The Island of Gold Part 32

But a.s.sistance was at hand.

"Now, lads, give it to them! Hurrah!"

It was Tandy himself, with the four good men and true, who had run aft between decks to inform the mate of the mutiny.

All were armed with rifles, but these they only clubbed. So fiercely did they fight, that the mutineers speedily dropped their knives and iron marline-spikes, and were driven below, yelling for mercy like the cowards they were.

The captain, though bruised, was otherwise intact. Nor was Durdley dead, though he had lost much blood from a wound--the revolver bullet having crashed through the arm above the elbow, and through the outside of the chest as well. But two Finns lay stark and stiff beside the winch.

Even to tragedy there is always a ridiculous side or aspect, and on the present occasion this was afforded by the strange behaviour of Bob and the Admiral during the terrible _melee_. It is not to be supposed that Bob would be far away from his master when danger threatened him.

Seeing Ransey Tansey, rifle in hand, follow his father to join in repelling the mutineers, it occurred to him at once that two might be of some a.s.sistance. It did not take the faithful tyke a moment to make up his mind, but he thought he might be of more use behind the mutineers than in front of them. So he outflanked the whole fighting party, and the attack he made upon the rear of Durdley's following was very effective.

The 'Ral could not fight, it is true, but his excitement during the battle was extreme. Round and round the deck he ran or flew, with his head and neck straight out in front of him, and his screams of terror and anger added considerably to the clamour and din going on forward.

The poor bird really seemed to know that men were being killed, and seeing his master engaged, he would fain have helped him had he been able.

Of the ten men then who had mutinied three were wounded, including the ringleader, two were dead, and the remaining five were now taken on deck and roped securely alongside the winch to await their sentence. The deck was quickly cleared of the dead, and all evidences of the recent struggle were removed.

Durdley resembled nothing more nearly than a captured bird of prey. He was stern, silent, grim, and vindictive. Had he not been utterly prostrate and powerless, he would have sprung like a catamount at the throats of the very men who were dressing his wounds, and these were Tandy and Halcott himself.

Yet it was evident that he was not receiving the treatment he had expected, nor that which he would have dealt out to Halcott had he fallen into his hands.

"Why don't you throw me overboard?" he growled at last, with a fearful oath. "Sharks are the best surgeons; their work is soon over. I'd have served you so, if my lily-livered scoundrels had only fought a trifle better, hang them!

"Ay, and you too, Mr Tandy, with your solemn face, if you hadn't consented to take us straight to land!"

"Keep your mind easy," said Halcott, quietly. "I'll get rid of you as soon as possible, you may be well sure."

"Do your worst--I defy you. But if that worst isn't death, I'll bide my time. I'd rather die three times over than lie here like a half-stuck pig."

During the fight little Nelda was in terrible distress, and, but for Janeira, she would doubtless have rushed forward, as she wanted to do, in order to "help daddy and 'Ansey."

Bob was the first to bring her tidings of the victory.

He came aft at full gallop, almost threw himself down the companion-way, and next moment was licking the child's tear-bedewed cheeks.

She could see joy in the poor dog's face. He was full of it, and trying as much as ever dog did try to talk. Perhaps he never fully realised till now how awkward it is for a doggie to want a tail. But he did what he could, nevertheless, with the morsel of f.a.g-end he had.

"Don't cry, little mistress," he was trying hard to say, "don't cry.

It's all right now. And it was such fun to see them fighting, and I fought too. Oh, didn't I bite and tear the rascals just."

Even the 'Ral seemed to know that the danger was past and gone for a time, and nothing would suffice to allay his feelings save executing a kind of wild jig right on the top of the skylight--a thing he had never done before.

But although quieted now, Nelda was not quite content, till down rushed Ransey Tansey himself. With a joyful cry she flew to his arms, and he did all he could to rea.s.sure her; so successfully, too, that presently she was her happy little self once more, playing with Bob on the quarterdeck, as if nothing had happened. Blissful childhood.

The condition of affairs, after the ship had penetrated into the regions of ice and snow, was not an enviable one, although there was now a rent in the dark cloud that hovered over the _Sea Flower_--a lull in the terrible storm.

Durdley was progressing favourably, and making so rapid a recovery that, in case he might cause more mischief, he was put in irons. But the other wounded men, probably owing to their weak condition, had died.

The five others were allowed to go on duty. Halcott refused to accept their offered promise to behave leal and true. What is a promise, even on oath, from such bloodthirsty villains as these?

"I do not wish either promise or apology," he told them plainly. "Your conduct from this date will in some measure determine what your future punishment may be. Remember this, we do not trust you. The four good Englishmen, who fought for myself and mate, are all armed, and have orders to shoot you down without one moment's grace if they observe a suspicious movement on your part, or hear one single mutinous word.

There! go."

The ship's course was altered now, and all sail made to round Cape Horn.

No doubt the cold had been the means of eradicating the dreadful plague.

Yet Halcott was a man whom no half-measures would satisfy.

There was plenty of clothing on board, so a new suit was served out to every seaman, the old being thrown overboard. Then the bedding and hammocks were scoured, and when dry fumigated. Sulphur was burned between decks, and hatches battened down for a whole day. Every portion of the woodwork was afterwards scrubbed, and even the masts were sc.r.a.ped. This work was given to the mutineers, and a cold job it was.

The men sat each one in the bight of a rope, and were lowered up or down when they gave the signal.

Halcott was very far indeed from being vindictive, but long experience had taught him that mutinous intentions are seldom carried out if active occupation be found for body and mind.

"I breathe more freely now," said the captain, as Tandy and he walked briskly up and down the quarterdeck.

"Heigho!" said Tandy, "we no doubt have sinned--we certainly have suffered. But," he added, "I thank G.o.d, Halcott, from my inmost soul, first that you are spared, and secondly, that my little innocent child here and my brave boy Ransey Tansey are still alive and happy."

"Amen! And now, Tandy, we've got to pray for fine weather. We are rather underhanded--those wretched Finns may break out again at any moment. They will, too, if not carefully watched."

"You have a kinder heart than I have, Halcott, else you'd have made that scoundrel Durdley walk the plank, and hanged the rest at the yardarm, one by one."

"The worst use you can put a man to is to hang him," said Halcott, laughing.

"But will you care to land on the island we are in search of, with these fellows?" asked Tandy. "Mind," he added, before Halcott could answer, "I take no small blame to myself for having engaged such scoundrels.

Want of time was no excuse for me. Better to have sacrificed a month than sail as shipmates with such demons as these."

"Keep your mind easy, my dear friend; I'll get rid of them, by hook or by crook, before we reach our island."

"It relieves me to hear you say so, but indeed, Halcott, 'twixt hook and crook, if I had my way, I should choose the crook. I'd give the beggars a bag of biscuit and a barrel of pork, and maroon them on the first desert island we come in sight of."

I do not know that Halcott paid much attention to the latter part of Tandy's speech. He was at this moment looking uneasily at a bank of dark, rock-like clouds that was rising slowly up to the north and east.

"Have you noticed the gla.s.s lately, Tandy?" he said quietly.

"I'll jump down and see it now."

"Why," he said, on returning, "it is going tumbling down. I'll shorten sail at once. We're going to have it out of that quarter."

There was little time to lose, for the wind was already blowing over the cold, dark sea in little uncertain puffs and squalls. Between each there was a lull; yet each, when it did come, lasted longer and blew stronger than those that had preceded it.

The barque was snug at last. Very little sail indeed was left on her; only just enough to steer by and a bit over, lest a sail or two should be carried away.

Of the four trustworthy men, one was Chips the carpenter, the other old Canvas the sailmaker. The latter kept a watch, the former had been placed in Tandy's.