THE VOYAGE.
Some days afterward the ocean steamship Erin started from Liverpool,
having on board, among others, Jack Harkaway and his friends, and
Signor Bambino, an Italian gentleman, who stated that he was proceeding
to New York on business of a commercial nature.
Jack and Harvey took no interest whatever in the absurd question about
the buffalo, which agitated the quidnuncs of the Travelers' Club.
The reason Jack was going to New York was simple enough; he wanted to
be where Miss Van Hoosen was; and Harvey went because his friend Jack
did.
After the first sensations inseparable from a sea-voyage were overcome,
the saloon passengers began to fraternize, and among the most popular
in the smoking-room was Signor Bambino.
Four days after leaving Liverpool, the Erin encountered severe weather;
the decks were swept by the sea fore and aft, and for six hours the
hatches were battened down. When the storm ceased, the passengers came
on deck once more and enjoyed the calm of the evening.
Jack and Bambino played eucher until midnight, when the Italian threw
down the cards.
"I have had enough of it, if it is all the same to you," he exclaimed.
"But you have lost heavily," said Jack.
"Bah! what is that? to-day we lose, to-morrow we win. It is only a
trifle, after all."
"As you please," replied Jack.
"Let us take a stroll on deck," continued the Italian.
"With all my heart."
They quitted the saloon and went on deck, which the quick eye of
Bambino saw was deserted.
A thick mist had arisen, and though the captain was on the bridge his
form could not be distinguished.
The phosphorescent pathway in the wake of the big ship gleamed and
scintillated.
"How beautiful," remarked Jack.
"Yes," replied Bambino. "It looks like a sea of fire. One might walk on
it."
"I should not like to try," Jack said, laughing.
"Suppose you do make the effort."
At these words of Bambino, Jack turned half round sharply, and faced
him squarely.
"What do you mean?" he demanded.
"Precisely what I say," rejoined Bambino.
They were standing at the stern of the ship, right behind the
wheel-house.
"Who are you, and what do you want of me?" inquired Jack, who became
suspicious.
"I have a fancy to throw you into the sea."
"Madman!"
"Yes, if you like. I am peculiar at times. Come! how do you like the
look of this?"
As he spoke, Bambino drew a long knife and made a thrust with it at
Harkaway.
The latter stepped back quickly, receiving the point of the knife in
the fleshy part of his right arm.
It was merely a graze and did not cause him any serious inconvenience,
but it served to put him on his guard.
Being unarmed himself, he concluded that his best course would be to
grapple with his assailant, which he accordingly did, dashing the
knife from his grasp by a lucky hit and placing himself more on an
equality with the cowardly assassin.
The struggle that ensued was short, sharp and decisive, for the
superior strength of the robust Englishman soon told on the effeminate
Italian, who, deprived of his knife, was not very dangerous.
Jack threw him on the deck and pinned him by the throat.
"Villain," he cried, "what was your object in attacking me?"
Bambino made no answer.
"Tell me," continued Jack, "or I'll strangle the life out of you!"
He compressed his fingers mere tightly and the assassin's eyes started
from their sockets, while his face assumed a purple hue.
"Speak, speak!" persisted Jack.
A gurgling sound came from the man's mouth, and he made signs that he
was being stifled.
When the gripe was slightly relaxed he said: "I am a poor adventurer,
and fancied I could get money by robbing you."
"That is not the truth; robbery was not your object, but murder."
"Well, I will confess," exclaimed Bambino, who was afraid of being
killed and thought he could serve his employer better alive than dead.
"Make haste."
"Lord Maltravers ordered me to kill you. I am simply a hired assassin.
Let me live."
All was instantly clear to Jack.
"I am satisfied," he replied.
"You will let me go, now?"
"Indeed, I will do nothing of the kind. I must make you a prisoner for
my own protection, and when we reach New York the authorities will
decide what is to be done with you."
It was in vain for Bambino to protest; he submitted to his fate in
sullen silence, allowing himself to be dragged amidship, when Jack
explained to the first officer what had happened.
The watch was called, and the would-be murderer, gnashing his teeth at
the failure of his attempt, was taken below and confined.
The next morning Jack appeared at breakfast in the saloon as if nothing
had happened, but he told Mr. Mole and Harvey that an emissary of Lord
Maltravers had attempted his life.
"This is very important," observed the professor. "It shows to what
lengths Maltravers will go to remove you from his path. Let the man's
full confession be taken; he can then be used as a means for the arrest
of his lordship, who, if I am right in my law, can be sent to prison,
as the fellow's accomplice."
"Certainly, he can," replied Harvey.
"It is not very pleasant," remarked Jack, "to know that an enemy is
plotting against you in a far-off country and sending out men to kill
you."
"I have an idea," said Mole.
"Something novel for you, sir."
"Oh! no. This old head has been prolific in its time. Let us form
ourselves into the Jack Harkaway guard."
"Splendid idea," cried Harvey. "I volunteer for the service. You and I
will arm ourselves and one or both of us will be with him, night and
day."
"No, no," said Jack, much touched at this proof of the devotion or his
friends, "it is unnecessary."
"On the contrary," answered Mole, "I am sure that this attempt will be
followed by others."
"Well! If you insist upon it--"
"We do," said both the professor and Harvey in chorus.
Jack shook their hands in token of gratitude, and as Mr. Mole had
brought out a small arsenal of pistols and knives in his trunk, for use
in an emergency, he promptly armed both himself and Harvey.
Meanwhile Jack remained on deck.
Suddenly the man on the look-out reported a sail to leeward.
The steamer altered her course and made directly for the vessel, as
she showed signals of distress and appeared to be in a water-logged
condition.
When near enough the captain ordered the engines to be stopped and a
boat lowered.
This was done and a crew manned the boat to row to the distressed craft.
An event like this relieved the monotony of a sea voyage and the deck
was soon crowded with passengers.
In half an hour the crew had rowed to the vessel and returned without
boarding her.
They reported that the ship was leaking badly and had been abandoned by
her crew, after suffering severely from the late storm.
Her masts had all gone by the side; her sails were blown to rags; her
bulwarks were stove in. She was rudderless and it was a wonder how she
kept afloat.
When this was reported and the boat hauled up to the davits once more,
the captain of the steamer ordered the engineer to go ahead, and
proceeded on his course.
He felt that he had done all that humanity required of him.
Scarcely had the dull, heavy beat of the enormous engines made
themselves heard in the vibrating ship than a commotion was seen in the
forecastle.
Jack ran forward to ascertain the cause.
A man was seen struggling fiercely with the sailors, who were trying to
detain him.
It was Bambino.
By some means, while the steamer was lying to, he had contrived to
escape from the place in which he was confined.
"Stop him!" cried Jack. "Knock him down, he is dangerous."
Bambino, however, was too much for his opponents, and dashing them on
one side, made a flying leap and sprung over the side into the sea.
Whether he dived like a duck or was sucked under the ship and struck by
one of the flanges of the screw, it was difficult to tell.
He was looked for in all directions. The steamer was again stopped and
the boat lowered, but nothing could be seen of the man overboard.
"He is gone to his last account," said the captain, "and he is no loss."
"I'd rather have had him live," replied Jack, to whom this remark was
addressed, "and somehow, I can't quite make up my mind that the fellow
was born to be drowned."
"Hanging is certainly more in his line."
"That is so," said Jack.
The steamer once more proceeded on her way, and Jack amused himself by
scanning the expanse of ocean, through an opera-glass.
He fancied he saw a dark object resembling a man struggling with the
waves in the vicinity of the abandoned vessel.
It was quickly left behind, and thinking it might have been his
imagination, he dismissed Bambino from his mind.