"Help!"
I took out my pistol and thumped with the butt on the hatch, when there
was silence again.
"Below there!" I shouted with my lips close to the boards.
"Help! pray help!" came in answer.
"All right," I cried; "I'll see."
I crept back on hands and knees to my companions, who were waiting for
me impatiently.
"It's all right," I said; "there's some one in the cable-tier a
prisoner, and as it must be some one of our lads he is of course afraid.
Oughtn't I to run to Mr Brymer?"
The need ceased the next moment, for before we could decide whether the
signal ought to be given by firing a pistol, Neb Dumlow appeared in the
feeble glow shed by the lantern, coming out of the black darkness in a
peculiarly weird fashion.
"Ahoy!" he growled. "Mate says, is all right?"
"No," I said eagerly, for boy as I was, I seemed to be the captain of
that watch, the two gentlemen giving place to me, even if they did
oppose some of my ideas. "Go and tell Mr Brymer to come here."
"Ay, ay!" growled the great ugly fellow--uglier now in the darkness than
he had ever looked before--and he turned and trotted aft, to return in a
few minutes bearing a lantern, and in company with the mate and Mr
Frewen.