The discovery of the cook made a great difference in the state of
affairs. It was found that he had been forced by Jarette's threats to
work for the mutineers, and if they had gained the upper hand he would
no doubt have sided with them again; but now he seemed to return gladly
to his regular duties, and he was as energetic as possible in preparing
breakfast, waiting on Miss Denning and her brother, and when he was not
cooking, making himself generally useful, as the advertisements say,
about the cabins, especially that of the captain, to whom, unasked, he
began to act as nurse.
That morning, by Mr Brymer's orders, he filled a number of bottles with
fresh water, and got ready a quantity of biscuits, which he was told to
bear to the mutineers.
"But I dursen't, sir," he said. "That Jarette would swear I was a
traitor as soon as he heard my voice, and shoot me same as he did poor
Phipps."
"What! the steward?" cried Mr Frewen.
"Yes, sir, dead, on the night they rose."
"You rose," said Mr Brymer.
"No, sir, I didn't; I'm only a cook, and not a fighting man. One does
lots of things when a pistol's held to your head as you wouldn't do
other times."
"Bring the biscuit and water," said Mr Frewen, "and I'll speak to the
men. They will not use pistols when they know food is going to be given
to them."
The cook shook his head.
"You don't know Jarette, sir," he said.
"I'll go with you and help you," I cried, for I fully believed Mr
Frewen's words, which proved quite correct, till we had passed down all
that we had taken, the men eagerly thrusting up their hands and seizing
bottle and biscuit.
Then as the last bottle of water was handed through the opening Bob
Hampton had left when he nailed the boards over, Jarette shouted--
"That isn't all, is it?"
"Yes," I said, "that's all you'll get;" and fortunately I started away
and fell back in my fright, for quick as lightning the scoundrel thrust
out a pistol and fired at me, the flash being so close that I felt sure
for the moment that I was hit. In fact I was stunned, but it was from
the sharp rap which I gave the back of my head on the deck.
"Hurt?" cried Mr Frewen, running to my help, as I sat up rubbing the
back of my head.
"Hurt? Yes, of course I am," I cried, angrily; but I laughed it off the
next minute, for I was afraid that they would think it cowardly of me
for shrinking away.
"I'm afraid it will be some time before they get any more refreshments,"
said Mr Preddle, laughing; and now by Mr Brymer's orders a tarpaulin
was drawn over the top of the hatch, but it had not been there a minute
before a knife-blade was passed through it, and a good-sized piece cut
out.
Then a board was thrown on, but it was only tossed away, and shot after
shot was fired, evidently, from the good aim taken, by some one who
could see the people on deck.
Nothing more was done then, for the mutineers made no further attempt to
escape; and in wonderful contrast to what we had gone through, it now
fell perfectly calm, with the sun blazing down upon us and the heat
intense.
Short-handed though we were, matters fell back into the old ship
routine, with the exception that the watches kept were against something
more serious than the weather.
The captain seemed better; and though they were not friendly, there was,
it appeared to me, a certain amount of polite intercourse kept up
between Mr Frewen and the Dennings, though Mr Denning always appeared
to be rather cold and strange during the short time they were together
at meals. These the cook served up regularly for the officers,
passengers, and men, the two who were at the wheel having settled down
in their places with Hampton and his two companions, and had even gone
so far as to offer to fight upon our side.
They sent the message by Bob Hampton, and he bore it to Mr Brymer, but
said to me afterwards with a good deal of screwing up of his honest
wrinkled countenance--
"Mr Brymer can do as he likes, of course, Mr Dale, but I should just
trust them two chaps as far as I could see 'em."
"They'll be all right while we have the upper hand, Bob," I said, "and
go against us if Jarette beats us."
"That's it, sir. You're as right as you can get. I'm friendly with
'em, of course; but I've got my eyes open, and they don't go nigh that
hatch while I'm on deck."
"Do you think we can trust the cook, Bob?" I said in a low voice, for
we were not far from the galley, which was smoking away as methodically
as if there were no such thing as a mutiny on board.
Bob gave me a very slow wink.
"Suet," he said in a whisper.
"What?"
"Suet, sir. That's 'bout what he's made on. Sort of soft fat man.
There's no harm in him, only softness. Think of a fellow being so
scared that he goes and shuts hisself up and drinks hisself into a state
o' muddle so as not to know what's going on. Why, if one's got to be
drowned, one wants to make a bit of a fight for it. Never say die, my
lad. Life in a mussel, you know. Oh, there's no harm in old
bile-the-pot, only I shouldn't like to depend on him in a row, though he
could do us a lot o' good."
"How?" I said, laughing, as I thought of Bob's low estimate of his
fighting powers.
"Lot of ways, my lad. Cook's got a good many advantages, you see.
Red-hot pokers is one; pots and kettles o' boiling water's another,
without counting the long sharp knives; but he won't do nothing, and I
must. Don't walk too near the wild beasts' cage, my lad, I'm going
aft."
He went steadily aft to mount the poop-deck, while being near the galley
I strolled towards it to have a few words with the man of suet, and as
he welcomed me with a simple placid smile, I felt that Bob Hampton's
estimate of his character was pretty correct, and that it would be bad
policy to trust much to him in a time of peril.
"Well," I said, "been to the captain?"
"Yes, Mr Dale, sir, and have taken him a beautiful basin of broth. Let
me give you one."
"No, not now," I said, though I felt tempted to say yes. "Did you take
Mr Walters his provisions?"
"I did, sir, with Mr Brymer looking on all the time."
"Does he seem very bad?"
"Well, sir, he pulled a long face, but I don't think there's much the
matter with him. He can eat readily enough."
"I say, cook," I half whispered, "you were a good deal on deck?"
"No, sir, not much, I was busy here. The crew ate a deal."
"But you knew about Mr Walters being shut up in the cable-tier?"
The cook glanced uneasily toward the forecastle-hatch and shook his
head.
"They can't hear you," I said, "and even if they could they can't get at
you."
"I don't know, sir," he whispered; "that Jarette's got ears such as no
man before ever had. I've often thought it isn't hearing he has, but a
kind of knowing."
"Oh, he's knowing enough!" I said, laughing.
"I don't mean that, Mr Dale," he whispered. "I mean there's something
uncanny about him, as the Scotch people say, and he can tell what you
are thinking about without your saying it."
"Oh, nonsense!"
"It arn't nonsense, sir, and there's more about him than you think for.
Why, he can do anything with the men. They're not only afraid of him,
but they're obliged to do what he wants, and if I was Mr Brymer, sir, I
shouldn't rest till he was put in a boat and sent off to shift for
himself."
"You think he's dangerous then?"
"Ah, that he is, sir; and if he isn't hatching out something row to
surprise you all, I don't know mutton from beef."
I looked sharply at the cook, for his words chimed in with a kind of
fancy I had that the people in the forecastle were not so silent for
nothing.
"Ah, well," I said, "I dare say we shall be ready for him if he does try
to play any pranks. But you didn't tell me about Mr Walters."
The cook gave a sharp glance round.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"I don't seem to like to talk about him, sir," he whispered. "He never
forgets anything, and never forgives anybody. I wouldn't say a word
against him for worlds."
"I don't ask you to," I said; "I only asked you why Mr Walters was shut
up in the cable-tier?"
"Jarette don't like him, sir. He found him very useful for stealing
pistols and cartridges, and fastening people in the cabins, but once he
got all he wanted, though he made a fuss with him and encouraged him to
strut about, and called him his lieutenant, he used to be always looking
at him ugly-like, and I got to think that before long there would be a
row."
"And there was?"
"Oh yes, sir, a terrible row. You see Mr Walters couldn't forget that
he had been an officer, and Jarette couldn't forget he had been a
fore-mast man, and feel jealous of Mr Walters, who used to make-believe
amongst the men that he was the real captain of the ship, and that
everything depended upon him. So at last there was a terrible row about
something in the navigation, and Mr Walters told Jarette that he didn't
know anything about it. Then the Frenchman hit him, kind of boxed his
ears, and Mr Walters whips out a pistol. That was enough. Jarette
whistled up the men, who none of 'em liked Mr Walters, and before he
knew where he was, they had him on his back with his pistol gone and him
helpless. He made a bit of a fuss, and threatened to have Jarette
punished if he did not give it up, and then the skipper pointed the
pistol at him, and told the men who were holding Mr Walters down to
hang back as far as they could while he shot the prisoner. That was
enough. The poor boy began to holloa out and beg for mercy, and Jarette
set to and teased him, sir, horribly.
"`Oh, very well,' he says, `you don't want to be shot?'
"`No, no!' cries Mr Walters, crying now like a little child.
"`Well, then, sir,' says Jarette, `I'll try and oblige you.'
"Mr Walters lay watching him with his eyes rolling, but they wouldn't
let him turn his head, while Jarette whispered something to some of the
men, who went forward, and I saw them stoop down, but I didn't know what
they were doing there even when they came back, and at a word four of
them seized him, taking hold of his ankles and wrists.
"`What are you going to do?' cried Mr Walters, who looked white, sir,
as so much dough.
"`What you wanted,' says Jarette. `You didn't want to be shot, so I
thought I'd humour you, and have you pitched overboard.'
"Then Mr Walters begins to howl for mercy, but Jarette shakes his head.
"`Off with him!' he cried; and in spite of the poor fellow's kicks and
struggles, they trotted with him right forward and close up to the bows.
Then I shut my eyes, for I thought it was all over, and I put my head a
little farther out of the door-way here to listen for the splash. But
there came a shriek and a loud slap down of a lid, and then I opened my
eyes and saw the men all laughing, and found what they had done. For
they had given the poor fellow a few swings to make him believe he was
going over, and then all at once took a few steps and shot him down feet
first into the cable-tier, shutting the lid over him directly after."
"The cowardly brute, to torture any one like that!" I said to myself,
as I went aft and into the saloon, stopping for a few moments by
Walters' prison, and feeling sorry for him till I passed my hand over my
face.
That night passed quietly enough, and a soft breeze rose to send us
gently through the water, Mr Brymer giving his instructions to the men
at the wheel as to the course they were to steer, though I had not the
least notion where we were bound for now.
A strict watch was kept, of course, and there was a slight alarm once,
but it passed off; and the sun rose again, with the wind dropping, and
leaving us once more rocking gently upon the smooth ocean.
We were all in better spirits though, thanks to the cook and the few
hours of rest every one had managed to snatch. Mr Frewen gave us the
news, too, that the captain was decidedly better, and that Miss Denning
was nursing him constantly.
This was a bit of relief to me, for it kept Miss Denning in the cabin,
and I was determined not to let her see my face till I looked different.
About an hour later, first one and then another crawled along the deck
very silently to try and make out what was going on in the forecastle.
I did not go, neither did Mr Frewen or Mr Preddle. Mr Denning was in
the captain's cabin resting; but all came back with the same story, one
which relieved me, for I was startled, thinking that the party were all
smothered by being shut down in the cabin place in such hot weather.
Dumlow, Blane, and Bob Hampton all said that the men were sleeping, and
that they thought they had been at the drink.
Mr Brymer crept close up in his turn, listened for some time, and
confirmed the men's statement.
"Getting ready for a fresh attack," he said. "I'll have a talk to the
captain as to what is to be done."
He placed another trusty man on duty, ready to give the alarm if the
mutineers woke and tried to break out, and then proposed that we should
all go into the captain's cabin and have a council of war once more.
"Think he can bear it, Frewen?" he said.
"Oh yes, if we do not stay too long. It will rouse him up and do him
good mentally, to feel that he has some interest in the management of
the ship."
"Then come along," said the mate. "But where is Mr Preddle?"
"Gone to look after his fish," I said; for he was always snatching every
opportunity to go and see how the salmon and trout fry were getting on.
"Go and fetch him, Dale."
I had to pass Mr Frewen on my way, and I seized the opportunity to
whisper to him--
"I shall hang back till you come to the door, and signal to me that Miss
Denning has gone. She mustn't see me like this."
He smiled, and I went forward to where Mr Preddle was making himself
very hot by using the bellows to aerate the water.
"Yes--yes, of course," he said. "I'll come." And hastily putting on
the light flannel jacket he had removed, he followed me toward the
saloon.
"They will not make a rush and get out while we are away, will they?" he
said, with an uneasy look over his shoulder.
"They are well watched," I replied, "and we shall not be very long."
"Ah! It would be very dreadful if they did, Dale. Have they been fed
this morning?"
"Why, you talk as if they were wild beasts in a cage, Mr Preddle," I
said merrily.
"So they are," he cried,--"worse. I feel sometimes as if I could kill
them all."
"Gone to her own cabin, Dale," said Mr Frewen, meeting us at the
saloon-door-way, and Mr Preddle looked at us inquiringly.
"Dale is afraid of Miss Denning seeing his wounds," said Mr Frewen,
laughing. "He does not think they look the proper kind to be proud of."
"I wish you wouldn't joke me about my bad face, Mr Frewen," I said, as
we entered the far cabin, where the mate was seated by Captain
Berriman's cot, and I was startled to see how changed he looked.
But his eyes were bright, and he held out his hand to each in turn, as
we stood about with the door well open, the place of course being very
small.
"Now, sir," said Mr Brymer, firmly, "you know how we stand. I'm
horribly averse to taking life, but things cannot go on as they are."
"No," said the captain, in a voice hardly above a whisper. "You must
act now, and firmly, before there is loss of life on our side."
"That means then," said Mr Frewen, "shooting down every man who attacks
us."
"Of course," said a low, firm voice, and I started to see that Mr
Denning was standing outside.
"My practice is always to save life if I can, Mr Denning," said the
doctor, sadly. "Are you not too hard and revengeful?"
"Neither, sir," replied Mr Denning, sternly. "If I were alone I would
say nothing, but I have my sister to protect, and I say that at any cost
these ruffians must not leave that place alive."
There was so absolute a silence in the captain's cabin, that we all
heard distinctly a piteous sigh from that which Mr Denning had just
left.
"Yes, Mr Denning is quite right," said Mr Preddle, in his
highly-pitched voice. "I hate all this, and I am not a fighting man;
but I know that I shall fire on the first wretch who tries to break out
without a qualm."
"You hear, Mr Frewen," said the mate; "I am forced by circumstances to
take very strong measures."
"That may mean the death of several of those misguided men?" said Mr
Frewen, excitedly.
"I fear so, sir. But Captain Berriman agrees with me that it is our
duty, unless we like to well provision a boat and leave the ship."
"But that would be a terrible alternative," said Mr Frewen, hastily.
"Terrible, sir; and a cowardly and unfaithful one to the owners of the
vessel."
"But can we not keep the men down until you are able to run into some
port?"
"When we have run into the region of calms. No, sir, even if we had
favourable winds we are horribly short-handed, and I should not dare to
make much sail for fear of a change, and being unable to reduce it."
"But that is not the point, doctor," said the captain, in a feeble
voice; "those scoundrels are certain to make a desperate effort to break
out before many hours have passed, and if they do, I fear that you
gentlemen will be too humane to back up Mr Brymer and the men."
"But--" began Mr Preddle.
"Pray understand, gentlemen, that I do not doubt your courage," said the
captain.
"Nor I, gentlemen," cried Mr Brymer, warmly. "You have to a man--and
boy," he added hastily as he glanced at me--"proved how I can trust you;
but there is not one of you who would not shrink, and naturally too,
from shooting down one of our enemies. Am I not right?"
"I'm afraid so," replied Mr Frewen, gravely. "Even Mr Denning would
shrink from the stern necessity."