THE BARRICADE.
The shipkeeper had hardly concluded, when he heard footsteps
descending the companion-way, and peering through the hatch, he saw
the steward just as that worthy--still pale and bloody from the
effects of the wounds he had received--gained the bottom of the short
staircase.
With a low cry of exultation, Stump pulled himself quickly out of the
run, and, rushing upon the startled Portuguese, caught him by the
throat, at the same time presenting his pistol at his head.
“No noise, you miserable sneak, or down you go, a dead porpoise sure
enough. Just hand over the key that unlocks Miss Howard’s room,
together with the one that belongs to Marline’s handcuffs!”
“I--I--de--de---- You no kill me!” stammered the steward, nearly
frightened out of his wits.
“The keys--the keys!” muttered Stump, shaking him violently; “it’s
the keys I want--d’ye hear?”
“I--I--give you ’em quick,” gasped Joseph, while his eyes fairly
rolled in his head with terror.
“Here--here,” he added, pulling the required instruments from his
pocket--“here dey be, and now you no kill me!”
In order to receive the keys, the shipkeeper let go of the steward’s
throat, and his joy was so great when the articles were in his hands,
that for a moment, while contemplating them, he almost forgot the
presence of the mutineer.
The latter was not slow to take advantage of this circumstance. He
bounded up the companion-way, and disappeared, before Stump could
lift his pistol.
“Ay, ay--the rascal’s gone, sure enough!” cried the shipkeeper, in a
tone of mortification, “and it’s l’arned me a lesson, which is, that
them that doesn’t keep their eyes squinted both ways, or that allows
their pleasures to turn ’em aside from their duties, is bound to
suffer for it in the end.”
“Never mind,” said Marline, who had risen, and was looking through
the open hatchway; “but, come quick and unlock these handcuffs. That
fellow, I can even hear now giving the alarm on deck, and the sooner
my arms are at liberty, the better will it be for us both!”
“There’s plenty of truth in that,” replied the shipkeeper, as he now
set himself to work to unfasten the irons from his friend’s wrists,
“plenty of truth in that, and--”
“How! Why! A thousand devils! What does this mean?” interrupted the
voice of Tom Lark, at this juncture. “Ho! halloa there--on deck!”
“That rascal has come to, at last!” cried Stump, “and, although it
consoles me to think that I didn’t kill a fellow creatur’, there
isn’t music enough in that voice--which is something atween the roar
of a bull and the grunting of sea-hog--to give any pleasure.”
Marline’s handcuffs dropped clanking to the deck, as his chum spoke,
and the young man sprung lightly from the run. The shipkeeper
secured the trap above the hatch, while the other, rushing up the
companion-way, fastened the door leading to it, by hooking it on the
inside.
This task was not accomplished a moment too soon, for a number
of kicks and blows were now dealt against the door, and together
with the roaring voice of Tom Lark--who evidently chafed in his
confinement like a mad bull--created a din such as is seldom heard in
a whale-ship!
“Well, my eyes,” soliloquized Stump, “them noises are sartainly not
very inviting, nor those that make ’em very chival-_rie_-ous, seeing
that a young lady lodges in this hotel!”
“They will pound the door to pieces before many hours,” said Marline,
“and before that happens I must make sure of the rifle that hangs in
the captain’s state-room, so that we can show a good resistance to
the bloodthirsty wretches.”
“Ay, ay, bloodthirsty is the word,” said Stump. “Them five pow-wows
on deck are mad enough by this time to eat us alive. They ain’t at
all particular, they ain’t, about the quality of their grub when they
be angry. It’s parfectly astonishing how few ‘raal’ ‘epichewers’
there is in this world!”
Marline did not pause to reply to this philosophical remark. He
hastened to the state-room and procured the rifle--which was
already loaded--together with a bullet-pouch, and an old-fashioned
powder-horn, containing a small supply of ammunition.
“Now, then, my friend, quick! Give me the key to Alice’s apartment.”
“Here it is!” replied the shipkeeper, placing the instrument in his
hand, “and mighty glad, I warrant you, will be the poor gal to see
you. So, away you go, and God bless you both, while Stump keeps
guard.”
A very few steps carried the young man to the door which he sought,
and which was nearly in a straight line with the foot of the stairway.
He placed his rifle against the carved wainscot, and turned the key
in the lock of the door. Then he knocked gently upon one of the
panels; but a half-smothered cry of alarm was the only response to
the summons.
“Do not fear, dear Alice; it is I--Harry Marline!”
The door was quickly opened, and Alice, with surprise and pleasure
beaming in her great brown eyes, stood before him.
She looked so beautiful in her excitement, that Harry stood for a
moment staring upon her like one under the influence of a spell. As
the long lashes of those innocent eyes gradually drooped under his
admiring glance, he was unable to resist the impulse that sprung up
within him. He threw an arm around the pretty waist, and drawing the
unresisting girl to his bosom, kissed her with a fervor peculiar to
seafaring men.
She gently disengaged herself from his embrace. “Oh! Harry, I am so
glad to see you. I have been so frightened! Those terrible noises!
What are they trying to do now? They are at the cabin-door!”
“To break it open,” replied Harry.
“Who? the mutineers?”
“Yes.”
“Why, I--I thought, when I saw you, that all this was over--that you
and your gallant crew had come aboard and persuaded those misguided
men to return to their duty.”
“I came alone,” said the harpooner, and he then proceeded to make her
acquainted with those occurrences of which the reader has already
been informed.
“Dear Harry,” faltered the young girl, “how you must have suffered. I
am sorry, now, that you came aboard.”
“Sorry?”
“Yes, because, in addition to what you have already endured, you will
have more trouble. The mutineers will soon break open the door, and,
then--then--Oh! my God! What if they should kill you?”
“Fear not for me, dear girl,” replied the harpooner, “I am armed--and
so is Stump. We can make a stout resistance and we will protect you
as long as we can stand.”
“I do not fear for myself,” replied Alice, “I don’t think they would
injure me. But you and your friend--what can you do against three
times your number?”
“But they have only harpoons and lances while we are provided with
fire-arms. I have your father’s rifle and--”
“I think I have heard him say that it is damaged so it won’t go off.”
“I will soon decide that point,” said Marline, and he lifted the
weapon and scanned the lock.
“You are right, Alice, the piece can not be discharged, but it can be
made useful in other respects.”
Crash! went a heavy ax, against the cabin-door, at this juncture, and
the sharp edge of the instrument was seen to protrude through the
wood-work!
“Ay, ay!” cried Stump, “there it goes--it’s a-going--the door!”
And even as he spoke, another tremendous blow shivered one of the
panels into fragments.
“This way, friend Stump!” cried Marline, “we must form a barricade.”
The shipkeeper came, and the two proceeded to erect a sort of
breastwork with a sofa, a few chairs and a table, which were firmly
secured with ratlin stuff across the doorway of Alice’s apartment.
The whole work was completed with great dispatch, and was viewed with
much satisfaction by the two sailors, for they felt confident that
they could prevent the mutineers from passing this barrier.
Alice, who had been led by Marline to the further corner of the
apartment, stood with clasped hands and pale cheeks watching the
movements of her friends, and it was with a sinking heart that she at
length heard the door of the cabin give way with a tremendous crash
before the repeated blows of the ax!
Then a terrific yell broke upon her ear, as the savage Driko,
flourishing a sharp hatchet around his head, and followed by the
rest of the mutineers, armed with long lances, rushed down the
companion-way.
“This way, lads! this way!” roared Tom Lark, from the run, “I am tied
hand and foot! Come and set me free--quick! I am dying to give them
two rascals a lesson on equal rights!”
“None of that, you infarnal pow-wow!” cried Stump, pointing his
pistol at the head of the Kanaka, who was now moving toward the
hatch, “none of that or you are a dead fish! It’s parfectly
astonishing,” he added, “to hear such an imp of Satan as that
creatur’ in the hold a-prating about equal rights!”
Every one of the mutineers halted. The sight of Stump’s weapon, and
the rifle in Marline’s hand, had not been anticipated by these men.
They looked at one another in surprise, and even seemed disposed to
beat a retreat.
Observing these signs of indecision, the resolution of the harpooner
was formed in an instant. Motioning to Stump to follow him, he
suddenly leaped over the barricade, and coolly advanced toward the
party, with the muzzle of his piece directed toward them.
“Put down your arms, and return to your duty--every man of you!” he
cried, sternly, “if you value your lives! I do not feel disposed to
trifle with you!”
“No, not a bit of it!” cried the doughty little shipkeeper, as he
covered the head of Driko with his pistol. “You are dead pow-wows of
a sartainty, if you don’t obey. You can’t expect any mercy from _me_,
at any rate, after the way you tumbled me into the main hold!”
“No--no!” yelled the prisoner in the run, “don’t yield to ’em, men.
Pitch into ’em--they can’t fire but two shots at the most. You
miserable imp of a Driko, where are you? Why don’t you attack ’em?
They are only two and you are four! One good assault and you can cut
’em to pieces--perhaps without the loss of a man!”
“My eyes!” cried Stump, with a low whistle, “it’s marvelous to hear
the way that animal is urgin’ on his pow-wows, while he himself
is out of harm’s way. Them that does that ain’t always the most
persuasive, seeing as it’s only examples that’s contagious.”
And the speaker was right, for the mutineers, becoming more
irresolute as they marked the firm purpose that shone in the steady
eyes of their two adversaries, were deaf to the commands of Lark.
“Come, down with your lances--or we’ll fire!” shouted Marline, “and
we’ll do the same if you attempt to retreat. Remember that whether
you fly from or attack us, two of you at least must fall!”
This was not to be disputed, and, dropping his weapon, Driko motioned
to his three followers to imitate his example. They obeyed, and the
harpooner then ordered the whole party to the deck. The command
met with the same success as that which had attended the previous
one. The four men, with cowed and sullen faces, ascended the
companion-way, followed by their two conquerors, who still retained
their arms; and as soon as they were on deck, Marline gave orders to
“wear” (veer) ship.
As the vessel was under whole topsails, it seemed impossible that
this duty could be executed by the few men now in the craft; but, the
harpooner and his friend lent their assistance, and the yards were
swung round at last. As the wind was now from the westward, Marline
soon afterward squared topsails and stood due east--hoping that this
course would soon enable him to fall in with some of the boats. The
man at the wheel, who was none other than the Portuguese steward
Joseph, was doubtless much surprised at the change of commanders;
but, whatever may have been his thoughts, the coward was too prudent
to express them. He was an excellent steersman, and he now did his
best, evidently hoping by this means to find favor in the eyes of the
man whom he had insulted while he was a helpless prisoner.
“That’s right, keep her steady!” cried Marline, approvingly, “and you
there on the knightheads!” he added, glancing forward--“look sharp
for the boats and the ice!”
“Ay, ay,” answered the dusky seaman, and his voice was far from
cheerful.
Descending into the cabin--after having ordered Stump to keep close
to the companion-way, and to maintain a vigilant watch--the young man
now entered the apartment occupied by Alice.
She bounded forward to meet him, and did not offer any very decided
objection to the embrace with which he received her.
“I am so glad!” she said, as she gently disengaged herself after he
had kissed her at least a dozen times, “I am so glad that the mutiny
was subdued without bloodshed--that you are safe and uninjured!”
“And what is still better, I trust that we will soon fall in with the
boats,” said Marline. “I wore round about ten minutes ago.”
“Wore round? What is that?” inquired Alice.
“What? you, a sailor’s niece, don’t know what it is to wear ship!”
“How should I?” retorted Alice. “You know that I never took any
interest in your salt-water phrases, nor much in any thing pertaining
to the ocean.”
“Why then did you go to sea?”
The cheeks of the young girl were instantly covered with blushes.
Her heart beat rapidly. She lowered her eyes and did not speak until
she could muster sufficient resolution to lift them to the face of
her interrogator. Then the glances of both met--a heaven of womanly
tenderness in hers, and in his the deep, strong passion of the man.
She stepped toward him, placed both hands upon his arms and hiding
her face in his bosom, said, in a tremulous voice:
“Why should I not acknowledge it? It was that I might be near you!”
“And Alice,” said he, “if you were not in this ship it would lose
all attraction for me. God shield you from all harm,” he added, as a
sudden indefinable presentiment for which he could not account, swept
over his spirit, “and preserve you, that we may both be made happy.”
Then the lovers seated themselves, and with their hands interlocked,
talked of the future, which they were pleased to fancy would be full
of sunshine and without a cloud.