolvers, whichever you can get."

"Yes, sir, I know."

"Then how soon will you be ready?"

"I'm ready now."

"Hah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr Frewen, and my heart began to go pat pat, pat pat, so heavily that it seemed to jar against my ribs, while a curious series of thoughts ran through my brain, all of which were leavened by the same idea, that I had been playing the braggart, and offering to do things which I did not dare.

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

"Now," whispered Mr Brymer, "utter silence, please. Not a word must be spoken. Shake hands with us all, Dale, and G.o.d bless and speed you in your gallant attempt."

I shook hands all round, Mr Brymer whispering--

"Don't talk to him, gentlemen. Let him make his attempt on his own basis. He will act according to circ.u.mstances, and will know what is best to do. There, Dale. Now off! Go right forward into the bows, and send Hampton aft. He shall put an oar over the stern and scull you right in under the bowsprit. Then we shall go on round to the stern and wait. If you do not hear or see us, act all the same. It is intensely dark, and we shall be there. Off!"

It was like being started on a school race, and my breath came short as if I were running. I crept forward as silently as possible to where Bob Hampton was seated, and it was so dark that I had to feel for him.

"Go aft and take an oar with you," I whispered. "Don't speak, and don't make a sound."

Then I crept right into the bows, and stood there gazing at the faint lights on board the ship, and trying to think of nothing but the task I had in hand.

"I've got it to do," I said to myself, "and I will do it for Miss Denning's and her brother's sake."

Then I shivered, but I made a fresh effort to be firm, and said half laughingly--but oh! what a sham it was!--"It's only like going in for a game of hide-and-seek. There'll be no one on deck but Jarette."

I stopped short there, for I thought of his pistol and Walters' wound.

"Hang his pistol!" I exclaimed mentally, "perhaps it isn't loaded again, and he couldn't hit me in the dark.--But he hit Walters and poor old Neb Dumlow," something within me argued.

"Well," I replied to the imaginary arguer, "if my wound when it comes is no worse than poor old Neb's, I shan't much mind."

And all the while I could feel that we were moving toward the ship, for though I could not hear a splash aft nor a ripple of the sea against the bows, the boat rolled slightly, so that I had to spread my legs apart to keep my balance.

Oh, how dark it was that night! And how thankful I felt! For saving that the lights in the cabin shone out, there was no trace of the ship; nothing ahead but intense blackness, and not a star to be seen.

"I can't see it," I thought. "I hope Bob won't run us b.u.mp up against the hull, and give the alarm."

Then I hugged myself and felt encouraged, for if I could not see the great ship with her towering masts, and rigging, and sails hanging, waiting for the breeze which must succeed the long calm, it was not likely that the keenest-eyed watcher would see our small boat.

"But he may hear it coming," I argued. And then. "Not likely, for I can't hear a sound myself."

On we went with the round dim light in the ship's side showing a little plainer; but I noticed, as I stood there b.u.t.toning up my jacket tightly, that the light appeared a little more to my right, which of course meant that Bob Hampton was steering for the left to where lay the ship's bows.

I tried to make out her outlines, but I could see nothing. I could hear, though, for from where I guessed the forecastle to be came a song sung in a very tipsy voice as a man struck up. It sounded dull and half-smothered, but I heard "Moon on the ocean," and "standing toast,"

and "La.s.s that loves a sailor." Then there was a chorus badly sung, and I started, for away to the right where the cabin-light was, I heard a sound like an angry e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n or an oath muttered in the stillness of the dark night.

"Jarette," I said softly. "Hurrah! He won't hear me climb the stay, and I can get on deck safely."

Another minute of the slowest possible movement, and I was thinking whether I ought not after all to take off my jacket; but I felt I was right in keeping it on, for my shirt-sleeves would have shown light perhaps if I had been anywhere near a lantern. Then I had something else to think of, for looming up before me, blacker than the night, was the hull of the ship, and directly after, as I looked up, there, just dimly-seen like the faintest of shadows against the sky, was the big anchor beneath which we were gliding so slowly that we hardly seemed to stir.

"How well Bob is sculling us!" I thought; and then I looked up, strained over, made a s.n.a.t.c.h and touched a great wire rope reaching from the ship's prow below the water to the bowsprit, to hold it down, flung up my other hand, gave the boat a good thrust with my feet as I got both hands well round the rope, and swung my legs up and round the stay, from which I hung like a monkey on a stick, my head screwed round as I tried to see my companions, and just dimly seeing a shadow apparently glide by, leaving me hanging there alone, with the water beneath me, and a shuddering feeling coming over me for a few moments as I thought of the consequences that would ensue if I let go.

As I hung there from that taut rope, I felt that if I let go I should be plunged in the sea, go down ever so far into the terrible black water, and rise again half-suffocated, my nerve gone, and I should be drowned, for the occupants of the boat would be out of hearing, and I should never be able to swim and overtake them, since they would make a long detour before reaching the stern-windows.

But then I had no occasion to let go. Why should I? And as I climbed I was ready to laugh at my fears. For I was strong for my age, and active enough to climb that stay, and I did; halting at last by the spritsail-yard to listen before mounting to the bowsprit, getting my feet upon the ropes beneath, and then travelling slowly sideways, till I was able to rest by the figure-head and look over on to the forepart of the dark deck.

I was as silent as I possibly could be for fear of encountering a man on the look-out, but there was no one, and hesitating no longer, I climbed over and stood upon the deck, thinking how easily the rest might have reached it too; when there would have been a chance for us to close the forecastle-hatch once more. For there it was open, a dim light rising from it to form a very faint halo around; and the men seemed to be all there, for I could hear the talking, and then an uproarious burst of laughter, caused by one of them beginning to sing in a drunken tone, and breaking down at the end of a couple of lines.

There was nothing to fear there, I thought, and after listening I began to creep along, step by step, close to the starboard bulwark, keeping my hands thereon for a few paces, till becoming bolder I stepped out more, but stumbled directly over something big and soft, and went sprawling on the deck.

I felt that all was over, as I went down noisily, and springing up, hesitated as to what I should do, but not for long. The fore-shrouds were close at hand, and feeling for them I drew myself up, ascending higher and higher as I heard some one coming rapidly from aft till he was close beneath me, and catching his foot in the same obstacle as had thrown me, he too went down heavily, and scrambled up, cursing.

My heart throbbed more heavily than before as the voice told me it was Jarette, though for the moment I did not grasp the fact that his fall had been my safety. For naturally attributing the noise he had heard to the object over which he had fallen, he began to kick and abuse and call the obstacle, in a low tone, all the drunken idiots and dogs he could lay his tongue to.

"And I run all these risks for such a brute as you," he snarled; "but wait a little, my dear friend, and you shall see."