Sail Ho! Part 35

"Mr Denning's, I'm sure."

"No, no, the lady's cry."

"I--I--don't know," I stammered.

"You do--you do!" he cried wildly, as he caught me by the breast; "speak out."

"I--I half fancied it was Miss Denning shrieked out," I faltered.

"Yes," he groaned. "Yes, and I am shut up like this. Is there no way of escape?"

And all this while the angry muttering and talking went on, Mr Denning evidently bitterly upbraiding Jarette, and the latter mockingly defiant, and uttering what sounded like contemptuous retorts. Then a door was banged again loudly, and we stood listening, Mr Frewen with his forehead resting against the panel and his hands clenched, while his face was all drawn into puckers and wrinkles as if he was suffering the most intense agony.

And as we listened, I, horror-stricken, and in the full belief that poor Miss Denning had been shot, perhaps in trying to save her brother, a couple more of the cabin-doors were opened and closed; then there was a good deal of talking and the giving of orders. At last, when we felt that Jarette and his men were going forward once again to their quarters in the forecastle, leaving us in horrible suspense, a heavy step approached our door, which was opened, and Hampton appeared.

"Who was that shot?" cried Mr Frewen, rus.h.i.+ng at the man and seizing him by the breast.

"Easy, sir; easy it is. You'd best ask the skipper."

"I say, who was that shot just now?"

"And I says, ask the skipper, sir. It ain't my business. My business is to bring you out. You're wanted, and you're to bring your tools."

"Wanted? To attend the injured person?"

"I suppose so," replied Hampton, with brutal callousness; and just as Jarette approached, "Here's the captain, ask him."

Mr Frewen did not ask, but darted to one of the little drawers with which his cabin was fitted, took out a case and a packet of surgical necessaries packed all ready for emergencies, and turned back to the door.

"Here, where are you going, youngster?" cried Hampton, who was looking in with a peculiar expression upon his countenance.

"With Mr Frewen," I said stoutly.

"No, you're not. Go back."

"But he'll want me to help him!" I cried excitedly. "I must go."

"Yes; come with me, my lad!" cried Mr Frewen, and as I pressed forward, Hampton made no further objections to my presence, though before at a look from his leader he had barred the way with his st.u.r.dy arms.

The next moment we were standing in the torn and blackened saloon, with Mr Frewen looking round wildly from door to door, seeking the one through which he was to go.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

"Here, this way," said Jarette, fiercely, "and now you'll see that I'm not a man to be played with. I'm captain here now, and it's obey me or--"

He s.n.a.t.c.hed a pistol from his breast and held it menacingly toward Frewen, who flashed out at him--

"Put that thing away, madman, and show me my patient. Which cabin is it?"

"That one," said Jarette, surlily. Then showing his teeth, he said in a peculiar tone of voice--"They say it's kill or cure with your set; let it be cure this time, or perhaps it may be kill afterwards. Come on.

Go in there."

He signed to a man acting as sentry by one of the doors well aft, and the man drew back while Frewen brushed by the scoundrel who held it open, and entered quickly, I following ready to do everything I could to help.

I entered that cabin fully expecting to see Miss Denning lying bleeding on the floor, and I am sure that this was Mr Frewen's impression; but to the surprise of both it was a totally different person, for there lay the captain in one corner, his head slightly raised, staring at us wildly as he held one hand pressed to his shoulder, and his eyes were so fixed that for the moment I was ready to think that he was pa.s.sing away.

But a faint smile came upon his face as he looked up at the doctor, and then he smiled at me.

I darted a look full of horror and sympathy at him, and then closed the door, while as I turned I saw that the woodwork side of the cabin was marked by a bullet, for so I took it to be, which had splintered the board all round a good-sized hole.

Mr Frewen went down on one knee by the captain, and took the hand which rested on his shoulder, pressed it, and then began to examine the injury.

"Come and help me, Dale," he said; "we must get him in a different position."

"Perhaps--I can help," said the captain faintly. "The scoundrel shot me."

"Don't try to talk," said Mr Frewen, quickly. "Wait till I have bandaged the wound."

But as he spoke I noticed how he watched Captain Berriman, and seemed to take special heed of him as he whispered the above words evidently with pain.

"Is it very bad, doctor?" he whispered now after Mr Frewen had been busy about his breast, and shoulder for a few minutes. "You can tell me, I can bear it."

"Bad enough, but not so bad as it might have been if it had gone an inch lower. But keep quiet, talking will only distress you, and tend to make you feverish. There," he said at last, "there will be no more bleeding, and that was the only danger to apprehend."

By this time the captain was lying in an easy position, carefully bandaged and apparently suffering less.

"He came in--"

"Hus.h.!.+ don't tell me; I know--as he did to us with inviting propositions. We heard your angry words, and the coward shot at you.

But that shriek, surely it was Miss Denning's?"

"Yes," whispered the captain. "The bullet crashed through there afterwards and struck Mr Denning. Not hurt, but his sister shrieked on hearing the shot and seeing him fall."

"Then they are in there?"

The captain nodded.

"And can hear our words?"

There was another movement of the head.

"Then let them hear that we are trying hard to put an end to this miserable state of affairs. Mr Denning should be ready to help us if called upon."

There was a gentle tapping on the part.i.tion at this, and I was on my way to the bulk-head to reply, when the cabin-door was opened and Jarette came inside.

"Come, doctor, you must be done if you can find all that time for talking. Can you save him?"