THE MUTINEERS
A few degrees south of the equator, the schooner _Coral_ ran into a
tempest of such fury that with all the skilful seamanship of her
captain and crew, and the admirable qualities of the schooner itself,
she narrowly escaped foundering.
There were two days when she was in such imminent peril that not an
eye was closed in slumber, excepting in the case of little Inez
Hawthorne, who felt the situation only to the extent that it compelled
her to stay close in the cabin, while the vessel pitched and tossed
from the crest of one tremendous billow, down, seemingly, into the
fathomless depths between, and then laboriously climbed the mountain
in front, with the spray and mist whirling about the deck and rigging
like millions of fine shot. But the gallant _Coral_ rode it out
safely, and the steady breeze caught her and she sped swiftly in the
direction of the Pearl Islands.
The little girl had run hither and thither, until, tired out, she had
flung herself upon the berth in the cabin, where she was sleeping
soundly, while the captain was doing the same; Abe Storms, the mate,
being on deck at the wheel. It was yet early in the evening, and Hyde
Brazzier and Alfredo Redvignez were sitting close together, forward,
smoking their pipes and conversing in low tones. The breeze was almost
directly abeam, so that the sails carried the craft along at a rapid
rate, the water foaming and curling from the bow, while the rising and
sinking of the schooner on the enormous swells were at such long
intervals as almost to be imperceptible. As far as the eye could
extend in every direction, no glimpse of a sail or light could be
perceived, nor had any been observed through the day, which confirmed
what Bill Grebbens, the sailor in the Boston hospital, said, to the
effect that, despite the location of the Paumotu Islands, the approach
to them from the direction of California took one in a section where
the sails of commerce were rarely seen.
The captain and mate had been consulting their chart, and had taken
their reckoning more frequently and with greater care than ever
before. The conclusion at which they arrived was that they were
already south of the northernmost island of the Paumotu group, and
were close to the Coral Island, along whose shore were to be found the
precious pearls which were to make them all, or rather the two,
wealthy.
"It's a curious business," reflected Abe Storms, while holding the
wheel motionless. "When I consider the matter fairly, I don't see why
the expedition should not succeed. But it is so different from the
coasting business, in which the captain and I have been engaged for
years, that it is hard to believe we're going to make anything out of
it."
He listened a minute to the murmur of the voices forward, and then he
added, pursuing the same train of thought:
"What an extraordinary thing it is that we should have this little
girl for a passenger! Suppose we carry her back to Tokio after this
pearl hunt, and fail to find her parents?"
He took but a minute to consider the question, when he answered:
"It can never make any difference to Inez herself, for her sweet face
and winning ways will secure her a welcome and a home in a hundred
different places."
While the mate was indulging in these fancies and reveries, Brazzier
and Redvignez were holding an important conference forward.
"I'm sure we won't have much further to sail," observed the Spaniard,
with a slightly broken accent. "We're in the latitude of the
Paumotus."
"Have you ever been there?" asked his companion.
"No; but I know something about them, and then you had a glimpse of
the chart, which they're continually looking at, and I'm certain from
what you said that the particular spot we're after isn't far off."
"I conclude you're right, more from the way they're acting than
anything else. I wish I could get hold of that chart."
"What would you do?" asked Redvignez, with a significant side-glance
at his companion.
"What would I do? Why, I wouldn't wait--that's all."
"I don't see as it will make much difference," said the other, in the
most matter-of-fact voice, as he coolly puffed his pipe. "We might as
well take them there and make sure of the spot, before we knock them
in the head."
Brazzier gave a contemptuous sniff and a vicious puff of his pipe, and
remarked:
"Did you ever see two such fools, Redvig?" He continued, with mock
solemnity: "Beware of the temptations of wealth. Behold those two
specimens, who have come all the way from Boston to fish for pearls in
the Paumotu Islands. Some old sailor had the secret, and told the
captain about it, and he has told his friend, and they have formed a
partnership and hired us to go with them to dredge up the oysters."
"What is there so foolish in all that?" asked the Spaniard, with a
grin, which showed his white teeth in the moonlight.
"Nothing; for you or I would have done the same had we been placed in
their shoes. But we would have shown more sense than they. They
believe we do not suspect what their business is; and yet we both
understand the whole thing. Here we are within a few hours' sail of
the spot, and what's to be done?"
The Spaniard indulged in a light laugh, and replied:
"To think that we should consent to take twenty-five dollars a month,
while they scooped in their thousands--their millions--it strikes me
sometimes as the greatest joke I ever heard. But, Brazzier, the best
plan is for us to be good boys, and go on to the island and help take
up the pearls; for then we shall be sure of the right spot, and there
shall be no mistake; whereas, if we should take possession now, we
might miss the place, even with the help of the chart."
"I don't know but what you're right, Redvig, though it galls me to
wait. You know a lot of us took charge of the _Spitfire_, and set the
captain and first-mate adrift, off Valparaiso. You were in favor of
waiting, and it was well if we had done so, for we came nearer
running our necks into the halter that time than we ever did since,
and there wasn't anything aboard the old hulk that was worth the
saving."
"But what about Pomp?" asked Redvig, in a half-whisper, and with an
accent which showed that he considered the question of the highest
importance. "Is he all right?"
"You needn't have any fear about him. I had a long talk with him last
night, and we shook hands on the question."
The negro was an important factor in this business, for, a giant in
stature and strength, whichever side he precipitated himself and his
prowess upon was sure to win--judging from the ordinary human
standpoint.
Pomp, as we have hinted further back, was not an African with a
perfectly clear record. The rumors about his belonging to a gang of
river pirates in San Francisco were correct, and he had been engaged
in some deeds which were of a character that the law puts the severest
ban upon. He was known to be daring, and possessed such prodigious
power, united to activity, that, beyond a doubt, if he were placed
upon an even footing, he could have conquered the captain, mate and
the two sailors, without any special effort upon his own part.
The importance of his declaring himself can therefore be understood.
He was a far better man than either of the two Caucasians, who
hesitated about approaching him. As it had to be done, however, the
matter was skilfully broached, after they had left San Francisco and
were sailing southward.
It was agreed by the two mutineers that, if the negro held off, he was
to be gotten rid of by some treachery, though it was such a serious
matter that they hesitated long as to how it could be safely
accomplished. To their surprise and delight, however, Pomp listened
eagerly to the project and expressed his willingness to go into it,
though he insisted there should be no murdering done, as he was not
base enough at heart to wish the death of either of the officers.
Brazzier consented; but in doing so he deceived the negro. A mutiny,
such as he contemplated, could never be carried to a successful
conclusion without disposing finally and forever of the two officers
themselves. If they should be spared, the mutineers would never be
safe. But Pomp was misled from the first, because it was believed he
could be won over before the time came to strike the blow. Redvignez
set himself very skilfully to do so, for Pomp was ignorant and
exceedingly greedy for wealth. Redvignez began by telling him of a
large number of fictitious mutinies, in which the mutineers had made
their fortunes and lived happy and respected afterwards, and the
narrator made certain to impress upon the African the fact that the
job was rendered a perfect one by following out the proverb that dead
men tell no tales. Then he incidentally mentioned others in which the
mutineers came to grief, all from the fact that they allowed
themselves to be controlled by a foolish sentiment of mercy. The evil
seed thus sown did not fail to take root and bring forth its fruit,
just as the sower intended.
These little incidents were multiplied, and by-and-by Pomp was told
that there was but one way in which to secure the enormous riches that
lay in the little bay in the South Seas, awaiting their coming, and
that was by making themselves complete masters of the situation. The
negro could not mistake the meaning of this, and, after a feeble
opposition, he gave his assent, and said he would help carry out the
terrible programme, as it had been arranged from the first.
It was certainly very curious how the coming of little Inez Hawthorne
upon the ship threatened for awhile to disarrange every plan; but so
it was. There was a time when the better nature of the two evil men
asserted itself, and they began to consider the question in the light
of their awakened consciences; but these divine monitors were only
roused into temporary wakefulness and speedily dropped asleep again.
The manifest distrust which Inez showed toward them seemed to fill
their hearts with the most atrocious feelings, and neither of them
would have hesitated to fling her overboard, had the opportunity been
given. Incredible as it may seem, it is the fact that they would have
preferred to do so, being restrained by the simple question of policy.
They saw that Pomp had grown very fond of her, and any such action on
their part might alienate him--a catastrophe which they were anxious
to avert above everything else.
"You say he shook hands with you upon it?" repeated Redvignez. "What
does all that mean?"
"It means that he is with us heart and soul. He sees the necessity of
putting the captain and mate out of the way, and he will help do it."
"But what about the little girl--the viper?"
"It was a bad thing for us, Redvig, when we played that little trick,
for I have been ready to despair more than once, but the remedy is so
simple that I wonder we have not thought of it before."
"How is that?"
"We will spare her, for Pomp gave me to understand that on no other
conditions would he go into it. She will be a pleasant playmate for
him, and will help keep him true to us. She is so young and
simple-hearted that we can make her believe that some accident has
befallen the other two, by which they came to their death, so there
will be no danger from anything she ever can tell. When we have
gathered in all the pearls we will set sail for South America. At
Valparaiso or some of the ports we will place the girl in some convent
or school, with enough money to take care of her, and then we will
land at another port, sell the schooner, divide up the proceeds and
separate, each taking a different route home, if we choose to go
there, and then all we'll have to do, Redvig, is to enjoy the wealth
which shall be ours."
"How much do you think it will be?" asked the Spaniard, with sparkling
eyes.
"There is no telling," was the reply. "I hardly dare think, but I know
it runs into the hundreds of thousands, and it is not at all
impossible that it touches the millions."
Redvignez drew a deep breath and his heart gave a great throb, as
would be the case with the most phlegmatic being who contemplated the
near possession of such vast wealth. Visions of the wild round of
dissipation and excesses in which they would indulge came up before
the two evil men, and it was no wonder that they were impatient for
the hour to come when they should strike the blow for the prize. Like
the officers, they were so full of the scheme that they had no desire
to sleep; and while the figure of Mr. Storms was visible at the wheel,
and the _Coral_ sped on to the southward over the calm, moonlit sea,
these two men talked about and agreed upon the particulars of the
frightful crime which had been in their hearts, as may be said, from
the moment they hoisted sail and passed out of San Francisco harbor.