THE RECAPTURE OF THE "INDEPENDENCIA"
"THEY'RE about to abandon ship!" exclaimed Cardyke, when the first
boat-load of treasure was taken off to the yacht. "It's no idle
threat this time. They'll scuttle the cruiser."
"Guess you're about right, sonny," said Hiram B. Rutter. "We must
look to ourselves, and Old Nick take the hindmost."
"Sh!" admonished Fielding. "There's no necessity to alarm the others
just yet. As soon as we find the ship is actually sinking we'll get
the others through the ports without any fuss. She won't sink in a
minute."
"We can't stop her from sinking, so what's the use of going on deck,"
objected the American.
"No, we can't stop her from sinking," admitted the sub. "But if we
can jump clear before the suction is too great we stand a fighting
chance of swimming to the brigantine."
"Not a ghost of a chance. I guess the water's a sight too cold. We'd
be frozen before we covered a quarter of the way," said Rutter,
pessimistically.
"Don't meet trouble half-way," replied Fielding, stoutly. "I'll tell
Oki the state of affairs, and you, Mr. Rutter, can let the Dutchmen
and your fellow passengers on __L'Égalité__ know. I would suggest
that every man smother himself with oil and grease. Mukyima knew the
value of oil when he went over the side."
When the news that the ship was about to be scuttled was told to the
others there was very little excitement. Some of the Frenchmen
proposed that an attempt should be made to take possession of the
ship; but to this Fielding objected. The hatches were secured, and it
would be better, under existing circumstances, not to offer any form
of resistance to the pirates.
"If we did they would shoot us while we were in the water," concluded
Fielding. "I don't think they would otherwise deny us a chance of
swimming to yonder whaler."
Without any undue haste or excitement the imprisoned men made their
preparations; then, taking up their positions at the ports, awaited
Fielding's signal to throw themselves into the sea.
"There's the villain Cervillo putting off," exclaimed Rutter. "I'd
just like to try this rifle, and put a bullet through his head."
"Don't, for your own sake," said Fielding. "Our opportunity to get
even with him will come in due time, I feel certain."
"There's no time like the present," objected the American.
"Look!" ejaculated Cardyke. "They're sinking the boats."
The three boats belonging to the _Independencia_, having completed
their work of transferring the men and stores from the cruiser to the
yacht, were promptly stove in, pigs of ballast being dropped into
them to send them to the bottom.
"They've found the yacht's boats are better than their own," said
Fielding. "They'll be----"
"They're off--by Jove!"
"So they are; and there are nearly eighty men of the pirate crew
still on board, I should imagine. What's the game?"
"Cervillo's done a bunk with the rest of the oof," said the mid.
"Guess you've hit it, sonny," exclaimed Hiram B. Rutter. "Reckon we
may as well get rid of this grease; 'tisn't necessary."
"He's off," said Fielding. "The yacht's gathering way. Won't there be
a rumpus when the others find it out? I wonder where their eyes are."
For fully ten minutes the English officers and their companions
watched the disappearing vessel. Then a chorus of shouts and curses
on deck announced that the abandoned pirates had discovered they were
tricked.
Not until the _Serena_ disappeared beneath the horizon did the
excited crew calm down. The majority drowned their woes in drink,
while a few, realising the importance of fuel supply, brought the
cruiser alongside the _Hetty_ and emptied her cargo of oil into the
_Independencia's_ tanks. There was now sufficient fuel to take the
crippled cruiser a thousand miles. Tito, who had been chosen captain
by his shipmates, resolved to stand south, fall in with another
vessel, and save the remainder of the crew in a similar manner to
that adopted by the recreant Cervillo.
Just before midnight the _Independencia_ raised steam, and at a bare
ten knots plugged laboriously through the water. The _Hetty_ was left
astern. The last Fielding saw of her was that the crew were engaged
in setting the canvas that the gale had spared. It was not much of a
spread, but with the wind in its present quarter there was every
prospect of the whaler fetching the Gulf of St. Lawrence or one of
the harbours on the Newfoundland coast.
The young officers realised that now was the opportunity to recapture
the cruiser. Numerically the pirates were stronger, but by the noise
on deck the Englishmen knew that they were for the most part
indulging in a drunken orgy.
Just before dawn Mukyima and Hokosuka crept through the ports and
hoisted themselves on deck. They were able to discern that most of
the men were below, a few being on watch on the quarter-deck, two
being stationed at the half-deck ladder; but so lax was their
vigilance that the two Japs made a careful examination of the mode of
securing the hatches. The only thing that prevented the steel hatches
from being opened from the inside was an iron bar lashed at each end
to massive ring-bolts in the deck. Lying prone by the side of the
hatchway coamings the Japs quietly severed the ropes, then retraced
their course, and, through General Oki's interpretation, announced
that the hatches were ready to be forced open from the inside.
But Fielding hesitated to commence the attack by means of the
companion ladders. The noise occasioned by the raising of the steel
slabs would arouse their antagonists, and before a sufficient number
of the attackers could emerge there was a strong possibility that the
superior numbers of the crew would gain the day.
Accordingly he selected ten men, including the two Japs, who had just
returned from their tour of investigation. These he was to lead out
by the ports on to the deck, where they were to take cover until the
main body of the attackers removed the hatches. The rest of the
hostages were divided into two parties; one, under Cardyke, was to
take the fore-ladder for the half-deck; the other, under Hiram B.
Rutter, was detailed to the after-ladder. Both sections were to rush
on deck simultaneously, Fielding and his men covering their advance
by a rapid revolver fire.
Unseen and unheard Fielding's little band crept one by one through
the port-hole and gained the deck. Abaft the rearmost turret the deck
was deserted, the men detailed to guard the hatchways having strolled
for'ard to smoke. A continuous roar of ribald laughter announced that
the majority of the pirates still on board were trying to forget
their desperate plight in grog.
Taking shelter behind cowls and coamings, the sub.'s division waited
while their leader gave the pre-arranged signal--three slight taps
upon the deck. Instantly the steel cover of the fore-companion was
heaved back, and Cardyke at the head of his party dashed through the
opening. The after-hatch was opened a bare quarter of a minute later;
then with a united shout the whole band rushed forward.
Taken entirely by surprise the men on watch made but a feeble
resistance. A few shots were fired without effect; two of the pirates
were felled by successful blows of Fielding's hammer-like fists, and
the rest broke and fled.
Disturbed at the carouse, the crew for'ard bolted, for the most part,
like terrified sheep, with the victorious crowd at their heels.
Suddenly one of the fugitives wheeled, and, levelling a revolver,
fired at the pursuers. Fielding pitched forward and lay writhing.
Cardyke was by his friend's side in an instant.
"All right, old man," exclaimed the sub., feebly. "Leave me alone.
I'm done for, I fear."
"Don't say that, Fielding."
"It doesn't very much matter now; we've retaken the ship. You're in
command now, Cardyke, so cut off and see that the hatchways are
secured. Keep the stokers down below, and make them work. Don't wait,
time's precious."
With a groan Fielding became unconscious.
The midshipman was torn by the call of duty to his companions and
devotion to his brother officer; but duty came first.
As soon as the pirate seamen were secured under hatches Cardyke
posted a strong guard over the engine-room and stokehold ladders.
This done, the mid. led another party to the fore-bridge, fully
anticipating resistance from the officer of the watch and his
subordinates. But Tito, who happened to be on the bridge at the time
of the attack, seeing things were faring badly, promptly jumped
overboard to avoid an ignominious fate. The quartermasters bolted up
the tripod mast, and sought refuge in the fire-control platform.
Here, had they been armed, they might have been a source of danger,
but being without weapons they kept quiet until hunger compelled them
to give themselves up.