"No."
"What time should you think it is?"
"'Bout four bells, I should say, sir. Sun's shining down so as the
tarpaulin's made the hatch hot."
"Then the lubbers are all having a caulk," growled Dumlow. "Tell him to
have another cut, sir, and a good long 'un this time."
I hesitated for a few moments, shrinking from doing anything to let the
enemy know that we were trying to get out; but the heat was so terrible
that I was obliged to give the order at last.
"Cut, Bob," I whispered, and there was a low buzz of satisfaction as the
knife ripped through the tarred canvas, and we could see a long streak
of bright light.
"'Nother, sir?" said Bob.
"Yes," I said desperately, "we shall be suffocated if you don't."
Rip went the tarpaulin again, and another streak of light a short
distance from the others appeared, while directly after, without waiting
for orders, Bob lengthened the first cut he had made till it equalled
the two latter.
"Won't be much better," he growled, "but it's better than nothing.
Shall I get under the end of one of the hatches now, sir, and try and
push it up?"
"No, not yet. If we do that it ought to be after dark. But I don't
think there will be any chance, for they are sure to be well fastened
down. Listen again. There must be some one on deck."
"Yes, sir, for sartain, but they'll be up at the other end. Dessay
they're a-feeding o' themselves, and got plenty to drink."
"Ay, trust 'em, messmate," growled Dumlow, "but it's no use to grumble.
Ups and downs in life we see. We're down now, and it's their turn."
"Now," said Barney.
"Hush!" I whispered.
We all listened, and plainly heard a step overhead, as if a man was
walking along the deck. It passed by, sounding fainter, and died away,
but at the end of a minute we heard it again, and knew that whoever it
might be, he was returning and would pass by us again.
This happened, and I feared that he would notice the cuts in the
tarpaulin, but he went on, the footsteps grew fainter, and I fancied
that I heard them continue on the ladder as the man ascended to the
poop-deck.
"Could you tell who that was, Bob?" I said.
"Ay, sir. No mistaking that pair o' legs. They don't go like an
Englishman's would. That was old Jarette."
I set my teeth hard, and almost writhed at the feeling of impotence
which troubled me. To have been so near success, and then for that
scoundrel, who had promised to work faithfully for us if he were
forgiven, to have played the spy, and contrived after hearing our plot
to change the contents of the tins. For it was all clear enough now in
my memory, and I could recall every word the man had said to the cook.
"We ought to have kept some one on the watch while we made our plans," I
said to myself, but felt how absurd it was to murmur now that the
mischief was done.
The heat seemed a little less intense now, but it was so terrible that
the throbbing in my head commenced again, and I was ready to order an
attempt to be made to force up one side of the hatch, when there was a
whisper.
"What say, Bob?" I replied.
"Didn't speak, sir," was the reply.
"You then, Dumlow?"
"No; not me, sir."
"Well then, Barney, it was you," I said tetchily. "What do you want?"
"I never spoke, sir," said Barney, in an ill-used tone. "What do they
want to say it was me for?"
"Cheer up!" came now quite plainly.
"Eh? Who spoke?"
"Friend," was whispered again.
"Yes, what? Who is it?"
"Pst!"
I waited for whoever it was to speak again, but there was not another
sound, and I turned to where I believed Bob to be lying.
"Who could that be?" I said.
"Well, sir, when a man blows his words down through a slit in a
tarpaulin--"
"You think it came down through the hole you cut?"
"Yes, sir, sure on it; but as I was a-saying, when a man blows his words
down like that he might just as well be whistlin' a hornpipe for all you
can tell who it is. But if I was put upon my oath afore a judge I
should swear as it were Plum Duff."
"What do you mean?" I said.
"Well, sir, old Byled Salt Pork."
"The cook?"
"That's him, sir."
"But he whispered `Friend,'" I panted excitedly.
"Yes, and that's what bothered me. If it had been any one else it would
ha' been all right, but one can't quite believe in a cook being your
friend at any time. After what has taken place just lately I should say
he was the worsest enemy we ever had."
"No, no," I cried eagerly, "the man could not help it. He was innocent
enough. It was that scoundrel who did the mischief."
"All right, sir; have it your own way. I'm willing."
"Then we have one friend on deck."
"Yes, sir, and s'pose he'll doctor the lot of 'em this next time and
have us all up on deck again. Good luck to him. I hope he'll look
sharp about it."
"Hist! What's that?"
It was the three knocks again plainly heard from forward somewhere, and
plain proof that we had other friends who would gladly join us in a
combination against our common enemy.