A VISIT FROM SHORE
In the meantime Abram Storms was acting the part of a vigilant
sentinel at his station on deck.
There was no doubt in his mind that the mutineers were fearful the
schooner would sail away and leave them on the lonely coral island,
and they were certain, as he viewed it, to make some effort to prevent
such a disaster to them. But precisely how this was to be done was a
serious question. They knew that the captain, having reached the
_Coral_, had several rifles at command, and would not hesitate to
shoot them the instant any attempt was made against him or little
Inez, under his charge.
Nothing was more certain than that an unremitting watch would be kept
upon the _Coral_, and, though they might believe there was but the
single man there, yet unquestionably he commanded the situation.
"They will try some trick," muttered the mate; "but I shall have a
very small opinion of myself if they win. Pomp Cooper's affection for
Inez led him to interfere, when his interference accomplished a good
deal more than he imagined. Ah!"
At that moment the mate heard a ghostly "Halloo!" from the shore, and
he recognized the voice as belonging to Pomp.
"Just as I suspected," said Storms, to himself; "they're using the
negro as a cat's-paw. Well, I'll see what they are driving at."
Imitating the tones of Captain Bergen as closely as possible, the mate
shouted:
"What do you want?"
"Am you dere?" was the rather superfluous question.
"Yes."
"Won't you let me come on board?"
"What for?"
"I'm sick ob dis business. I hab quarreled wid Redvig an' Brazzier,
an' I want to jine you an' git away from dis place."
Abe Storms was not deceived for a moment by this transparent story. He
knew there had been no quarrel, but that the mutineers had planned to
get the negro on the schooner with the hope of deceiving the captain
and gaining a chance to overpower him when off his guard.
"Come on out here, then," replied the mate, who quickly determined his
course of action.
Almost at the same instant a loud splash was heard, and the head of
Pomp was descried in the moonlight, swimming toward the boat. The mate
kept himself concealed as much as he could, stepping back when the
negro began clambering up the fore-chains. Panting from his exertion,
he speedily came over the gunwale upon the deck.
"Yes, cap'in, I's tired ob dem willains, an' I'm gwine----Oh! oh!
oh!"
At that instant his eyes fell upon the figure of the mate, clad in his
diving-armor, with the exception of his face, which was so clearly
revealed in the moonlight that there could be no mistaking his
identity.
Worse than that, the mate, standing as rigid as iron, had a gleaming
revolver pointed straight at him. Pomp sank on his knees in the most
abject terror.
"Oh, my heben!" he chattered, clasping his hands, "I t'ought dat you
was drowned. Am you sartin dat you ain't?"
"I am quite well satisfied on that point. But, Pomp, get up; I've got
a word or two to say to you."
"I will, I will; but please p'int dat weepon some oder way."
The mate complied, and the African, somewhat reassured, though still
considerably frightened, listened to the words of the man who he
supposed was drowned hours before.
"I am alive and well, Pomp, as you can see, and so is the captain, who
is taking a short nap in the cabin. We are well armed, as you
know----"
"Yas! yas! yas!" chattered the negro.
"And we can sail away in the morning, at the turning of the tide, and
leave you here----"
"Dat's what I want you to do, an' I'll go wid you."
"You can't go! I know well enough what you came out here for. You
thought you would find a chance to get the upper hand of the captain,
and would let the other villains on board. There! you needn't deny it.
I understand the matter too well to be deceived."
"Didn't I sabe de cap'in's life?" quavered Pomp, still fearful of the
cold, measured tones of the mate.
"You befriended him at a critical moment, and therefore I won't shoot
you, when I have such a good chance to do so. But you have regretted
your interference more than once, and you are seeking now to undo all
the good you have done. We have it in our power not only to go away,
but to bring back a force which shall hang every one of you three, as
you deserve to be, but----"
"Oh! oh-o-o-o!"
"But we don't propose to do it. We are not going away to leave you
here. To-morrow we shall have a proposal to offer to your mates, which
they will be glad to accept. That is about all I have to say to you."