The Cruise of the Dainty Part 7

I repeated to Harry what Sam Pest had said.

"He must be very cunning to play us a trick while we are on our guard,"

observed Harry.

We noticed that the brigantine's boat pulled for the sh.o.r.e, her skipper having apparently no fear of the natives. We were now waiting anxiously for a breeze to get out of the harbour, but not a breath of wind stirred its smooth surface. As we were not likely to be able to sail at all events till the evening, when there might be a breeze, some of the men asked leave to go on sh.o.r.e; but Harry, suspecting their object was to have a talk with the boat's crew of the brigantine, refused, and told Tom Platt to find work for them on board.

Captain Myers did not pay us another visit during the day, but we saw his boat pulling back to the brigantine in the afternoon. What he had been about on sh.o.r.e we could not tell, but no more natives came alongside with pearls or oyster-sh.e.l.ls, though we saw several canoes paddling out as if about to proceed to the _Wasp_.

"If I was your brother I'd keep a look-out for any trick Captain Myers may be inclined to play," said Sam Pest to me. "He may think that the shortest way of getting a cargo of pearls will be to rob this here schooner, and send her to the bottom."

"You don't mean really to say that you think he is capable of so black a deed," I said.

"I tell you there's nothing he would stick at," answered Sam in a positive tone. "I ain't very particular myself, but I've seen him do things, besides the one I told you of, which made my blood curdle, and heartily wish I was clear of him. I have seen him heave shot into canoes, and sink them alongside the vessel, just to get rid of the natives; and another time when we had some aboard who were somewhat obstreperous when shut up in the hold, he shot them down as if they had been a parcel of rats, and threw some overboard with life still in them.

If he does not meddle with us, he'll treat the natives in this place in a way which will make them turn against all white men. For you see they cannot distinguish one from the other; and we shall find it unpleasant, to say the best of it, to remain here."

I heartily thanked Sam for the warning, and a.s.sured him that my brother would not forget his good intentions, even though Captain Myers might not act as he thought possible. Of course I repeated what Sam had told me to Harry, when the ladies were not within hearing, for it might have made them unnecessarily anxious. Although my brother was inclined as before to laugh at the idea of Captain Myers attacking us, he took the same precautions as on the previous night. Tom Platt and I had the first watch, with d.i.c.k Tilston, Tubbs the New Zealander, and three other men; a couple of hands, besides the officer, would have been sufficient on an ordinary anchor watch. We kept a look-out, by Tom's advice, not only in the direction of the brigantine, but also towards the sh.o.r.e.

"You cannot tell what dodge those chaps may be up to," he observed.

"They may come in their own boats, or just as likely aboard a number of canoes, to make us fancy that they are only a party of natives coming off to trade."

Harry and Charles Tilston, with the rest of the men, had gone below, but did not intend to take off their clothes, so that they might be ready to spring on deck at a moment's notice. With all the precautions we had taken I cannot say that I felt particularly anxious; indeed, I must own that I should not have been very sorry if Captain Myers had made an attempt to overpower us. I continued walking the deck, talking to d.i.c.k, and occasionally exchanging a word or two with old Tom. The night was calm, and the bright stars shining down from the clear sky were reflected as in a mirror on the surface of the harbour. The only sound heard was the low dash of the sea on the distant reefs, and occasionally some indistinct noise from the sh.o.r.e. My watch was nearly over, and I felt that if my head was on the pillow I should in a moment be fast asleep. Suddenly, as I stopped in my walk, I fancied I heard the splash of oars, but so far off that I could not be certain. I listened, leaning over the bulwarks, with my hand to my ear. Again I heard the sound, more distinctly than before, but though I peered into the darkness I could see nothing. I went across the deck to tell Tom, but he had not heard the sound.

"It may be one of the _Wasp's_ boats, but that's no reason why she's coming here," he answered. "However, we'll be on the watch for her, and take precious good care that she does not come alongside for the purpose of doing us harm."

After this I listened, but could hear no sound, and at length fancied that I must have been mistaken. It was just on the point of striking eight bells, and I was leaning over the bulwarks, when I thought I saw two objects through the gloom. I kept my eyes fixed on them. d.i.c.k was close to me.

"Look out, and tell me if you see anything," I whispered to him.

"Yes; two boats, and I fancy there's another astern," he answered.

"You're right," I said. "Run and tell the captain, and rouse up the men for'ard; they're not coming at this time of night with any good intentions."

The men were prepared, and every one was on deck in less than a minute, with cutla.s.ses at their sides, pikes in their hands, and the guns cast loose, ready for firing. Three boats now came in sight.

The moment Harry saw them, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Keep off, or we fire and sink you."

Instead of dashing on, as they might have done, the crews of the boats ceased pulling: the threat had had a good effect. They were near enough even now to enable us to send a shot among them; but unless they had given stronger evidence of their intentions of attacking us than they had done, Harry was unwilling to fire. Still it was a critical time; and from the number of men on board the brigantine, we knew that they might possibly overpower us; at the same time, if our men behaved with courage, it was more probable that we should beat them off. Still, it might not be done without bloodshed, if they attacked us with resolution. We had the guns in readiness pointed at them to fire, should they again approach. Harry again shouted--

"We know what you are about; if you come on it will be at your own peril."

No answer was given; still the boats remained on the same spot without advancing.

"Let us give them a shot or two, sir," shouted Tom at the top of his voice. "It will show them we are in earnest."

Scarcely had he spoken when the dark objects receded, becoming less and less distinct, till they disappeared in the darkness. Tom very seldom indulged in a chuckle, but he did so on this occasion.

"I thought as how it would have a good effect," he observed. "They expected to take us by surprise, and had no stomach for fighting. Maybe their skipper wanted them to come on, for he is ready for anything, but the men would not. It's my opinion they are cowards at heart, though boasting knaves when there's no danger."

"What you say, Mr Platt, is very true," I heard Sam Pest remark.

"Well done, Platt," said Harry. "Your words had a good effect. I don't think they'll trouble us again to-night."

"We must not be too sure, sir, of that," said Tom. "Perhaps the skipper will think that towards morning we shall not be keeping so bright a look-out, and may try to steal alongside to surprise us; but he'll find himself mistaken."

As I was very sleepy I went below and lay down, but heard old Tom say that he should remain on deck till daylight. Next morning Harry told me that the boats had appeared, but being hailed to keep off, they had not come nearer, and that he had not thought it necessary to call up all hands as he had done before. Being in the neighbourhood of a pirate, as she was nothing else, was very disagreeable, to say the least of it.

Indeed, she in a manner blockaded us, for we could not venture to tow the schooner out to sea lest her boats might attack us in some critical position. Still Harry determined that should we get a leading breeze to sail past her, taking the opportunity of doing so while her boats were away. We saw them pa.s.sing to the eastward, apparently going to compel the natives to dive for oysters. The calm continued the greater part of that day; but although towards the evening a breeze sprang up, it was too light and not sufficiently favourable to enable us to run out of the harbour. We therefore had to pa.s.s another anxious night.

The ladies were not by this time entirely ignorant of what had occurred, but Harry made as light of it as possible; saying that the fellows would not really venture to annoy us, however willing they might be to get possession of our pearls if they could do so without fighting. The third night began; about the middle of the first watch the breeze increased so much, that Harry, who had come on deck, consulted with Tom whether we should get the schooner under weigh, and run past the brigantine in the dark.

"If there was a lighthouse at the end of the reef, and we had a pilot aboard, I would not mind trying it, sir," said Tom. "But you see it would be an awkward job if we were to run ash.o.r.e; besides, it's just possible that the _Wasp's_ boats may be on the look-out for us, and hope to catch us napping this time, though they were wrong before."

Harry said he felt pretty sure of the channel, but the last objection was of more importance, and he determined therefore to wait till daylight. It was settled, accordingly, that as soon as the _Wasp's_ boats were seen going in the direction of the oyster-beds, we were to heave up the anchor, and make sail. At the same time, as there might be hands enough left on board the brigantine to attack us, we were to have the guns loaded, and be prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. The remainder of the night pa.s.sed quietly away; we were thankful to find in the morning a steady and favourable breeze still blowing, which would enable us to run out of the harbour and pa.s.s the brigantine without making a tack.

We had just breakfasted, when we saw three boats cross the mouth of the harbour, and, after pulling in to the sh.o.r.e and waiting for some time, continue their course, accompanied by a number of canoes, to the oyster-beds. As soon as they were out of sight, we hove up the anchor and made sail, as had been arranged. Getting outside, we saw the brigantine lying directly in our course.

"With so many of her crew away, her skipper will not attempt to interfere with us," said Harry.

We were under all plain sail, and, as there was a good breeze, we ran quickly through the water as before, with men on the look-out forward, and the lead kept going. We could almost have thrown a biscuit aboard the brigantine as we pa.s.sed her. Besides the captain, there were very few men on her deck.

"Good day, Captain Myers," said Harry. "We'll report your whereabouts at Sydney. Have you any message there?"

I need not repeat the answer the skipper gave. It was such as might have been expected from so thorough a ruffian. The next moment, stooping down, he lifted up a musket and presented it at us.

"If you fire so will I," I shouted; but before I could pull my trigger a bullet whistled past my ear. Providentially no one was. .h.i.t. My bullet also flew wide of its mark; indeed, I was too much hurried to take aim.

"Don't fire again," cried Harry. "The man must be mad."

Probably no other musket was at hand, as the captain of the _Wasp_ did not again fire. In a short time we were out of range, and we had too much to do in attending to the navigation of the schooner to think just then much about the matter. From the number of rocks close to which we pa.s.sed, I was thankful that we had not attempted to run out during the dark. At length we were in the open ocean, and, with a fair breeze, we steered to the westward.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

The breeze fell before we had entirely lost sight of the Pearl Islands, and, indeed, from aloft I could still make out the masts of the brigantine as she lay at anchor. It crossed my mind that Captain Myers might even now follow us; but I saw no indication of the vessel getting under weigh; still, daring ruffian as he appeared to be, he might be tempted to try and possess himself of the rich freight we carried. I did not mention the idea which had occurred to me to Harry, as there would be no use in doing so, for we were carrying all the sail we could set on the schooner, but our progress was very slow, and there was a possibility of our being becalmed again during the night. As we could see the brigantine, we also must still be visible from her mast-head, and Myers was probably keeping a watch on our movements. Should we be becalmed before sundown, it was possible that he might make another attempt in his boats to capture us, hoping to catch us off our guard.

"He shall not do that, at all events," I thought to myself. "I will not say anything to Harry unless we are becalmed, and then I will tell him the idea which has occurred to me." Our progress was so slow that I fancied there must be a current setting against us, but of this I was uncertain. The currents which set in various directions between the islands of the Pacific are among the dangers which voyagers in those seas have to encounter. I asked Tom what he thought about the matter.

"There may be a current," he said, "but if there is one it is not of much strength. You see we are moving but slowly through the water.

We'll heave the log presently, and you'll find that we are not going more than two knots, if as much as that."

Tom was right; with his practised eye he could always tell in smooth water how fast the vessel was moving. We now went slower and slower, till at length the canvas hung down from the yards emptied of wind, and we had no longer steerage way on the vessel. Evening was drawing on, and we might expect to remain becalmed all night. We had, however, we supposed, plenty of sea room, and had no apprehension of being drifted on any unseen coral reef; I thought, however, that it was time to tell Harry of my apprehensions.

"The same thing occurred to me," he answered. "However, I do not really suppose that the fellow Myers, ruffian as he is, will make the attempt after having found us before so wide-awake. Had we been unarmed the case would have been different, as he would have been glad enough to possess himself of our cargo, if he could have done so without the certainty of getting some hard blows. However, we will be on the watch as before, and ready to give his boats a warm reception if they attempt to molest us." We enjoyed our usual pleasant evening meal, and afterwards had music, reading, and lively conversation till bed-time.

The mate, meanwhile, kept watch, while I occasionally slipped up on deck to see if there was any prospect of a breeze springing up.

"Not an air in all the heavens," answered old Tom. "It is better than having a westerly gale to drive us back towards the islands. Maybe we shall get a breeze before the morning, and slip along merrily on our course."

"I hope so," I said. "The captain wishes you to keep a bright look-out to the eastward, in case our buccaneering friends may be coming to pay us a visit."