"Could you reach the powder-bags with a walking-stick? I mean one with
a hook."
"No; but I could easily run out and pick them up."
"No; never mind," said the captain; "the water would run up through them
like in salt or sugar. There's no danger from them. Look out again."
I peered out, and felt quite ready to laugh in spite of our perilous
condition, for I could not help thinking what a conceited fool Walters
looked. He seemed to me like a big school-boy playing at being a
buccaneer; and the feeling was strong upon me that I should like to go
out and punch his head till it was soft enough for some common-sense to
get in.
Then the reality, the stern, horrible reality, of all that was before me
came with terrible force; for as I scanned the rapidly drying deck, all
strewed and splotched with trampled wet powder, I saw one great patch
that did not seem to dry up at all, and the next moment I grasped what
it was, and shuddered, for it was blood.
And then I felt that in spite of the absurdity of the appearance of
Walters and some of the men, we poor creatures, shut up there in that
saloon-cabin, with ladies depending upon us for protection, were face to
face with death; for when weak, thoughtless men were once committed to
an enterprise and led away, there would be no bounds to the excesses
they might commit.
Strong thoughts, terrible thoughts these, but the weapons, the powder,
and the blood showed me that there was no exaggeration.
A cold shudder passed through me as I stood there watching, and ready to
report the next movement on the part of our enemies. My eyes felt a
little dim, too, as I looked round vainly in search of Jarette, who must
be, I was sure, planning some means of getting us all into his power.
The door was only opened widely enough for me to look along the deck
where the men were watching the door; and I was just thinking that if we
all made a bold dash at them, armed as we were with right upon our side,
there was no reason why we should not scatter them; and once scattered
and Jarette mastered, the rest would, I knew, be easy enough.
"And we shall have to do it," I thought. "I can't do much, but I could
and I would lick Walters."
My fingers itched to get at him as I thought all this, and the blood
flushed up into my temples.
"A mean, contemptible coward!" I muttered, as I gazed at him. "Yes,
you may stand there as cocky as you like with your pistols, but they
don't frighten me. You daren't fire them, and you showed what a coward
you were when you were told to lay the powder here and--Hallo!"
The current of my thoughts was changed on the instant as something came
down very softly from above--something soft and grey-looking hanging
from a string. There was not a sound, but I grasped directly what it
meant.
Some one had gone softly up on to the poop-deck, and was standing just
over my head, letting down this something by a string, so that it should
lie gently close up to the door.
I could not look right up and see, but I knew as well as could be that
it was Jarette there leaning over the rail; and as I watched, the bag--
for bag it certainly was--came lower and lower till it nearly touched
the deck-planks, when it was swung gently to and fro till it would just
touch the door. Then the string was dropped; and it had all been so
well managed that the bag, with perhaps ten pounds of powder within,
leaned close up.
"The cunning wretch," I thought to myself, and I was so interested in
the plan that I could not withdraw my eyes from the slit, but stood
watching to see what would come next.
I was not kept waiting many moments before there was a thick black
shower of dust scattered down from above, and I knew that Jarette must
be throwing down powder, so as to form a train. And this he did
cleverly enough, so that the deck was thick with powder, close up to the
bag, and then the train grew thinner, and I felt that he would have to
come down on the lower deck to finish his task.
Almost as I thought this, I saw a shadow, just the head and shoulders of
a man, cast by the sun upon the deck, and I knew that our enemy was
going to descend by the starboard ladder, and pass round to where he
could scatter his powder.
And now for a moment I drew back, and whispered to Mr Frewen.
"Let me have the walking-stick now."
"Right, my lad. Get yours, Mr Preddle, with the big hook."
I heard a rustling behind me, and hurried back to watch, getting my eye
on the deck in time to see a cloud of dust thrown toward the cabin-door,
just as a farmer's man might be sowing some kind of seed broadcast. And
all the while, though the firing of that bag of powder would mean
destruction, possibly death to some of us, I did not--mind, I who write
you this am not boasting, but setting down the simple facts--I did not,
I repeat, feel in the slightest decree alarmed, but so full of
confidence, that it was like participating in some capital trick which
was to result in confusion to a scoundrel.
The dust was thrown still, and I could see something very curious now,
for as Jarette suddenly came into sight, I saw the mutineers, led by
Walters, all draw back to some distance farther, while Jarette said
something to him, I don't know what, but I think it was insulting, and
laughed.