The Last Cruise of the Spitfire Part 27

When Lowell came at noon I asked him how long my confinement was to continue.

"Until you are ready to do your duty," he said; and not another word would he utter.

The day pa.s.sed slowly, and the night was to me a restless one. What was going on in the cabin and on deck? Were Captain Hannock and Lowell getting ready to carry out their nefarious plan?

I regretted not having taken one of the other sailors into my confidence. But which of them could I trust?

By this time I had made up my mind that Dibble was not on board.

Probably he had gone on a hunt for Mr. Ranson and been left behind.

I tried in vain to attract the attention of one of the men as he pa.s.sed.

Either he did not see me or else he did not dare to come near. If only some of them knew!

About four o'clock I fell asleep. I slept for some hours, and would have continued doing so had not a wild cry suddenly brought me to my feet.

"Fire! Fire!"

It was a fearful cry--doubly fearful on a ship hundreds of miles from land--and my face blanched as I sprang to my feet.

Could it be possible--was the Spitfire in flames?

"Fire! fire!" came that dreadful cry once more.

Then came loud voices issuing orders and the rush of the sailors' feet.

In vain I tried to catch sight of some one. The men, in a perfect panic, rushed hither and thither, but no one paid any attention to me.

"On deck there!" I heard Lowell shout.

"Where is the fire?" burst from half a dozen throats in chorus.

"In the hold--it is one ma.s.s of flames!"

"Can't we put it out?" questioned one of the sailors.

"No, the fire has gained too much headway for that."

"But we might try."

"It won't do, I tell you. We must get out a boat and leave the schooner.

Ten minutes more and it will be too late."

"What, as bad as that!" came back with a groan. "Can't we save her nohow?"

"No, I tell you, idiot! I've been on board a burning vessel before. Man the jolly-boat, and lose no time!"

"Yes, yes, the jolly-boat!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed half a dozen, and then I heard another rush.

I was terribly alarmed. Captain Hannock's foul plot had been put into execution. What would the end be?

I was almost stunned by my discovery. I paced up and down my cell like a madman, but all to no purpose.

"Hurry up, men!" I heard Captain Hannock exclaim. "Don't be an hour in doing five minute's work! Use your strength!"

"Ay! ay! sir! No time to lose, that's a fact."

And the crew of the Spitfire hurried their preparations even more than before.

"Never mind your things, boys, save your lives. We may have an explosion, and then it will be too late."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE BURNING OF THE SPITFIRE.

Already I could smell the smoke that was pouring out of the cracks around the hatchway. It would not be a great while before the entire vessel would be consumed.

In my cell near the bow I could hear but little of what was going on at the stern. I had no doubt but what active preparations were being made to leave the ship. I knew well enough that no means would be taken to subdue the conflagration. It was not Captain Hannock's desire to undo his nefarious work now it was once begun. The quicker every one left the Spitfire to her doom the better he would be suited.

But my attention was soon taken from the schooner and centered upon my own safety. At the start I had no thought but what somebody would come to release me, but, as the moments went by and no one came, the awful suspicion crossed my mind that the master of the Spitfire meant to leave me to my fate.

I could not at first believe this to be possible, but finally the thought forced itself home to me. No sooner had it done so than I made every effort to attract the attention of some of the sailors, who, in their panic, had evidently forgotten my existence.

I cried out at the top of my voice, not once, but a number of times. But such was the bustle and confusion on deck that no one heard me, or if they did paid no heed.

Would the captain or Lowell come? Surely, surely, they would not dare to leave me to die on board! But the moments went by, and no one put in an appearance. The captain was going to make certain that n.o.body should live to tell any tales against him. He had probably discovered that I knew of the plans he and my uncle had concocted.

It was not long before I made an attempt to liberate myself. The cell in which I was confined was built entirely of wood, and the door was not an extra heavy one. But with my hands locked together I was at a disadvantage. Yet terror lent me an artificial strength.

I threw my whole weight against the door, once, twice, thrice. It groaned on its hinges, but that was all. I tried to obtain a purchase upon the floor, and thereby push the door open. But the flooring was slippery, and this was a failure.

As I have said, the cell contained nothing but a bench. In my desperation I took hold of this, and was surprised to be able to pull off the heavy board seat.

For an instant I was at a loss as to the manner in which I could utilize the board; then the idea came to rest one end against the rear of the cell and the other against the top of the door, and this I did. Then I brought my full weight down upon the pry thus formed, as near the top as possible.

Instantly the door was pressed open at the top to the width of several inches. Into this opening I slid the end of the board, and by thus working it down, managed in a few moments to snap the lock, and then the door flew open.

Meanwhile I could hear the creaking of the pulleys as the jolly-boat was let down into the water. Would they leave before I could reach them?

With my hands still chained together I rushed out upon the forward deck.

A heavy pall of smoke blew directly into my face, and for a moment I was completely blinded, and knew not which way to turn. I noticed that the sails had been lowered, and it was a strong west wind that caused the smoke to thus rush towards me.

By the time the wind had shifted slightly I was half choked, and staggered against the rail to recover my breath. The jolly-boat had reached the water in safety, and the sailors and Captain Hannock were not long in entering it. I tried to shout to them, but the sound only ended in a violent cough, due to the smoke, which every moment was getting thicker.

At last I got my wind, and then cried out at the top of my voice,