At this moment Simpson rejoined me, bringing with him three more of the
_Bangalore's_ crew; and while I was talking to them the other two men--
those whom Simpson had previously discovered--came forward from the
hatchway, where they had been lending a hand to strike the booty down
into the hold, and informed me that they had found and spoken to eight
of their shipmates, at work at the gangway and hatchway, all of whom
were quite ready and more than willing to join me at any moment when the
signal should be given. A little further inquiry elicited the
information that our party now comprised all the survivors of the
_Bangalore's_ crew who had, so to speak, made a virtue of necessity and
shipped under Mendouca in order to save their lives; there being four
others who had shipped _willingly_, and whom it had, therefore, been
deemed inexpedient to approach with a proposal to join us, lest, in
their zeal for their new chief, they should refuse and betray us all.
Our party, therefore, was now complete, and all that remained to be done
was to carry out our plans with as little delay as possible, and with
twelve men at my back I felt tolerably confident of success; indeed,
when I first learned our full strength, the wild idea flashed through my
mind of attempting not only to save the _Bangalore_, but also to capture
the _Francesca_. A moment's reflection, however, convinced me of the
impracticability of this scheme, for although, with the assistance of
the ten male passengers who, I learned, were at that moment prisoners in
their own cabins on board the Indiaman, it might be possible to capture
the _Francesca_, in the then disorganised condition of her crew, it
would certainly involve some loss of life on our side, which we could
not spare, and we should be able to do nothing with her when we had her,
our whole available strength being hardly sufficient to handle and take
care of the ship, should it come on to blow, much less to look after a
prize as well. I therefore abandoned the idea, the more readily that I
knew my story need only be told to the proper authorities to cause the
brigantine to be hunted off the ocean, and her atrocities put an end to
at once and for all.
Our arrangements, therefore, were soon made; and this done, we sauntered
away to the hatchway, singly and by twos at a time, and began to lend a
hand in getting the plunder out of the boats and sending it below.
Presently the _Bangalore's_ long-boat came alongside, loaded down to the
gunwale with booty, and manned by half-a-dozen Spaniards who were so
drunk that they could scarcely stand. One of them, indeed, would have
lost his life but for Simpson and Maxwell; for the boat was steered
alongside stem-on, and the shock of her collision with the brigantine
completely upset the balance of the man who was standing in the bows to
fend her off, so that he fell overboard between the boat and the
brigantine's side. The fellow was partially sobered by his sudden
immersion, and finding himself overboard, began at once to sing out
lustily for help, fully aware that there were probably several sharks
still hanging about the two vessels, and momentarily expecting to feel
their teeth; whereupon Simpson and Maxwell, both of whom happened to be
at the gangway at the moment of the accident, sprang down into the boat
and succeeded in dragging the fellow safely out of the water, though not
a moment too soon, the water being all a-swirl with the rush of the
sea-monsters as the man was dragged inboard. The fright that he had
received completely sobered him, but at the same time so thoroughly
shook his nerves that he at once scrambled on board the brigantine,
declaring with many oaths that he had had enough of boating for one
night. His mates were but little better, and were glad enough to leave
the boat at my suggestion and allow me and my party to take their
places.
We quickly roused the boat's cargo out of her, and then shoved off for
the ship again, making a great fuss and splash with the oars as we did
so. When a few fathoms away from the brigantine, however, where in the
darkness our movements were not likely to attract a too curious
attention, first one oar and then another was laid in until all had been
laid in but one; and this one we shifted aft, sculling the boat with it
not to the _Bangalore's_ larboard gangway, at which the other boats were
working, but under the ship's stern and to her starboard mizen channels,
where we made her fast, and cautiously scrambled up on to the poop, one
by one.
Here we separated, the carpenter boldly making his way forward past the
noisy, jabbering, drunken crowd who were grouped about the
main-hatchway, engaged in hoisting on deck the goods that the boatswain,
down in the hold, was selecting from the ship's heterogeneous cargo,
while the rest--excepting Simpson and myself--quietly stole up the mizen
rigging, three of them concealing themselves in the top, while the rest,
continuing on up the topmast rigging, made for the main and foretops by
way of the stays; the lanterns which were being used to light the
pirates at their work about the main-hatchway so effectually dazzling
the drunken ruffians' eyes, that there was not the slightest fear of any
of the silent, sober figures stealthily moving about aloft being seen by
them; indeed so deep was the gloom created between the masts by the
towering expanses of the Indiaman's canvas that even I, far away as I
was from the dazzling light of the lanterns, was unable to follow with
my eye the dusky, indistinctly-seen figures any further than the rim of
the mizen-top. As for Simpson, it was quite possible for him to move
freely about the ship and go wherever he pleased without exciting any
suspicion, he being one of the _Francesca's_ regular crew; I therefore
instructed him to go down into the saloon and ascertain whether any of
his quondam shipmates were there, and to return to me with his
information as speedily as possible.
While he was gone I had time to look about me a little, and note such of
the most prominent characteristics of the ship as were to be seen by the
dim light of the stars. She was a noble craft, as big as the generality
of our first-class frigates, though not quite so beamy, perhaps, in
proportion to her length, not quite so high out of the water, and of
course not so heavily rigged. She carried a magnificent full poop that
reached as far forward as to within about twenty-five feet of the
main-mast, with companion, skylight, deck-fittings generally, and poop
ladders of polished teak, handsomely and elaborately carved. The
fore-part of the poop extended some six feet beyond the cabin front, and
underneath it her steering-wheel was placed, with a door on each side of
it giving access to the grand saloon. A long row of hencoops ran along
each side of the poop; and the deck was further littered with a large
number of deck-chairs that had been hurriedly bundled out of the way
behind the companion, probably when it was seen that the brigantine
undoubtedly meant to attack. The main-deck exhibited all the confusion
incidental to a sea-fight, the guns--sixteen twelve-pound carronades--
still unsecured, with their rammers and sponges flung down on the deck
beside them, shot lying in the scuppers, overturned wadding-tubs,
cutlasses, pistols, boarding-pikes, strewed all over the deck, and--
horrible sight--several dark, silent figures lying stark and still in
pools of blood, just as they had fallen in the fight. The ship's davits
were empty, both her gigs having been lowered to facilitate the transfer
of the plunder to the brigantine; her long-boat also was in the water,
as already stated, but there were two fine cutters lying bottom up over
the quarter-deck, their sterns resting on the break of the poop and
their bows-on the gallows. It was a strange sight to look abroad into
the dusky star-lit night and observe the boundless Atlantic stretching
silent and still on every hand, and then to turn one's eyes inboard and
note the noisy, drunken, ruffianly rabble grouped about the hatchway,
naked to the waist, and toiling in the dim lantern light at the tackles
by which they were hoisting the bales of costly merchandise out of the
hold.
But I had not much time to devote to moralising upon the incongruous
sight, for after an absence of some three minutes Simpson re-appeared
from the saloon with the information that the place was clear, and that,
judging from the sounds he had heard, the passengers had all locked
themselves, or been locked, into their cabins.
This being the case, I determined to go below and make a brief
investigation of the condition of the unfortunate passengers, as well as
to afford them such comfort as was to be derived from a communication to
them of my intentions. I accordingly descended the companion-way
leading down from the poop, and found myself in a small vestibule, the
arrangement of which I could not very well see, as it was unlighted,
save for the lamplight that issued from the open door of the saloon; I
caught a glimpse, however, of polished panels of rare, ornamental woods,
with gleams of gilded mouldings and polished metal handrails, and found
my feet sinking into the pile of a soft, thick carpet, which gave me a
hint as to the luxurious appointments of the ship. From this vestibule
I passed into the saloon itself by a partially open door on the port
side, and at once found myself in an exceedingly handsome and
luxuriously furnished apartment. It was long and rather narrow in its
proportions, having state-rooms on each side, as I could tell at a
glance by the doors with Venetian slatted upper panels that occurred at
regular intervals in the longitudinal bulkheads on each side of the
cabin. These bulkheads were divided into panels by fluted pilasters
with richly-carved and gilded capitals, supporting a heavily-carved
cornice picked out with gold.
The panels and pilasters were enamelled in a delicate tint of cream,
with mouldings picked out in French grey, the former being decorated
with very handsome paintings illustrative of Oriental views and scenery.
Richly-upholstered divans occupied the spaces along the bulkheads
between the several state-room doors; a long table of polished mahogany,
having sofa seats with reversible backs on each side of it, stretched
down the centre of the saloon, with another and shorter table flanking
it athwartships at the after-end; a buffet loaded with richly-cut
decanters and glass, backed up by a large gilt-framed mirror, occupied
the whole space against the fore-bulkhead between the two entrance
doors; and a very handsome piano, open, and with some music on it,
occupied a similar position at the after-end of the saloon, two doors in
the after-bulkhead proclaiming the existence of at least two more
state-rooms. The apartment was lighted during the day by a large
skylight filled in with painted glass--in which were fixed opposite each
other a barometer and a tell-tale compass--and at night by two very fine
silver-plated chandeliers each carrying six lamps, only four of which,
however, were now lighted; and the deck was covered with a rich, thick
carpet, apparently of Oriental manufacture, into which one's feet sank
with noiseless tread. The state-rooms were all in total darkness
apparently, for I could catch no gleam of light issuing from the pierced
upper panels of any of them; but the sound of an occasional sob or moan
told me that some at least of them were occupied.
I located one of the cabins from which these sounds came, and tapped
gently at the door; there was no response, but the sounds instantly
ceased. I tapped again, and said--
"Will you open the door, please? I am a friend, and have some
intelligence to communicate that may be interesting to you."
Still no response; but from the next cabin there now issued a man's
voice, inquiring--
"Do I hear some one out there proclaiming himself _a friend_?"
"Yes," answered I. "I _am_ a friend; and my present object is to
communicate to you some intelligence that I hope may prove agreeable and
comforting. I am quite alone and unarmed, and you may therefore open
your cabin-door without fear."
"Sir," replied the voice, "I know not who you are, or how you come to be
on board this most ill-starred ship. Your voice, however, has a
reassuring tone in it, and I would risk opening my door to you if I
could; but I cannot, for--like all the rest of the passengers, I
believe--I am bound and absolutely helpless, and I think that, if you
will take the trouble to try, you will find that we are all locked in.
Pray, who are you, sir? and how did you find your way on board the
_Bangalore_? Are the pirates gone yet?"
"No," said I, as I tried the door and found that it was indeed locked.
"I regret to say that they are not, and therefore I am for the present
obliged to leave you in your uncomfortable situation. But take comfort,
and believe me that it shall not be for one moment longer than I can
help; the pirates are unlikely to very much prolong their stay now, and
as soon as they are at a safe distance I will come again and release you
all--provided, of course, that my plans do not go amiss. My name is
Dugdale, and I am a naval officer--a midshipman--who has been
unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of the pirates in an
unsuccessful attack upon them more than a month ago, and this is the
first opportunity that I have had to attempt my escape. I must go again
now, as my discovery on board here by the pirates would mean utter ruin
to us all; but I will return as soon as I can with prudence.
Meanwhile," slightly raising my voice so that all might hear, "take
comfort, and hope for the best."
"Good-bye! Heaven bless and prosper you!" fervently ejaculated the
unknown, as I moved away from the door; and I thought I heard faint
murmurs of a similar import from some of the other cabins, but could not
be certain, as one of the outer doors giving direct access to the
main-deck suddenly opened, and I had to make a dash of it for the dark
vestibule in order to reach the concealment of the still darker
companion-way to avoid detection. My alarm was groundless, however; for
the newcomer proved to be Joe Maxwell, the carpenter, whom I saw enter
the saloon, after a careful reconnaissance of its interior, with several
plugs under one arm, and a maul in his hand. Seeing who it was, I
followed him, and unexpectedly ran against him as he was again coming
out.
"Who the--oh, it's you, sir! beg your pardon, I'm sure, but I thought it
was one of them sneakin' pirate chaps a-prowlin' round," he exclaimed.
"I thought I heard a sound o' some sort as I comed in from the deck, and
thinks I, `That's one o' them cowardly villains that has sneaked aft for
some purpose of his own that ain't no good, I dare swear. I'll just see
what the scoundrel's up to, and if he's after anything _very_ houtragis,
I'll maybe take the liberty of smashin' his skull with this here maul,
and droppin' him over the starn to the sharks, where many a better man
than he went this a'ternoon.' Lucky for him that it's you, sir, as the
Irishman says. I'm just a-goin' to make my way down into the run, so as
to be all handy for pluggin' up the holes again that these here
murderin' thieves intends to bore through the dear old gal's skin. I
_think_ they'll be pretty sure to come aft to do it; it'll either be
there or down in the fore-peak, where they'd have to shovel away a lot
of coal to get at her below the water-line, so I expect they'll make for
the run. Now, sir, it's a very good job as I met you just here, because
I can show you the lazarette hatch--here it is, under our feet." And he
turned back a large mat upon which we were standing, disclosing a small,
square hatch flush with the deck.
"Now, sir," he continued, "I'll be off below at once; because, from what
I saw as I comed aft, I fancy them Spanish thieves is thinkin' about
toppin' their booms, and if so, we've no time to spare. There," as he
raised the hatch and dropped through the opening, "I'm all right now,
sir; I can make my way well enough without a light, though I've got a
candle and matches in my pocket that'll give light enough to work by as
soon as them villains have cleared out. Now, sir, please put on the
hatch again, will ye, and don't forget to spread the mat over it. And
when them blackguards have gone you can send somebody to let me out."
"All right, Maxwell, never fear; I'll see to that," I answered, as the
man disappeared in the gloom. "Good luck to you. And whatever those
fellows may do, be sure that you keep silent and do not attempt to
interfere with them; let them do their work and go away, and as soon as
you hear the hatch close after them, go ahead and plug the holes as
quickly as you like, and be sure that you make a thorough job of it."
"Ay, ay, sir," came his reply, already muffled by distance and the
intervening casks and cases among which he was making his way, "you may
trust me for that."
I carefully replaced the hatch, adjusted the mat over it, and made my
way cautiously up on the poop. It was evident, from what I now saw,
that Maxwell was only just in time; for the pirates had knocked off work
and were coming up out of the hold, refreshing themselves as they
emerged by copious draughts from a tub of strong grog that stood on the
deck conveniently near the hatchway. They were all pretty far gone in a
state of intoxication, and were singing a jumble of at least a dozen
forecastle ditties in tones of maudlin sentiment, or laughing and
jeering at nothing in particular as they reeled and staggered about the
deck. Disgusting as was the sight, I was glad to see it, for I felt
that men in their condition would never notice the absence of Simpson or
myself from the brigantine, still less that of the unaccustomed faces of
those of the _Bangalore's_ crew who had joined me and were now snugly
concealed aloft. Nor were they capable of doing very much more
mischief, unless perchance they should accidentally set the ship on
fire, which was what I most greatly dreaded; if, happily, we escaped
this danger all might yet be well, for I felt convinced that, once on
board the brigantine again, and the unhappy negroes once more set to the
sweeps, nearly every man in the accursed craft's forecastle would betake
himself to his hammock and stay there until morning. There was of
course the risk that Mendouca might send for me and ask me to look after
his vessel for him through the night, knowing or guessing as he would
the condition of his crew; but I did not believe that he would, at least
not so soon after the perpetration of such fearful atrocities as he had
openly committed that afternoon.
The men having helped themselves freely from the grog-tub, until it
seemed that they could take no more, tumbled rather than scrambled down
into the boat alongside, and I was just beginning to cherish the hope
that after all they would go away forgetting to scuttle the ship, when I
saw Jose, the boatswain--who appeared to have assumed the command of the
party--seize and detain the only man except himself who still remained
on the ship's deck. He said something to this man, and then they both
staggered away forward and I lost sight of them in the deep shadows that
enshrouded the fore-part of the ship. They were gone about ten minutes;
and then they re-appeared, the boatswain armed with a large auger. As
they passed the main-hatchway, on their way aft, Jose seized one of the
still lighted lanterns that were standing on the deck, and seemed to
direct his companion to take another. This the man did, and continuing
their way aft, the pair entered the saloon from the main-deck; and
presently, peering cautiously down through the open skylight, I saw that
the two ruffians were groping about under the cabin table, no doubt
searching for the lazarette hatch. Their search was of course in vain;
and at length I overheard the boatswain assert with an oath that it was
useless to search for it any longer, they must get the steward out of
his pantry, and make him show them where it was. They then left the
saloon, and there was silence for a few minutes; then, going to the head
of the companion-ladder, I heard Jose demanding in broken English, with
a profusion of expletives, where was the opening of the lazarette. A
strange voice replied in trembling tones; and then I heard the mat flung
back and the hatch wrenched off with a clatter. A few more oaths
followed, there was a scrambling sound, and I concluded that the two
miscreants had descended to the performance of their dastardly task.
Then ensued what seemed like a very long--although it was actually a
comparatively short--period of anxious suspense, for completely
successful as we had been thus far, our absence from the brigantine
might easily be discovered at any moment; and in that case there was no
alternative for us between fighting to the death and ignominious
surrender. I was more anxious on my own behalf than on that of the
others, for their absence was scarcely likely to be noted by their
drunken comrades until the next morning, while, as for me, should
Mendouca take it into his head to require my presence, it would no
sooner be reported to him that I was not to be found than he would have
a very shrewd suspicion of what had happened; and I felt convinced that,
with my knowledge of the enormities that he had perpetrated on that
dreadful day, he would never willingly suffer me to escape from him
alive. Then there was Pedro, too. The lad had, for some inscrutable
reason, taken a violent fancy for me, and, although I have not very
frequently referred to him in the telling of this story, had attached
himself to me with almost the fidelity of a dog, sharing in my watch,
and seizing every opportunity to be in my company. Should he find
himself at liberty to seek me I should be lost, for he would not be
content until he had found me. There were just two chances in my favour
against many adverse possibilities: the first being that Mendouca's
condition would confine the lad to his side all through the night; the
second lying in the fact that I had taken the precaution to lock my
cabin-door and remove the key before leaving the brigantine, so that
should it chance that I was sought for, it might be thought that I had
locked myself into my cabin in anger at the piratical deed that had been
perpetrated. But I grew increasingly uneasy as the minutes dragged
their slow length along, expecting every moment to hear a hail from the
brigantine inquiring as to my whereabouts. It was therefore with a
feeling of keen delight that, at the expiration of about twenty-five
minutes, when my state of suspense had become almost unendurable, as I
stood listening at the head of the companion-way I heard Jose's voice
again, and the sounds of his own and his companion's emergence from the
lazarette.
"There," I heard him exclaim in Spanish, in a drunken voice and with a
jeering laugh, "that job is done, and pretty effectually, too; I don't
suppose she will float longer than three hours more, or four at the
most, and then who is to know what has become of her? It will be
supposed that she foundered in a gale; and that will be the end of the
matter. It is a pity, Miguel, that we should be obliged to destroy so
fine a ship, but she could never be of any use to us, and necessity has
no law, you know. Now--let me consider--there is one thing more to be
done before we leave; what is it? It was in my mind a moment ago! Ah,
yes, of course, that is it; we have to put this miserable poltroon of a
steward back into his pantry, lock the door upon him, and--yes, that is
all, I think. Come along, _amigo_!"
I heard the steward begging piteously not to be locked up again; for
although the fellow had probably not understood a single word of what
Jose had said, he had sense enough to know that the two ruffians before
him had scuttled the ship, and that if locked up in his pantry again he
would probably drown there, like a rat in a trap. His entreaties, however,
were of course unavailing with two men who knew not the meaning of
mercy; there was a Spanish oath or two, the sound of a scuffle, mingled
with further cries of distress from the steward, the slamming of a door,
the sharp click of a lock; and a moment later Jose and his companion
emerged upon the deck, staggered to the gangway, scrambled down the
side, and the boat was shoved off.
I waited until the boat was fairly away from the ship's side, and then,
slipping down the dark companion-way, groped about until I had found the
pantry, which I unlocked, to find the unhappy steward, bound hand and
foot, prostrate on the deck, weeping bitterly. In reply to my question
he told me where I could lay my hand upon a knife, finding which I cut
him adrift, and directed him to go forward to the forecastle to
ascertain whether any of the crew were imprisoned down there. Then,
making my way to the still open lazarette, I swung myself down into it,
and called Maxwell's name as loudly as I dared. He heard and answered
me at once.
"The rascals have left the ship," I cried, "so you may ram those plugs
home as tightly as you can, and perhaps even venture to give them a
gentle tap or two, but we must leave the final driving until the
brigantine has moved off; everything has gone right thus far, and it
will never do to spoil it all now by being impatient. Has she taken in
much water?"
"Not more than we can pump out of her in ten minutes," was the reply, as
I sighted him creeping toward me along the narrow space underneath the
beams. "They only bored five holes through her, and I've already
plugged 'em tight enough to stop the water from comin' in--though of
course they'll want a few good taps on the head to make 'em all secure.
But that job can wait until the brigantine is a mile or two further
away."
"Had you any difficulty in plugging the holes?" I asked, as honest Joe
emerged into the more open spaces about the hatchway.
"Not a bit, sir," he answered. "You see the way of it was this: As soon
as I got to understand that they was likely to scuttle the ship, the
first thing I says to myself was: `I wonder,' I says, `what size auger
them murderin' scoundrels is likely to use? Because if I only knowed
that, I could make my plugs to fit the holes.' Then the next thing I
thought was that prob'ly they wouldn't remember to bring a tool aboard
with 'em, and that they'd hunt for some'at of the sort aboard here. So
I goes to my cabin, gets out a inch and a half auger, a chisel, a hammer
and some nails, and places 'em on the tarpaulin of the fore-hatch, where
anybody going for'ard couldn't help seein' of 'em; and `There,' I says
to myself, `if those fellers haven't brought no auger aboard with 'em,
that's the tool they'll use.' So I chanced it, and made my plugs to fit
a inch and a half hole; and, as it turned out, I was right; they used my
auger what I had left for 'em, and as soon as their backs was turned I
slipped down and screwed the plugs into the holes."
"Excellent!" said I. "And now, Maxwell, the next job is to break open
the state-rooms and release the poor ladies and gentlemen who are
confined there. Do you think you can do it without making much noise?"
"Lord bless you, yes, sir," was the cheerful reply. "I'll just go
for'ard and get a bit of wire, and I'll pick the locks of them
cabin-doors in next to no time, and make no noise about it either."
"Then come along and let us get it done at once. That must be our first
job," said I.