The Flag of Distress Part 68

They had not thought of being thus stayed; though it proves the turning-point of their fate.

No use their leaping out now, to lighten the boat; no time for that, nor any chance to escape. But two alternatives stare them in the face-- resistance, which means death; surrender, that seems the same.

De Lara would resist and die; so also Rocas. But the other two are against it, instinctively holding on to whatever hope of life be left them.

The craven Calderon cuts short the uncertainty by rising erect, stretching forth his arms, and crying out in a piteous appeal for mercy.

In an instant after they are surrounded, the boat grasped by the gunwale, and dragged back to the sh.o.r.e. Crozier with difficulty restrains the angry gold-diggers from shooting them down on the thwarts.

Well for them the c.o.xswain has not been killed, but only wounded, and in no danger of losing his life. Were it otherwise, theirs would be taken on the spot.

a.s.sured of his safety, his rescuers pull the four wretches out of the boat; then disarming, drag them up to the platform, and bestow them in the larger cave: for a time to be their prison, though not long. For, there is a judge present, accustomed to sit upon short trials, and pa.s.s quick sentences, soon succeeded by their execution. He is the celebrated _Justice Lynch_.

Represented by a stalwart digger--all the others acting as Jury--the trial is speedily brought to a termination. For the four of Spanish nationality the verdict is guilty--the sentence, _death_--on the scaffold.

The others, less criminal, are to be carried on to Panama, and there delivered over to the Chilian consul; their crime being mutiny, with robbery, and abandonment of a Chilian vessel.

An exception is made in the case of Striker and Davis. The "Sydney Ducks" receive conditional pardon, on promise of better behaviour throughout all future time. This they obtain by the intercession of Harry Blew, in accordance with the hint he gave them while they were standing together beside the spread tarpauling.

Of the men sentenced to be hanged, one meets his fate in a different manner. The gold-dust has been recovered, packed, and put into the boat. The senoritas are cloaked, and impatient to be taken back to the barque, yearning to embrace him they have so long believed dead.

The English officers stand beside them; all awaiting the last scene of the tragedy--the execution of the condemned criminals.

The stake has been set for it; this the level plot of ground in front of the cavern's month. A rope hangs down with a running noose at one end; the other, in default of gallow's arm and branch of tree, rigged over the point of a projecting rock.

All this arranged, De Lara is led out first, a digger on each side of him. He is not tied, nor confined in any way. They have no fear of his making his escape.

Nor has he any thoughts of attempting it; though he thinks of something else, as desperate and deadly. He will not die like a scared dog, but as a fierce tiger; to the last thirsting for blood, to the end trying to destroy--to kill! The oath sworn by him above on the cliff, he still is determined on keeping.

As they conduct him out of the cave, his eyes glaring with lurid light, go searching everywhere, till they rest upon a group some twenty paces distant. It is composed of four persons: Crozier and Carmen, Cadwallader and Inez, standing two and two.

At the last pair De Lara looks not, the first enchaining his attention.

Only one short glance he gives them; another to a pistol which hangs holstered on the hip of a gold-digger guarding him.

A spring, and he has possession of it; a bound, and he is off from between the two men, and rushing on towards the group standing apart!

Fortunately for Edward Crozier--for Carmen Montijo as well--there are cries of alarm, shouts of warning, that reach him in time.

He turns on hearing them, sees the approaching danger, and takes measures to avert it. Simple enough these--but the drawing of his revolver, and firing at the man who advances.

Two shots are heard, one on each side, almost simultaneous; but enough apart to decide which of the two who fired must fall.

Crozier's pistol had cracked first; and as the smokes of both swirl up, the gambler is seen astretch upon the sward--the blood spurting from his breast, and spreading over his shirt bosom!

Harry Blew, rushing forward, and bending over him, cries out:

"Dead! Shot through the heart--a brave heart too! What a pity 'twar so black!"

"Come away, _mia querida_!" says Crozier to Carmen. "Your father will be suffering from anxiety about you. You've had enough of the horrible.

Let us hope this is the end of it."

Taking his betrothed by the hand, he leads her down to the boat-- Cadwallader and Inez accompanying them.

All seat themselves in the stern-sheets, and wait for the diggers; who soon after appear, conducting their prisoners, the pirate crew of the _Condor_; short four left behind--a banquet for the _caracaras_!

CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE.

A SAILOR'S TRUE YARN.

It is the second day after the tragedy upon the isle, and the Chilian barque has sailed away from the Veraguan coast, out of that indentation known upon modern maps as "Montijo Bay."

She has long since rounded Cabo Mala, and is standing in for the port of Panama. With a full crew--most of them old and able seamen--no fear but she will reach it now.

Crozier in command, has restored Harry Blew to his old rank of first officer; which so far from having forfeited, he is now deemed to doubly deserve. But still weak from his long privation, the ex-man-o'-war's man is excused from duty, Cadwallader doing it for him.

Harry is strong enough, however, to tell the young officers what they are all ears to hear--the story of that _Flag of Distress_. Their time hitherto taken up attending upon their _fiancees_, they have deferred calling for the full account, which only the English sailor can give them.

Now having pa.s.sed Cabo Mala, as if with that promontory of bad repute all evil were left behind, they are in the mood to listen to the narration in all its details; and for this have summoned the chief officer to their side.

"Your honours!" he begins, "it's a twisted-up yarn, from the start to the hour ye hove in sight; an' if ye hadn't showed yerselves just in the nick o' time, an' ta'en the twist out o' it, hard to say how 'twould 'a ended. No doubt, in all o' us dyin' on that desert island, an' layin'

our bones there. Thank the Lord, for our delivery--'ithout any disparagement to what's been done by both o' you, young gentlemen. For that He must ha' sent you, an has had a guidin' hand throughout the whole thing, I can't help thinkin', 'specially when I look back on the scores o' chances that seemed goin' against the right, an' still sheered round to it after all."

"True," a.s.sents Crozier, honouring the devout faith of the sailor.

"You're quite right in ascribing it to Divine interference. Certainly, G.o.d's hand seems to have been extended in our favour. But go on!"

"Well, to commence at the beginnin', which is when you left me at San Francisco. As I told Master Willie, that day he comed ash.o.r.e in the dingy, I war engaged to go chief mate in the Chili barque. She war then a ship; afterward converted as ye see, through our shortness o' hands.

"When I went aboard her, an' for sev'ral days after, I war the only thing in the shape o' sailor she'd got. Then her captain--that poor crazed creetur below--put advertis.e.m.e.nts in the papers, offering big pay; the which, as I then supposed, brought eleven chaps, callin'

themselves sailors, an' shippin' as such. One o' 'em, for want o' a better, war made second mate--his name bein' entered on the books as Padilla. He war the last o' the three swung up, an' if ever man desarved hangin', he did, bein' the cruellest scoundrel o' the lot.

"After we'd waited another day or two, an' no more makin' appearance, the skipper made up his mind to sail. Then the old gentleman, along wi'

the two saynoreetas, came aboard; when we cleared an' stood out to sea.

"Afore leavin' port, I had a suspishun about the sort o' crew we'd shipped. But soon's we are fairly afloat, it got to be somethin' worse than suspishun; I war sartin then we'd an ugly lot to deal with. Still, I only believed them to be bad men--an', if that war possible, worse seamen. I expected trouble wi' them in sailin' the vessel; an' a likelihood o' them bein' disobedient. But on the second night after leavin' land, I found out somethin' o' a still darker stripe--that they war neither more nor less than a gang o' piratical conspirators, an' had a plan already laid out. A lucky chance led to me discoverin' their infarnal design. The two we've agreed to let go off--Jack Striker an'

Bill Davis--both old birds from the convict gangs o' Australia--war talkin' it over atween themselves, an' I chanced to overhear them. What they sayed made everythin' clear--as it did my hair to stand on eend.

Twar a scheme to plunder the ship o' the gold-dust Don Gregorio hed got in her; an' carry off your young ladies. Same time they war to scuttle the vessel, an' sink her; first knockin' the old gentleman on the head, as well as the skipper; whiles your humble sarvint an' the darkey are to be disposed o' same sweet fashion.

"On listenin' to the dyabolikal plot, I war clear dumfoundered, an' for a while didn't know what to do. 'Twar a case o' life an' death to some o' us; an' for the saynoreetas, somethin' worse. At first I thort o'

telling Captain Lantanas, an' also Don Gregorio. But then I seed if I shud, that 'twould only make death surer to all as were doomed. I knowed the skipper to be a man o' innocent, unsuspishus nature, an'

mightn't gi'e belief to such 'trocious rascality, as bein' a thing possible. More like he'd let out right away, an' bring on the b.l.o.o.d.y bizness sooner than they intended it. From what Striker and Davis said, I made out that it war to be kept back, till we should sight land near Panyma.

"Well; after a big spell o' thinkin', I seed a sort o' way out of it-- the only one appearin' possible. 'Twar this: to purtend joinin' in wi'

the conspirators, an' put myself at thar head. I'd larnt from the talk o' the two Sydney Ducks there war a split 'mong them, 'bout the dividin'

o' the gold-dust. I seed this would gi'e me a chance to slip in along wi' them. So takin' advantage o' it, I broached the bizness to Striker that same night, and got into his confidence, an' theer councils; arterwards obtaining the influence I wanted.

"Mind, gentlemen, it took a smart show o' trickery and maneuvrin'.

'Mong other things, I had to appear cool to the cabin people throughout all the voyage--specially them two sweet creeturs. Many's the time my heart ached thinkin' o' yourself, Mr Crozier, as also Master Willie-- an' then o' your sweethearts, an' what might happen, if I should fail in my plan for protectin' 'em. When they wanted to be free and friendly, an' once began talkin' to me, I hed to answer 'em gruff an' growlin', knowin' that eyes war on me all the while, an' ears listenin'. As to tellin' them what was before, or givin' them the slimmest hint o' it, that would 'a spoilt my plans, an' ruined everything. They'd a gone straight to the old gentleman, an' then it would 'a been all up wi' us.