Midnight Webs Part 20

STORY TWO, CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Every morning reg'lar Van used to take two of the chaps down below to Mr Ward, and he used to doctor their wounds for them, as I used to hear; for, seeing that they never felt disposed to trust me near the prisoners, I used to hang away, and never attempt to go near; but I kept on sending a line now and then by the little bird, telling them that I was making my plans, and that they were to wait a bit. I used to tell them too to feed the linnet; and it got to be so at last, that if I wanted it to take a message, all I had to do was to take away its seed and water over-night, and let it loose at daybreak, and it would go as straight as possible to the broken skylight, flit down, and come back in about ten minutes.

I know it must have been a disappointment often to them below; but then I daren't often be sending notes, for fear of being noticed. Then, too, I was puzzled a deal about things: I wanted to know what Van meant by keeping his five prisoners, and what I ought to do for the best. Try and seize a boat, and get them aboard, or to get the upper hand when there was only the watch on deck.

This last seemed the most likely way; for going afloat in an open boat, with the chance of being picked up, is queer work, and the sort of thing that, when a man has tried once, he is well satisfied not to try again.

So being, as it were, head man, I settled that we'd seize the s.h.i.+p; and after talking it over, the first chance I had, with Sam and Bill Smith, they quite agreed, thinking about salvage, you see; and then I began to reckon up the stuff I'd got to work with.

To begin with, there was Mr Ward, who was as good as two; so I put him down in my own mind two.

Then, going on with my best men, there was Sam, who was also good for two, if he was only put in the right way.

Then Bill Smith, who hadn't quite got his strength again; so I put him at one and a half.

Next came Tomt.i.t, who was right enough, no doubt, in his way; only being so long and w.a.n.kle, [(Lincolns.h.i.+re dialect), weak, sickly] I couldn't help thinking he'd be like a knife I used to have--out and out bit of stuff, but weak in the spring; and just when you were going to use it for something particular, it would shut up, or else double backwards.

That's just what I expected Tomt.i.t would do--double up somewhere; so I dursn't only put him down at half a one.

Then there was the fat pa.s.senger who cried. He showed fight a bit in the scrimmage; but I hadn't much faith in him; there was too much water in him for strength; so I dursn't put him down neither for more than half. While as for Mr Bell, poor chap, and his sister, they were worse than noughts, being like in one's way. So you see that altogether I had to depend on two and two was four, and one and a half was five and a half, and a half made six; and another half, which I put to balance the two noughts to the bad, making, all told, what I reckoned as six, and myself thrown into the bargain.

And now came the question: How was we good men and true to get the better of seventeen of they? I turned it over all sorts of ways. Once I thought I'd get the doctor to poison the lot, only it seemed so un-English like, even if the others were mutineers and pirates, while most likely they wouldn't have taken the poison if we'd wanted them to.

Poison 'em with rum, so that they couldn't move, might be managed, perhaps, with some of 'em, if the stuff was laid in their way; and that might answer, if a better plan couldn't be thought of. To go right at them without a stratagem would have been, of course, madness, though Sam Brown was for that when I talked to him, saying, thinking wasn't no use, and all we had to do was to get first fire at 'em twice, and shoot twelve, when we could polish off the other five easy. Now, that sounded all very nice; but I was afraid it wouldn't work; so I gave it up, and asked Bill Smith his opinion; but he said he hadn't none.

I'd have given something to have had a long palaver with Mr Ward; for I think we might have knocked up something between us that would have kep'

out water; but a talk with him being out of the question, I had to think it out myself; and all I could come at was, that the best thing would be to leave a bottle or two of rum where the watch could find it; and then, if we could shut down the hatches on the others, we might do some good.

That seemed the simplest dodge I could get hold of; for it looked to me as if the more one tried to work out something fresh, the more one couldn't.

I watched my chance, and wrote out all my plan, and started it to Mr Ward; and this time, I contrived, when no one was looking, to drop my letter down the skylight, telling him that he was to send me an answer by the bird, writ big, so as I shouldn't make no mistakes in the reading of it. Next morning, as soon as I was on deck, I found that I was too late; for Van and a couple of the chaps were hunting the linnet about; while, as it flitted from side to side of the deck, you could see a bit of white paper tied under its wing, and it must have been that as set them on after it.

I knew well enough that if the bird was caught, it would be all over with my scheme, and p'r'aps with me; so I went at it with the others, trying to catch the little thing, contriving, though, to frighten it all I could, so that it flew up into the rigging; and being nearest at the time, I followed it out on to the main-yard.

"Be careful, Roberts," says Van, as I went cautiously out till I was right over the water, the linnet going right off to the end; but I got my feet in the stirrups and followed on, expecting to see it flit off to another part of the rigging. I'd made up my mind what to do if I could get at it; for, though I liked the pretty little thing, there was a wonderful deal depending on whether it was caught or not; while all the time I was abusing myself for not being on deck sooner. I'd let the bird's cage be open the night before, ready for it to get out; and now it was plain that it had been down to the cabin, and Mr Ward had sent me an answer.

But it was no use to grumble; there was the bird before me, and if it would only keep still for another half-minute, I thought I saw my way clear. Plenty were now watching me from below; and, fortunately for me, instead of flitting off, the little bird crouched down upon the yardarm; so that, creeping nearer and nearer, I got quite within reach, when, making a dash as it were to catch it, I knocked the poor little thing stunned into the sea, making a sham slip at the same time, and hanging by my hands.

"Yah-h-h! you clumsy lubber!" roared Van; and then to one or two about him: "Lower the dinghy, and pick up that bird."

"Lost, after all," I growled to myself; but we were going pretty fast through the water; and by the time we had heaved-to, and let down the boat, the little thing was out of sight, and I felt that for this time we were safe.

STORY TWO, CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

Our every-day life on board the Sea-mew had not much in it to talk about. Of course the s.h.i.+p was badly handled, and there was a deal of drunkenness aboard, though hardly ever before night. In the daytime they just did what little making or shortening sail there was, and then smoked and ate and drank just as they liked. After the first few days, they had the fat pa.s.senger up, and made him cook; and hang me if one day I didn't see him crying into the soup he was making! But I always kept at a distance, never speaking to him, only kept watching my chance.

From what the others said, I learned that Mr Bell was only just alive; while some of them used to talk about his poor sister in a way that made me set to work more than ever to get my plans right.

I got to think at last, that if I waited much longer, I should never do anything; so one day, when I had a chance, I pitched a bullet down into the cabin, wrapped in a piece of paper, and on that piece of paper was written "To-night!"

"Now, if he's the man I take him for, all them pistols will be loaded, and the cutlashes ready for action," I says to myself; and leaving that to Mr Ward for his part, I warned Sam and Bill, and then set to do mine.

I'd been saving up on purpose; and as soon as it was dark that night, and just before they set the watch, I put two good big bottles of rum where I thought they would find them, and then waited to see.

All things turned out just as I could have wished; for going by an hour after, I could tell from the chatter going on that the three chaps were at the rum, which they supposed to have been left by mistake by those who had the watch the night before. Some of the chaps were carousing in the fore-cuddy, where they could easily be boxed up; and the others were with Van and Bra.s.sey, all card-playing in the skipper's cabin.

It seemed almost a hopeless case, now it was come to the point; but I felt that making up one's mind was half the battle, and I was up now, and meant to do or die.

Bill and Sam were on deck, and knew their parts well enough: Bill to manage the chap at the wheel; Sam to shut up the party in the fore-cuddy; I meaning to secure the cabin-hatch; and then I thought if that was done, we should have time to settle and lash the watch, who ought to be half-drunk, leaving our hands free to keep those quiet who would be trying to get out of the cabin.

You see my plan was to get Mr Ward up through the hole I made in my fall, if I could get the fellow away who was stationed there; and now it was that I trusted to the rum; for before now Van had been content to have a chap at the cabin door, leaving the watch to make sure the prisoners did not get on deck.

I was about right; for we three had not been squatting long under the bulwarks before one of the watch calls out "Harry!" and the sentry fellow goes to where they were busy with the rum. The next moment I was at the broken skylight, and whispered down the one word "Tools;" for I was afraid them playing in the other cabin might hear.

Mr Ward was ready; and the next minute I was under the bulwark again with the arms the doctor had pa.s.sed up; and we three had each a pistol in our belts and a cutlash in our hands before the sentry chap came back.

The night was not so dark as I could have wished; but it was dark enough for us, and, as I expected, the sentry couldn't resist the smell of that rum, and in a very few minutes he was along with the others again, and did not seem disposed to come back. So now seeming to be my time, I said the word. Sam crept off one way, Bill the other, with their orders that there was to be no bloodshed, only as a last resource; then I went to the skylight, keeping the side nearest to the cabin-hatch, when I turned cold all over; for I heard Van's cough, and he came up the stairs as if to look out.

There was nothing else for it: I knew that if he missed the sentry, he would most likely spoil my plan; so, at the risk of being seen by the watch, I stood boldly up in the sentry's place, took a step this way and that way, and then began to whistle softly to myself like.

It was a bold trick, but Van was taken in; he could see some one was on guard; he could hear the watch; and the face of the man at the wheel was plain enough by the binnacle-light, so that all seemed well.

"If Bill only makes his attempt now we're undone," I thought. But all kept still aft, and then I shuddered like for fear Van should speak to me, but he did not say a word, only turned to go down again, and my breath came freer, as I felt for the las.h.i.+ngs I had got ready for the prisoners I hoped to make; while I'm afraid if Van had come up to me then I should have been his death, and then have secured the cabin-hatch.

As I said before, I breathed freer, and turned my attention to where the four men were at the rum; but the next moment I was taken all aback again, for Van came up once more, stood still as if listening, and then saying to me: "Keep a sharp lookout," he turned once more to go.

"Right," I mumbles out, as if my mouth was full of baccy, and the next minute I could hear his voice quite plain through the other half of the skylight.

"Now or never," I says to myself, in dread lest that watchful cur should spoil my chance; and, going down on hands and knees, I leaned through the hole.

"With a will! Mr Ward," I says, and grasping my arms, next moment he was through and lying on the deck aside me, just as we could hear the scrooping noise of Sam closing the hatch of the fore-cuddy.

"Quick, Mr b.u.t.terwell," I says, and Tomt.i.t had hold of my arms, but just as I expected, he shut up when he was wanted, for there was a slight scuffle by the wheel as I gave a heave, the watch stopped their chatter to listen, and as I rose up like to hoist Mr b.u.t.terwell out, he went back into the cabin with a crash, falling against the bulkhead which separated it from the cabin where Van was, and if I had not darted to the hatch, he would have been up with the three h.e.l.l-hounds at his back. But he was too late; I had the hatch over, and then turned to help Sam, who, like a brick as he was, had gone at the watch.

I need hardly tell you that Mr Ward was already in the thick of it; and Bill coming up, having silenced his man with a tap on the head, it was even odds, four against four; but the fellows fought savagely, and it was not until the sentry was cut down, and another had a bullet through him, that the other two were lashed fast neck and heels together.

Now all this time they had been thundering and battering away at both hatches, but I was in hopes that they would hold fast till our hands were at liberty, when a crash told us that something had given way, and running aft, we heard two pistol-shots fired quickly, one after the other, and could see the flashes and a figure standing by the hatch.

My hand was raised to fire, but I dropped the pistol, for I remembered that it was empty; and sword in hand, with my blood up, I dashed at whoever it might be, but only to miss my aim, for he darted aside and caught my cutlash with his in an instant.

It was cleanly done, that guard; and I shouldn't have thought he had it in him, for it was no other than Tomt.i.t, who had climbed out well armed, and sent a couple of shots through the hole Van and his party had battered through the hatch. He was a friend in need, and a friend in deed that time, for if he hadn't come up as he had, it would perhaps have gone precious hard with us.

But there was no time to be lost, for I expected every moment that they would find their way up on deck from one of the cabin windows; and now, in place of wis.h.i.+ng for darkness, we prayed for light, so as to be able to see our enemies, and from which side we should next be attacked.

I wanted Mr Ward to take the lead, but he would not--only asked to be set his work, so I set him at the cabin-hatch; Bill I planted on the p.o.o.p, to cut down the first man who should try to climb on deck; Mr Tomt.i.t over the two bound men of the watch, and the wounded; and Sam over the hatch of the forksel, for, though we'd got the upper hand, there was no knowing for how long it would be, and besides, we all knew well that if once the savages below got us under, there would be no mercy for us now.

What a night that was, and how long the day seemed coming! I was going about from place to place to see if I could make out danger anywhere, when Mr Ward called to me, and made a communication, whose end was that, with Mr Tomt.i.t's help, we drew the two prisoners to the cabin-hatch, and left him to guard them and the cabin, while Mr Ward and I dropped through the skylight quick as thought. But they heard us through the bulkhead, and directly after we heard a hand on the door, and the key move, to which I answered with a shot, cras.h.i.+ng through the panel, and whoever it was dropped, while for reply another bullet was sent back.

Mr Ward had darted to the inner cabin, while I kept guard, and now appeared with Mr Bell and his sister, she holding him up on one side, Mr Ward on the other.