That trap took just as I expected. Brassey leaped up like a wounded
tiger; and, cutlash in hand, Van bounded down the stairs, when the two
men were locked in a sharp tussle in an instant, leaving the way clear
for me to slip up, gain the mizzen shrouds, and make my way up into the
top, where I laid my treasures; went hand over hand by the stay, and got
down to the deck again in the dark by the main shrouds, without being
seen, and joined the party that was being collected by the noise and
shouting in the cabin.
"Curse you! bring a lantern. Help here, or he'll end me!" roared Van in
a smothered voice; but not a man dared go down till I offered; and,
making-believe to be afraid to venture without a cutlash, one of the
chaps handed me one; and with the lantern in my other hand, I went
cautiously down, chuckling to myself to find that Van and Brassey had
been mauling one another awfully; and if it had not been for my coming,
there'd no doubt have been an end of one of the scoundrels; for, woke up
wild and savage from a drunken sleep, Brassey had attacked Van fiercely,
and when I got to them, had him down and half-throttled.
There wasn't a man that didn't grin as Van cursed and raged at Brassey
for a drunken fool, starting up and knocking the lamp over; while
Brassey swore that Van struck him first, showing his bleeding head as a
witness; but after such an up-and-down fight as they had had in the
dark, no one took much notice of what he said, every one, themselves
included, taking it for a false alarm; and we all separated, leaving Van
and Brassey sore and savage as could be.
Knowing how frightened some of the prisoners would be, I says out loud
to one of the chaps as we passed the broken panes:
"Don't s'pose the captain thought there was so much muscle in old
Brass."
"Hold your tongue," says the other; "he'll hear you."
And then we both laughed and walked forward, me wishing the while that
those below could have known of my luck, but satisfied that they would
feel that there was nothing particular the matter.
Feeling pretty sure that Van would not be on deck again that night, I
waited about three hours all in a tremble, as I lay in my hammock, for
fear I should go to sleep, and forget to fetch the weapons; and even
then, spite of all my pains, lying there and trying to keep awake, if I
did not drop off, and dream that they were missed from the cabin, and
that Van was going to shoot Mr Ward for stealing them. Then I awoke
with a start; and it seemed to me that I had been asleep for hours and
hours; and I slipped out of my hammock to find, from the men talking on
deck, that I couldn't have been more than five minutes. So I crept down
again and into my hammock; and once more I dropped off, do all I would
to stop it; and this time I dreamed that the wind had changed, and all
hands had been piped to shorten sail, when they came across the arms in
the top. Then I awoke again with a start, to find that I could hear the
buzzing of voices still upon the deck. But I wouldn't risk it any more,
though I feel sure I shouldn't have slept above half an hour at a
stretch; and sitting down by my hammock-head, I took a bit of baccy, and
sat listening to old Sam snoring, till it seemed as if it would never
grow late enough to go. At last, I felt that if I meant to act, it must
be at once, or there would perhaps be a change in the watch, and I might
lose my chance; so I crept up on deck, taking with me a handful of
lashing; and as soon as I felt the breeze, I knew that I was not a
minute too soon; for with a good mate or captain, orders would have been
given directly to shorten sail.
The watch were well forward, and, as usual, the one at the wheel was
half asleep, or, being now much lighter, he must have seen me going up
or coming down from the mizzen-top where I had left the arms; but no; I
got them safe down; and then, crawling like a cat along the deck, I
threaded the lanyard I had through the trigger-guards of the pistols,
and lowered them one at a time, all six, and was just drawing the
lanyard back after loosing one end, when I felt a warm hand from below
grasp mine, and on drawing it away I was able to pass the cartridge and
six cutlashes down one after the other, to have them taken from my hand.
I'd hardly done before I heard a step on the deck behind me, and,
dropping flat down, I gave a half-roll over, so that I lay close under
the combing, but not daring to move, for it was the watch coming to the
man at the wheel.
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