The Island Queen Part 22

"Oh! I can't tell you," replied the other; "I'm too mad. Tell 'em, Pina."

Queen Pina, who had also been engaged for some minutes in wringing the water from her skirts, sat down, and, in the sweetest of voices, told how they had been surprised on the islet, how Otto had flattened a chief's nose with an oar, and how they had afterwards been carried off.

"Then," she added, "when they saw that you were unable to overtake them, the chief with the swelled nose began to beat poor Otto and pull his hair savagely. I do believe he would have killed him if a man, who seemed to be the leader of them all, had not ordered him to desist.

When you put up the sail and began to overtake us, the chief with the swelled nose got out a rough kind of sack and tried to thrust Otto into it. While he was struggling with this chief--"

"Fighting," interrupted Otto; "fighting with the baboon."

"Well, fighting, if you prefer it--he asked me if I was brave?"

"No, I didn't; I said game."

"Well--if I was game to jump overboard at the same moment that he did?

I quickly said yes. He twisted himself out of the man's--"

"Baboon's! baboon's!"

"Well--baboon's grasp, and went over the side like an eel, and--"

"And she," interrupted Otto, "she went plump on the other side like a sack of potatoes, and we met under the canoe and dived well astern before coming up for breath. You know what pains you took with our swimming and diving, Dom; it helped us then, I can tell you; and so here we are, all alive and hearty. But I saw the black fellow goin' to send a spear at Pina, and can't think why he didn't let fly. P'r'aps he did, and missed."

"No, he didn't; for Dr Marsh shot him in the arm," said Dominick, "and thus saved Pauline's life."

"Three cheers for the Queen!" cried little Buxley, who had done good service at the oar, and whose little bosom was filled with enthusiasm at the recital of this adventure.

The invitation was heartily responded to.

"An' wan more for the doctor!" shouted Malone.

In this rejoicing frame of mind they returned to Big Island, where Pauline was received with a warm embrace by the widow Lynch, who had been dancing about the settlement in a more or less deranged state ever since the boat left.

That same evening two meetings of considerable importance took place in the palace. The first was a cabinet council in the hall; the other a meeting of conspirators in the back-kitchen. Both were brief, for each was interrupted. We will take the cabinet council first.

The ministers present at it were the premier, Dominick and Dr Marsh, both of whom Joe had called to his aid.

"Now, my dear queen," said the premier, "we have met to consider the const.i.tution; but before saying a word about it myself, I would like to hear what your majesty has to say about it."

"I'm not sure," said the queen gravely, "that I have the faintest notion as to how a const.i.tution should begin or end. But I will give you a motto to set in the forefront of our const.i.tution, which may also form the foundation on which it is to be built--the pattern to which its parts must conform. It is this: `Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.'"

"I will set that down with pleasure," said Dominick, who acted as clerk, but, before he could write a line, a knock at the door interrupted them.

Then the door opened, and Otto's head appeared with eagerness in the eyes, and a beckoning hand in advance.

Dominick rose and went out.

"I've just overheard Morris and Jabez in the back-kitchen making an appointment. Shall I tell our squad to be ready?"

"Where is the appointed place?" asked Dominick.

"On the reef. They start this very night, for the wind suits, and I heard Hugh say that all was ready."

"Good! I didn't think the game was so nearly played out. Well for us that we are prepared. Yes, call up the squad. We'll give them checkmate to-night."

It must be explained here that ever since the night of the discovery of the plot organised by Morris to seize and carry off the wrecked s.h.i.+p, Otto and his brother had kept a close watch on the men, and were aware of all their plans and intended movements. They had also communicated their knowledge to a select few, whom Otto styled the squad, who had pledged themselves to be ready at a moment's notice to do their best to circ.u.mvent the conspirators. Among other things Otto had discovered that Malines had agreed to join them, professing himself quite willing to act as second in command under Morris.

It may also be explained that though we have hitherto spoken of the vessel which had been cast on the reef as a wreck, it was in reality very slightly injured about the hull, and much of the damage done to the spars and rigging had been quietly repaired by the conspirators.

When darkness shrouded land and sea, two expeditions started from the settlement that night--one following the other. The conspirators in the largest boat set off first. As it was no unusual thing for a night expedition to the reef in order to transport supplies from the wreck in the morning, the departure of the large boat attracted little notice.

When it had got well away a smaller boat set off, containing the "squad," which numbered among its members Dominick, the doctor, Otto, Joe, and his brother David, Teddy Malone, little Buxley, John n.o.bbs the blacksmith, and others, all of whom were armed with revolvers.

They steered for a different part of the reef, so as to avoid being seen by the conspirators. On landing they pa.s.sed through the old burial-ground and made for the Golden Cave. This place had, since the settlement on Big Island, been given over entirely to Pauline's use, and being styled the Queen's seaside palace, no one ever thought of entering it without permission. Hence the party of observation knew that it would be a secure place of ambush.

When safe inside, Dominick and Otto were deputed to go out as quietly as possible, note what Morris and his men were doing, and bring back a report.

"For," said the doctor, "if we interrupt them too soon they may pretend that this is one of their ordinary visits to the s.h.i.+p for supplies, and if we are too late they may get clear away in spite of us. We must strike when the iron is hot."

"Yes," said Otto, looking back as he followed his brother, "we'll look well to the heating process and let you know when they're white hot, so have your revolvers ready, my braves!"

"Och! shut your tatie-trap," cried Malone, but Otto, having shut the door, lost the advice.

The night was neither decidedly light nor dark. There might, indeed, to have been moonlight, but clouds veiled the light though they could not altogether obscure it; thus there was just enough to render objects dimly visible.

"All the better," whispered Dominick, as they turned the point of rock that hid the wreck from view. "We'll go down by the thicket. Keep close to my heels, boy, and drop on your hands and knees when you see me do so."

"All right, captain."

Gliding cautiously down in the direction indicated, they came at length to the seaward edge of the thicket, where the bushes, being less dense, permitted them to partially see the wreck. Here Dominick went on all-fours, appearing, as he crept slowly forward, like some sort of huge bear with no tail, and its hind feet turned the wrong way. Otto followed like a little bear with similar undignified peculiarities.

Having advanced far enough to obtain a clear view of the wreck, the spies sank into the gra.s.s and crept forward a little way. Then they lay still a few moments and listened. They then raised their heads cautiously and looked. What they heard and saw puzzled them not a little.

First, they noted that the wreck did not seem to lie in the position, with which they had been so long familiar. Then, as their eyes became accustomed to the faint light, they observed that a small boat was moving busily about the vessel's bow, and that a group of dark scarce-distinguishable forms of men was standing on the sh.o.r.e.

Presently there was heard a low, yet not unfamiliar growl. This was followed by a high yet not unfamiliar shriek, accompanied by a grating sound.

"Lions and c.o.c.katoos!" whispered Otto, who had crept up alongside of his brother by that time, "what _can_ they be about?"

"Is that a line I see athwart the sky?" asked Dominick, "look--just between the wreck and the big ledge there."

Said Otto, "It's more than a line. _I_ see it. Half a dozen lines at least, and something like a round lump in the middle of 'em. Don't you see it?--against the sky like a black moon--"

"Hus.h.!.+ boy--the growl again!"

"Ay, man, also the c.o.c.katoo."

"Oh! I have it now," whispered Dominick, with a low laugh; "they've rove blocks and tackle from the s.h.i.+p to the rocks, and are working them softly. Evildoers fear to be overheard, even when there's no chance of being so! Your lion, Otto, is the subdued yo-heave-ho of the men."

"I see," said Otto, with a grin so broad that his white teeth glistened even in the dark, "and my c.o.c.katoo is the unsubdued screeching of the block-sheaves! They must be trying to get the s.h.i.+p off the reef."

A heavy plunge at that moment told that the conspirators were not only trying but had succeeded, for the plunge was followed by an irresistible though powerfully suppressed cheer.

"We have not a moment to lose, Otto," whispered Dominick. "The s.h.i.+p is free, and they will only take time to carry the tackle aboard before embarking. Do you run back and bring the squad down at the double. I will keep our friends here in play till they come."