"He must be very cunning to play us a trick while we are on our guard,"
observed Harry.
We noticed that the brigantine's boat pulled for the shore, her skipper
having apparently no fear of the natives. We were now waiting anxiously
for a breeze to get out of the harbour, but not a breath of wind stirred
its smooth surface. As we were not likely to be able to sail at all
events till the evening, when there might be a breeze, some of the men
asked leave to go on shore; but Harry, suspecting their object was to
have a talk with the boat's crew of the brigantine, refused, and told
Tom Platt to find work for them on board.
Captain Myers did not pay us another visit during the day, but we saw
his boat pulling back to the brigantine in the afternoon. What he had
been about on shore we could not tell, but no more natives came
alongside with pearls or oyster-shells, though we saw several canoes
paddling out as if about to proceed to the _Wasp_.
"If I was your brother I'd keep a look-out for any trick Captain Myers
may be inclined to play," said Sam Pest to me. "He may think that the
shortest way of getting a cargo of pearls will be to rob this here
schooner, and send her to the bottom."
"You don't mean really to say that you think he is capable of so black a
deed," I said.
"I tell you there's nothing he would stick at," answered Sam in a
positive tone. "I ain't very particular myself, but I've seen him do
things, besides the one I told you of, which made my blood curdle, and
heartily wish I was clear of him. I have seen him heave shot into
canoes, and sink them alongside the vessel, just to get rid of the
natives; and another time when we had some aboard who were somewhat
obstreperous when shut up in the hold, he shot them down as if they had
been a parcel of rats, and threw some overboard with life still in them.
If he does not meddle with us, he'll treat the natives in this place in
a way which will make them turn against all white men. For you see they
cannot distinguish one from the other; and we shall find it unpleasant,
to say the best of it, to remain here."
I heartily thanked Sam for the warning, and assured him that my brother
would not forget his good intentions, even though Captain Myers might
not act as he thought possible. Of course I repeated what Sam had told
me to Harry, when the ladies were not within hearing, for it might have
made them unnecessarily anxious. Although my brother was inclined as
before to laugh at the idea of Captain Myers attacking us, he took the
same precautions as on the previous night. Tom Platt and I had the
first watch, with Dick Tilston, Tubbs the New Zealander, and three other
men; a couple of hands, besides the officer, would have been sufficient
on an ordinary anchor watch. We kept a look-out, by Tom's advice, not
only in the direction of the brigantine, but also towards the shore.
"You cannot tell what dodge those chaps may be up to," he observed.
"They may come in their own boats, or just as likely aboard a number of
canoes, to make us fancy that they are only a party of natives coming
off to trade."
Harry and Charles Tilston, with the rest of the men, had gone below, but
did not intend to take off their clothes, so that they might be ready to
spring on deck at a moment's notice. With all the precautions we had
taken I cannot say that I felt particularly anxious; indeed, I must own
that I should not have been very sorry if Captain Myers had made an
attempt to overpower us. I continued walking the deck, talking to Dick,
and occasionally exchanging a word or two with old Tom. The night was
calm, and the bright stars shining down from the clear sky were
reflected as in a mirror on the surface of the harbour. The only sound
heard was the low dash of the sea on the distant reefs, and occasionally
some indistinct noise from the shore. My watch was nearly over, and I
felt that if my head was on the pillow I should in a moment be fast
asleep. Suddenly, as I stopped in my walk, I fancied I heard the splash
of oars, but so far off that I could not be certain. I listened,
leaning over the bulwarks, with my hand to my ear. Again I heard the
sound, more distinctly than before, but though I peered into the
darkness I could see nothing. I went across the deck to tell Tom, but
he had not heard the sound.
"It may be one of the _Wasp's_ boats, but that's no reason why she's
coming here," he answered. "However, we'll be on the watch for her, and
take precious good care that she does not come alongside for the purpose
of doing us harm."
After this I listened, but could hear no sound, and at length fancied
that I must have been mistaken. It was just on the point of striking
eight bells, and I was leaning over the bulwarks, when I thought I saw
two objects through the gloom. I kept my eyes fixed on them. Dick was
close to me.
"Look out, and tell me if you see anything," I whispered to him.
"Yes; two boats, and I fancy there's another astern," he answered.
"You're right," I said. "Run and tell the captain, and rouse up the men
for'ard; they're not coming at this time of night with any good
intentions."
The men were prepared, and every one was on deck in less than a minute,
with cutlasses at their sides, pikes in their hands, and the guns cast
loose, ready for firing. Three boats now came in sight.
The moment Harry saw them, he shouted at the top of his voice, "Keep
off, or we fire and sink you."
Instead of dashing on, as they might have done, the crews of the boats
ceased pulling: the threat had had a good effect. They were near enough
even now to enable us to send a shot among them; but unless they had
given stronger evidence of their intentions of attacking us than they
had done, Harry was unwilling to fire. Still it was a critical time;
and from the number of men on board the brigantine, we knew that they
might possibly overpower us; at the same time, if our men behaved with
courage, it was more probable that we should beat them off. Still, it
might not be done without bloodshed, if they attacked us with
resolution. We had the guns in readiness pointed at them to fire,
should they again approach. Harry again shouted--
"We know what you are about; if you come on it will be at your own
peril."
No answer was given; still the boats remained on the same spot without
advancing.
"Let us give them a shot or two, sir," shouted Tom at the top of his
voice. "It will show them we are in earnest."
Scarcely had he spoken when the dark objects receded, becoming less and
less distinct, till they disappeared in the darkness. Tom very seldom
indulged in a chuckle, but he did so on this occasion.
"I thought as how it would have a good effect," he observed. "They
expected to take us by surprise, and had no stomach for fighting. Maybe
their skipper wanted them to come on, for he is ready for anything, but
the men would not. It's my opinion they are cowards at heart, though
boasting knaves when there's no danger."
"What you say, Mr Platt, is very true," I heard Sam Pest remark.
"Well done, Platt," said Harry. "Your words had a good effect. I don't
think they'll trouble us again to-night."
"We must not be too sure, sir, of that," said Tom. "Perhaps the skipper
will think that towards morning we shall not be keeping so bright a
look-out, and may try to steal alongside to surprise us; but he'll find
himself mistaken."
As I was very sleepy I went below and lay down, but heard old Tom say
that he should remain on deck till daylight. Next morning Harry told me
that the boats had appeared, but being hailed to keep off, they had not
come nearer, and that he had not thought it necessary to call up all
hands as he had done before. Being in the neighbourhood of a pirate, as
she was nothing else, was very disagreeable, to say the least of it.
Indeed, she in a manner blockaded us, for we could not venture to tow
the schooner out to sea lest her boats might attack us in some critical
position. Still Harry determined that should we get a leading breeze to
sail past her, taking the opportunity of doing so while her boats were
away. We saw them passing to the eastward, apparently going to compel
the natives to dive for oysters. The calm continued the greater part of
that day; but although towards the evening a breeze sprang up, it was
too light and not sufficiently favourable to enable us to run out of the
harbour. We therefore had to pass another anxious night.
The ladies were not by this time entirely ignorant of what had occurred,
but Harry made as light of it as possible; saying that the fellows would
not really venture to annoy us, however willing they might be to get
possession of our pearls if they could do so without fighting. The
third night began; about the middle of the first watch the breeze
increased so much, that Harry, who had come on deck, consulted with Tom
whether we should get the schooner under weigh, and run past the
brigantine in the dark.
"If there was a lighthouse at the end of the reef, and we had a pilot
aboard, I would not mind trying it, sir," said Tom. "But you see it
would be an awkward job if we were to run ashore; besides, it's just
possible that the _Wasp's_ boats may be on the look-out for us, and hope
to catch us napping this time, though they were wrong before."
Harry said he felt pretty sure of the channel, but the last objection
was of more importance, and he determined therefore to wait till
daylight. It was settled, accordingly, that as soon as the _Wasp's_
boats were seen going in the direction of the oyster-beds, we were to
heave up the anchor, and make sail. At the same time, as there might be
hands enough left on board the brigantine to attack us, we were to have
the guns loaded, and be prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. The
remainder of the night passed quietly away; we were thankful to find in
the morning a steady and favourable breeze still blowing, which would
enable us to run out of the harbour and pass the brigantine without
making a tack.
We had just breakfasted, when we saw three boats cross the mouth of the
harbour, and, after pulling in to the shore and waiting for some time,
continue their course, accompanied by a number of canoes, to the
oyster-beds. As soon as they were out of sight, we hove up the anchor
and made sail, as had been arranged. Getting outside, we saw the
brigantine lying directly in our course.
"With so many of her crew away, her skipper will not attempt to
interfere with us," said Harry.
We were under all plain sail, and, as there was a good breeze, we ran
quickly through the water as before, with men on the look-out forward,
and the lead kept going. We could almost have thrown a biscuit aboard
the brigantine as we passed her. Besides the captain, there were very
few men on her deck.
"Good day, Captain Myers," said Harry. "We'll report your whereabouts
at Sydney. Have you any message there?"
I need not repeat the answer the skipper gave. It was such as might
have been expected from so thorough a ruffian. The next moment,
stooping down, he lifted up a musket and presented it at us.
"If you fire so will I," I shouted; but before I could pull my trigger a
bullet whistled past my ear. Providentially no one was hit. My bullet
also flew wide of its mark; indeed, I was too much hurried to take aim.
"Don't fire again," cried Harry. "The man must be mad."
Probably no other musket was at hand, as the captain of the _Wasp_ did
not again fire. In a short time we were out of range, and we had too
much to do in attending to the navigation of the schooner to think just
then much about the matter. From the number of rocks close to which we
passed, I was thankful that we had not attempted to run out during the
dark. At length we were in the open ocean, and, with a fair breeze, we
steered to the westward.