Sail Ho! Part 91

"But you will not let it burn without an effort?" whispered Mr Frewen.

"I shall let it burn, sir, without an effort," said Mr Brymer, drawing back, and leading Mr Frewen toward the companion, I being so close that I could hear every word, which was only intended for the doctor's ears.

"I'll tell you why," he said. "As those casks burst, the spirit will run through the cargo in all directions, the flame will glide along the surface, and as the spirit heats, the hold will be full of inflammable gas, which will keep on exploding."

"Yes," said Mr Frewen, angrily; "but an abundance of water--"

"Would not stop the flashing of that spirit here and there, doctor, till, sooner or later, it reaches the blasting-powder. That must be reached, and then the ship will be rent open."

"Great heaven!" cried Mr Frewen.

"And the fire will be extinguished then. My good sir, with a well-trained crew, working calmly, we might perhaps reach the powder and cast it overboard; but, situated as we are now, any efforts of ours would be worse than folly."

"Then--the boat!"

"Yes, but don't hurry or grow excited; the vessel may burn a day or two before the final calamity comes. We have plenty of time to do our duty."

"Yes, I understand," said Mr Frewen, and he hurried towards the saloon.

"Aren't we going to try and put out the fire, Mr Brymer, sir?" said Bob Hampton.

"No, my lad; we'll leave that to Jarette and his gang. Come and help."

By this time we had reached the cabin-door, from beneath which the faint light shone, and Mr Frewen exclaimed--

"Are you there, Miss Denning?"

"Yes, yes," she cried eagerly. "Pray, pray help us."

"Yes. One minute; is the door locked on the inside?"

"Yes," came from within, in company with a sharp snapping sound which was repeated, while the doctor felt outside, and convinced himself that it was secured there too, and that we had no means of unfastening it.

"Stand back from the door, right to the other side of the cabin," said Mr Frewen, and, drawing back some distance, he ran at the panel, raised his foot, struck it just above the handle, and it was driven right off, and he saw Miss Denning standing there, pale and large-eyed, holding a little taper in her hand, while in the bed-place lay her brother, gazing at us wildly, but for his countenance to change and become restful and calm as he saw that he was in the presence of friends.

"I told you they would not desert us, Lena," he said faintly; and then his head sank back as if he were too weak to raise it from the pillow.

Mr Frewen stepped close up to the bed-place as I joined Mr Denning and laid my hand in his, for his eyes had seemed to invite me to come to him. Then, as if I had not been there, he whispered quickly to the invalid--

"Denning, you don't like me, but we are in a perilous strait. Believe me, I will do everything man can for you and your sister now. Will you trust me?"

"Yes."

Mr Frewen turned to Miss Denning, and said firmly--

"Dress quickly, as if for a long journey." She looked at him wonderingly. "Yes," he said, and his voice sounded almost harsh. "In five minutes or less you must both be down in the boat. Hat, cloak, waterproof, and any necessary that you think may be useful. Nothing more. You understand?"

She bowed, and began hurriedly to collect the few things she required, while, without waiting to be told, I dragged pillow and blankets from the cot, and ran out with them to the stern-window, beneath which I could plainly see the boat now.

"Mr Preddle--Dumlow," I cried, "stow these aft;" and I threw down the articles I had brought, and went to fetch others from the cabin, pa.s.sing Bob Hampton and Barney, who were collecting everything they could find in the way of provisions, tins, bottles, bags, from the captain's stores, and throwing them down.

By the time I was back, Miss Denning was ready, and she was about to help her brother, but he hung back.

"No, no," he said. "Take her first, Frewen."

She would have resisted, but I said quickly--"The ship is on fire; we must not lose a moment. Pray come."

She put her hand in mine, and I led her through the saloon, now full of a lurid light, and into the captain's cabin, where the rope still hung down.

"Be ready to help, Mr Preddle," I said, as I hauled it up, and handed the end to Bob Hampton, who came in loaded.

"Make a loop, Bob, and help lower Miss Denning down."

"That I will, my dear lad," he said, shooting his load on one of the lockers. "Don't you be skeart, but just you trust to me. That's your sort," he cried, as he pa.s.sed the rope round her, and knotted it. "Now then, you'll just take a tight grip of the rope there with both hands, and trust to me, just as if I was going to give you a swing."

"I'll trust you, Hampton," she said, with a quiet smile.

"That's right, miss; you'll be like a baby in my arms. Now, Barney, boy, lay hold of the rope. Nay, you needn't, she's light as a feather.

Give way to me, my dear, just as if I was your father, and I'll lower you right enough."

I could not help thinking how pretty and gentle and brave she looked as she left herself in Bob's hands, while he knelt on the locker, lifted her up, pa.s.sed her out of the cabin-window, held for a moment or two by the knot, and then gently lowered her down.

"Done lovely," said Bob. "Better let Neb Dumlow cast off the rope, Mr Preddle, sir. You can hand the lady into the starn arter-wards. That's your sort, sir," as he hauled up. "Why, some gals would ha' kicked and squealed and made no end o' fuss. Want this for Mr Denning, shan't us?"

"Yes," I said, and at that moment, supporting the poor fellow below the arms, Mr Frewen and the mate helped Mr Denning into the cabin, panting heavily even from that little exertion.

"I'll be--as quick--as I can," he sighed. "There is no hurry," said Mr Brymer, quietly; "we have a wall of fire between us and our enemies."

"Go on heaving down that there prog, Barney," whispered Bob from behind his hand. "I don't hold with running short out in a hopen boat."

Barney grunted, and while Bob pa.s.sed the rope round Mr Denning so that he could sit in the bight, and then made a hitch round his breast so as to secure him in case his weak hold with his hands gave way, the sailor kept various articles of food in tins flying down to Neb Dumlow, who caught them deftly and stowed them rapidly forward in the bottom of the boat.

The next minute Mr Denning was tenderly lifted by Bob Hampton and Mr Frewen, and his legs were pa.s.sed out from the window, the rope was tightened, then he swung to and fro, and a minute later Dumlow had left the catching and stowing to cast off the rope which was now left hanging, so as to afford us a ready means of retreat in case it should be necessary.

With the help of Mr Preddle and the sailor, Mr Denning was soon lying back in the stern, and now the mate leaned out to give a few directions to Dumlow.

"Have you got that painter fast to the ring-bolt so that you can cast off directly?"

"Ay, ay, sir. Hear the pumps going?"

"Yes; go on stowing the stores sent down as well as you can. Mr Preddle will help you."

"There, doctor," he said the next minute, "now we can cast off at a moment's notice if there's danger."

"From the explosion?"

"It would not hurt us," said Mr Brymer, coolly, for now that Miss Denning and her brother were safe, he did not seem to mind. "When the powder goes off it will be amidships, and strike up. We shall only hear the noise, and perhaps have a few bits of burning wood come down near.

What I fear is Jarette and his party when they take to the boats. But I think we can out-sail them."