The Flag of Distress Part 48

"Who was the last?" thunders the irate skipper.

"Gil Gomez," gruffly replies Striker.

"Yes; it was he," says the first mate, who has come aft along with the captain. "The watch was Senor Padilla's, and Gomez has just left the wheel."

"Where is Gomez?" asks the captain, still in a towering pa.s.sion, unusual for him.

"Gone forward, sir: he's down in the forecastle."

"Call him up! Send him to me at once!"

The first officer hurries away towards the head, and soon returns, Gomez with him.

The latter meets the gaze of Lantanas with a sullen look, which seems to threaten disobedience.

"How is this?" asks the Chilian. "You had the wheel during the last watch. Where have you been running to?"

"In the course you commanded, Captain Lantanas."

"That can't be, sir. If you'd kept her on as I set her, the land couldn't have been there, lying almost across, our cut-water. I understand my chart too well to have made such a mistake."

"I don't know anything about your chart," sulkily rejoins the sailor.

"All I know is, that I kept the barque's head as directed. If she hasn't answered to it, that's no fault of mine; and I don't much like being told it is."

The puzzled skipper again rubs his eyes, and takes a fresh look at the coast-line. He is as much mystified as ever. Still the mistake may have been his own; and as the relieved steersman appears confident about it, he dismisses him without further parley, or reprimand.

Seeing that there will be no difficulty in yet clearing the point, his anger cools down, and he is but too glad to withdraw from an angry discussion uncongenial to his nature.

The _Condor_ now hauled close to wind, soon regains lost weather-way, sufficient for the doubling of Punta Marietta; and before the bells of the second dog-watch are sounded, she is in a fair way of weathering the cape. The difficulty has been more easily removed by the wind veering suddenly round to the opposite point of the compa.s.s. For now near night, the land-breeze has commenced blowing off-sh.o.r.e.

Well acquainted with the coast, and noticing the change, Captain Lantanas believes all danger past; and with the tranquillity of his temper restored, goes back into his cabin, to join his pa.s.sengers at dinner, just in the act of being served.

CHAPTER FIFTY SIX.

PANAMA OR SANTIAGO?

It is the hour of setting the first night-watch, and the bells have been struck; not to summon any sailor from the forecastle, but intended only for the cabin and the ears of Captain Lantanas--lest the absence of the usual sound should awaken his suspicion, that all was not going right.

This night neither watch will be below, but all hands on deck, mates as foremast-men; and engaged in something besides the navigation of the vessel--in short, in destroying her! And, soon as the first shades of night descend over her, the crew is seen a.s.sembling by the manger-board close to the night-heads--all save the man who has charge of the steering, on this occasion Slush.

The muster by the manger-board is to take measures for carrying out their scheme of piracy and plunder, now on the eve of execution. The general plan is already understood by all; it but remains to settle some final details.

Considering the atrocity of their design, it is painful to see the first mate in their midst. A British sailor--to say nought of an old man-of-war's man--better might have been expected of him. But he _is_ there; and not only taking part with them, but apparently acting as their leader.

His speech too clearly proclaims him chief of the conspiring crew. His actions also, as they have ever been, since the day when he signified to Striker his intention to join them. After entering into the conspiracy, he has shown an a.s.siduity to carry it out worthy of a better cause.

His first act was backing up Striker's call for an equal division of the bounty. Holding the position of chief officer, this at once established his influence over the others; since increased by the zeal he has displayed--so that he now holds first place among the pirates, nearly all of them acknowledging, and submitting to, his authority.

If Edward Crozier could but see him now, and hear what he is saying, he would never more have faith in human being. Thinking of Carmen Montijo, the young officer has doubted women; witnessing the behaviour of Henry Blew, he might not only doubt man, but curse him.

Well for the recreant sailor, Crozier is not present in that conclave by the night-heads of the _Condor_. If he were, there would be speedy death to one he could not do otherwise than deem a traitor.

But the young officer is far away--a thousand miles of trackless ocean _now_ between _Condor_ and _Crusader_--little dreaming of the danger that threatens her to whom he has given heart, and promised hand; while Harry Blew is standing in the midst of ruffians plotting her ruin!

O man! O British sailor! where is your grat.i.tude? What has become of your honour--your oath? The first gone; the second disregarded; the last broken!

Soon as together, the pirates enter upon discussion, the first question before them being about the place where they shall land.

Upon this point there is difference of opinion. Some are for going ash.o.r.e at once, on a convenient part of the coast in sight; while others counsel running on till they enter Panama Bay.

At the head of those in favour of the latter is the chief mate, who gives his reasons thus:

"By runnin' up into the Bay o' Panyma, we'll get closer to the town; an'

it'll be easier to reach it after we've done the business we intend doin', Panyma bein' a seaport, an' plenty o' vessels sailin' from it.

After gettin' there we'd be able to go every man his own way. Them as wants can cross over the Isthmus, an' cut off on t'other side. An'

Panyma bein' full o' strangers goin' to Californey, an' returnin' from it, we'd be less like to get noticed there. Whiles if we land on the coast here, where thar an't no good-sized town, but only some bits o'

fishin' villages, we'd be a marked lot--sartin to run a good chance o'

bein' took up, an' put into one o' thar prisons. Just possible too, we might land on some part inhabited by wild Indyins, an' lose not only the shinin' stuff, but our scalps. I've heerd say thar's the worst sort o'

savages livin' on the coast 'long here. An' supposin' we meet neither Indyins nor whites, goin' ash.o.r.e in a wilderness covered wi' woods, we might have trouble in makin' our way out o' them. Them thick forests o'

the tropics an't so easy to travel through. I've know'd o' sailors as got cast away, perishin' in 'em afore they could reach any settlement.

My advice, tharfore, shipmates, be, for us to take the barque on into the Bay; an' when we've got near enough the port, to make sure o' our bein' able to reach it, then put in for the sh.o.r.e. Panyma Bay's big enough to give us plenty choice o' places for our purpose."

"We've heard you out, Mr Blew," rejoins Gomez, "Now, let me say in answer, you haven't given a single reason for going by Panama Bay, that won't stand good for doing the very opposite. But there's one worth all, you haven't mentioned, and it's against you. While running up into the Bay, we'd be sure to meet other vessels coming out of it--scores of them. And supposing one should be a man-of-war--a British or American cruiser, say--and she takes it into her head to overhaul us; where would we be then?"

"An' if they did," returns Blew, "what need for us to be afeerd? Seein'

that the barque's papers are all shipshape, they'd have to leave us as they found us. Let 'em overhaul, an' be blowed!"

"They mightn't leave us as they found us, for all that," argues Gomez.

"Just when they took it into their heads to board the barque, might be when we would be slipping out of her. How then? Besides, other ships would have the chance of spying us at that critical moment. As I've said, your other arguments are wrong; I'll answer them in detail. But first, let me tell you all, I've got a pretty accurate knowledge of this coast. I ought to have, considering that I spent several years on and off it in a business which goes by the name of _contraband_. Now, all round the sh.o.r.es of Panama Bay there's just the sort of wild forest-covered country Mr Blew talks about getting strayed in. We might land within twenty miles of that port, and yet not be able to reach it, without great difficulty. Danger, too, from the savages, our first officer seems so much afraid of. Whereas, by putting ash.o.r.e anywhere along here, we won't be far from the old Nicaraguan road, that runs all through the Isthmus. It will take us to the town of Panama; any that wish to go there. But there's another town as big as it, and better for our purpose; one wherein we'll be less likely to meet the unpleasant experience Mr Blew speaks of. It isn't much of a place for prisons. I'm speaking of Santiago, the capital city of Veragua; which isn't over a good day's journey from the coast. And we can reach it by an easy road. Still that's not the question of greatest importance.

What most concerns us is the safety of the place _when we get to it_-- and I can answer for Santiago. Unless customs have changed since I used to trifle away some time there--and people too--we'll find some who'll show us hospitality. With the money at our disposal--ay, a tenth part of it--I could buy up the _alcalde_ of the town, and every judge in the province."

"That's the sort of town for us--and country too!" exclaim several voices. "Let's steer for Santiago!"

"We'll first have to put about," explains Gomez, "and run along the coast, till we find a proper place for landing."

"Yes," rejoins Harry Blew, speaking satirically, and as if exasperated by the majority going against him. "An' if we put about just now, we'll stand a good chance of goin' slap on them rocks on the port beam.

Thar's a line o' breakers all along sh.o.r.e, far's I can see. How's a boat to be got through them? She'd be bilged to a sartinty."

"There are breakers, as you say," admits Gomez; "but their line doesn't run continuous, as it appears to do. I remember several openings where a boat, or ship for that matter, may be safely got through. We must look out for one of them."

"_Vaya, camarados_!" puts in Padilla, with a gesture of impatience.

"We're wasting time, which just now is valuable. Let's have the barque about, and stand along the coast, as Gil Gomez proposes. I second his proposal; but, if you like, let it go to a vote."

"No need; we all agree to it."

"Ay; all of us."