THE VICTORY IN THE CABIN
Louis Belgrave knew Scoble perfectly, and believed with all his might
that he was a coward; otherwise he would hardly have dared to drive him
to the farther end of the cabin, though he had the means in his hands
of enforcing his command. With a revolver in one, and a club in the
other, he felt strong enough to do anything.
He was grievously tired of the long discussions, useful to some extent
as they had been, which had taken place in the cabin, and the necessity
of some more decided action had been pressing upon him for some time.
The sickness of his mother had prevented him from doing anything more
than release his companions in the second cabin from their prison in
the hold; and the long talks had been forced upon him by the presence
of the captain.
He had not had an opportunity to consider the situation of his mother
and himself as calmly and judicially as he desired. Even if he could
get out of the present difficulty, Scoble would be in the field to make
another attempt upon the tranquillity of his mother at another time. He
believed it would not be a difficult matter, after the preparations he
had made, to escape from the vessel; but the schooner and the villain
would still be in the vicinity of his home, and he could renew his
assault at a future time.
As he stood by the pantry with his eyes fixed upon the captain, he
could not help asking himself if he had done wisely in not telling
the villain that the missing million had been recovered. That was the
object of his visit to the United States, and he had bought the Maud
for this special purpose. For the hidden treasure he had married Mrs.
Belgrave; for that he had tyrannized over his wife’s son; and for that
he had intended to take them both to England, where the boy would be
more under his control. In fact, all that he had done had been with the
single object of obtaining eventually the possession of the million.
Even if Scoble knew that the money had been found, and was held in
trust for Louis, he was aware that the boy’s only heir was his mother,
and everything would remain practically the same. Nothing would have
been gained by announcing the discovery of the treasure to the villain.
After he had looked the matter over thoroughly he was satisfied that
the situation was quite as well as it was.
He had hardly come to this satisfactory conclusion before the Maud
began to behave in a very violent and unruly manner. She pitched and
rolled furiously, so that it began to be rather difficult for the
young landsman to keep on his feet. Either the gale had increased in
force, or the vessel had reached a more exposed position. The water was
breaking over the schooner, and it could be heard pounding upon the
deck. Some of it poured down the companion-way into the cabin; and
then Louis heard the mate order one of the sailors to close the doors,
and draw the slide.
Captain Scoble did not offer to leave the divan under the stern windows
where he had been driven, and Louis went to the pantry. He opened
the door leading into the steerage, and shouted the name of Captain
Ringgold. He was absent from the cabin but a few seconds, for he
knew he could not trust Scoble to keep quiet. Before the shipmaster
appeared, Mr. Frinks came down into the cabin. He must have heard some
of the loud talk in the cabin, for the skylight was not far from the
wheel. He had shown no disposition to interfere with the captain’s
affairs, at least not till he was called upon to do so.
The mate seemed to be greatly astonished to find everything so tranquil
in the cabin. He looked at Louis, and then cast his eyes about,
evidently in search of the captain. He did not see him at first; for
that worthy, in the absence of anything better to do, appeared to have
lain down and gone to sleep.
“Where is the captain?” asked the mate.
“He is somewhere about here,” replied Louis indirectly.
“It is about time for him to come on deck, for it is blowing great
guns, and we have just got out from the lee of the north shore. It is
wet on deck, and I want my rubber coat,” replied Frinks, as he went to
the stateroom opposite that occupied by Mrs. Belgrave.
[Illustration: “THE SHIPMASTER CHANGED HIS GRIP TO THE THROAT OF THE
PROSTRATE VILLAIN.” Page 112.]
He procured the coat and came out again; but he had enabled Louis to
ascertain where he berthed in the cabin. He asked Louis to tell the
captain that he had better go on deck if he saw him, which he did not
promise to do, and then returned to his duty. He had hardly closed the
slide before Captain Ringgold came out of the pantry.
“I saw that you had company, and I waited till the mate had gone,” said
the captain. “I saw that you were having no trouble, or I should have
come at once. What is going on here?”
“I will tell you all about it in a few minutes, for”--
“How is your mother, Louis?” interposed the shipmaster, fearful that
something had happened to her.
“She is all right; she has got over her sea-sickness. I want you
to tell me where we are, if you can, and what makes this violent
kick-up of the vessel,” said Louis, who was ready to act, but did not
understand the situation of the Maud.
“I can only guess where we are, for I have not had a sight of the sea
or the shore,” replied Captain Ringgold. “I don’t believe this vessel
has made more than two and a half knots an hour since she got under
way. I should say that we were just outside of Sandy Hook; and the last
kick-up began when she got out where she could feel the swell of the
broad ocean.”
“Is the vessel in any danger now?”
“Bless you, no! Not if she is well handled.”
“Then we will proceed to business,” said Louis.
“What is the business to which we are to proceed?” asked the captain.
“Call Flix, if you please, and I will tell you both all about the
situation,” continued the leader, who still held his revolver and stick
in his hands.
“Shall I bring the cook also, for he has been with us in the fore cabin
for some time?” inquired the shipmaster.
“No, I think not,” replied Louis, though he believed he had made a
friend of Bickling.
In a few minutes Captain Ringgold returned, followed by Felix, who
looked about him with curiosity and interest. Louis proceeded at once
to inform his friends briefly what had transpired in the cabin, and
added that his mother was in the stateroom.
“I think you said you were ready to proceed to business, Louis,” said
the shipmaster. “What is the nature of the business?”
“To capture the vessel and go to New York in her,” replied the leader
bluntly and to the point.
“That is plain talk; and I don’t think we should call the taking of the
schooner by any such hard name as piracy. We were all kidnapped; and
I do not believe this is a legal voyage, for I doubt if the craft has
any papers. But you are the chief of the party, and I will follow your
orders as long as they don’t lead us into hot water, for you have got
the run of this affair, and I have not,” said the captain.
“And what am I to do, my darlint?” asked Felix.
“I will tell you what to do when the time comes. Now, Captain Ringgold,
the first thing is to put the captain in irons,” added Louis. “The
irons are all ready, for Scoble got them out for me.”
“I’m wid ye’s, me darlint!” exclaimed Felix; and perhaps the business
in hand was more to his mind than to that of the others.
Louis led the way aft, but he halted between the two staterooms, one on
each side of the cabin. He pointed out the unoccupied one as belonging
to the mate, and suggested that he might be provided with one or more
revolvers, as Captain Scoble had been. He thought it would be well to
take possession of them if there were any in the room, and he sent
Felix to look for them, telling him to open the drawers corresponding
to those from which he had taken the master’s weapons.
While he was absent, Louis and his companion moved towards Scoble,
still lying on the divan. He did not notice them, and he appeared to be
asleep. It had been a mighty calm to him after the excitement of his
interview with Mrs. Belgrave, and a sailor drops asleep very readily.
Felix joined them presently, with a single revolver in his hand, saying
he could find no more.
Louis had brought with him the handcuffs the captain of the Maud had
cast upon the floor. He had examined them, and found they closed with a
heavy spring, and worked well enough. Scoble did not move as the trio
approached him; and certainly he had been very accommodating to take
his nap at just that time.
“Leave the rest of this matter to me, Louis; I can handle that man
better than I could a live lobster,” said Captain Ringgold, who was a
rather large and muscular man. “You may speak to him, Louis, and then I
will take care of him.”
“Captain Scoble!” said the chief in a loud and sharp tone.
“Well, what is it?” replied the sleeper, moving a little.
“We are ready to put on the irons,” added Louis.
“Oh, you are!” exclaimed Scoble, springing up to a sitting posture.
“But, if you please, we will change the programme a little, and put
them on your wrists; and I hope you will find them comfortable,”
continued the young chief.
“Never!” yelled the master of the Maud, when he discovered three
persons in front of him.
“Now, I think we will, Captain Scoble,” said the stalwart shipmaster,
as he seized his intended victim by his two shoulders, and threw him
over on his back upon the divan. “Now, slip the bracelets on his
wrists, boys, and don’t let him hurt you.”
Scoble struggled, twisted, kicked, struck out with his fists, and did
all that a man in his situation could do. Louis got hold of one of his
hands, and then sat down upon his lower limbs, while Felix grasped
the other hand. The shipmaster changed his grip to the throat of the
prostrate villain, who was soon worn out with his struggles. Without
any further difficulty the handcuffs were sprung upon his wrists, and
he was powerless to do any mischief.
At this moment Mrs. Belgrave came out of the stateroom.