The mystery, however, was soon solved.
Hardly had the strange disappearance of the crew from below been
discovered, than the whole of the missing men, with Mr Adams at their
head and Kate Meldrum bringing up the rear, rushed up the companion-
ladder on to the poop with a loud "hurrah," as if with the intention of
taking part in the contest with the band of mutineers:-- their
mortification may be imagined when they found that, as the first mate
expressed it in his happy Irish way, "they were jist in toime to be too
late, sure!"
But, had the mutineers not so rapidly abandoned the ship, the arrival of
his rescue party on the scene of action would no doubt have tended to
considerably alter the complexion of events; and the credit of
organising the force and bringing the men from such an unexpected
quarter with so great a dramatic effect had to be shared equally between
Miss Kate Meldrum and Snowball, the cook--Mr Adams being only admitted
as a partner in the scheme at the last moment.
It seems that Snowball, while in the galley about midnight, had heard
Moody talking to two or three of his especial "pals" in the port-watch;
and, thinking from his knowledge of the man that he was up to some
mischief, the darkey had listened--thereby indulging a propensity which
was Master Snowball's weak point, that of being inordinately curious
about other people's business!
He listened, however, to some purpose on this occasion, for he heard
enough to learn that a large proportion of the crew intended, as soon as
they saw a favourable opportunity, to seize the long-boat--which
contained nearly all the provisions that had been got up from the hold--
and desert the ship before morning.
What was their intention in doing this the cook could not guess, but he
imagined that they must have thought that they would perhaps have to
work to save the cargo if they remained on board, whereas if they went
off, as they planned, they would escape all supervision from the
officers and be under their own control. Besides, he knew that Moody
was anxious to pay off the grudge he had against the captain, for he
heard him specially chuckle over the fact that if they took away the
long-boat, the "old man" would never be able to leave the ship with all
the remaining hands and the passengers, and the rest of them would all
thus "sink together, and a good job too," as the bloodthirsty ruffian
said.
Primed with this news, Snowball at first hardly knew how to make use of
it for the benefit of those the mutineers intended to abandon; for, the
men were all hanging about the galley, where he pretended to be asleep,
and if he attempted to go aft then, where nothing was stirring and when
no one called him there, it would have at once aroused their suspicions
and, probably, precipitated matters.
Snowball was in a quandary. He could see no way of warning the
unsuspecting captain; and yet, even while he waited, the cowardly gang
who thus purposed to desert their shipmates might carry out their
intention!
Presently, he heard Captain Dinks tell the mates and starboard watch
that they might go below, and Mr McCarthy and the others went to their
cabins aft while the "star-bowlines" tumbled down the main hatchway, all
glad to have a spell of rest and be out of the bitter cold night wind
which almost seemed to freeze their bones and pierce them through and
through.
"Its just like the grinding old tyrant," he heard Moody mutter at this
to another of his gang, "to keep us here on deck when there ain't no
need for it!" But Snowball was quick to notice that, when the captain
subsequently called out that all the rest of the hands might turn in if
they liked, save two or three to keep an anchor-watch, not one of them,
in spite of all their grumbling at the hardship of having to stop on
deck previously, now stirred to go below. He also saw Moody and some of
the others, when the captain was not looking at them, stealthily shift
round the bows of the long-boat on to the top of the hatchway, in
addition to battening it down on the quiet, so that those who had gone
below could not easily get up again, and they would thus have things all
in their own hands.
Moody's gang evidently intended to carry out their nefarious plan; but
how was he to prevent it?
At last, while the mutineers were watching for their opportunity, he saw
his; and at once took advantage of it.
During the excitement that ensued when Mr McCarthy rushed on deck,
declaring that the vessel had bilged in to starboard--at which time
Captain Dinks at length gave his tardy order to launch the boats--
Snowball crept out of the galley; and making his way aft, entered the
saloon.
He was so frightened and confused, and full of what he had heard, that
he did not know what to do at first, and this had prevented his speaking
to the captain as he should have done; while, when he grew collected
again, there was Frank Harness shouting down the companion and Mr
McCarthy and the American passenger bolting up on to the poop, and no
one to speak to, that he could see, who could do any good. He called
out for the steward, but he had disappeared; and the darkey feared that
his plan for defeating the schemes of the mutineers would turn out
fruitless from his failing to find any one to help him in undertaking
it, when all at once he saw Kate Meldrum, for whom he had a profound
respect on account of her plucky behaviour during the storm and her
kindness to him when he was discovered as a stowaway and so injured in
the hold.
"Lor, missy," exclaimed he, "help me sabe ship and capting, and all; or
dey all go way and leab us drown on board!"
"Why, what do you mean?" said Kate, who was pale and excited, for she
could not help hearing Frank's call for assistance; and was just about
proceeding to ascend the companion ladder to see for herself what was
going on and if she could be of any aid, when Snowball thus ran against
her. "What is the matter on deck; and why do you come here?"
"Dat debbel Bill Moody, an' all him gang in port watch, say dey is goin'
murder capting and go way in long-boat, and leab us drown on board!"
"But won't the other men prevent them?" asked Kate anxiously.
"Dey can't, missy! Dey is down in main-hold; an' Moody shut um under
hatchway so dat dey can't get up."
Just then the report of Mr Lathrope's revolver sounded above, and Kate
almost screamed; but she controlled herself by a strong effort.
"And what can you or I do to help the captain and the others?" she said
as calmly as she could, longing all the while to go above, although her
presence there would be useless.
"Dat jus why I come here," replied Snowball eagerly. "We can get down
steerage, whar I'se stow away dat time--I knows de place well--clear way
traps in de way, and knock down bulkhead; starboard watch come troo de
openin' and up on poop; den Moody's gang knock all of a heap, catch it
hot, missy! But, really, poah Snowball not able do it all alone down
dere!"
Such were the darkey's spasmodic utterances, as they came out in gasps,
amidst the sound of the struggle going on on the main-deck and the
hoarse cries of those engaged, which could be plainly heard in the
cuddy. Kate at once comprehended the situation.
"I see," said she, as eagerly now as Snowball. "There's Mr Adams in
his cabin asleep. He was so worn out, I suppose, that he couldn't hear
Frank--I mean," she corrected herself blushing unconsciously--"Mr
Harness call! Rouse him up at once, and I'll get a light for you to go
below."
The darkey did as she told him, although he found it a difficult task to
awaken the second mate, who was so fast asleep that he had to be pulled
out of his cot before he opened his eyes.
He was already dressed, however, and would have rushed up on deck the
moment Kate told him what had occurred had she not laid her hand on his
arm and prevented him, pointing out how much better Snowball's plan
would result in bringing material assistance to the little party who
were still struggling with the mutineers, and fighting desperately, as
they could hear.
"Do be quick and go down at once," she pleaded. "A moment's delay may
sacrifice a valuable life; and then, it will be all your fault!"
So urged, Mr Adams consented against his will almost; and, following
Snowball down into the after hold with the lantern Kate had procured
from the steward's pantry, which she found tenantless, Llewellyn having
mysteriously vanished out of the saloon, the two proceeded as rapidly as
they could to work their way through the packing-cases and casks that
were stowed right under the cuddy floor, towards the bulkhead that
divided this portion of the ship from the main hold.
Arrived here, Snowball soon recognised the advantage of having Mr Adams
along with him; for, in addition to the fact that the second mate, as is
usual in merchant vessels, knew where each and every article of the
cargo was stowed, he also was acquainted with the circumstance of there
being a sliding door in the bulkhead, which the darkey was unaware of
and had thought they would have to break it down, which would have been
a rather long job.
Consequently, in far less time than either he or Kate had imagined, the
imprisoned crew, who had been long aroused by the trampling on deck and
the noise of the struggle immediately over their heads, and had been
knocking madly at the hatchway cover and trying vainly to lift it up,
were released. Eager for the fray, from which they had so long been
debarred from taking part, they rushed up through the cuddy and up the
companion to the poop, prepared to take summary vengeance on those who
had incarcerated them but with what result has been already described.
While Kate was giving this explanation to her father of the course of
events below and how the affair was planned--Frank Harness listening to
her the while with glistening eyes, and squeezing her hand furtively as
he pressed to her side--it was amusing to watch the demeanour of the
darkey cook.
His mouth was spread open from ear to ear in one huge grin at the
recital of his well-planned scheme for the defeat of the mutineers'
machinations and release of the imprisoned crew. His chest expanded,
too, with pride at the praise bestowed on him for his pluck and
perspicacity; and when, finally, Ben Boltrope, who, of course, with Karl
Ericksen, had remained loyal and been locked down below with the rest of
the starboard watch, proposed "three cheers for Snowball," the cook
could contain himself no longer, but burst into a loud guffaw, thus
taking a prominent part in the demonstration in his own honour.
In the meantime nobody had been idle.
Poor Captain Dinks had been carefully lifted into the saloon, where, on
removing his clothes, it was discovered that Moody's stab, although
inflicting a dangerous cut across the chest, had touched no vital part,
the sufferer's exhaustion proceeding more from loss of blood than from
any imminent risk. He was therefore placed in his own cot and the wound
strapped up, after which he sank into a feverish sleep, with Kate
watching by his side.
Mr Meldrum, who had been urgently asked by Mr McCarthy and Adams to
take command of the ship while the captain was incapacitated, a request
that the crew heartily endorsed and which Captain Dinks himself
confirmed as soon as he recovered consciousness proceeded in the interim
to devise the best means he could for saving all on board; and, in the
first place, he ordered the men to renew the lashings of the jolly-boat.
This was their sole remaining means of escape, and was now in danger of
being washed overboard by the heavy seas that were breaking over the
ship in cataracts of foam.
Immediately the mutineers had got away in the long-boat it had come on
to blow harder; and, shortly after they were out of sight in the haze
that hung over the land, a tremendous squall had swept over the water in
the direction they were last seen, the billows mounting so high as they
raced by the stranded vessel that it was very problematical whether the
boat would ever reach the shore. Mr Meldrum could not help observing
that those left on board had much greater chance of saving their lives,
in spite of the waves breaking over the ship, which trembled through her
frame with the repeated shocks she was subjected to as she was jolted on
the rocks as if coming to pieces every minute.
"The poor captain was right after all," said he to Mr McCarthy. "Those
scamps in the long-boat had better have waited till morning, as he said.
I don't think they'll ever get to land."
"Nor I, sorr," replied the first mate; "but it sarves them right, bad
cess to 'em!"
"Well," said the other, "if they have gone down, they've gone with all
their sins on their heads, for they certainly believed that they left us
to perish, and did so purposely, too!"
"Jist so, the murtherin' villins!" ejaculated Mr McCarthy.
Mr Lathrope at that moment came up from the cuddy.
"Whar's that sanctimonious cuss of a steward!" inquired he. "I've
shouted clean through the hull ship, and I'm durned ef I ken find him to
git some grub; for I feels kinder peckish arter that there muss. I
guess the critter has sloped with them t'other skunks!"
"We'll muster the hands and see," said Mr Meldrum.
This was soon done; but the steward did not answer to his name--nor
could he be found anywhere on board, although parties of the men hunted
through every portion of the ship fore and aft for him.
"Snakes and alligators, mister," said the American, "I guess it's jest
as I sed, and the slippery coon has skedaddled with the rest of the
varmint!"
"Perhaps so," answered Mr Meldrum; "but I think it far more probable
that he has accidentally tumbled over the side!" In this belief, it may
be added, the stewardess shared, bewailing her loss accordingly,
although she was not quite so much overwhelmed with sorrow as might have
been imagined to be proper on the loss of a helpmate by those
unacquainted with the domestic relations of the pair.
In addition to securing the safety of the jolly-boat, Mr Meldrum
ordered preparations to be made for constructing a large raft, upon
which an additional stock of provisions, which were brought up from
below to replace those taken away by the mutineers in the long-boat,
were stowed; but no attempt was made as yet to leave the ship, all
hoping that the sea would go down as the tide fell, besides which, they
thought that when daylight came they would be able, as Captain Dinks had
told them, to "see their way better."
And so they waited in hope till morning should come.
Just before four bells, however, and when the faint light of day was
beginning to streak the eastern sky, bringing out in relief the snow-
white peaks of some mountains on the mainland, which were a little
distance to the left of where the vessel was lying on the reef, a larger
wave than any of the rollers that had yet assailed her struck the ship
right amidships; and the timbers dividing under the strain, the poor old
_Nancy Bell_ broke in two. Still, the two sections of the hull did not
immediately separate, the seas apparently losing their force and
reserving their powers after delivering such a telling blow.
"I guess, mister," said Mr Lathrope, who took the catastrophe as coolly
as he did every other incident of his life apparently, "this air smash
is a kinder sort o' notice to quit, hey?"
But Mr Meldrum made no reply. He saw that the end was coming.