The Missing Ship Part 45

"We shall soon put that out, lads," cried Owen, with all the calmness he could a.s.sume; and leading the way into the hold, bucket in hand, he forced a pa.s.sage through a dense ma.s.s of smoke until he reached the seat of the fire.

There he took his post, in spite of the heat and the clouds of smoke surrounding him. As the buckets were handed to him, he hove the water over the burning wood. Bravely he fought the flames, and at length was able to shout to his crew that they were extinguished. Having a.s.sured himself of this fact, he hurried on deck. The foremast stood, carrying the closely reefed fore-topsail.

"It can't be helped," he observed to his first officer. "As soon as the weather moderates, we must set up fresh backstays to the mast and try and rig jury-masts, which will carry us back to Port Royal."

"I shall be thankful if we can keep clear of the land and escape the enemy's cruisers we were talking about, sir," answered the mate, who, though a steady man, had less spirit than the master.

When daylight broke, the outlines of the lofty mountains of Cuba were seen ahead, but still indistinct, and, to the ordinary eye, not to be distinguished from a bank of clouds. Still the ship drove before the hurricane; but, as the sun rose, the wind began greatly to decrease, although it still blew with too much force, and the sea ran too high, to allow the ship to be brought on a wind. She had, therefore, still to run before it, unwilling as those on board were to approach the dangerous coast. The sun rose as the land became more and more distinct, but still the sea was too high to allow of jury-masts being set up. In the mean time the spars were got ready to do so as soon as possible.

As the wind decreased the sea went down, but by the time the ship could be brought on a wind she was within sight of the coast, and, owing to the eccentric course she had steered, it was difficult to say exactly whereabouts she was, although Owen calculated that she was somewhat to the westward of c.u.mberland harbour.

"We can only hope, sir, that no Spanish man-of-war or privateersman lies anywhere inside of us, and that we shall be able to get a good offing again before we are sighted by an enemy," observed the mate.

"I hope so," answered Owen. "What we now have to do is to set up our jury-masts and make sail as soon as we can."

All hands were engaged in this important operation. While it was going on, Owen occasionally took an anxious glance through his telescope towards the land. As he did so, his eye caught sight of a sail, on which the bright rays of the sun fell, standing out from it, and he soon saw that she was a large ship. A friend was not to be expected from that quarter! He made no remark, however, as all hands were working as fast as they could.

His mate at last saw the stranger.

"What do you think of her?" asked Owen.

"No good, sir," was the answer.

"I fear not," said Owen. "All we can pray for is that a calm may come on, till we can make sail on the ship, and then we may get away from her during the night."

"She will be up to us long before that, sir," observed the mate, shaking his head.

"At all events, in the mean time we will do our best," remarked Owen; and, without taking further notice of the stranger, he continued working away with his officers and men.

At length her jury-masts were got up, with yards across, and the main-topgallantsail, and such other sails as they could carry were set on them.

By this time the stranger had approached too near to escape the notice of any one on deck. Of course her character was suspected.

"You see her," cried Owen. "Now, my lads, I hope you will stick by me; and if she proves to be an enemy, of which I have no doubt, we will try and beat her off."

Several of the crew answered with a hearty "Ay, ay, sir!" but others were silent; among them were the men who had lately come on board in Kingston harbour.

The wind was light, and the _Ouzel Galley_ made but little way through the water. The stranger was now seen to be a ship of her own size, if not larger. Owen ordered the colours to be hoisted, but none were shown in return by the stranger. Again and again he took a glance at her through his telescope, and at last he called his first mate.

"Have you ever seen that ship before?" he asked.

"I have been thinking that I have, sir, and, if I mistake not, she is the very craft which so nearly captured us on our pa.s.sage out."

"I am afraid so," said Owen. "The more reason we should try to beat her off; and, please Heaven, we will do so."

"I will stand by you, sir; and so, I hope, will most of the men,"

answered the mate; "but I don't like the looks of some of the new hands, and least of all of that man Routh."

As he spoke, he caught sight of Routh ascending to the mast-head, from which he was seen to wave a flag, supposing, apparently, that he was not perceived from the deck.

"We must seize that fellow," cried Owen. "He did not make that signal without a cause."

"Ay, ay, sir," answered the mate. "I will soon learn his object;" and, calling Dan Connor and Pompey, he went forward to secure Routh as he descended on deck.

Just then Owen observed a smaller flag hoisted at the mast-head of the stranger; then Routh, instead of at once coming on deck, ran out to the end of the fore-yardarm, from whence he dropped something into the water, apparently the very flag he had just waved. He then deliberately returned to the foretop, and after stopping there for some seconds, and looking at the stranger, he slowly descended the fore-rigging. As he did so, he caught sight of the mate, with Dan and Pompey, waiting for him, when, suspecting their object, he sprang up again, and shouted to several men who were standing forward. They were those of whom the mate had just before spoken as likely to become traitors. With threatening gestures, they at once advanced towards the mate.

"If you interfere with Routh it will prove the worse for you," exclaimed John Green, who acted as their spokesman.

The mate's first impulse was to seize the fellow, but his courage failed him. "You will hear what the captain has to say to this," he answered, and began to retreat, Dan and Pompey unwillingly following him.

Routh, on this, took the opportunity of slipping down on deck and joining his companions.

Owen, who had seen what had been taking place, at once went into the cabin and got his own pistols and cutla.s.s, directing the second mate to arm the rest of the men. Still, notwithstanding the mutiny on board, he kept to his determination of fighting the ship till the last.

Fortunately, the mutineers had no arms, and before they were aware of it all the true men had got their weapons.

"Now, my lads," cried Owen, "if you refuse to do your duty, you must take the consequences. Go to your guns! The first man I see flinch from them I will shoot through the head."

This threat seemed to produce its effect, and even Routh obeyed.

The stranger was now rapidly overhauling the _Ouzel Galley_, which, hauled on a wind, was standing to the south-east. Owen had got his guns ready for action; the crew were at quarters. Crippled as the _Ouzel Galley_ was, he could only hope to succeed by speedily knocking away the enemy's masts, or otherwise seriously damaging her; for, unable to manoeuvre his ship except very slowly, he could not prevent his opponent from taking up any position which might be chosen, either ahead or astern, and raking him at leisure--or she might at once run him aboard and overwhelm him with superior numbers. Still he bravely determined to fight till the last.

He anxiously watched the stranger to judge what she would do. She had at first set all the canvas she could carry, but as she came towards the _Ouzel Galley_ she shortened sail, gradually also edging away to leeward, apparently for the purpose of preventing Owen from making his escape. The enemy had as yet not fired a shot. Directly, however, that Owen could get his guns to bear he fired them at her; not without some effect, but that did not make her alter her course.

"She intends to board us, sir," cried the mate, who had been watching the stranger.

"You are right, but we will give her a broadside or two first, and maybe make her alter her purpose," answered Owen. "Fire, my lads! and run in the guns and load again as fast as you can."

The men stationed at the aftermost guns obeyed the order, but the shot from those forward, manned by the new hands, flew wide of their mark; it might have been from their ignorance of gunnery, but, considering their late conduct, it was too probable that it was done on purpose. The rest of the crew took good aim, and then running in their guns, reloaded them.

"Here she comes!" cried the mate. "She will be aboard us presently."

As he spoke the stranger ranged up alongside, her decks covered with men. Four of the _Ouzel Galley's_ guns alone went off, and ere they could be again loaded the stranger was alongside, throwing grappling-irons on board to secure her prey.

"Cut them clear!" cried Owen. "Resist boarders!"

As he issued the order, the pirates, who stood ready in the main and fore-rigging of their ship, leaped down on the deck of the _Ouzel Galley_, when, with a feeling almost of despair, Owen saw Routh and several of his crew join them. Still, rallying his men round him, he resolved, if possible, to drive back the pirates in spite of their numbers. Firing his pistols, he gallantly attacked them, cutla.s.s in hand, seconded by his mates and several of his men, Dan and Pompey fighting with undaunted courage.

"On, my lads! on!" he shouted; and so st.u.r.dily did he and his companions attack the pirates, that they drove the greater number back to their own ship. This, success encouraged his men, and once more they began to hope that they should get free.

At this moment, a voice was heard from among the pirates cheering them on, and a fresh party leaping down on the deck of the _Ouzel Galley_ bore all before them. In vain Owen and his faithful followers, Dan and Pompey and others, fought with the most determined bravery; they were soon overwhelmed by far superior numbers. Owen's foot slipping, he fell upon the deck. At that moment one of his a.s.sailants raised his cutla.s.s, and was on the point of giving him a death blow, when the leader of the pirates interposed his own weapon.

"Let him live!" he exclaimed. "He is one I am bound to protect; and these fellows with him--we will spare their lives. You hear?" he shouted, turning to Dan and Pompey; "if you wish to have a longer spell of life, drop your cutla.s.ses. The ship is ours; give in, or in another moment you will be among those who lie there on the deck."

"Faix, thin, yer honour, if yer are going to spare the captin's life, I have no objection at all at all to live a little longer," answered Dan-- still, however, keeping his cutla.s.s ready to defend himself.

"And I'se too glad to 'cept your offer!" cried Pompey, who also wisely stood on his guard.

"Let no one touch them, or the boy there," said the pirate, pointing to Tim Maloney, who, though he had done his part, had now got behind Dan and Pompey.