Isle o' Dreams Part 20

"All right," said Trask. "Good-night, captain."

"Good-night, sir. And don't you be worried none about noises out here. I'm a-lookin' after things."

"Did you think I was worried?" asked Trask, stopping.

This was apparently a poser for Jarrow, who took his cigar out of his mouth, and was a full minute in framing a reply. Trask would have given a good deal to see his face.

"I didn't take you that way," said Jarrow.

Trask went back beside him. The young man felt that it was a mistake to allow Jarrow to dismiss him as he had, with the curt suggestion that he go back to bed.

"Then I want to a.s.sure you," said Trask, speaking slowly and in a tone intended to carry conviction of just how he felt, "that I'm not the worrying kind, Captain Jarrow. And if Mr. Peth gets to acting up, I'm prepared to deal with him myself."

"Oh, hus.h.!.+" said Jarrow, in a low whisper. "We can't have any talk like that for'ard here."

"I don't care who hears me," went on Trask, determined to carry out his bluff. "I've been out on deck for quite a while, and to be frank, I didn't like the idea of a boat going off this way. If it's your plan to kedge, and you think it is necessary, all right. I'm not a sailor. But I do know you haven't got Mr. Peth or the crew very well in hand, so if----"

"Hush up, Mr. Trask, for G.o.d's sake!" implored Jarrow, stepping over to Trask and putting his hand on his arm. "There is trouble brewing, but I don't know what it's about. I'm holdin' things off till the mornin'. I don't look for nothin' to come of it."

"Trouble? What sort of trouble?" demanded Trask, amazed at the captain's revelation.

"I don't know," admitted Jarrow. "May be everythin' and nothin'.

It's that Peth's too thick with the crew, and it's bad when a mate gits to standin' out with the fo'c's'le agin the master."

"Do you want me to understand that it's--mutiny?"

"I said I don't know what it is, Mr. Trask."

"How about Bevins? Is he in on it, too?"

"All hands. They're off there in the dinghy now, and I don't know what they're up to."

"So you're not putting out a kedge?"

"No, sir. That was to git you back to your bunk. I was out on deck before you was, and Peth sneaked the dinghy. I suppose they've got some fool idea that there's a lot of gold on the island, and----"

Jarrow broke off and said no more. Trask thought he had heard something and waited for him to go on, but after a long pause the captain did not seem inclined to say anything more, but took long pulls on his cigar, which he kept shaded from the sea behind his hand.

Trask's mind worked rapidly. If anything, the truth from Jarrow that there was danger from Peth and the crew had steadied him, and while he realized his helpless position if Jarrow were deceiving him, he at least had proof of a desperate situation aboard the schooner.

"What do you think they would do if they found gold on the island, captain?"

"Don't ask me. Might come back and burn the _Nuestra_."

"Sounds interesting," said Trask.

"Mebbe you think I'm jokin' of you?" said Jarrow.

"Not at all. I wouldn't put murder beyond that lot. There's something I've wanted to tell you since we left Manila, but I didn't want to do anybody an injustice."

"What's that?"

"Somebody stole one of my automatic pistols before I'd been aboard a quarter of an hour."

"No!"

"Yes. It was taken from my bag in my room."

"Mighty Nelson! You should ha' told me, Mr. Trask! Who do ye think got it?"

"I've every reason to suspect Mr. Peth. It was missing right after he moved his stuff out of my room. The bag had been opened and closed again very carefully, strapped and buckled. The man who took it had plenty of time and wanted to make sure he wasn't suspected right away. At least, he didn't want the loss noticed at once."

"So Mr. Peth's got an automatic gun, eh?" said Jarrow, rather in a musing way, and drawing a deep breath.

"I might not have missed it for days," went on Trask, "but I had two, and----"

"Two!"

"I had a pair of them."

"And Peth got away with both of 'em!"

"No, only one. I have the other, and Mr. Locke has two. I went down to oil mine after Peth moved out, and found one gone when----"

"Then we're all right," said Jarrow. "If you and Mr. Locke brought guns we don't need to worry. I've got a couple, myself. I guess we can handle anything that carries away for'ard here."

"Why did you move the lantern?" demanded Trask.

"Oh," said Jarrow, "I had a mind to take it down so they couldn't find their way back to the schooner till mornin' unless it cleared up in good shape. But it won't clear. Smells like more rain."

"I think it's a good scheme," said Trask. "Let 'em stay off in the boat. Then we'll put Peth in irons when he comes aboard in the morning if we think he's been up to mischief, or plans trouble. We can handle the others. We can't take any chances with Miss Locke aboard."

"You're right!" said Jarrow. "I'll douse the glim and let 'em stay.

If they want to cut up any didoes we can work the _Nuestra_ back to Manila ourselves and the government'll take care of 'em for us."

Jarrow clumped down off the forecastle head and lowered the lantern, clapped his sou'wester over it, and snuffed the flame out between his fingers. Trask observed the grimness of his face as the light played on it during the brief instant the lantern was coming down and the determined set of his jaw as his teeth gripped the cigar.

They stood in the darkness, silent for a few minutes, listening, and caught again the rattle of oars in locks at quite a distance.

The boat seemed to be moving about cautiously, feeling its way in behind the reef.

"I can't make out what the devil they're up to," said Jarrow in a grumbling sort of whisper. "Peth never did have much sense.

Sometimes I've thought he was clean out of his head."

"Then you've had doubts about him since we left Manila?"

"No, can't say's I have. I don't pay no attention to his tantrums gene'lly. He's up and he's down, just how he feels. But he picked this crew from a lot of his old s.h.i.+pmates so they'll stand by him if he's set on makin' trouble, and he knows it. I didn't like the looks of things to-day, so I kept my weather eye peeled. He lowered the dinghy on his own, without sayin' a word to me, and I smelled a rat, so I kept watch. I didn't want to git you folks scared up, so when you come out I thought I'd pa.s.s it off and wait to see what their game was. I wouldn't say nothin' to Mr. Locke 'bout it, and I'll see what's to be done come daylight."

"Do you think they'll make a fight if you don't let 'em aboard?"