Meanwhile, to Hester's horror, she found that they were to be prisoners
in Laure's cabin, and that the drunken scoundrel who shared it with him
kept coming down blinking and leering at them, making their very blood
run cold.
His offensive manner was, however, for the time stopped by the Cuban,
who came down, and pointing to the inner cabin bade them go in there.
Their only course was to obey, and the two trembling women crouched
together, dreading the coming night, and yet hoping that some successful
effort would be made for their release.
"Let us hope and pray, Bessy," said Hester, trying to be cheerful, in
spite of her misery. "Dear old Rasp's words were not uttered without
meaning."
"But is he to be trusted?" sobbed Bessy; "he was with our enemies."
"Trusted? yes," cried Hester; "his behaviour must have been to deceive
the wretches, and he and old Oakum are working for our release."
"If I could only be as hopeful as you are, Hester."
"I _am_ full of hope now," cried Hester. "I can wait, and feel strong
and full of energy, with my husband's trust. Time back I could have
died in my misery."
As the hours passed on, they could hear the Cuban and his companion
talking in the next cabin, and the clink of glasses told that they were
drinking.
All on deck was very still. They had heard the sounds of preparation
till nightfall, and then everything became very quiet; and, clinging
together, the two women sat with every sense on the strain, listening
for the danger they knew to be at hand, while they hoped for the rescue
that might come.
It grew rapidly dark, and their cabin was only lit by the gleams that
came beneath and through a few ventilation holes in the door, a glance
through which, once timidly taken, showed the Cuban drinking heavily
with his companion, who grew more stupid and riotous, while the only
effect upon Laure was to make his eyes glow as he sat glancing from time
to time at the door.
Every now and then, too, some allusion to the prisoners made the women's
hearts palpitate with horror, and more than once Hester glanced at the
little window as if through that she must seek for the help that was so
long in coming, for that she knew would be protection from the outrage
she dreaded for them both.
Neither spoke now of their fear, but clung the closer as they listened,
till suddenly they heard Laure rise and go on deck, when their breathing
became more even, and they sighed with relief.
But hardly had the Cuban's foot left the steps, when his companion
raised his head from the table where he had been simulating sleep, and
glancing round for a moment he rose and came to the inner cabin door,
opened it, and thrust in his head.
"Come here, my birdie," he said thickly. "One of you has got to be my
wife, and let's see, you're the captain's," he continued with a hoarse
laugh, as he thrust Hester aside and caught Bessy in his arms, holding
her tightly in spite of her struggles, till she uttered a long and
piercing shriek.
The next moment there was a rapid step on the stairs and the Cuban
rushed savagely into the cabin, sword in hand.
He made for the ruffian who held Bessy, but as soon as he realised whom
the scoundrel had, he uttered a hoarse laugh, and, as if incited by his
companion's example, he threw the sword upon the table, and caught
Hester in his arms.
For a few moments she struggled hard, but her strength failed; and as
she felt how powerless she was becoming, she tried to shriek, but, as if
prepared for this, Laure, laughing, placed one hand upon her lips, while
the other clasped her to him so tightly that she could not move.
Just then, however, Bessy, who had been struggling long and bravely with
her assailant, uttered a series of piercing screams, freed herself from
his grasp, and, half-mad with fear and horror, threw her arm round
Hester.
"Curse you, you noisy jade," cried the Cuban, furiously; and he struck
her brutally across the mouth with the back of his hand as he released
Hester, who sank shivering on the cabin floor.
"Here, come away, now," cried the Cuban, sharply; and, thrusting his
companion before him, he hurried out and secured the door, leaving the
two prisoners sobbing in each other's arms, while the light through the
holes in the door streamed in long rays above their heads.
Hester was the first to recover herself, and she rose and tried to
comfort her stricken companion, than whom now she seemed to be far the
stronger in spirit.
"Help must come soon, Bessy," she whispered. "They will have heard our
screams."
"It would be better to die," sobbed Bessy. "There is no hope--no hope
whatever."
"What!" cried Hester. "No hope? And with my brave, true husband on
board? I tell you help will come, and soon."
"When it is too late," sobbed Bessy. "Those wretches will soon be
back."
"Hush, listen," whispered Hester; and she stole to the door to peep
through one of the holes, and see the drunken ruffian sitting there with
his head down upon the table, apparently asleep.
The Cuban had evidently gone on deck, and, nerved now to take some
desperate course, Hester stole back to where Bessy crouched.
"Get up--quickly," she whispered. "We must escape from the place now."
"But where, where, unless overboard?" wailed Bessy.
"To the deck--to the other cabin. They will fight for us. Dutch will
save us from another such outrage as this."
Bessy rose up directly, endeavoured to be firm, but she tottered, and
had to cling to the slighter woman.
They stood by the door while Hester tried it, but their hearts sank as
they found that they were more of prisoners than they imagined, for the
door was fastened on the outside, while to make their position more
painful there were no means of securing it from within.
All seemed very still; so still, in fact, that they could hear plainly
the heavy breathing of the ruffian who was sleeping there alone; and as
they stood trembling and listening it seemed as if a light step was
coming down the cabin stairs.
It came so cautiously and stealthily that they did not dare to move lest
they should not hear it. For a moment Hester was tempted to change her
position, and gaze through the door, but a slight clicking noise
arrested her, and she remained listening and hopefully considering
whether this could be some of the promised help.
All was silent again for a time, and then there was another strange
click, and something fell upon the floor, as if a sword had been knocked
down.
This was followed by a sharp rustling noise, and the sleeping ruffian
rose up, growled loudly, pushed the lamp on one side, so that it creaked
over the table, and then seemed to lay his head down again, and began to
breathe heavily.
A minute or two that seemed an hour passed away, and still the two women
listened, feeling certain that help was coming, especially as the
rustling noise once more commenced; and then, as they waited longingly
for the unfastening of their prison door, they plainly heard the Cuban's
step on the deck, and directly after he began to descend.
Their hearts sank as they heard him coming, and they shrank away from
the door, when, to their surprise, just as they were about to attribute
the sounds they had heard to fancy, there was a flash as if the lamp had
been raised from the table, a heavy blow, a crash as of breaking glass,
and a tremendous struggle ensued in what was evidently total darkness,
for the lamp had been overturned, and not a gleam shone through the
door.
Oaths and curses mingled with the struggling noises which fell upon the
trembling women's ears as the two men engaged, crashed against the
bulkheads, and once came so violently against the door of communication
that they threatened to break it in.
This lasted for about five minutes, when the Cuban's voice was heard
shouting for lights.
The noise of the struggle had now ceased, and Hester found courage
enough to look through the door, as a gleam of light shone through; and
she saw three sailors entering the cabin with a lantern, which cast its
light upon the bruised and bleeding face of the Cuban, who was kneeling
on the chest of the ruffian who had been sleeping in the cabin.
"The drunken fool flew at me as I came in," exclaimed Laure, savagely.
"I didn't," growled the fellow. "You hit me on the head with the lamp."
"You knocked it over in your drunken sleep," shouted Laure. "Here, get
up: you shall stay here no longer. Go and sleep on deck."
The man rose in a heavy, stupid way, and, muttering to himself, left the
cabin and went on deck, while, under the Cuban's orders, the men who had
come down fetched another lamp, and cleared away all the traces of the
struggle.
It was now evidently long past midnight, and as soon as Laure was left
alone, Hester and her companion began to tremble once more for their
fate.
The Cuban was evidently restless and uneasy, for he kept getting up and
walking to the stairs and listening, as if in doubt; but as an hour
glided by, and all seemed perfectly still, he remained longer in his
seat, and at last, as Hester watched him, she saw his glance turned
towards the inner cabin, and to her horror he rose and, with a peculiar
smile upon his face, came and laid his hand upon the lock of the door.