"Keep back, scoundrel, or I'll fire!"
"No, no! Mr Denning," I cried; "it's all right now, and we've mastered
the mutineers."
"Ah!"
I started forward at that cry--a long, low, pitiful cry--uttered by Miss
Denning; and I heard Mr Frewen's step behind me as I dropped the
lantern and tried to catch the poor girl. For the good news, after the
long and terrible strain, was more than she could bear. I knew
afterwards that she had acted like a heroine all through the fearful
excitement, and had worked hard to comfort and sustain her brother;
while now that the tension was removed, she reeled and would have fallen
in spite of my effort. But as the lantern fell, and we were in
darkness, I felt some one brush by me, and I knew by the sound that she
had not struck the cabin-floor.
"Quick, a light, Bob!--matches!" I cried.
"Right you are, sir," he said; and as he came into the cabin, I heard
him fumbling about and trying to strike a match, but for several minutes
there was nothing but a phosphorescent streak made on the boards of the
partition.
"Yah! everything's so plaguy wet," growled the sailor.
"Here, let me come, matey," I heard Dumlow say. "Mine's brass box."
And the next minute there was a sharp crick, crick, crack, a burst of
flame, and I saw Mr Frewen holding poor Miss Denning in his arms, ready
to lay her carefully and reverently down as the lantern was re-lit.
"Yes, Mr Denning," he said quietly, "I think there is no more cause for
anxiety now, except from the storm. Will you see to your sister, and
bathe her face? It is only a fainting fit from the sudden shock."
"Yes, thank you," said Mr Denning, coldly and ungraciously, I thought.
"Be good enough to take away your men."
"Of course. Come, my lads," said Mr Frewen; and he stepped out of the
cabin, followed by Bob Hampton and Dumlow.
"It's all right, Mr Denning," I said. "Nothing to mind now."
But somehow I did not speak very warmly, for I was hurt by his cold
reception of a man who had been risking his life to save him and his
sister.
My feelings changed though the next moment, for to my astonishment Mr
Denning laid hands on my shoulders, and he quite broke down and sobbed,
while his words were choking and strange.
"Thank God!--thank God!" he said. "Oh, Dale, if you only knew what we
have suffered, my poor sister and I!"
"Yes, yes, it has been horrible," I said, trying to comfort him, for his
illness had made him weak as a girl; "but that's nothing to mind now.
We've thrashed the scoundrels and locked them up, and Mr Frewen has
behaved like a hero."
"Yes; and--and I'm afraid I spoke very sharply to him, but I could not
help it, Dale."
"Well, you weren't very warm to him," I said; "and he does deserve
something."
"Yes, yes," he cried hastily; "and I'll try and thank him another time.
Hush! she's coming to."
"Yes, and I mustn't stay," I cried quickly; for I was miserably
uncomfortable, and wanted to get away before Miss Denning quite came to,
and burst out sobbing and crying, as I was sure she would.
"Can't you stop--a few minutes?" he said.
"No; I must go on deck. There's everything to do, and we're
short-handed. I'll leave you the light."
"Thank you, yes," he cried, wringing my hand.
"Tell Miss Denning I'm so glad," I said hastily; and then I hurried out.
But I was no sooner outside than I remembered my message, and ran back,
to find, as I expected, that Miss Denning was sobbing on her brother's
shoulder; when to my horror she left him, and with a cry flung her arms
about my neck and kissed me.
"Oh, Alison Dale," she cried warmly, "bless you, and thank you! You
have always been like a dear good brother to us both, ever since we have
been on board."
"He has--he has," cried Mr Denning warmly, and he looked as pleased as
could be at his sister's behaviour; while as for me, I would have given
anything to be outside the cabin. For to a lad of my age, being thanked
for what I had done was painful in the extreme; and in a hurried way I
hastened to tell them my message, and briefly about how we had found
friends in the mutineers' ranks, and then of our attack and success.
But my stay was brief. We had so far mastered one enemy, but were
suffering from the attack of another, which we had ignored for a time;
while now it was impressing itself upon us all, as I soon found, in a
very serious way.
On reaching the deck, along which I had to guide myself by holding on by
the side, and catching at rope and belaying-pin, I found that the sea
had risen higher, and the wind was rushing through the rigging with
almost hurricane force. But I made my way to the forecastle-hatch,
where Mr Preddle was still on guard, as I could see by the light of the
swaying lantern, and Mr Brymer was with him.
"Ah, Dale," he cried, "I'm glad you've come. I want you to stay on
guard with Mr Preddle. You have a pistol?"
"Yes," I said, pointing to my belt.
"That's right. I want to go to the wheel. Hampton is there now. I
should like to do more, but it is terrible work now, short-handed as we
are; and we must run on in this blind fashion, for I have no idea where
we are."
Just at that moment there was a tremendous crack overhead, followed by a
snapping as of pistol-shots; for one of the sails had got loose, and was
now being torn into ribbons, which snapped and cracked like so many
cart-whips on a gigantic scale.
"Is that dangerous?" I shouted, for the wind carried away my voice.
"No; a blessing, my lad. It will save her. I only want steering power.
Look here, don't fire unless you are obliged. If you do, mind, I take
it as a signal that you want help, both of you; and then of course we
shall come to your help. But what about Mr Denning?"
As he spoke, the invalid came struggling along by the bulwarks, and I
ran to help him to where he could stand in shelter.
"Glad to see you, Mr Denning. Ah, that's right. Rather a small
pistol, but I dare say it can do its duty. You will help them?"
"As far as my strength will let me," he said.
"That's right. Now, Mr Preddle, I must go. Sorry about your fish, but
we can do nothing till the weather mends."
"No, I'm afraid not," Mr Preddle yelled.
"I don't hear that crying out now."
"No; I haven't heard it since Mr Dale came," panted Mr Preddle, with
the wind driving his words back so that he could hardly get his breath.
"That must wait too. The safety of the ship is all we can look to now."
He made a dash for the weather-bulwark, and disappeared at once into the
darkness and mist of spray which flew before the gale, hissing by us,
and drenching us to the skin.
"You ought to have brought a waterproof, Mr Denning," I said.
"Who could think of waterproofs at a time like this?" he said, with his
lips to my ear. Then with a start, as he turned his head and looked
forward--"What's that?"