"THE LITTLE CELEBRATION" COMES OFF.
Very smart and clean did the _Mahina_ look as the dinghy ran alongside
and Barry stepped on deck. Her newly-painted sides shone snow-white in
the bright tropic sun, and her decks had been scrubbed and scrubbed
again and again with soft pumice stone till they were as smooth to the
touch as the breast of a sea-bird. Aloft, her brightly scraped spars
and carefully tended running and standing gear matched her appearance
below, and even the cabins had been thoroughly overhauled and
repainted. The two large boats used during the pearling operations yet
lay astern; for Barry, who, as Mrs. Tracey said, "thought of
everything," had his own reasons for delaying to hoist them inboard.
"Leave them till the last thing to-morrow morning," he suggested to
Rawlings, "as the men are having liberty to-day."
"You fellows must cook that pig and the turtle on shore," said Barry to
some of the crew who were leaning over the rail looking into the boat;
"we don't want a dirty mess made on the decks now."
"Aye, aye," responded Joe, and one of the other white seamen, jumping
into the dinghy, followed, at a sign from Velo, by two or three
natives. She pushed off from the side, and was rowed ashore with Velo
in charge. The two whaleboats were already on shore with some of the
crew, and their nude, brown-skinned figures could be seen walking about
on the beach, or gathering a last lot of coconuts for the voyage. At
dark the dinghy returned, having left Velo on shore to superintend the
feast, which the men were to eat on shore.
But before then, and while it was still daylight, and Rawlings was
below, and the Greek on the poop, Barry and the second mate were
standing on the topgallant foc's'le, looking up and apparently
scrutinising the condition of things aloft.
Barry was speaking. "Watch me to-night. When you see me rise from the
table after supper is over, I'll collar Rawlings, and you must tackle
the Greek. The steward will be behind him to help you, but you must
see that he doesn't get out his knife. He's as strong as a buffalo.
Don't hurt him if you can help it. I have leg-irons and handcuffs all
ready in my berth. We'll get all the help we want in a few
seconds--before either of them know what has happened. Warner will be
too drunk to offer any resistance, and our men and Mrs. Tracey's people
will tackle his niggers if they show fight. They are coming on board
to-night. Are you clear, Barradas?"
The Spaniard gave an affirmative gesture. "Quite clear, Mr. Barry.
Trust me to settle the Greek. But be careful of Rawlings, he always
carries a derringer and might put a bullet into you before you could
get your hands on him."
"Don't be afraid of that, Barradas. I'll get him by the throat so
suddenly that he'll have no chance to use it. The only thing I feel
anxious about is that Velo and Joe and our natives will be able to
dispose of Warner's niggers without much bloodshed, and----"
He ceased, for he saw the boatswain coming towards them, and then he
added in his natural voice, as he ran his eye up and down the fore
stay--
"Well, perhaps so, Mr. Barradas, but give me wire any day for standing
gear; it's better in every way to set up, and looks neater."
Then he went aft again, and sat on the skylight smoking his pipe, and
now and then looking shorewards through the fast-gathering darkness.
He had told Velo not to light the two signal fires until it was quite
dark.
Presently Rawlings, dressed as usual in a natty, spotless white duck
suit, and smoking a cigar, came up from below.
"It's dark, isn't it?" he said genially, as he took a few brisk turns
up and down the poop, and taking off his wide, soft hat of _fala_ leaf,
he let the cool night breeze play upon his head. And as he walked past
the light of the lantern hanging from the centre of the awning, just
over the skylight, and Barry noticed his clean-cut handsome features,
and calm, smiling face, he ground his teeth together, and thought of
the Nemesis that in so strange a way was so soon to overtake the
heartless little fiend.
"Well, Barry, my dear fellow," said the captain, "I suppose you are
just as glad as I am that the work is over at last. After all our
troubles we have had most excellent luck, have we not?"
"Yes, you have had splendid luck so far, Captain
Rawlings--extraordinary good luck."
"For which I am largely indebted to you, Barry. Your judgment,
knowledge, and resourcefulness are, I can assure you, very fully
appreciated by me. You have been the guiding spirit in the whole
affair; and, to be perfectly candid with you, my dear fellow, I don't
know how I should have managed without you. Our native crew are so
devoted to, and have worked so splendidly under you that I intend to
give every one of them a handsome present. And, although you once
refused to accept anything from me, I shall indeed feel hurt if you
will not now reconsider your former decision. It will add considerably
to the pleasure I feel at this moment."
"The native boys certainly do deserve a handsome present from the owner
of the _Mahina_," replied the chief officer, emphasising the word
"owner." "They have worked with an energy that I alone, perhaps, can
understand. And I can assure you that, with every facility to steal,
not a single pearl has been taken by them. Their honesty is above
suspicion."
"I am sure of it, my dear fellow," answered Rawlings effusively, "and
they shall be treated properly by me, I can assure you. Twelve
thousand pounds' worth of pearls----"
"Say sixteen," said Barry; "my estimate of their value is based on the
price they would fetch in the colonies or Singapore--not London or
Amsterdam."
"Just so. Well, sixteen thousand pounds' worth of pearls, and thirty
thousand pounds' worth of shell is a big haul in less than six months.
But you have evaded my suggestion about your own--what shall I call
it--bonus, lucky-penny?"
"I can only repeat to you that I cannot accept anything from you,"
replied Barry quietly, though his hands were twitching to catch the
handsome, plausible little scoundrel by the throat and strangle him
there and then.
Rawlings flung out his hands with a pained expression and sighed. "You
are too proud to accept a present from me, a gift to which you are well
entitled and which I have sincere pleasure in offering. A thousand
pounds will be nothing to me----"
"For God's sake, stop!" and Barry turned away fiercely. "I tell you
that I want nothing from you."
Rawlings looked at him quietly with the faintest flicker of a smile.
"Ah, I won't offend you again, my dear fellow. I'm afraid that I'm a
bit too impulsive, and that you are too proud a man even to listen to a
well-meant and kindly suggestion for your own benefit."
Barry swung round and looked at him for a moment. Rawlings met his
glance with a calm, unperturbed countenance, as cigar in mouth and with
his hands in his pockets he leant against one of the awning stanchions.
Fearful of betraying himself by an outburst of temper and perhaps
ruining everything, the mate did not trust himself to speak again, and
was glad when Rawlings said--
"Ha, here is Warner coming alongside with his people. You'll find that
both he and his natives will cause us no trouble this time, Mr. Barry.
The man himself is really not a bad-hearted fellow, but his drinking
habits are very disgusting and lead him into mischief. However, he is
sorry for what has occurred and has promised me not to offend again."
"He certainly is brute enough when sober, but he's fifty times worse
when he's drunk," said Barry. "I daresay, though, that he has some
good in him, or else his niggers wouldn't let him knock them about in
the manner he does."
The captain laughed. "Yes, every one has some good points. Poor
Warner is simply his own enemy. By the way, he now wishes me to land
him at Guam, in the Ladrones, so we won't have his company all the
voyage."
Presently Warner came aft, nodded to Rawlings, and held out his hand to
the chief officer.
"Shake hands, mister. Guess I've been a bit of a hog, but I'm sorry.
It's all the fault of the whiskey."
Concealing his disgust, Barry took the proffered hand of the
treacherous ruffian and made some commonplace reply; then the three
began talking about the ship and her cargo.
Suddenly a bright flame lit up the black line of palms on the island,
and then another, as two fires shone brightly out upon the beach, and
continued to burn steadily.
"Ah," said the Greek, who just then came on deck, "the kanakas will
have gooda time to-nighta--pork, turtle, biskeet, feesh, everythings.
They are alla gooda comrade to-night too," and he showed his teeth in a
hideous grimace which was intended for a friendly smile for the chief
officer.
Supper was late that night on board the _Mahina_; for Mosé, the
brown-skinned Manhiki steward, was, aided by the cook, preparing such a
supper as had never before been seen on the brig--at least so he told
Rawlings, who had cheerfully agreed that eight o'clock was not too
late. And at half-past seven Rawlings himself came below to see the
table and Mosé's ideas of decoration.
"Why, Mosé, you're quite an artist," he said as he went into his
state-room. "Keep the lager as cool as you can. Put half a dozen
bottles and some hock on the poop with some wet towels round them.
We'll be up late to-night."
"Yes, sir," answered the man, and as he turned away a grim smile for a
second flitted across his swarthy features.
Eight bells struck, and as Rawlings, Barradas, and the Greek took their
seats, Barry came out of his own cabin and sat at the for'ard end of
the table. Rawlings was opposite to him, and the Greek and Barradas
also faced each other, Warner being on the same side as the Greek.
As the steward brought in the turtle soup there came the strains of a
wheezy accordion from the main deck, and then three or four voices
joined in a native chorus, broken now and then by a laugh, and the
sound of naked feet stamping time to the music.
"Hallo," observed the Greek with his usual grin. "Billy Onotoa and the
other fella on boarda are hava a bita singa-songa and danca too."
"Let them enjoy themselves to-night," said Rawlings pleasantly. "And,
steward, send them up a couple of bottles of grog. When the rest of
them come aboard they shall have half a dozen between them. It won't
hurt them once in a while."
The grog seemed to have a rapidly stimulating effect on the men on
deck, for the "harmony" began with renewed vigour; and amid it all, as
Billy Onotoa and four others of his shipmates thumped their feet, and
slapped their bare chests and chanted their song louder than before,
the two boats from the shore came silently alongside, filled with two
score of naked figures and the remainder of the brig's native crew, Joe
and one of his mates with them.
Velo took a quick glance along the deck. None of the Solomon Islanders
were visible, they all having taken up their quarters in the main-hold
on top of the cases of pearl shell, where they had spread their rough
mats of coconut leaf. Two of the hatches were off, and Veto looking
down at the savages saw that they were sitting or lying about smoking
or chewing their inevitable betel-nut.
"Stand by to clap on the hatches," he said quietly to Sam Button.
The white sailor obeyed him promptly, for Barry had told him to take
his orders from the Samoan; so he and three native seamen took up their
places, two on each side of the hatch coamings. Then Velo stepped to
the port side and called to Joe in a whisper--
"It's all right, Joe. You can all come aboard in a minute, but let
Mrs. Tracey and the girls come first."
Mrs. Tracey and Paní and Toea clambered up over the bulwarks, and Velo
noiselessly conducted them to the sail locker in the deck-house and
bade them remain there for the present. Then, cutlass in hand, he
crouched before the door and listened to the murmur of voices from the
cabin.
Rawlings was in such excellent spirits that he could not refrain from
"chaffing" his chief officer upon his want of appetite, and kept
pressing him to drink.
"My dear Barry," he said, "you really want livening up. You have
worked too hard altogether, and seem a bit run down. Come, if you
won't drink lager, try a glass of hock."
"Yesa," said the Greek, with the grin that was so intolerable to the
man he meant to murder, "you have worka too harda, Mr. Barry. Ah! when
we get to Singapore you will feela betta; there is fine prawna curry
there in Singapore--make you feel stronga. Make you feela you wanta
come back quick to Arrecifos, and finda more pearla."
Barry looked up wearily, but for the twentieth part of a second his eye
met that of Mosé the steward, who slipped behind the Greek's chair and
filled his glass.
"No, thank you," he said to Rawlings, "I won't drink anything just now.
I have a bit of a headache. I'll sit on the transoms a bit, and get a
breath of fresh air from the stern port."
"Guess it isn't on account of the liquor you've drunk, mister," said
Warner, with a sneering laugh. He himself had been drinking freely
and, despite warning glances from the captain, he had several times
rudely insisted upon Barry drinking with him, and the officer's
refusals had evidently aroused his brutal temper.
"I tell you that I don't want to drink anything," he said quietly.
He rose from his seat and walked toward the stern, but as he was
passing Rawlings his left arm shot out like lightning and seized the
captain by the throat; and at the same instant Barradas, rising to his
feet, leant across the table and struck the Greek a fearful blow
between the eyes. There was no need for the steward's help--the man
went down like a stone dropped into a well.
And then came a rush of naked feet and wild cries, and an English cheer
from Joe and the white seamen as the cabin was filled with the excited
crew and their island allies.
Warner made a desperate dash towards the companion, and by sheer
strength fought his way out through the white and native seamen with
his fists, striking out right and left, and felling a man at each blow.
Calling loudly upon his Solomon Islanders, he gained the deck, where he
was met by Billy Onotoa, who presented a Snider carbine to his breast.
Dashing the weapon aside the American struck the Gilbert Islander a
blow on the chest which sent him reeling across the deck, and still
shouting for Togaro and the rest of his followers to come to the
rescue, he reached the main-hatch, which he found covered, and in the
possession of a dozen of the Tebuan people.
There was nothing of the coward about him. Unarmed as he was he leaped
into the midst of them and wresting a hatchet from one of their number
he set to work, dealing out death at every blow, while from beneath
came the cries of his imprisoned followers. But great as was his
strength he had but little chance amongst so many, and presently a boy
of fifteen dealt him a blow with his tomahawk across the small of the
back which severed his spine. He fell with a groan on the
blood-stained hatch.
In the cabin Rawlings lay gasping upon the cushioned transoms with
Barry standing over him; the Greek had been dragged up into a sitting
posture, and placed with his back against a cabin door, whilst Barradas
proceeded to handcuff and leg-iron him. Then, together with Velo, who
was carrying another set of irons, the second mate came towards Barry
and Rawlings.
"This fellow's pretty little hands and feet are too small for them,"
said Barry; "carry him up on deck, you Velo, and Joe, and wait till he
comes to. Then lash his hands athwartships behind his back, and take
him and the Greek ashore. Keep a good look-out over them, and see that
they have water to drink when they ask for it. They will swing at the
gallows for their crimes. Let us be as merciful to them as we can; but
for God's sake take them away from here quickly; their very presence
poisons me. Barradas, come here . . . give me your hand. You have
stood to me manfully. Now I must go on deck and see to Warner."
"He is dying, sir," said one of the white seamen who just then entered
the cabin; "some of the Tebuan natives cut him down, but not until he
had killed three of them. His niggers are safe under the main-hatch."
Followed by Mosé the steward and big Joe, Barry ran on deck. On the
hatch were three dead or dying natives, and Warner lay upon the deck
with his head against the coamings.
"Bring some lights," cried Barry to the steward, as he knelt beside the
wounded man.
"I guess that lights are just what I want, young feller," said Warner
faintly, with a grim smile. "That darned kanaka boy just drove his
hatchet inter my back, and I reckon I haven't much lights or liver
left."
Barry tried to examine the man's wound, but the American stayed him.
"Let me be, mister. I meant to do for you, and would have done it
later on. But I'm wiped out and don't want to make a song. Is Jim
dead?"
"No," replied Barry, "he is not dead."
"Mister, you are a darned good sort. Me and Jim meant to do for you."
"Don't talk about that, Warner. I have no enmity against you. And I
don't think you have long to live."
"That is so, mister. I guess I'm about done. I'd like to see Togaro
and the rest of my niggers before I slip, if you have no objections."
Barry motioned to the crew to take off the hatches and let the Solomon
Islanders come on deck to see their dying master. Then with a few
kindly words he left him to return to the cabin, and watched Rawlings
and the Greek being carried on deck in irons.
Mrs. Tracey, who had followed, overtook him at the companion way and
touched his arm.
"Thank God, it is all over, Mr. Barry." Then her tears began to fall.
Barry raised her hand and touched it with his lips. "All over, thank
God. Now will you come and speak to Barradas?"
She followed him below.
Barradas was sitting at the table with his hands over his eyes.
Mrs. Tracey placed her hand upon his shoulder, and said softly--
"As Christ forgives us all, so may He forgive you, Manuel Barradas; and
so may He forgive those who . . ."
Barry stole swiftly up on deck and left them praying together.