THE BATTLE ON THE DECK OF THE SALIHÉ
Scott had heard all the conversation with Gray on the forecastle, and
fully acknowledged the authority of the self-appointed commander. He
had rung one bell without any order to that effect. As he explained it
afterwards, the fact that the steamer had been aground led him to fear
that she might stick the heel of her false keel, if she had one, into
another mud-bank, and perhaps cripple her rudder.
The acting captain did not object, for he knew that the pilot was more
of a sailor than he was himself, and he took the trouble to nod his
approval of what had been done. Fearing some interference on the part
of Gray, Louis did not care to make an issue by directing him to go
ahead. But Scott rang one bell again without any order, and the Salihé
began to go ahead. The boat was whirled about by this movement, and
came up alongside of the steamer as she gathered headway. Gray watched
the craft and the men in it; but the latter made no demonstration,
though Diego, as he called him, occasionally demanded that the
Scotchman should "hurry up."
"I have a bit of business with you, Captain Belgrave," said Gray, when
things had become quiet again on deck. "My friend Diego has a small
vessel loaded with merchandise."
"I suppose he bought it at some of the houses whose light we can see
half a mile up the Palmones," added Louis.
"That is neither here nor there. What odds does it make where the goods
came from?" asked the Scotchman, beginning to manifest some of Diego's
impatience.
"It does not make the least difference in the world to me; but it might
to the Spanish custom-house officers," replied Louis lightly.
"You know more than the law allows to a young fellow; and I hope you
are as prudent as you are wise," replied Gray, in a tone somewhat
severe. "Captain Chickworth is my friend; and if he had not been
obliged to go to a society meeting, he would have been here with the
Salihé to assist me."
"But Captain Chickworth does not happen to be here to assist you; and
my party have chartered his steamer, and they have the right to use her
as they please."
"But, my dear Captain Belgrave, I will give you two pounds in good gold
if you will assist me with your steamer; and we won't disturb your
party in the least degree," pleaded the Scotchman, in tones that were
now quite obsequious. "The money I give you will pay for the steamer."
"We are able to pay for her without any such assistance from you, and
I must respectfully decline your munificent offer," answered Louis.
"Make it three pounds, though Chickworth would have charged me only
two," persisted Gray.
"I must still decline."
"I am willing to say four pounds, though you are rather hard on me."
"Make it twenty pounds, and I shall decline it all the same. I am not
in want of a job just now," replied Louis very firmly.
"But we must have the steamer, and I hope you will be reasonable,
Captain Belgrave. If we proposed to turn you and your party out of the
steamer, and take full possession of her, it would be quite another
thing," argued Gray. "You can all remain on board of the steamer and
enjoy the sail just the same. If you wish to retire to the cabin, we
have some excellent wine on board of our vessel, and we will supply you
with half a dozen bottles of it, which will help you to pass away the
evening."
"Not one of our party drinks wine."
"We only ask you to tow the Golondrina down as far as Carnero Point,
and we shall get a breeze of wind by that time."
"It is no use to talk, Mr. Gray. I will not tow the Golondrina down
to Carnero Point on any terms you can name," said Louis, so decidedly
that the Scotchman was evidently satisfied he could not accomplish his
purpose.
"You are a very obstinate Dutchman!" exclaimed Gray, as he turned away
from the acting captain, and blew a whistle which it was evident he had
carried in his hand during the conversation.
When the boat swung around as the steamer went ahead, it was held by
the painter abreast of the engine-room. Felix heard that whistle,
and had been an attentive listener to the interview in front of the
pilot-house. He had stationed himself at the rail near the point where
the painter of the Spanish boat was made fast. He realized before the
close of the conference that Gray "meant business," as he expressed
himself. The instant he heard the whistle, he cast off the painter,
which he had partly unloosed before. The boat began to slide aft, and
Gray used some expletives which indicated that he was not in good
standing in the Scottish Kirk.
Diego was not asleep, for he instantly detected the fact that his craft
was adrift. He laid hold of the rail of the steamer with desperate
energy, for he knew that once lost the Salihé could not be overtaken
with oars, and the custom-house officers would settle their business in
due time. The Spaniard held on to the rail, and his men did the same.
Gray had hurried aft as soon as he had blown his whistle, which must
have been agreed upon as the signal to board, before he put his
foot aboard the planks of the steamer. On the way he seized upon a
heave-line, which was attached to a fast in the stern, and dropped it
into the boat. It was caught by one of the men, and passed around the
fore thwart. With this assistance the Spaniards were able to hold the
craft, though it fell astern of the steamer when they let go of the
rail.
Louis, Felix, and Morris now realized that the smugglers intended to
take forcible possession of the Salihé, and their blood was stirred
accordingly. All three of them had revolvers in their hip pockets for
reasons set forth in the preceding volumes; though Morris had purchased
his in London, for the adventure with the brigands in Teneriffe had
satisfied his father that it was needed. All three of them followed
Gray, and saw that the Spanish boat was again attached to the steamer.
Scott looked out for the wheel; but he had gone to the door of the
pilot-house, where he had seen all that occurred farther aft. He had
been the owner of two revolvers, but Captain Ringgold had ordered
them to be taken from him when he was a rebellious character, and
they had never been restored to him. He was not armed, therefore, as
his companions were; but if there was to be any fighting he earnestly
desired to do his share of it, for he was far from being a coward.
Under the binnacle in front of the wheel were several tools, including
a hammer, two hatchets, and a common hand-saw. From this arsenal of
available weapons he selected the smaller hatchet, because it was quite
sharp, and the saw. He had heard an old shipmaster who resided near his
foster-father give an account of a mutiny which he had suppressed, and
his only weapon was a saw such as that he found in the pilot-house.
Thrusting the handle of the hatchet through the back of his belt, and
with the saw in his hand, he secured the wheel amidships, and hastened
aft, following closely at the heels of his three companions on board.
Gray stood by the heave-line he had thrown to those in the boat, and
which he had made fast at a cleat under the rail. Scott took in the
situation at a glance, and noted the place where the line was made
fast. But he did not wish to interfere with any plan Louis had made.
"I have fastened the wheel amidships, Louis, and I can be with you for
a few minutes," said he to the leader.
"Gray has dropped a line into the boat, and the Spaniards have made it
fast," replied Louis. "All we have to do is to beat them off if we can.
I don't like the idea of shooting them;" and he had his hand on his hip
pocket.
"Here is the line: shall I cut it?" asked Scott.
"Yes, if you can."
Drawing the rope up to the rail, he chopped it off with a single blow
of the hatchet. It dropped on the deck, and was running out when the
Scotchman unfortunately discovered what had been done, and seized upon
it just before the end of it was going overboard. He could not have
done this if Diego and a couple of his companions had not still been
holding on at the rail.
Gray held fast at the line, passing it around the small iron davit, to
a pair of which a little tender was hoisted up, and made it fast. Then
he turned upon the four boys who were in the gangway abreast of the
cabin, and he was evidently no longer in favor of gentle measures, for
he swore at them in a manner to make a Christian weep.
"I gave you a chance to be decent and earn some money," said he
angrily. "You would not listen to me, and now you have lost your chance
to make three or four pounds, and I have taken possession of the
steamer, and I intend to keep her as long as I please."
"This is piracy!" exclaimed Louis.
"You may call it what you like," replied Gray savagely. "You have had
your chance, and now you have lost it. Go forward, every mother's son
of you!" And he rushed at them in a body as they stood, with his two
fists doubled up as though he intended to annihilate them, and so
furiously that those who had revolvers had no chance to use them.
He absolutely fell upon Louis and Felix who were ahead of Morris and
Scott, and except the last they all fell back involuntarily, and in
a moment more the revolvers were drawn and in readiness for use; but
Scott did not budge a foot. He had restored the hatchet to the belt
behind him, and had transferred the hand-saw to his right hand. He
stood his ground like a brave fellow, for he had a plan in his head
upon which he meant to act.
The Scotchman struck at him with his fist, directing the blow at his
head; but Scott had raised the saw in readiness for action, and he
brought it down upon his assailant's hand with a force which made him
howl with pain, and caused him to retreat a pace, while he poured
forth a volley of oaths which must have well-nigh exhausted his
piratical vocabulary.
[Illustration: "SCOTT RAISED THE SAW IN READINESS FOR ACTION."]
"Don't fire, fellows, if you can help it," said Louis to his followers,
for the worst the smugglers were likely to do was to use the Salihé
to tow their schooner down to Carnero Point, a distance of about five
miles, and he could not feel that his party would be justified in
killing the assailants.
He spoke in a low tone so that Gray could not hear him, for he was
still disposed to use the revolvers for their moral effect, and he
did not believe that even the Scotchman would be willing to stand up
in the face of a dozen and a half of bullets that might be shot into
his head. Louis was filled with admiration at the pluck which Scott
exhibited, for he had not expected it of him. Still levelling blows at
the Scotchman with the saw, the pilot drove him aft, hitting him once
in the face, for he was not as tender of the enemy as his leader was.
Gray defended himself as well as he could, avoiding most of the
blows by dodging them, or warding them off with his arm. Near the
standing-room he found a spare tiller, kept for use in case the wheel
should be disabled in the pilot-house. As he stooped to take it from
the brackets, he received the cut in his face, which maddened him
more than any other he had received. With this weapon he rushed upon
the pilot, and the efficiency of the saw was somewhat neutralized,
though Scott continued to wield it vigorously as he retreated upon his
companions.
In the first of the struggle Gray had called upon the Spaniards to
board the steamer, which they had done, and now the whole five of
the smugglers were on the deck of the Salihé. The situation looked
very discouraging to Louis when he saw that the enemy had obtained a
foothold, and he realized that he ought to have menaced those in the
boat with the revolvers of his party. But he could not have reached the
standing-room directly without passing the Scotchman, who would have
disputed his passage.
The Spaniards disappeared behind the cabin; but in a minute more they
fell upon the rear of the party, and made them prisoners.