To find the mate and tell him he was wanted in the cabin did not occupy
many moments, and the rescued party, who had turned mutineers almost
at the same moment their appeal for help had been answered, apparently
paid no attention to the boy’s movements.
Captain Mansfield repeated to Mr. Jenkins what Gil told him when the
two were alone and the companion-hatch drawn to prevent the possibility
of the conversation being overheard, and the expression which came over
the mate’s face showed how serious he believed was the situation.
“I am not surprised,” he said, thoughtfully. “After the row with Andy,
we had good reason to look for anything in the way of rascality. What
do you propose to do?”
“I hardly know.”
“Although my opinion has not been asked, I should say we had better set
them ashore as soon as possible.”
“To do that we would be precipitating the trouble, and, besides, I
hardly see how it can be done. When the first boatload was landed,
they might refuse to let the tender be brought back, even in case they
left the schooner willingly. It is not going to be an easy matter to
enforce obedience while they so far outnumber us. What is the look of
the weather?”
“I think we shall have a fair sailing breeze by midnight.”
“Then it will be best to make an attempt to land them at Nassau.
Arm yourself, and we will both remain on duty. At the first sign of
insubordination use your weapons promptly.”
It could be seen that Mr. Jenkins was not pleased with this decision,
but he was too good a sailor to find fault with the commands of his
superior officer.
He entered his cabin, reappeared a moment later with bulging pockets,
and went toward the companion-ladder, stopping there only long enough
to say:
“You will not be needed on deck, captain. I’ll answer for that crowd
until daylight.”
“It can do no harm to take excessive precautions, more especially when
they involve nothing more serious than the loss of sleep. If you see
the slightest sign of trouble, call me.”
The mate went out into the gloom, and Captain Mansfield said to the
boys:
“There is no particular reason why you should be frightened, but, at
the same time, it is well to be prepared for any emergency. Keep your
revolvers where they can be used at a moment’s notice, but do not make
any move toward using them without an express command from me to that
effect.”
“Do you think the men will attempt to seize the schooner?” Gil asked,
in a tremulous voice.
“Not a bit of it; but yet almost anything is possible, and that is why
I want you to be prepared. If we get a good sailing breeze at midnight,
we shall be in Nassau before those scoundrels can form a plan.”
Then the captain went on deck to have a look around, and the boys
discussed the question of “turning in.”
“I don’t believe it would be possible for me to close my eyes while
knowing those men are ready for mischief, and there can be no mistake
as to what we heard,” Nelse said, in a whisper. “Why can’t we sit here
in the cabin all night?”
“Father wouldn’t like it, and, besides, if that crowd should see us,
they would know we had discovered their secret.”
“Do you intend to lie down?”
“Yes; but there is no necessity of undressing, and, in case anything
does happen, we shall be ready to do our share.”
Nelse would have preferred to remain on deck, but he knew Captain
Mansfield would not agree to such a plan, therefore he followed his
cousin to the tiny room which adjoined the one occupied by Gil’s father.
However uneasy they might be regarding the intention of the alleged
shipwrecked crew, it was impossible to remain awake very long after
lying down, and in less than half-an-hour the two were sleeping soundly.
They were still in the very heart of slumber-land at midnight, when
the looked-for breeze sprang up, and, therefore, remained in ignorance
of the fact that the dainty white cloths of the yacht had been spread,
causing the beautiful little craft to heel coquettishly, as, with a
bone in her teeth, she darted over the black waters on a true course
for the Northeast Providence Channel.
“She is looking up into it well now,” Captain Mansfield said, in a tone
of satisfaction, as the _Day Dream_ glided across the waves, “and we
can count on getting rid of our passengers before another sun sets, for
I believe this wind will continue to freshen until morning, when we
shall have all she needs to induce her to show her best pace.”
The captain and his mate were standing well aft, with a trusty man at
the wheel, as the schooner gained headway, and Mr. Jenkins replied, in
a tone of relief:
“If your predictions are correct, sir, there’ll be little to fear, for
as yet this crowd are without any plan of action. Why don’t you go
below for a while?”
“I believe I will. Keep your wits about you, and don’t hesitate to call
me if anything looks wrong.”
As he spoke, the captain went to his room, and in a comparatively short
space of time the sound of his heavy breathing could be heard, even by
the man at the wheel.
The mate paced to and fro more than an hour, and then, fancying he
heard a movement among the men, who were supposed to be sleeping on
deck, he went forward to investigate.
The rescued party appeared to be wrapped in slumber, as he made his
way among the prostrate forms, and, blaming himself for being unduly
suspicious, Mr. Jenkins continued on to the forecastle companion-way
before turning to retrace his steps.
The sailor who should have been on the lookout was nowhere to be seen,
and the mate stood for a moment expecting him to come from below,
when suddenly a hand was clapped over his mouth, preventing him from
uttering the slightest sound.
At the same instant he was lifted bodily from his feet and carried to
the main hatch, where the mutineers had no difficulty in binding and
gagging him without any more noise than might have been caused by one
of the men turning in his sleep.
Now that it was too late, Jenkins saw the missing sailor lying close
beside him, unable to move hand or foot, and he understood that the
castaways had formed a very well-considered plan, which was already
more than half successful.
“It’s time now to tackle that fellow at the wheel,” the leader of the
party whispered. “I’ll lounge back there; he’ll think I’m the mate
until it is too late to make any disturbance, and the minute I get him
by the mouth you must close in.”
“Why not call up the captain first?” one of the crowd asked.
“Because then we should have two on hand at the same time, and there’s
no knowing what them boys might succeed in doing. The easiest plan is
the best, and so far you’ve got no call to kick at the way I’ve managed
this business.”
“Go ahead; I won’t say another word until the schooner is in our
possession.”
Mr. Jenkins struggled hard to make some noise, which would serve to
alarm the man at the wheel, but his bonds and the gag had been tied
too skillfully to admit of the slightest movement, and he was forced to
remain inactive while the mutineers carried out their vile plot to the
end.
In less than five minutes the helmsman was also a prisoner, and one of
the scoundrels took his station at the wheel, but careful not to change
the yacht’s course, in case the captain should chance to be awake
watching the tell-tale.
Ten minutes later the leader of the mutineers, after ordering his men
to creep aft, where they would be hidden from view by the deckhouse,
entered the cabin and knocked lightly on the owner’s door.
“What is the matter?” the captain asked, awakening at the first sound.
“Mr. Jenkins wants to know if you will come on deck for a moment, sir,”
was the whispered reply. “The wind is freshening, and he would like to
haul around more to the westward.”
Without waiting for an answer, the fellow went on deck; but he stood
close by the companion-way, after whispering to the man at the wheel:
“Have that belaying-pin ready to knock him down, if he doesn’t give me
a fair chance of cutting off his wind.”
Then the sound of footsteps told that the captain had left his room,
and twenty seconds later he appeared at the top of the ladder.
Coming suddenly into the darkness as he had, and unsuspicious that
the summons was a false one, the work of making him a prisoner was
exceedingly simple.
Struggle as he might, nothing could be effected, for half-a-dozen of
the scoundrels were upon him instantly the leader made the first move,
and now there was no longer any necessity of preserving such perfect
silence.
“Three of you tackle the cook, and when that has been done, I’ll attend
to the cubs,” the leader said, in an ordinary tone, while Captain
Mansfield was being carried to the hatch and laid beside the mate and
sailors.
“Its all done, and the nigger is lashed in his berth,” one of the men
reported before the prisoners thought sufficient time had elapsed for
the villains to reach the forecastle.
“Did he give you any trouble?”
“Not a bit, but acted as if he expected something of the kind. How long
will it take you to fix the boys?”
“That part of it doesn’t amount to anything. Bring some rope down, and
I’ll end this business mighty quick.”
Nelse and Gil were sleeping soundly when the mutineers opened the
unlocked door. Beside them were the revolvers, and these the ringleader
took possession of, as he said to his followers:
“Now truss ’em up; but there’s no need of using the gags, for they
can’t do any harm, no matter how loud they yell.”
The first intimation the boys had that anything out of the usual course
had happened was when the men began roughly to tie their hands and
feet, and then only a single glance was necessary to tell exactly what
had been accomplished.
“Turn them out on deck, and we’ll make ourselves comfortable here for
a while before doing the rest of the work,” the leader said, and, as
if they had been so many bundles of merchandise, Gil and Nelse were
conveyed to the main hatch, there to be flung roughly down.
From this time until fully an hour had passed the mutineers paid no
attention to their prisoners. Two men were all that were needed on
deck, and the others proceeded to make free with the cabin stores, as
could be told by the sounds of revelry.
With sufficient wind to keep the canvas full and drawing, the little
yacht sped on over the long swells, while her rightful crew could not
so much as enjoy the poor consolation of conversation.