soon had it off, and before long the two sailors were holding it
crosswise over the saloon sky-light, while Mr Gregory rapidly secured
it in its place with screws.
Another and another was fitted up in a similar way, and all so silently
that very little was heard beyond the heavy breathing of the first-mate
as he drove the screws home.
"There, major!" he whispered; "those doors are not very strong, but
wherever they drive through a hole we can put a gun to that place as
easily as they can."
"And better, too," said the major. "Now, then, as soon as you get a
couple more cabin-doors off, we'll move away these boxes and things the
captain has clapped here, and you shall screw up your barricade."
"I'll soon be ready," said the mate; and he kept his word; while, as
soon as he had let his two men lift out the second door, the major
brought up the reserve, as he called it, the chests piled against the
door by the captain, Mrs Strong, and the major's wife, were lifted
over, and in an incredibly short time the opening, with the door bolted,
was covered breast-high with the other doors, which were securely
fastened, and the chests were once more piled up in their places.
Meanwhile, in spite of his injury, the captain had been busily engaged
placing the weapons in order in his own cabin, off the saloon--the door
not being required; and this he carried out by the help of a lamp, Mark
eagerly obeying his slightest wishes, with the result that at last there
was an ample supply of charged weapons ready, with ammunition so placed
as to be at hand.
"If it comes to fighting, my boy--which Heaven forbid!" said the
captain--"you will take your place here, and as rapidly as you can you
will recharge the pieces brought back to you. Now, try that revolver."
Mark caught up the weapon.
"Unload it."
He was sufficiently versed to understand the process, and rapidly drove
out each cartridge.
"Now reload," said the captain.
Mark's fingers were just as active in replacing the cartridges; and this
done, the guns were tried in the same way.
"I don't see what more we can do," said the captain. "So lie down and
have a sleep, my boy. I'll keep watch. To-morrow may be a very weary
day for us all."
"Don't ask me, father," said the boy in tones of remonstrance. "I feel
as if I couldn't sleep to-night. Let me go and talk to mother."
"They may be asleep," said the captain. "No; it is not likely. Yes; go
if you like."
Mark went softly to the cabin-door and tapped.
The door was opened softly by Mrs Strong, who held up her hand and then
pointed to where Mary O'Halloran lay fast asleep, while her mother was
seated by the berth, her head fallen sidewise and resting against her
child. Soldier's wife and daughter, they were so inured to peril and
anxiety that these did not hinder them from taking necessary rest, and
being ready for the troubles of the day to come.
There was a tender embrace, a kiss, and Mark stole away once more to
return to his father, whom he found seated on a locker faint and
exhausted from his injury.
"It's a hard fight, Mark," he whispered hoarsely; "and I feel as weak as
man can feel. Don't let me go to sleep."
"Why not, father? I'll watch and call you if there is anything wrong."
"No, my boy," said the captain sadly. "I could not sleep, I believe,
after all, even if I tried. It was a momentary weakness."
"The captain awake?" said a deep harsh voice.
"Yes, Gregory, I'm awake," was the reply.
"Well, sir, I think we've done all we can. The lads are asleep; so is
Morgan. The major is on guard, and the men understand what to do if
they are roused. Now, sir, why don't you turn in?"
"No, Gregory; I'll keep watch too."
"Well, sir, we mustn't waste strength. If you and the major are going
to watch I'll turn in, for I'm dead beat. Hullo! what's that?"
There was a low whining sigh, and a faint bark answered the first-mate's
question.
"Oh, it's that dog again, eh? Well, sir, shall I turn in?"
"Yes, Gregory. We'll rouse you if there's anything wrong."
"All right!" said the mate; "but it's my opinion that we shall have no
fighting at present. They'll wait for wind and get us ashore in some
creek hidden among the mangroves, and there plunder the ship."
The mate went out, whispered a few words to the major, and then turned
in--a process which consisted in lying down on the cabin-floor, with a
revolver in his hand; while to the major, who was seated on a chest by
the barricaded door, with an unlighted cigar in his lips, it seemed as
if Gregory sighed softly and was then fast asleep.
Mark got up once or twice and went into the saloon, where all was still.
Then he walked to the window and looked out, to find that not a breath
of air had arisen, and that the mist was gathering more thickly over the
sea.
Going back to where his father was seated he too sat down; and then it
seemed to him that a dull oval sun rose out of the sea--a sun so dull
that its flattened oval shape suggested that it must have been squeezed
so as to get nearly all the light out of it. And there that sun stared
at him blankly, as if wondering to see him there; while he was as much
surprised to see the sun--and more surprised as his brain cleared and he
realised that he had been asleep and was staring at the plate-glass
cabin-window, and that it was broad day!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
HOW MEN FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Mark started up in terror as he saw his father's face, pale, haggard,
and smeared with blood; but as soon as he encountered his son's eye he
smiled pleasantly.
"Have I been asleep, father?"
"Capitally, my boy," said the captain kindly. "A good four hours, I
should say."
"And you've been watching?"
"No--only resting and thinking, my boy. I'm better now. Go out and see
how things are."
Mark stepped softly into the saloon, which was now full of light from
the stern windows, and a dull sense of horror and misery came over him
as he noted the desolate aspect of the place, with the screwed-up doors,
the barricade, the look of the men asleep, and above all the pallid
aspect of Mr Morgan, who seemed to have grown old since the previous
day, so seriously had his wound affected him.
This was all seen at a glance; and he was going toward the door when he
stopped short, startled, for there stood the major with a double gun at
his shoulder taking so straight an aim at him that Mark seemed to see
nothing of the gun but the muzzle, looking like a pair of spectacles
without glasses, and through which frames he was trying to peer.
Not a pleasant prospect for him if he could have looked, for it would
have been right down the barrels at the wads of a couple of cartridges;
but as he stared the piece was lowered and the major said in a low
voice:
"I could have brought you down like a bird. Why, you looked just like a
Malay. Mark, what have you been doing, sir? rubbing your powdery hands
all over your face?"
"I suppose so, major. What time is it?"
"Time the ship was cleared, my lad, but I suppose we must wait. Let me
see," he continued, referring to his watch. "I didn't like to look
before; it makes a man impatient for his breakfast, I'm seven o'clock.
That's three bells, isn't it?"
"I think so," said Mark.
"Think, and you the son of a captain in the merchant service! Why, I
should have thought you would have been born a sailor."
"Have you heard the Malays, sir?"
"Heard them! Yes, my lad, going about the ship with their bare feet on
the planks; but they haven't tried the door. There, rouse up the men
while I wake Gregory."
He touched the first-mate, who sprang up, revolver in hand, wide-awake,
and ready for instant action.
He glanced sharply round, realised that all was right, and stuck the
revolver in his belt.
"How's the skipper?" he asked.
"My father seems worn out and ill," said Mark sadly.
"Make him lie down," muttered the mate; and he strode across to the
captain's cabin, but came back shaking his head, and went to the
cabin-window, where he leaned out and was trying to see whether the boat
was all right when a faint noise overhead made him instinctively draw in
his head.
It was a narrow escape, for as the mate drew back there was a dark line
seen to dart across the cabin-window and return.
"Well, I'm not a spiteful man," said the mate, rubbing his ear, "but I
should certainly like to give that fellow a pill that would lay him up
for six months. Now, what pleasure would it have afforded him, Mark, my
lad, if he had run that spear through my neck?"
"It's his nature, sir," said the major shortly. "Those fellows value a
life at about a rupee, and sometimes not at that."
The men had risen, stretched, and were looking round in a discontented
way; but they began to beam shortly after when a fair supply of biscuits
and sardines from the captain's private supply was handed round, and
followed by some bottled beer, the opening of which seemed to cause a
commotion on deck, and an excited talking as if the Malays thought some
kind of weapon was being fired.
The breakfast worked wonders in the gaunt, untidy-looking throng, and
when the captain said a few words to them asking their help, and that
they would stand by him to the last, there was a hearty cheer, one which
caused a rush of feet upon the deck, and then a hurried buzzing sound
was heard as if the Malays were gathering for an attack.
In view of this the men were placed well armed by the barricaded door,
and the major stood ready at their side, while Small was stationed
beneath the sky-light armed with a gun, and with orders to fire through
the first hole driven down in the panels of the door Mr Gregory had
placed for protection.
"So far so good," said the captain cheerily, and the excitement seemed
to remove the haggard look in his pale face. "But look here, gentlemen,
we must leave a way open for retreat."
"Of course," said the major, "never lose touch of that."
"My plan is to defend the ship to the last, and then take to the boat--
that is, if the case has become hopeless. So, Gregory, sooner or later
they will find out that the boat is here, and try to cut it adrift. You
will go to the cabin-window which commands the boat's painter, and shoot
down whoever tries to cut it."
Gregory nodded, took a gun and some cartridges, and walked to one of the
cabin-windows, then to another, and changed again.
He had hardly reached the last and looked out when there was a shot, a
yell, and a second shot.
The captain rushed to his officer's side.
"What is it?" he cried.
"Only just in time," said the mate, coolly reloading. "One of the
scoundrels had swum round, was in the boat, and cutting her away."
"Did you--"
The captain paused and looked inquiringly in the mate's eyes.
"We're fighting for our lives and the lives of these ladies, Captain
Strong," said Gregory. "Suppose we do our duty and ask no questions
afterwards. The Malay did not cut the painter."
Captain Strong nodded and returned to where the men stood by the
barricaded door, to answer the major's inquiring look with a few words
as to matters being all right, and then they waited, with the ladies
pale and anxious, in one of the cabins, and Mark standing ready to
supply ammunition when it should be required.
They had not long to wait for an attack. The discovery that the man who
had tried to get the boat had been shot was met with a loud burst of
angry yells, and this was followed by a fresh attempt, as was shown to
the defenders of the door by another shot from the mate.
There was another burst of yelling, and at intervals three more shots
were fired by Mr Gregory.
"Why, he's getting all the fun, Strong!" said the major. "They might
come this way; but the mischief is that we've left no holes to fire
from. Never mind; if we had they would have been able to see in."
Mark about this time walked to where Mr Gregory was leaning against the
bulkhead with the muzzle of his gun bearing upon the spot a man must
reach to cut the painter.
"Want any more cartridges, Mr Gregory?" said Mark.
For answer the mate bent down, glanced along the barrel of his gun and
fired.
Mark darted forward and caught sight of a hideously-distorted face and a
pair of raised hands before they disappeared beneath the surface, and
just at that moment he darted back, barely in time to avoid a spear
which stuck quivering in the woodwork round the window.
"Not a very safe place. Squire Mark," said the mate, reloading without
taking his eyes from the boat, and firing again as a dark head literally
flashed into sight, one of the Malays having dived and so arranged his
plunge that he should form a curve in the water and rise close to the
boat's stern.
"I wish they would get tired of this," said Gregory, again reloading,
and speaking through his teeth. "If they put no value on human life I
do."
The ill success of the venture to cut the boat adrift seemed to have
maddened the Malays, for after a burst of angry talking there was a loud
yell, a pattering of naked feet on the deck, and the next minute a
furious attack was being made upon the cabin entrance, blows were
delivered with axes, and it soon became evident that a way would be made
through.
"Ah! what are you going to do?" roared the major, as he saw a man about
to fire. "Don't waste your shot, man. Stand back till you can see the
whites of your enemy's eyes, and then let him have it."
There was a thrill running through the men, and click, click, of lock
after lock.
"That's it," said the major, "cool as cucumbers. Bravo, lads! What
soldiers I could make of all of you! Now, look here, I'll give the
order to fire, but what you have to do is this: wait till these black
murdering scoundrels make a hole in the defence, and then you fill it up
with the mouth of your pieces, and look sharp, before they thrust
through a spear."
The men uttered a low growl, and the captain now stood by the major,
while Morgan after a smile at Mark seated himself upon the cabin table
to watch for an attack from the sky-light, toward which he held a loaded
revolver.
A sharp report from Mr Gregory's gun was followed by another yell,
telling painfully enough that the Malays had been deceived in imagining
that the whole of the little force would be defending the door, and that
now was the time to cut the boat adrift.
The yell from the water was followed by a fierce one on deck, and the
chopping and splintering of wood. The door was stoutly built, but those
behind were very slight, and it was not long before the panels began to
show gaps of splinters and jagged holes through which spears were thrust
so suddenly that the men fell back, and the blows were redoubled.
"Ah! they are nasty weapons, my lads," said the major coolly. "Serve
them this way."
As he spoke he watched his opportunity, waiting till a spear was darted
in for some distance, when, catching it in his left hand, he pressed it
aside, readied forward, and discharged his revolver right through the
hole by which the spear had come.
The proof of the efficacy of this shot was shown by the major drawing in
the spear and throwing it upon the deck, while his example was followed
more or less by the men, who now sent shot after shot through the
various holes made in the door.
"Don't waste your fire, lads; don't waste your fire," cried the major;
and his words were not without effect, as the slow delivery of shots,
and the yells of pain and rage which followed many of the discharges,
told.
No more attempts were made to cut away the boat, and Mr Gregory's piece
became silent; but it soon grew evident that a fresh attack was to be
made upon them, for the crashing and shivering of glass was heard in the
sky-lights, and directly after, heavy blows from an axe. This was soon
followed by the appearance of an opening through which a spear-head
gleamed as the weapon was darted down so adroitly that it passed through
the fold of the boatswain's trousers, and pinned him to the table on one
side of which he too leant.
The answer to this was a shot from Morgan's revolver, and another from
the gun the boatswain held, after which he proceeded leisurely to
wriggle out the spear and draw it away.
Then more blows were heard, and a fresh hole was made in the sky-light
defence, but the spear thrust down more than met its match, and after a
shot or two no more blows were delivered there.
By this time the Malays had grown less daring, and though a man or two
rushed forward now and then to dart a spear at them, there was a
cessation of the work of destroying with axes, and the sailors were able
to keep command of the holes, and send a well-directed shot through from
time to time.
But the encounter, badly as it had gone with the Malays, had had its
effects among the defenders of the place. The major had an ugly gash in
his left arm delivered by a knife-bladed spear. Billy Widgeon's ear was
cut through, and he had a slight prick in his right arm, while one of
the other men had a spear stab in the left leg.
The withdrawal of the Malays from the attack enabled the injured to go
into hospital as the major termed it, and each wound was carefully
bandaged by the major's wife or by Mrs Strong.
"They're about beaten, I should say," said the major, cheerily. "By the
way, Strong, a little bleeding is very refreshing. I feel like a new
man."
"So do I," said the captain grimly.
"Here, quick, look out!" cried Mark at that instant, for, wincing from
seeing the dressing of his father's wound, he had unscrewed one of the
little side-lights and was looking over the calm sunlit sea, when he
caught sight of a prau gliding along from the _Petrel's_ bows, and it
was evident that she was coming to attack simultaneously from the stern.
"Hah! that's it, is it!" said the major. "Hitting back and front too!
Confound that fellow! how badly he steers the boat!"
As he said these words he clapped his gun to his shoulder and fired.
The steersman fell, but it had no permanent effect, save to draw a
little shower of spears at the window opening, one of which passed
through and stuck quivering in the bulkhead. Then another man took the
steerer's place, and the prau glided by evidently to take her station
astern.
"We shall lose the boat, major," said the captain bitterly.
"Shall we!" replied the major. "Just take my place, sir, by the door.
I'm going to use my little hunting rifle now alongside of Gregory; and
if a man does reach that boat I'm going to know the reason why. I'm not
much given to boasting, but I can shoot straight."
He had already proved it to some purpose, and without a word the captain
took his place by the barricade, while the major went into his own cabin
and returned with a little double rifle and a pouch of ammunition.
"I did not want to use this," he said; "but things are growing serious."
The prau had by this time been rowed to its station, and from the stir
on deck it was now evident that the brass swivel-gun was being loaded
and preparations made to send a volley of missiles tearing through the
stern windows.
"That will be awkward, Gregory," said the major.
"Do a lot of damage, sir," said the mate coolly. "They are so low down
in the water that they can't send a shot along our floor. The charge
will go right up and through the deck."
"Well, at any rate I think I'll try and stop them."
"By all means," said the mate, and he watched keenly as the major knelt
down, resting his rifle on the sill and taking aim, but waiting.
All at once there was a puff of smoke, a sharp crack, and at the same
moment a deafening report from the prau, but the charge of missiles went
hurtling and screaming up through the mizen rigging and away over the
ship to sea.
The major's shot was more successful, for a man fell.
"He was a little too quick for me," said the major, reloading and
waiting for another chance. "Nasty work this!" he added; "but I suppose
it's necessary."
"Necessary, sir!" cried Gregory angrily; "think of those poor women in
the cabin."
There was a sharp crack from the major's rifle, and another man fell.
"That's the left barrel!" said the major, reloading. "Yes, my dear sir,
I am thinking about those poor women in the cabin. Ah, would you!"
He drew trigger again, and another man who had been about to fire the
lelah sprang up and dropped the match.
There was a yell, and a fresh man picked up the piece of burning match
from the deck, shouted, and giving the fire a wave in the air, he was in
the act of bringing it down upon the touch-hole, when the major, who had
not stirred to reload, drew trigger once again, the rifle cracked, and
the Malay dropped upon his face.
There was a fierce yell at this, and in the midst of tremendous
confusion on board, the prau continued her course, the sweeps being
worked rapidly by the crew, who were evidently in frantic haste to get
out of the deadly line of fire.
"Ah!" said the major, coolly reloading, "now I could pick off the
steersman, or that chap with the red handkerchief; but it would do no
real good. We've scared them off, and that's good work."
"Splendid, major. Why, that rifle is a little treasure."
"Well, yes," said the major, patting it; "but it was meant for tiger and
leopard, Gregory, not to kill men."
"You may make yourself easy," said the first-mate quietly; "these are
savage beasts more than men. It is life for life."
"Ah! that's comforting, Gregory, and I take it as kindly of you, for I'm
not fond of this sort of work, though I say I am. Well, let's see how
they are getting on yonder."
He went out of the cabin, leaving the first-mate to resume his watch
over the boat, for during the time this episode of rifle practice was in
progress another furious attack had been made upon the barricaded door.
Spears had been thrust and darted through, blows struck through cracks
and holes with krises and the deadly sword-like parang, and in spite of
the fierce and slowly-sustained fire kept up, the defences were rapidly
becoming more dilapidated, and several fresh wounds had been received.
But the determination of the men had not failed for a moment, while just
at the worst time a change was made for the better by the fresh force
put into the defence by Small and Mr Morgan.
The attack through the sky-lights had not been renewed, and, weary with
sitting and watching through the films of blue smoke which filled the
cabin their captain and the men so sorely pressed, these two suddenly
dashed into the fray, each going to a hole and firing rapidly.
This checked the Malays for the time, but they came on again, and when
the major joined in with a couple of shots from his little rifle the
fight was still furiously raging.
Suddenly, however, just as the barriers were giving way, and every
opening seemed to bristle with spears, there was a terrible shout, and
the attack ceased.
"Failure of the rear movement, cease firing ordered from the front,"
said the major quietly. "Now we shall have time to repair damages."
"Ah, major," cried the captain, "if I could only be as cool as you!" and
he wrung his hand.
"My dear Strong, you are a regular lion," replied the major. "You were
getting hard pressed there."
"And you were as calm as if nothing were the matter."
"Way to win, my dear sir: way to win; but I say, between ourselves,
things were looking ugly just then."
"I believe you saved us--you," said Morgan.
"Humph!" replied the major. "It's my belief, sir, that if those
scoundrels had not let themselves be damped by the failure of the plan,
and had kept on, we should have been all prisoners by now. Or--"
"I understand you," said the captain gravely. "Well, we must still
hope."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
HOW THE MAJOR GAVE HIS ADVICE.
As the major and Captain Strong hurried into the ladies' cabin on the
cessation of the fighting it was to find them all ready, even to Mary,
with bandages and pieces of linen to staunch the blood and help the poor
fellows who had been wounded in their service; while as soon as Mark
found that his services were no longer required as distributor of
ammunition, he got together refreshments, and without being told handed
them round to the wearied and bleeding sailors.
The food and the kindly words of sympathy they received seemed to put
heart into the men, who had been ready to give up as soon as the rage
and excitement of the fighting was over, but now they strung themselves
up and patted their bandages, as if proud of having received them in the
ladies' defence; though as the men grew more cheery the captain grew
more serious.
"We shall have hard work to get through this afternoon," he said to the
major, who lit a cigar and smoked as coolly as if there were no pirates
for a hundred miles.
"No, you will not," was the blunt reply.
"Why, the savage wretches are swarming upon the decks," said the
captain.
"Yes; but this afternoon is already gone. We shall have darkness soon."