For the boat quivered as to a man all sprang up, and forgetting
everything in their excitement, the men were about to cheer, but were
brought back to a knowledge of their position by that softly-uttered
warning sound just as a lanthorn was seen moving at a distance once
more, followed by a sharp sound like the closing of a hatch.
The boat rocked a little again as the men sank back in their places,
while Mark felt as if he were being suffocated, as he trembled, and felt
the perspiration stand in big drops upon his forehead.
For he was startled at his venturesome plan, knowing that such a task
would be that of a strong, experienced, determined man, and now that he
had made the proposal he felt as if he must have been mad.
To carry out such a venture needed quite fresh, active men. Those to
whom he had proposed the attempt were in no wise fit, and to induce them
to try and recapture the schooner was like tempting them to their death.
"It is all foolishness," he said to himself in the brief instants during
which these thoughts flashed through his brain, but the next moment he
awoke to the fact that he had set a spark in contact with a train of
human gunpowder, that the spark had caught, and that it was impossible
now to stop.
"Heads close together, mates," whispered Tom Fillot. "Not a sound on
your lives. Come, Mr Vandean, sir, say the word--when. Now? At
once?"
"No, no," whispered back Mark; "you are all weak and ill. I've been
thinking about it since I spoke, and it is too much for you to do."
A low, angry murmur arose, and Tom Fillot chuckled.
"Too much for us, sir? Not it. You've only got to give the word, and
there's that in us now as'll carry us through anything. Only you lead
us, sir, and we'll do all the work. Is that the right word, maties?"
"Yes," came like a hiss from the whole party.
"There, sir. You hear. Don't you be afraid as we won't do our duty by
you."
"No, no, Tom Fillot, I'm not a bit afraid of that, but the venture seems
too wild."
"Not it, sir. Why, we're all red hot to be let go; so now then, what
about the plans?"
"I have none, and we had better give up the business."
"You're saying that to save us, sir, but we don't want to be saved the
trouble. We want to get that schooner back, and serve out the rough
'uns who half killed all on us. And what's more, me and my mates liked
the taste o' the prize-money we had got to our mouths afore it were
snatched away, so we want to get it back again. That's so, ain't it,
lads?"
"Ay, ay," was whispered so deeply that it hardly reached Mark's ears;
but there was a fierce earnestness in it that told how strong was the
determination on the part of the men to try and wipe out the past
night's disgrace, while, just as he thought this, by a strange
coincidence, Tom Fillot whispered,--
"We must take her, sir. You can't go back and meet the skipper without
the schooner."
The most cunningly contrived advice could not have affected Mark more
powerfully. His heart beat rapidly, and, carried away now by the
contagious enthusiasm of the men, he said,--
"Right; then we will take her."