Our every-day life on board the Sea-mew had not much in it to talk
about. Of course the ship was badly handled, and there was a deal of
drunkenness aboard, though hardly ever before night. In the daytime
they just did what little making or shortening sail there was, and then
smoked and ate and drank just as they liked. After the first few days,
they had the fat passenger up, and made him cook; and hang me if one day
I didn't see him crying into the soup he was making! But I always kept
at a distance, never speaking to him, only kept watching my chance.
From what the others said, I learned that Mr Bell was only just alive;
while some of them used to talk about his poor sister in a way that made
me set to work more than ever to get my plans right.
I got to think at last, that if I waited much longer, I should never do
anything; so one day, when I had a chance, I pitched a bullet down into
the cabin, wrapped in a piece of paper, and on that piece of paper was
written "To-night!"
"Now, if he's the man I take him for, all them pistols will be loaded,
and the cutlashes ready for action," I says to myself; and leaving that
to Mr Ward for his part, I warned Sam and Bill, and then set to do
mine.
I'd been saving up on purpose; and as soon as it was dark that night,
and just before they set the watch, I put two good big bottles of rum
where I thought they would find them, and then waited to see.
All things turned out just as I could have wished; for going by an hour
after, I could tell from the chatter going on that the three chaps were
at the rum, which they supposed to have been left by mistake by those
who had the watch the night before. Some of the chaps were carousing in
the fore-cuddy, where they could easily be boxed up; and the others were
with Van and Brassey, all card-playing in the skipper's cabin.
It seemed almost a hopeless case, now it was come to the point; but I
felt that making up one's mind was half the battle, and I was up now,
and meant to do or die.
Bill and Sam were on deck, and knew their parts well enough: Bill to
manage the chap at the wheel; Sam to shut up the party in the
fore-cuddy; I meaning to secure the cabin-hatch; and then I thought if
that was done, we should have time to settle and lash the watch, who
ought to be half-drunk, leaving our hands free to keep those quiet who
would be trying to get out of the cabin.
You see my plan was to get Mr Ward up through the hole I made in my
fall, if I could get the fellow away who was stationed there; and now it
was that I trusted to the rum; for before now Van had been content to
have a chap at the cabin door, leaving the watch to make sure the
prisoners did not get on deck.
I was about right; for we three had not been squatting long under the
bulwarks before one of the watch calls out "Harry!" and the sentry
fellow goes to where they were busy with the rum. The next moment I was
at the broken skylight, and whispered down the one word "Tools;" for I
was afraid them playing in the other cabin might hear.
Mr Ward was ready; and the next minute I was under the bulwark again
with the arms the doctor had passed up; and we three had each a pistol
in our belts and a cutlash in our hands before the sentry chap came
back.
The night was not so dark as I could have wished; but it was dark enough
for us, and, as I expected, the sentry couldn't resist the smell of that
rum, and in a very few minutes he was along with the others again, and
did not seem disposed to come back. So now seeming to be my time, I
said the word. Sam crept off one way, Bill the other, with their orders
that there was to be no bloodshed, only as a last resource; then I went
to the skylight, keeping the side nearest to the cabin-hatch, when I
turned cold all over; for I heard Van's cough, and he came up the stairs
as if to look out.
There was nothing else for it: I knew that if he missed the sentry, he
would most likely spoil my plan; so, at the risk of being seen by the
watch, I stood boldly up in the sentry's place, took a step this way and
that way, and then began to whistle softly to myself like.
It was a bold trick, but Van was taken in; he could see some one was on
guard; he could hear the watch; and the face of the man at the wheel was
plain enough by the binnacle-light, so that all seemed well.
"If Bill only makes his attempt now we're undone," I thought. But all
kept still aft, and then I shuddered like for fear Van should speak to
me, but he did not say a word, only turned to go down again, and my
breath came freer, as I felt for the lashings I had got ready for the
prisoners I hoped to make; while I'm afraid if Van had come up to me
then I should have been his death, and then have secured the
cabin-hatch.
As I said before, I breathed freer, and turned my attention to where the
four men were at the rum; but the next moment I was taken all aback
again, for Van came up once more, stood still as if listening, and then
saying to me: "Keep a sharp lookout," he turned once more to go.
"Right," I mumbles out, as if my mouth was full of baccy, and the next
minute I could hear his voice quite plain through the other half of the
skylight.
"Now or never," I says to myself, in dread lest that watchful cur should
spoil my chance; and, going down on hands and knees, I leaned through
the hole.
"With a will! Mr Ward," I says, and grasping my arms, next moment he
was through and lying on the deck aside me, just as we could hear the
scrooping noise of Sam closing the hatch of the fore-cuddy.
"Quick, Mr Butterwell," I says, and Tomtit had hold of my arms, but
just as I expected, he shut up when he was wanted, for there was a
slight scuffle by the wheel as I gave a heave, the watch stopped their
chatter to listen, and as I rose up like to hoist Mr Butterwell out, he
went back into the cabin with a crash, falling against the bulkhead
which separated it from the cabin where Van was, and if I had not darted
to the hatch, he would have been up with the three hell-hounds at his
back. But he was too late; I had the hatch over, and then turned to
help Sam, who, like a brick as he was, had gone at the watch.
I need hardly tell you that Mr Ward was already in the thick of it; and
Bill coming up, having silenced his man with a tap on the head, it was
even odds, four against four; but the fellows fought savagely, and it
was not until the sentry was cut down, and another had a bullet through
him, that the other two were lashed fast neck and heels together.
Now all this time they had been thundering and battering away at both
hatches, but I was in hopes that they would hold fast till our hands
were at liberty, when a crash told us that something had given way, and
running aft, we heard two pistol-shots fired quickly, one after the
other, and could see the flashes and a figure standing by the hatch.
My hand was raised to fire, but I dropped the pistol, for I remembered
that it was empty; and sword in hand, with my blood up, I dashed at
whoever it might be, but only to miss my aim, for he darted aside and
caught my cutlash with his in an instant.
It was cleanly done, that guard; and I shouldn't have thought he had it
in him, for it was no other than Tomtit, who had climbed out well armed,
and sent a couple of shots through the hole Van and his party had
battered through the hatch. He was a friend in need, and a friend in
deed that time, for if he hadn't come up as he had, it would perhaps
have gone precious hard with us.
But there was no time to be lost, for I expected every moment that they
would find their way up on deck from one of the cabin windows; and now,
in place of wishing for darkness, we prayed for light, so as to be able
to see our enemies, and from which side we should next be attacked.
I wanted Mr Ward to take the lead, but he would not--only asked to be
set his work, so I set him at the cabin-hatch; Bill I planted on the
poop, to cut down the first man who should try to climb on deck; Mr
Tomtit over the two bound men of the watch, and the wounded; and Sam
over the hatch of the forksel, for, though we'd got the upper hand,
there was no knowing for how long it would be, and besides, we all knew
well that if once the savages below got us under, there would be no
mercy for us now.
What a night that was, and how long the day seemed coming! I was going
about from place to place to see if I could make out danger anywhere,
when Mr Ward called to me, and made a communication, whose end was
that, with Mr Tomtit's help, we drew the two prisoners to the
cabin-hatch, and left him to guard them and the cabin, while Mr Ward
and I dropped through the skylight quick as thought. But they heard us
through the bulkhead, and directly after we heard a hand on the door,
and the key move, to which I answered with a shot, crashing through the
panel, and whoever it was dropped, while for reply another bullet was
sent back.
Mr Ward had darted to the inner cabin, while I kept guard, and now
appeared with Mr Bell and his sister, she holding him up on one side,
Mr Ward on the other.
"Quick as you can, sir," I whispered, "for there's some devilment 'most
ready;" when mounting the table himself, Mr Ward put a chair ready, and
helped Mr Bell and his sister up beside him. He then drew up the
chair, planted it firmly, and was through the skylight in an instant.
He then asked Miss Bell to mount, but she would not until after her
brother; and with the doctor's help, the poor feeble young fellow was
dragged up. Then I heard a sound as startled me, and running to the
table, I caught Miss Bell in my arms, and dragged her down and to one
side, just before three or four pistol-shots came tearing through the
bulkhead, making the splinters fly in all directions.
"Now, up, quick," I said; and leaping on to the table, I dragged her on,
lifted her in my arms to Mr Ward, and the next minute she was in
safety, when, expecting another firing, I jumped down again, and went on
my hands and knees.
Just as I expected, they fired again; but being dark, their shots did
not tell; and before they could reload, I had jumped upon the table and
climbed out to the rest.
"It's a wonder almost that they did not try to make them safe before," I
said, panting; and then, having made Mr Bell and his sister comfortable
under the bulwarks, we began to take steps for making ourselves a little
surer. For instance, we laid a tarpaulin on the cabin skylight, and a
spare sail over, that, and then again on the sail we coiled all the rope
and cable we could. The cabin and forksel hatches we served in the same
fashion, so that it was quite impossible for any one to get up that way;
while just about daybreak, when a head appeared over the rail close to
the wheel, the chop Bill Smith gave it sent it back again in a moment,
so that there did not seem much to fear at present.
Daylight, and then glorious sunrise--a big word that for a common
sailor, but sailors, as a rule, think a deal of the bright sunshine and
the dancing waters. And a bright morning that was, cheering us up all,
so that with a grin I went up to Mr Ward and axed his pardon for
hitting him; axing too, at the same time, how he found himself after the
stab I put in his pocket. But there, instead of laughing, if he didn't
turn almost like the fat passenger, for his lip went all of a tremble,
and his voice turned husky as he shook me by both hands and says: "God
bless you, Roberts, and forgive me for ever doubting so true a man."
"Don't you be in a hurry, sir, with your thanks. Maybe we ain't
half-done yet. We've divided the ship, and got the deck and a breaker
of water, and there's what rum them four didn't finish; but they've got
the below-decks and all the prog, unless we can find some anywhere else.
We've got the upper hand, but now the question is, can we keep it?"
"No, you can't," shouts one of the fellows lying tied on the deck;
"so--"
He didn't say any more, for Mr Tomtit fetched him a slap on the face
with the flat of his cutlash, and then the fellow lay and muttered most
savagely.
We had a bit of a refresher in the shape of some cold water, with a dash
of rum in it; when Mr Ward said that there were some provisions in
their cabin below, and volunteered to get them if I stood at the
skylight opening with two loaded pistols, to command the door that Van
had kept on the outside.
I did not much like running any more risks than we could help; but food
I knew we should be obliged to have, and if we could get it without
attacking Van and his party, so much the better; for though I knew that
it must come to that, I wanted to put it off as long as I could, and I
was just making ready to go to the skylight with Mr Ward, when there
was a shout from Mr Tomtit, and at the same moment a bullet struck the
bulwark close to where Miss Bell was sitting.
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