Dutch Pugh's doom was not sealed, for, as he was struggling on, holding
his breath, and trying to reach the ladder and climb up before he should
become senseless, there came help.
It was Laure's act he knew, and even in those excited moments he could
tell that here was the meaning of the forebodings he had felt, and the
thought of Hester left in the villain's power half maddened him as his
temples throbbed, his senses began to reel, and he staggered, and felt
that something was holding him back from the haven of safety he sought
to reach.
Pleasant old memories began to float before his vision--days when he had
wandered with Hester through the sunny country lanes, and she confessed
her love for him; and all seemed bright and beautiful. He was in no
pain, and he only knew that he had just reached the ladder, and was
trying to ascend, when a dark cloud floated before his eyes--a cloud of
dark-red blood, and then there was a shock and a concussion, and he knew
no more.
The shock was the jerking of the life-rope, and the concussion was his
helmet striking against the side of the ladder, for as the struggle went
on, Rasp gave the word to Oakum and 'Pollo, they hauled together, and,
in spite of the weight, ran Dutch up to the side in a few moments,
dragged him through the gangway, and as he lay on the deck Rasp rapidly
stooped down and, turning a screw, threw open one of the plate-glass
eyes of the helmet.
"Further this way," whispered Rasp again, and, Oakum stooping down with
him, they dragged the senseless man along the deck, away from the
struggle that was going on.
At the end of two or three minutes, Oakum and Rasp, who felt that the
time was not ripe, and that any attempt at resistance on their part
would have resulted, as they were unarmed, in failure, saw the captain,
Mr Meldon, and Wilson driven below, Mr Parkley, in his cumbersome
diving suit, being thrust down directly after; and then the conquerors
turned towards John Studwick, who was lying panting where he had been
dashed, with his sister holding his head in her lap, while Hester had
run to the side of her husband.
Old Rasp ground his teeth as, at the Cuban's orders, the invalid was
roughly raised by the men, in spite of Bessy's shrieks, dragged from
her, and thrown down the hatchway, while Bessy was dragged to the fore
cabin and thrust down there.
"I'm a saving of all this up, Sam Oakum," whispered Rasp. "I shall pay
it all off on Mr Blackguard here some day."
"Some night," whispered Sam Oakum back in a choking voice, "and that's
to-night."
"What did you drag that dog here for?" cried the Cuban, now coming up,
sword in hand, and making a thrust at the prostrate figure, as Hester
tried to relievo Dutch of his helmet.
"Here, mind what you're after," said Rasp, snappishly, warding off the
blow with an iron bar. "Don't be a fool. 'Spose you spyle that
ingy-rubber soot, how are we going to get another?"
The Cuban turned upon him furiously, but as the quaint old fellow seemed
not in the least afraid, he turned it off with a laugh.
"What did I pull him up for, eh?" said Rasp. "Why, becos I haven't done
with him. I haven't forgot my percentage on the silver, captain, and
this one's worth half-a-dozen of that t'other old chap."
"You're a strange fellow, Rasp," said the Cuban.
"Strange, am I? I've been a diver this forty year a'most, and I've
never had such diving as this afore. It's too good to be spyled because
you get wild, so now then."
"You're right, Rasp," said the Cuban, laughing, as Hester darted an
indignant look at the gruff and apparently heartless old fellow. "Here,
a couple of you, throw this dog down in the cabin."
As a couple of the men approached, the Cuban took a turn up and down the
deck, and Hester started as Rasp, while apparently leaning over the
helmet, whispered:
"Don't you resist, my pretty one, but go as he tells you; there's help a
coming."
Laure turned sharply back, stooped down, and caught the trembling woman
by the wrist.
"Enough of this," he exclaimed sharply, for one peculiarity of the man
was that every time he was about to proceed to some act of violence he
worked himself into a rage. "You come to me now."
Hester hung back from him and tried to cling to her prostrate husband,
but, remembering the words of old Rasp, she suffered Laure to lead her
forward.
"That's more sensible," he said, with a look that made her shrink.
"To-morrow we will change cabins with those aft."
He led her to the hatch, down which Bessy had been thrust, and ordered
her to descend, which she did after a trembling glance at her husband,
who still lay insensible, but with Rasp and Oakum bending over him, and
the next moment, finding that she was evidently in the part that the
Cuban had had furnished for his own use, and beyond which was his little
sleeping cabin, she was clasped in Bessy Studwick's arms.
"Why have you not thrown that dog overboard or below?" cried the Cuban,
returning to where Dutch lay.
"Don't you be in such a 'nation hurry," growled Rasp. "I'm not going to
have my helmets and diving tackle misused by nobody. These things may
be worth fifty thousands pounds yet, and if they're bruised or have
holes broke in 'em, how are we to get 'em mended?"
As he spoke, Rasp, with Oakum's help, dragged off the india-rubber suit
and removed the helmet very carefully.
"There," he said, "now you can have him; and none of your pitching him
down like you did the others. He's valuable, he is."
The Cuban kicked the senseless man brutally as he lay, and, two of the
sailors taking him by the legs and arms, he was dragged to the hatch,
and then drawn heavily down the stairs.
"If I don't warm the wax o' that fellow's ears for all this, Sam Oakum,
my name ain't Rasp," said the old fellow, laughing to himself. "I want
one of these here diving suits very pertickler, my friend, very
pertickler indeed. Ho, ho, ho!"
"Right," said Oakum, in a low voice. "To-night, mind."
"Oakum," said the Cuban sharply; and the old sailor faced round,
wondering whether he had been heard, while Rasp went on mending and
arranging his diving tackle as if nothing was the matter.
"Sir to you," said Sam.
"I shall sail to-night or to-morrow morning. Have all ready."
"Ay, ay, sir," said Sam cheerfully; and then to himself, "Perhaps you
will, and for a longish voyage."
"We've got all the silver here, and I think I shall try one more spot."
"All right, capen," said Sam; "nothing like having a good cargo while
you're about it."
"Have all ready," said the Cuban gloomily.
"Right, capen," said Sam, "but--"
"Well, what?" said the Cuban, looking sharply round as if in search of
danger; but the shore was on every side verdant and beautiful, the sea
calm and bright, and nothing to show the horrors of the ship but a few
spots of blood upon the white deck.
"I was on'y going to say as if I was skipper I should put off the start
till the morning."
"Why?" said the Cuban, looking at him searchingly.
"The sun'll be down afore we could work out of this snug place so as to
ketch the breeze, and there's a rock there, and a rock there, and a
couple more to starboard, and three off yonder to port. I shouldn't
like to take off a bit of the schooner's keel, or poke a hole in her
bottom, with all that silver aboard. A man likes to obey orders, capen:
but when he's got a stake in the safe running of the cargo, it makes him
partickler like."
"You're right," said the Cuban. "At daybreak, then."
"Daybreak it is," said Sam, giving his trousers a hitch; and taking out
a little silver pipe, he blew a shrill note. "All hands ahoy!" he
roared, and as the men collected, he set to work clearing away the
lumber, coiling ropes ship-shape, hoisted a boat that had been down over
the side, and then altered his mind and had it lowered again. "We shall
want it for towing her head round in the morning," he said, and so
busied himself so as to have everything well forward, while the Cuban
looked on with an approving eye.
"You shan't be forgotten for all this, Sam Oakum," he said.
"Thankye, capen, thankye," said Sam, as the Cuban walked forward, and
the old sailor filled a pipe for an extra luxury, just as it was getting
dark.
"Here, you black-faced son of a coal-hole, give's a light," cried Sam,
loudly, as he went to the galley where 'Pollo was busy preparing tea for
all on board.
"Yes, Mass' Oakum," said the black, flinching from a blow aimed at him
as he spoke, when, to the poor fellow's horror, Sam seized him by the
scruff of the neck, pushed his head into an open barrel, and whispered:
"Don't you make a sound, 'Pollo, old man. It's all my larks. Don't
laugh, you lubber, but get your biggest carving knife, and hide here in
the middle watch: there's a game on, my lad, and I want you to help to
retake the ship."
"Oh, golly, Mass' Oakum, sah, dat I will; I bress de lor', sah, you not
big rufiyun affer all. I bress de lor'."
"Hush! hold your tongue, lad. Mum's the word. Now then, you black
nigger, look alive with that grub," he said aloud. "I'm 'most
starving."
He came out puffing away at his pipe as the Cuban came slowly along the
deck, looking suspiciously at Sam, who, however, did not seem to heed
his look, but fixing himself on the bulwark, with his legs under him,
and his arm round one of the shrouds, he half-shut his eyes, and smoked
away as if with real enjoyment, blinking at the shore, and all the while
ripening his plans for the fierce work to be undertaken that night.