Hester turned shuddering away as she saw Laure's eyes fixed upon her,
and soon began to tremble as she recalled a previous occasion when under
a threat the Cuban exacted a promise from her, one that, believing her
husband's life at stake, she had given.
She tried to look in other directions, to devote herself to attending
upon poor, weak John Studwick; but it was impossible, and strive how she
would, her attention was constantly drawn back to the Cuban, who, with a
smile upon his lip, watched her anxiety, and horrified her by coming to
where the tube ran from the air-pump over the side, and picking it up
held it in his hand as he glanced at her white face.
Then he threw it down again, and turning to the men about him, spoke
first to one and then to another, with the result that each of the
scoundrels seemed placed upon his guard, and to be ready for any
emergency.
Laure, according to his custom, was armed to the teeth, carrying quite a
little arsenal in his belt, and, after going round to the men, he
advanced to where Rasp was standing.
"Is that fellow working well?" he said aloud.
"Pretty well," growled Rasp, taking some snuff. "Getting a bit lazy,
though. He don't work like he did when he was at it for himself."
Laure walked up and down the deck three or four times, and then stopped
short by Hester, who shrank from his touch as he laid his hand upon her
arm.
"When is pretty Hester Pugh coming to make amends for all her coldness?"
he said, with a smile.
She did not speak, only cowered away, with her eyes fixed on his, like a
bird beneath the glance of a snake.
"I say, when is pretty little Hester going to reward me for all my
patience and perseverance?" he repeated. "No, no! don't run away,
little timidity. I am very dreadful, am I not? I am a terrible fellow
to seize upon the ship, and make the scoundrels who tried to rob me work
for my treasure. What--no answer?"
Hester could not have spoken had she wished, for her position seemed to
paralyse her. An indignant word might cause the wretch who persecuted
her to endanger once more her husband's life, and so she crouched there
trembling.
The doctor and Captain Studwick were at the pumps, but she dare not
appeal to them lest more mischief should befall, and hence she sat there
trembling, feeling how thoroughly they were in the monster's power.
"She is coy and angry at our neglect," said Laure, sneeringly. "Well,
well, we must excuse it, for we have been too busy even to think of
love. Let us apologise, then, and say that we love her more than ever;
and now that the work is nearly done, we are going to seek our reward
henceforward here, Hester."
He laid his hand once more upon her arm, but she shrunk shuddering away,
and the Cuban walked angrily to the side, where, with the tube in his
hand, he stood gazing down, and watching the action of Dutch as he moved
from place to place far below in the pure water.
He glanced round once, and saw that Hester, with dilated eyes, was
watching his every movement, and feeling that he had, as it were, her
heart-strings in his hand, he pretended to ignore her presence on the
other side of the deck, and played with the tube that was the life of
Dutch Pugh, now pinching it or bending it so that the supply of air was
slightly hindered, when Rasp, unobserved, signalled to those at the
air-pump with one hand, causing them to accelerate their toil and so
keep up the supply.
Just then, though so weak that he could hardly walk, John Studwick
crossed the deck. Bessy would have accompanied him, but he hoarsely
told her to keep back, and so soft and slow was his step that he had his
thin white hand upon the Cuban's arm before the latter was aware of his
presence.
"You cowardly cur!" said John Studwick, glaring at him with his
unnaturally bright eyes, and with his hollow cheeks burning with a
hectic flush. "I can hardly think it possible that God can let such a
villain live."
Laure started as if he had been stung, and his hand sought one of the
pistols in his belt.
"Pistols, yes," said John Studwick. "But pistols or no pistols, if I
had the strength of a man instead of being a helpless wreck, one of us
should not leave this deck alive."
Captain Studwick and the doctor were intensely excited, but they dared
not leave the air-pump lest the supply should fail for Dutch; but Mr
Wilson drew nearer, and stood with parting lips and trembling hands
watching the scene, while some of the armed crew now began to take an
interest in the affair.
"Go down to your berth--to your kennel--sick dog that you are," cried
Laure savagely, as he showed his white teeth like the animal he
mentioned. "Speak to me like that again, and you shall not live long
enough to see your pretty sister become my mistress, like Hester Pugh."
"You cowardly ruffian!" cried the young man, tottering on the brink of
the grave as he was, and as he spoke he sprang at Laure's throat,
clinging there with both hands, and in his surprise the Cuban staggered
back. But only for a moment; the next Laure had shaken him off, and as
the feeble man tottered away the ruffian drew a revolver, cocked it
rapidly, and fired at the invalid as he fell.
The bullet flew up through the rigging, for Wilson struck up his arm,
and Laure turned savagely upon him, while the captain and the doctor
were starting from the air-pump to go to Wilson's aid, when they were
paralysed by a shout from Rasp.
"Pump, pump! or you'll kill Dutch Pugh."
Hester uttered a wild shriek, and the handles flew round again as she
darted to the air-pump, and as if feeling that she could help her
husband, seized the tube.
This cry and her act saved Wilson's life, for Laure, not a yard from
him, was taking deadly aim at his head, his furious countenance bearing
plainly stamped on it the determination to slay. Seeing Hester's act,
then, he lowered the pistol, stuck it in his belt, and, as if the
opportunity had come, and an excuse for revenge, he drew the keen sword
he carried and with one cut divided the air-tube as it lay upon the
deck.
Hester uttered another cry, and then stood like the rest, paralysed, as
the tube writhed like a living creature, undulated, and then rapidly ran
over the side, when the woman's whole nature seemed changed. From a
gentle, timid, shrinking creature she was transformed into one reckless
of life and free from fear, and, throwing herself upon Laure, she caught
the sword by the hilt, and tried to wrest it from his hand, while he,
astonished at the change, gave way.
The cutting of the tube had set the two men free, or it would have gone
hard with Hester. Captain Studwick flew to her help, armed with an iron
screw-hammer that he had caught up, while the doctor seized a lever and
ran to assist, but only to receive a heavy blow from behind, as, at a
call from Laure, his men closed in, and the struggle became general.