"Dress quickly, as if for a long journey." She looked at him
wonderingly. "Yes," he said, and his voice sounded almost harsh. "In
five minutes or less you must both be down in the boat. Hat, cloak,
waterproof, and any necessary that you think may be useful. Nothing
more. You understand?"
She bowed, and began hurriedly to collect the few things she required,
while, without waiting to be told, I dragged pillow and blankets from
the cot, and ran out with them to the stern-window, beneath which I
could plainly see the boat now.
"Mr Preddle--Dumlow," I cried, "stow these aft;" and I threw down the
articles I had brought, and went to fetch others from the cabin, passing
Bob Hampton and Barney, who were collecting everything they could find
in the way of provisions, tins, bottles, bags, from the captain's
stores, and throwing them down.
By the time I was back, Miss Denning was ready, and she was about to
help her brother, but he hung back.
"No, no," he said. "Take her first, Frewen."
She would have resisted, but I said quickly--"The ship is on fire; we
must not lose a moment. Pray come."
She put her hand in mine, and I led her through the saloon, now full of
a lurid light, and into the captain's cabin, where the rope still hung
down.
"Be ready to help, Mr Preddle," I said, as I hauled it up, and handed
the end to Bob Hampton, who came in loaded.
"Make a loop, Bob, and help lower Miss Denning down."
"That I will, my dear lad," he said, shooting his load on one of the
lockers. "Don't you be skeart, but just you trust to me. That's your
sort," he cried, as he passed the rope round her, and knotted it. "Now
then, you'll just take a tight grip of the rope there with both hands,
and trust to me, just as if I was going to give you a swing."
"I'll trust you, Hampton," she said, with a quiet smile.
"That's right, miss; you'll be like a baby in my arms. Now, Barney,
boy, lay hold of the rope. Nay, you needn't, she's light as a feather.
Give way to me, my dear, just as if I was your father, and I'll lower
you right enough."
I could not help thinking how pretty and gentle and brave she looked as
she left herself in Bob's hands, while he knelt on the locker, lifted
her up, passed her out of the cabin-window, held for a moment or two by
the knot, and then gently lowered her down.
"Done lovely," said Bob. "Better let Neb Dumlow cast off the rope, Mr
Preddle, sir. You can hand the lady into the starn arter-wards. That's
your sort, sir," as he hauled up. "Why, some gals would ha' kicked and
squealed and made no end o' fuss. Want this for Mr Denning, shan't
us?"
"Yes," I said, and at that moment, supporting the poor fellow below the
arms, Mr Frewen and the mate helped Mr Denning into the cabin, panting
heavily even from that little exertion.
"I'll be--as quick--as I can," he sighed. "There is no hurry," said Mr
Brymer, quietly; "we have a wall of fire between us and our enemies."
"Go on heaving down that there prog, Barney," whispered Bob from behind
his hand. "I don't hold with running short out in a hopen boat."
Barney grunted, and while Bob passed the rope round Mr Denning so that
he could sit in the bight, and then made a hitch round his breast so as
to secure him in case his weak hold with his hands gave way, the sailor
kept various articles of food in tins flying down to Neb Dumlow, who
caught them deftly and stowed them rapidly forward in the bottom of the
boat.
The next minute Mr Denning was tenderly lifted by Bob Hampton and Mr
Frewen, and his legs were passed out from the window, the rope was
tightened, then he swung to and fro, and a minute later Dumlow had left
the catching and stowing to cast off the rope which was now left
hanging, so as to afford us a ready means of retreat in case it should
be necessary.
With the help of Mr Preddle and the sailor, Mr Denning was soon lying
back in the stern, and now the mate leaned out to give a few directions
to Dumlow.
"Have you got that painter fast to the ring-bolt so that you can cast
off directly?"
"Ay, ay, sir. Hear the pumps going?"
"Yes; go on stowing the stores sent down as well as you can. Mr
Preddle will help you."
"There, doctor," he said the next minute, "now we can cast off at a
moment's notice if there's danger."
"From the explosion?"
"It would not hurt us," said Mr Brymer, coolly, for now that Miss
Denning and her brother were safe, he did not seem to mind. "When the
powder goes off it will be amidships, and strike up. We shall only hear
the noise, and perhaps have a few bits of burning wood come down near.
What I fear is Jarette and his party when they take to the boats. But I
think we can out-sail them."
"Then what are we going to do now?"
"Collect everything that I think may be of use, so work away, Dale, my
lad, and help me. Hampton, Blane, get another breaker of water. Take
the one on the poop-deck, and lower it down over the stern."
Bob Hampton grunted, and after seeing to a few more things being lowered
into the boat, we three went quietly toward where the fire was hissing
furiously, and a great cloud of steam rose now from the hold. But the
blaze was as great as ever, and as we looked, and I wondered that the
main-mast and its sails had not caught fire, we heard the clanking of
the pumps cease, and Jarette's voice rise above the noise and confusion.
"Boats," he said laconically. "But no hurry, my lads. Water and stores
in first. We're all right for hours yet."
It was curious to be there, behind the main-mast, listening to all that
was going on forward, and yet seeing nothing for the fiery curtain at
which we gazed, and which cast a lurid reflection on either side, and
brightened the sea till it looked like gold. And it appeared the more
strange that the men had not the slightest idea of our being on board,
as we could tell by the orders shouted from time to time.
"There," said Mr Brymer at last, in answer to Mr Frewen's uneasy
looks, "the lads have got that breaker of fresh water down by now, so
we'll just take the captain's little compass and chronometer, and a few
more things from the store, and be off. Ah, here they are."
For just then the two men came down coolly enough from the poop-deck,
reported the water on board, and then eagerly set to work, carrying more
stores, blankets, and all else we could by any possibility want, till
the mate cried hold, enough.
"We've got all we can stow, I'm sure," he said.
"Then pray let us get away before it is too late," whispered Mr Frewen.
"Afraid, doctor?"
"Yes--for those poor shivering people below, sir--and, well, yes, I am
alarmed too, knowing that at any time the deck may be rent up beneath
our feet and the vessel sink."
"Yes; it is unpleasant to think about, and there is the danger of those
scoundrels lowering one of the boats and coming round here for stores
that they have none of there. Ah, there goes one of them down."
For plainly enough came the chirruping of the falls as the boat was
lowered from the davits.
"Now then, down with you, Frewen. You next, my lads; I don't think I
can remember anything else. You after the men, Dale, and I come last,
as I'm captain for the time."
We all obeyed with alacrity, and I breathed more freely as I sat down in
the boat. Then Mr Brymer slid down, and threw the rope back through
the cabin-window.
The next minute the painter was withdrawn from the ring-bolt, and Bob
Hampton sent the boat away with a tremendous thrust; oars were got out,
and we rowed out into the darkness to lie-to about three hundred yards
from the ship, just as a dark object came along from forward, and we saw
that, as the mate had expected, the boat which had been lowered had come
round to the stern-windows for the men to mount, if they could, in
search of stores.
"None too soon. Dale," said the mate, coolly, and a deep breath of
relief escaped my lips as I replied in his words--
"No, sir; none too soon."