I bore it as long as I could, and then I was on the point of shrieking
out and striking at the lid of the locker, when I heard a movement over
my head, Jarette stepped down, and I forced the lid open a little way,
and drew a long deep breath.
I don't believe that the air was any better, but there was the idea of
its being purer, and the horror of suffocation which had nearly driven
me frantic was gone.
I have often wondered since that he did not hear or see the movement of
the lid, but his attention was probably taken up by something else, and
I heard him go out into the saloon, and then on through the
companion-way to the deck.
I opened the lid a little more and peered out, breathing freely now as I
kept the locker open with my head; and to my horror I saw that he had
left the door wide open, so that with the lamp burning it was impossible
for me to get out without the risk of being seen.
But I felt relieved, for I could breathe freely now, and I lay still
with the lid raised, listening for Jarette's uneasy step as he came and
went, and thinking of how easy it was to make plans, and how difficult
to carry them out. I knew that if we were going to try and obtain the
mastery once more we must act at once, for a fresh breeze would separate
us at once, and the chance be gone. But how could we do it without
weapons?
How I lay puzzling my brains as to where the cartridges could be! I
recalled how Walters had stolen them, and he must have carried them
forward, where the main portion would be stowed somewhere; but all the
same I felt that Jarette would, for certain, have some in this or one of
the other cabins, ready for use in case of emergency. But where?
I tried very hard, but I could not think it out, and at last lay there
quite despondent and feeling in no hurry to stir, for it only meant
going back to the boat to say that I had failed.
There was Walters, of course, but he was insensible, and it was not
likely that I could get any information from him. No; the case was
hopeless. I had failed, and all my hopes of our gallant little party
storming the deck and carrying all before them were crushed.
By degrees, though, the mental wind changed the course of that peculiar
weathercock, one's mind, and I felt better.
Violence would not do, so why not try cunning?
How?
Well, I thought, if I could so easily steal on board, and get actually
into the cabin, it must surely be possible for Mr Brymer, Mr Frewen,
and two of the men to get up, wait their opportunity, and, in spite of
his pistols, seize and master Jarette.
"That's it," I said to myself; "the only chance. How could I be so
stupid as not to think of it before?"
All excitement again, I was now eager to get back to the boat, so that
my friends might take advantage of the darkness, and carry out my plans
before morning came. For another night would perhaps prove to be too
clear.
I raised the lid a little higher and looked out, but the table was too
much in the way for me to see more than the top of the other door-way,
and this encouraged me, for that worked two ways--if I could not see out
into the saloon, Jarette could not see the locker. But all the same I
was afraid to get out. It was so light in the cabin, and everywhere
else was so dark, that if he were on deck, and looking in my direction,
he would be sure to see what took place.
Then I concluded that I could do nothing till the door was closed, and
as soon as an opportunity offered itself, I determined to creep out, and
at all risks draw that door to, trusting to Jarette thinking that the
closing was caused by the motion of the ship as it gently rocked upon
the swell.
At last as I lay there, for minutes which seemed to be hours, I heard my
enemy talking loudly, and I knew that he must be speaking to the men in
the forecastle.
That would do. He could see nothing now, for between us there were the
main and foremasts, and plenty besides--the galley and water-cask, and
the long cabin-like range upon the top of which our boat had lain in the
chocks.
I crept over the side after propping up the lid, went upon hands and
knees to the door, readied out and touched it. That was sufficient: it
swung upon its hinges so that Jarette could easily imagine that the
motion of the ship had caused the change.
The next minute, still keeping the locker open ready to form a retreat
for me in case of necessity, I leaned right out as far as I could, and
bending down, strained my eyes, trying to cut the darkness as I
whispered sharply--
"Are you there?"
"Yes; got them?" came from the boat, though to me the voice came out of
the black darkness.
"No cartridges," I whispered. "Come closer. No--keep back."
I said that, not that I knew anything, but I had a kind of impression
that Jarette was returning, and dropping down into the locker once more,
I lowered the lid, but this time not quite close, for I thrust in a bit
of one of the flags, so that there was room for a little air to get in,
and that and possibly the idea that I could not be suffocated, made me
more at my ease.
I waited some little time, and then began to grow impatient; feeling
sure that I had fancied his coming and taken alarm at nothing, I
determined to lift the lid and get some fresh air, but I did not stir
just then, only lay still, finding my position terribly irksome. I
could not hear well either, and at last I began to move cautiously to
peer out, when to my horror there was a sharp blow delivered on the lid
of the locker, and then another probably given with the butt of a
revolver, and Jarette exclaimed fiercely--
"Hang the rats!"
I lay back, breathless, expecting that he would hear the dull heavy
throb of my pulses, while I trembled violently, thinking that all was
over, and that he was trifling with me, and knew all the while that I
was lying there. But by degrees I grew calmer. There were rats enough
in the hold. I had heard them, and why should he not have attributed
the slight rustling noise I made to one of the mischievous little
animals?
At last, to satisfy my doubts, I heard him come and kneel upon the
locker again, as if looking out of the cabin-window.
He stayed some minutes, and I began to think that he must see the boat;
but I soon set that idea aside and felt that it was absurd, for if he
had seen the boat he certainly would either have shouted to warn its
occupants away, or fired at them.
"He feels that he is not safe," I said to myself at last, and to my
great relief he got down, muttering to himself, and I could tell by the
sound that he was at the table, for I heard a clink of glass, the
gurgling of liquor out of a bottle, and then quite plainly the noise he
made in drinking before he set down the glass and uttered a loud "Hah!"
Just then I heard voices from forward, loud laughing and talking.
"Curse them, what are they doing now?" exclaimed Jarette, loudly. "Oh,
if I had only one man I could trust!"
He hurried out of the cabin, and I did not flinch now from opening the
lid and looking out, to find that the door had swung to as soon as he
had passed through.
The noise was so boisterous forward that I crept out, pushed the door,
and stood in the dark saloon, where I could still see the line of light
at the bottom of Miss Denning's cabin as I crept to the companion, and,
excited by curiosity, slipped aside to where I could shelter under the
bulwark and see what was going on.
There were lanterns now by the big hatch in front of the main-mast, and
I could see quite a group of men at whom Jarette was storming.
It was a curious weird-looking scene there in the darkness, for the
men's faces stood out in the lantern-light, and in spite of their fear
of their leader they were laughing boisterously.
"You dogs," he roared; "not a drop more. Go back to your kennel."
"Mus' have little drop more, skipper," cried one of the men.
"No," he roared, "not a drop, and it shall be allowances from this
night."
"But there's heaps o' good stuff spoiling, skipper."
"I'll spoil you, you dog," snarled Jarette, and I saw him snatch a
lantern from one of the men and lean down, holding the light over the
open hold. "Hi! below there," he roared; "leave that spirit-keg alone,
and come up."
In the silence which ensued I heard a muffled muttering come from below,
and Jarette dropped upon his knees to hold the lantern right down in the
open hold, while the light struck up and made his face and his actions
plain from where I stood watching.
"Once more, do you hear? Come up and leave that spirit, or I'll fetch
you with a bullet."
"Better come up, mate," shouted one of the men.
"You hold your tongue," snarled Jarette to the speaker. "Now then, will
you come, or am I to fire?"
There was no reply, and Jarette spoke once more in quite a calm, gentle,
persuasive voice.
"I say, will you leave that spirit-keg alone and come up?"
Still no answer, and Jarette turned his head to the group of men.
"That's a fresh keg broached. Who did it?" he said slowly. "I said no
more was to be taken. I say--who broached that keg?"
"Oh, well, it was all on us, skipper. You see we couldn't do nothing in
this calm," said the man who had before spoken, and who seemed to be the
most sensible of the group.
"Then you all broke my orders," cried Jarette, hastily now, "and you
shall all see how I punish a man for breaking my orders."
I looked on as if spellbound, forgetting the boat and my mission as I
crouched there in the dark, feeling that a tragedy was at hand, though I
could not grasp all and divine that this was the crowning-point of the
mutiny.
For Jarette bent right down over the open hold, lowering the lantern,
whose light played upon the barrel of a pistol.
"Now," he cried, "once more, will you come up and leave that
spirit-barrel, or am I to fire?"
"Fire away," came up in muffled tones, but quite defiantly, and as the
last word reached my ear there was the sharp report of the pistol, whose
flash shone out brighter than the lantern. Then a horrible cry came
from below, and for a few moments I could see nothing for the smoke
which hung in the air. But from out of it came an excited burst of
talking and yelling.
"Stand back," roared Jarette. "I have five more shots ready, and you
see I can hit. Serve the scoundrel right."
"But look, look!" shouted the man who had spoken before; and as the
smoke dispersed, I saw him pointing down into the hold, while the other
men, sobered now, stood huddled together in alarm.
Then with a wild yell of horror one of them threw up his hands, shouting
"Fire, fire!" ran forward, while a fearful figure suddenly appeared at
the mouth of the hold, climbed on deck, and then shrieking horribly,
also ran forward with Jarette and the others in full pursuit.