George Manville Fenn

“ Mr Frewen and the mate were first, Mr Preddle and I behind, and I was just thinking that it was nearly time for the whistle to be blown and the rush made, while I thought, too, how easy it would be to make a mistake and injure a friend with our pistols, when the ship gave such a lurch that we all went heavily against the bulwarks, to which we clung to save ourselves from a heavy fall, then bang, splash, rose a wave over the bows, and a voice which came from one of the figures by the light from the hatch yelled forth a torrent of oaths as he asked what the men were doing at the wheel. ”

“ That fire might almost have been some fierce, dragon-like monster, suddenly attacked by its most deadly foe, for in an instant there was a savage hiss, followed by a series of crackling explosions, sputtering, popping, and shrieking even. For the steam began to generate and rush up from the hold, instantaneously changing from its natural invisibility to dense white clouds of vapour, which rose and spread, and grew so thick that I could not see where to direct the jet of water, but had to trust to my ear for the spot to attack. ”

“ If you tried to break out I have men on the watch whose orders are to shoot down any one who tries to get away, and that shooting down means pitching overboard afterwards. It would save me a great deal of trouble, but I don’t want any more fighting and killing: I want peace. There, you can think it over. You had better be friends, for it would hurt my feelings to have to set you afloat in an open boat with those brute bullies, Berriman and Brymer. Think it over, man. Your friend, Mr Preddle, is sure to join me, for I can find him a pond or a river in which to keep his fish. ”

“ I glanced at Mr Denning, and saw him wince.
“Then you will agree with Captain Berriman and me that some very stern measures must be taken?”
“Yes,” said Mr Preddle.
“I do, certainly,” replied Mr Denning.
Mr Frewen and I were both silent; but at last the doctor spoke.
“What do you propose doing?” he said, rather huskily.
“That is what we are here to decide, and that quickly, for one or two of us must always be on deck. Can you suggest anything, either of you?”
No one spoke, and I felt that whoever did would feel like a judge condemning a man to death.
“Time is flying, gentlemen,” said the mate. ”

“ Just then there was the report of a pistol, and Jarette’s voice rose loud and clear.
“Silence—idiots—fools!” he shouted. “It is your own doing, and now you want to run away and leave a good ship and all its valuable cargo—ours, do you hear?—all ours—to burn. Bah!”
“The boats, quick!—the boats!” shouted one of the men.
“Throw that fool overboard, some of you,” cried Jarette, contemptuously; “he has not the spirit of a mouche. Bah! what is it? A cask or two of spirit in the hold. Come along, brave lads. The pumps and buckets; we will soon make grog of the spirits, and it will cease to burn.” ”

“ The ship rode on an even keel, the night was glorious with stars, and the lanterns shone bright and clear where they were swung. There was no creeping along a few feet at a time, holding on by rope and belaying-pin, with the spray dashing over the side.
We could see the group about the hatch standing a little back, for in spite of our defences, the mutineers were making a desperate effort to escape, and were keeping up a steady fire through the top and sides to cover the work of one of their number, who was chopping away at the door to hack out the fastening. ”

“ I cried excitedly; “but wait while I get a rope.”
“Yes; quick, my lad,” said Mr Brymer. “It is our only opportunity.”
I made no attempt now at concealment, but ran through the saloon, and out on the deck, to secure the first coil of rope I could find.
I got hold of one directly, not neatly coiled, but tumbled down anyhow; and then, looking forward to see if any one was on deck, I was conscious of a dull bluish glow, which I attributed to the lights by the forecastle-hatch, from which I could hear a low muttering of voices dominated by Jarette’s sharp angry snapping. ”

“ I cried wildly; “the ship’s on fire.”
We all ran to the companion together, three on one side of the saloon-table, two on the other; while I could hardly believe my eyes as I saw flooding up from beyond the main-mast great soft waves of bluish fire.
“It is the casks of spirits in the hold,” cried Mr Brymer, excitedly. “They’ve done for it at last. But come on quickly: we can pass that without getting much harm; and as soon as we have secured the scoundrels, we must try the pump and hose.” ”

“ I knew that the wind had dropped again, for the ship had grown steady once more; but I forgot all about the approaching boats, and could only sit holding Walters’ hand, and watching his altered face.
“Yes,” he said at last, “Jarette aimed too straight, Dale, old fellow, it has all been a mistake. I was a weak, conceited fool, and thought every one was against me, when it was all my fault. I know it now. Any fellow can make himself liked if he only tries—no, without trying, if he’ll only go straight and act like a man. ”

“ Then he spoke in a quiet, firm way.
“Now, Dale,” he said, “it is our duty, and we must fight. Forget that you are a boy, and act like a man. Got your revolver?”
“Yes.”
“Charged?”
“Yes.”
I’m afraid my voice sounded very husky in my excitement, and my heart went in leaps and bounds. Frightened? Yes, I was: horribly; and if under similar circumstances any boy or man tells you he was not, don’t believe him. I wouldn’t. I know I was all of a tremble, but I never felt for a moment that I was going to shrink as I listened to Mr Frewen giving Mr Preddle instructions about the revolver. ”

“ All this was in a whisper, and then we followed Mr Frewen to the shattered entrance of the saloon, and stood there looking forward, but seeing very little, though a white peculiar gleam came off the sea, and a couple of lanterns swung forward, by the side of one of which we made out the gleam of an oilskin upon whose wet surface the dim light played.
“He’ll be up by the wheel,” Mr Brymer whispered. “We must tackle him there; and once get him down, we can beat back the others. ”

“ Why, I know. Over with him!” cried Jarette, and then, uttering shrieks that horrified us, we saw Walters for a moment above the bulwarks in the full light of the lanterns, and then he was pitched outwards, shrieking as he fell, a loud splash and a gurgling noise, which ceased suddenly, telling us where he had gone down.
The boat was pushed along in the darkness, and without an order being given.
“See him?” said Mr Brymer, in a hurried whisper.
“No, sir, not yet,” growled Bob Hampton. ”

“ You will join us?”
“No, sir, no.”
“But your fish—dying!”
“Poor things! It is a disappointment, sir; but I cannot do as you wish me to, even to save them.”
“You will not?”
“No, sir, no.”
“Idiot!” cried Jarette, sharply, and directly after the door was banged and fastened.
“My fish—my fish—my poor little fish!” muttered Mr Preddle; “but I couldn’t, even to save them.”
Then there was silence, and I softly recovered the little hole and looked round at Mr Frewen, who nodded and smiled.
“Yes,” he whispered, “it is quite true: he is a gentleman, poor fellow, in spite of all.” ”

“ Before then the ship may be under the rule of Captain Berriman once again.”
“Hist!” I cried, in an excited whisper, and I pointed up at the sky-light, across which a shadow lay, cast by the newly-risen sun which had flooded the cabin with gold.
“Listening, eh?” said Mr Brymer, and stepping softly on one side, he took one of the guns, and, with a sudden motion, thrust it through.
There was a bound and the rush of feet as the shadow disappeared.
“A guilty conscience needs no accuser,” said the mate, laughing, “a criminal running away from an empty gun!” ”

“ There was silence again, and as I listened for a voice, the lanterns forward swung to and fro, and so much water came aboard that I fully expected to see them extinguished, when all forward would have been in darkness.
“Is he never coming again?” whispered Mr Frewen at last.
“Oh yes, he’ll come,” said Mr Brymer. “They’ve got the grog forward there, and perhaps he has gone below.”
“Then why not crawl forward and clap on the forecastle-hatch?”
“Because it will be far safer for us to secure their leader; and, besides, by closing up the forksle you might shut in our friends as well.” ”

“ Mr Frewen drew a deep breath, which sounded to me as if full of relief, and the mate went on—
“It is not too much to expect that if at any time we make an attack now, some of the men will side with us.”
“Don’t matter if they don’t, sir,” growled Bob Hampton, in the deepest of deep bass voices. “We’re strong enough, if you’ll only give us a chance.”
“All depends on chance, my lads,” said Mr Brymer. ”

“ I followed him into the right cabin, where a freshly-opened tin of beef, some biscuits, and a can of fresh water stood ready on a white cloth, and we both began to eat ravenously.
“There’s an angel for you, Dale,” mumbled the mate, with his mouth full. “Right kind of angel too, who can open meat-tins for hungry men, and who knows that even now it’s nicer off a white cloth. I don’t wonder at the doctor.” ”

“ Is it likely?”
“I beg your pardon, Brymer,” whispered Mr Frewen, “I did not know what I was saying. I was half mad.”
“My dear fellow, I know,” was the mate’s reply in the same tone. “I’m not going to give up, nor yet despair. There’s always a chance for us. That scoundrel may come to his end from a quarrel with one of his men; a ship may heave in sight; or we may board and surprise them, and if we do, may I be forgiven, but I’ll crush the life out of that wretch as I would destroy a tiger. ”

“ Well, don’t let Miss Denning see you. If you had been knocked about like this in a struggle with those scoundrels under the hatch you would have won her sympathy; but a lad who goes and indulges in fisticuffs till his face looks like a muffin which has tumbled into the slop-basin, can’t show himself in ladies’ society till he has grown well.”
“Oh, I say, Mr Frewen!” ”

“ The second boat had made for the stay beneath the bows, just as Dumlow had been called away with his capstan-bar, and as I looked forward, there, to my horror, dimly-seen through and beneath the ascending steam, were four men who had climbed on board.
“We’re licked, Mr Dale, sir; but hit, shoot, do anything as they come over the side. Do, dear lad, shoot Frenchy, whatever you do. Now then, let ’em have it, for Old England’s sake and sweet home! Here they come!” ”

“ The next minute clink-clank came the strokes of the double-handled pump, invisible to me, for it was on the far side of the smoke which rose from the forward part of the deck. But no water came, and after a minute or two I heard them talking loudly, and the clanking ceased. Then came the splash of a bucket over the side, and though I could see nothing, I could picture the throwing down of that bucket, and the handing of it up with the sparkling of the water as it streamed back; and I knew what the gurgling and splashing meant, as the contents freshly drawn were poured into the top of the pump. ”

“ The captain looks as if he were dying; you are nearly killed; you’ve nearly killed poor Mr Denning, who came this voyage for the benefit of his health; you have had Miss Denning insulted and exposed to no end of dangers; poor old Neb Dumlow has a shot in him; and we’ve been treated more like dogs than anything else; while now your beautiful friends have turned upon you, and left you to be burned in the ship they have set on fire, for aught they care. Yes; you ought to be proud of your work. ”

“ Then Jarette’s voice was heard making inquiries of the man at the wheel, to whom he stopped talking for a few minutes, which seemed to extend into an age of anxiety to me who listened so anxiously and in such dread lest the scoundrel should return and lean over the bulwark, or run his hand along, feel the rope, and so discover poor Hampton. Then I felt sure that he would have no hesitation in cutting him adrift, and that meant death to a brave and true man. ”

“ I cried.
“Right you are, sir,” he said; and as he came into the cabin, I heard him fumbling about and trying to strike a match, but for several minutes there was nothing but a phosphorescent streak made on the boards of the partition.
“Yah! everything’s so plaguy wet,” growled the sailor.
“Here, let me come, matey,” I heard Dumlow say. “Mine’s brass box.” And the next minute there was a sharp crick, crick, crack, a burst of flame, and I saw Mr Frewen holding poor Miss Denning in his arms, ready to lay her carefully and reverently down as the lantern was re-lit. ”