I was that shaken and confused by my fall, that for a moment I could not
speak, and when I could say a few words, I did not know who I was
speaking to, expecting that it was Van, till a voice I seemed to know
whispered: "If you attempt to move, I fire."
"I ain't going to move, Mr Ward," I says at last: "it's been too hard
work to get here; but if you'll pynt your pistol up at the skylight,
it'll be better, or some one else will be tumbling down after me. Only
wish Sam Brown would."
"Pitched me down more'n half a hour ago," growled a voice I knew.
"What's come of Bill Smith?" I says.
"Lyin' on the deck with his head split," says Sam, "if they ain't
pitched him overboard."
Then I heard a whispering consultation going on, which seemed to be
about whether I was to be trusted, when Mr Ward seemed to be taking my
part, and then the skipper whispers to me: "If you'll be faithful to us,
Roberts, you shall be well rewarded; but if you play fast and loose,
mind, we are well armed, and there will be no mercy for you."
"Who's playing fast and loose?" I says gruffly as old Sam. "Ain't I
been cut at, and shot at, and then pitched neck and crop through the
cabin skylight! If that's your fast and loose, give me slow and tight
for a game," I says; "but mind you, it's my opinion that there's
something else to do but play, for them beggars mean mischief."
"I'll be answerable for him, Captain Harness," says Mr Ward; and though
all this went on in whispers, there wasn't a face to be seen, every
light having been put out. "You may trust him, he's no spy."
"Spy be hanged," I says. "Who's going to play spy down here, in a place
as is dark as an empty pitch-kettle in a ship's hold! Don't I tell you
I've had to cut and run for my life, and what more do you want?"
"Nothing, my man," says Mr Ward; "only your help as a good and true
British sailor, for here are women and children for us to protect."
"However shall I get to my birds?" some one says from out of the
darkness.
"Birds!" I says: "you won't want no more birds, sir, for it's my
impression as we're going to be kept caged up ourselves now."
Just then I seemed to catch just a faint glimpse of a face from out of
the darkness, then it was gone again, and half a minute after I got
another glimpse, and then another, when it was plain enough that the day
was breaking; and then quickly the pale light stole down through the
skylight, till the anxious faces of all the passengers, with the two
officers and Sam Brown, was plain enough to see; and strange, and
haggard, and queer they looked; but for all that, there was an air of
determination amongst them, that showed they meant mischief; and I soon
gathered from Mr Ward's words that he was spurring the captain on to
try and retake the ship.
"I'm afraid it would only be a sacrifice of life, if I did," said the
skipper.
"It would be a sacrifice of duty, if you did not, sir," says Mr Ward
warmly.
"Perhaps you'd better retake her yourself, sir," says the skipper
sulkily.
"I certainly shall try, sir, if you do not do your duty, to protect
these helpless women. But we have a right to demand your assistance,
and we do; while I have the word of every man present that he will fight
to the last gasp for those who need our protection."
"I cannot fight, but I can load for you," said a voice from behind; and
looking round, as many of us did, there stood Mr Bell, pale as a ghost,
but quite calm, and leaning upon his sister's arm; while, if I could
have seen anything in a woman to admire, I should have said she looked
beautiful just then--being quite pale and calm--like the sea of a still
morning before the sun rises.
"There's something to fight for there," says Sam in my ear.
"Why didn't they all stop at home?" I says. "Just look what a mess
they've got themselves in through being aboard ship, which is the last
place as they should be in."
What Mr Ward had said seemed to have warmed the captain up; for sooner
than see another take his place, he set to, and began to hunt out what
arms he could find, after placing Mr Ward to guard the broken skylight,
which he did with a revolver and a thin skewer of a thing out of a
walking-stick, and it put me in mind of what I have read about some one
being put in the fore-front of the battle; but the young man never said
a word; and then, after a bit of a rummage, the captain came back to
serve out what arms he could get told of, but that wasn't many, for the
enemy had pretty well emptied the locker where they were kept. A
precious poor lot there was left for us to defend ourselves and a whole
tribe of women and children; my share being an empty pistol, which
didn't seem to be so much use as a fellow's fist, that being a handy
sort of weapon in a tussle.
Everything was done quiet as could be, so as not to let them on deck
know what we were doing; but as soon as the arming part was finished,
and I looked round, I could see that the game was up, for two more
pistols, two cutlashes, and a couple of guns--sporting-guns, that two of
the passengers had used to shoot sea-birds with--was all we could
muster.
As is always the case when it's wanted, neither of these passengers had
any more powder; and when Mr Ward's little pistol-flask had been passed
round once, there was not another charge left; but the captain had gone
to get more, and we were expecting him back, piling up hammocks and
bedding the while, to keep the mutineers off, and to have something to
fight from behind. I was doing all I could, after shoving a good charge
of powder and a whole handful of small-shot into my pistol, when Mr
Ward beckons to me and whispers: "Go and see why he don't come back;
it's time to be on the alert, for they are moving on deck."
I stepped lightly off--my feet being bare, making no noise on the
planks--when coming upon the captain quickly, I saw him just putting
down a water-can, and he turned round to me, looking pale as a sheet, as
he says: "It's no use, my lad; resistance would be vain, for they've
contrived to wet what powder we had. Look at it."
He pointed to the little keg and a small case of cartridges, and sure
enough they were all dripping wet, while it seemed rather surprising
that the wetting looked so fresh. But I did not say so, only that Mr
Ward hoped he'd make haste.
"Curse Mr Ward!" he muttered; and then he went on first, and I followed
with my cheeks blown out, as if I was going to whistle, but I didn't
make a sound for all that.
"I fear that we must give up, Mr Ward," says the skipper, "for the
powder is all wet."
There was a regular groan of dismay at the news, and one woman gave a
sort of sob, else they were still as mice, and the children too behaving
wonderful.
"Who talks of giving up?" says Mr Bell, his pale face flushing up as he
spoke, and him holding one hand to his side. "Do you call yourselves
men to hint at such a thing? I am no man now, only a broken, wasted
shadow of a man, or, by the God who made me, Captain Harness, I'd strike
you down! Look at these women, men! think of their fate if those
scoundrels get the upper hand--completely--Mr Ward--you--as a
gentleman--my sister--God help--"
The poor young fellow staggered, and would have fallen, for the blood
was trickling down upon his shirt-front--gushing from his lips; but Mr
Ward saved him, springing forward as a cry burst from Miss Bell; and he
was laid upon a mattress in one of the cabins fainting--dying, it seemed
to me.
Then there was a murmur among the passengers, of such a nature that
Captain Harness found he must make some show of a fight, or it would be
done without him; and accordingly he took hold of a very blunt cutlash,
looking precious pale, but making-believe to tuck up the wristband of
his shirt, to have free play for killing six or seven of the mutineers.
As for the passengers, all mustered, there was about eighteen of them;
and had they been well armed, numbers being about equal, I don't think
we should have had much the worst of it; but ever so many of them had no
arms at all, and I began to turn over in my mind what was to be done. I
had a pretty good jack-knife; and not having much faith in the pistol, I
was about to trust to the bit of steel, same as Sam Brown, who had one
with a spring-back and a good seven-inch blade, so I says to Tomtit:
"P'r'aps you'd like the pistol, sir;" and he took it quietly and
earnestly, tapping the back, to make sure the powder was up the nipple,
and I thought to myself, that's in the right hands, anyhow.
"Are you ready?" says the skipper; for they were evidently collecting up
above, and some one fired a pistol down the skylight, but none of us was
hit.
"Not quite, sir," I says. "Steward, suppose you hand out some of them
knives o' yours; and I'll trouble you for the big beef-carver, as I
spoke first."
Mr Ward turned round and smiled at me; and I gave him a nod, turned up
my sleeve too, and then laid hold of the big carver, which did not make
such a bad weapon, being new, sharp-pointed, and stiff; while my idea
had put a knife into a dozen hands that before had nothing to show.
"Pile more mattresses and hammocks up," said Mr Ward; for it was plain
that neither the skipper nor Mr Wallace meant to do much towards what
was going to take place; and then I saw the doctor give one look towards
where Mr Bell was lying, and run across, as if to see how he was; but
he hurriedly caught hold of Miss Bell's hand, and I could see that he
spoke, while, as she drew her hand hastily away, she gave a strange
frightened sort of look at him. Next moment he was back at my side,
just as the cabin-hatch was flung open, and the shuffling of feet told
that the mutineers meant to make their rush.
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