"Another pistol?"
"Yes," I said, for I had been hurriedly tearing off the drenched canvas
in which it had been wrapped so securely that though the woollen bag in
which pistol and cartridges lay was quite damp, as far as I could tell
they were none the worse for being dipped again and again into the sea.
For there is a capital quality in canvas as a protector; as the material
gets thoroughly soaked it swells and tightens, till it is a long way on
toward being waterproof; and after carefully feeling the weapon, and
examining it in every way we could in the darkness, Mr Frewen expressed
his opinion that it was uninjured, and placed it in his breast to dry.
"This will do for Mr Preddle," he said, and after listening at the
door, where nothing was to be heard but the creaking of the ship's
timbers as she laboured on, sounding to me as if at any moment she might
come to pieces, my fellow-prisoner tapped softly at the partition, and
placing his lips to the opening, called softly upon Mr Preddle.
This had to be repeated several times without effect, and it was not
until I had taken Mr Frewen's place and jerked a little empty phial
bottle through, so that it fell upon him where he was sleeping, that Mr
Preddle started up and cried loudly--
"Who's there?"
"Hist!" I whispered, and he came quickly to the opening.
"Oh, it's you," he said. "I had just lain down, and the noise of the
waves prevented my hearing you."
"I thought you were asleep," I said dryly.
"Asleep? Well, perhaps I was nearly. You've come to tell me that all
the water will be tossed out of those trays. Oh, my poor fish!"
"I hadn't," I said, "Mr Frewen wants to speak to you. He has a pistol
for you ready for when we try to escape."
"Oh dear! oh dear!" he sighed. "We shall never try to escape. We're
shut in here, and shall be drowned. Is the ship going down?"
"No, no; she'll ride it out."
"But those men don't know how to manage her, do they?"
"I think so," I replied. "I don't half understand big ships, but they
seem to be doing what my father would do with a yacht."
"Let me come, Dale," whispered Mr Frewen.
I drew back, but I was still near enough to hear every word that was
said as the pistol was passed through by Mr Frewen.
"Take it, and be careful. When it is light, you had better make sure
that there is no moisture in the chambers."
"But when are we going to try and do something?" said Mr Preddle, in
quite an ill-used tone. "I thought you were going to saw out one of
these boards."
"We are going to act as soon as the word comes from our friends outside.
We can do nothing better than be ready."
I clapped my hand over Mr Frewen's lips, and forcing myself by him,
whispered sharply to Mr Preddle--
"Quick,--lie down!"
I had no occasion to warn my companion, for he had seen my reason for
checking him, and lay down at the side of the cabin, while I glided into
the cot. For I had caught sight of a gleam of light beneath the door,
and I had hardly settled myself in my sleeping-place, the noise of the
waves and wind covering any sounds we made, when the door was thrown
open, and Jarette and two men stood in the entrance, holding up lanterns
which made their dripping oilskins glisten.