Chapter 25

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_ CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

"Master Carey, sir!" came through the broken skylight. "Hear that? Hadn't we better begin first?"

"Wait a minute," replied Carey, who was trembling with excitement, brought on by the responsibilities of his new position. "Let me speak to Doctor Kingsmead."

Bostock grunted, and the boy turned to the wounded man.

"Did you hear what this wretch said?" he asked.

The doctor pressed the hand which took his, but made no reply in his utter exhaustion, and Carey drew back uttering a sigh, as much from pain as anxiety.

"It's no use," he muttered, "there's no help for it. I've got to do it all."

"Big Dan go mumkull ebberybody?" asked Jackum, quietly, and as if it was all a matter of course.

"No, no," cried Carey, angrily. "I'd soon kill him."

"Ha!" cried the black out of the darkness, for it was night now, with the black's figure just visible in the flames from the shore. "No kill Jackum?"

"Not I," cried Carey. "Here, let me come by."

He thrust the black aside, and went under the broken light.

"Look here, Bob," he cried. "Can that old wretch blow up the ship?"

"Well, sir, that's what I've been thinking. It's all very well to say you'll do a thing, but it aren't always easy, you see."

"But is the powder magazine close by where he's lying?"

"That's what I want to know, sir?"

"Don't you know?"

"No, sir; and that sets me a-thinking, how can he know?"

"But you've belonged to the ship for years."

"Ay, sir, I jyned for the first v'y'ge."

"And you've seen her loaded."

"That's so, sir."

"And you don't know where the powder magazine is?"

"Well, sir, to speak quite fair and honest, I don't."

"Isn't that strange?"

"Sounds so, sir, but 'tween you and me I don't b'lieve there is any powder magazine. The old _Soosan_ aren't a man-o'-war."

"No, of course not."

"She aren't got no great guns like we had aboard the _Conkhooroar_. What do we want with a powder magazine?"

"But there is a gun on deck."

"Tchah! A little brass pop-shot, to make signals with. The skipper had got some charges for her, and a few boxes o' cartridges in a locker; but I don't believe there's even the ghost of a magazine."

"Then it's all an empty threat, Bob."

"I don't say that, my lad, because though I never heard o' one there's room for half a dozen. All I say is, it aren't likely. Only I don't want you if we are blowed to bits to pull yourself together afterwards, and come and blame me."

"No fear, Bob," said Carey, speaking with some confidence now.

"You see, sir, that old ruffian says that he'll blow the old _Soosan_ up, and it may be solemn truth, and same time it may be only gammon; but it makes a man feel anxious like and think o' our raft and the whale-boat Old King Cole come in, and think he'd rather be aboard one o' them than stopping here."

"Retreating to the boat, Bob?"

"Yes, sir, or else chancing it, and that last aren't pleasant. I think we ought to say, 'Look here, my fine fellow, two can play at that game o' yours,' and get a tin o' powder, put a bit o' touch paper through the neck, set light to it, and chuck it down the stairs and blow him to smithereens first."

"And explode the magazine ourselves if there is one?" cried Carey.

"Well, I _ham_ blessed!" cried Bostock. "I never thought o' that! Anyone would think I was an Irishman."

"If I'm to take the lead now, Bob, I won't have any talk of murder like that."

"But it aren't murder, sir; it's on'y fair fight; tit for him before it's tat for us. Not as we need argufy, because it wouldn't be safe to try that game. Oughtn't we to take to the boat, sir?"

"How can we, Bob?" cried Carey, angrily. "You wouldn't go and leave the doctor?"

"Nay, sir, that I wouldn't. I shouldn't call a chap a man who'd go and do a thing like that. We should take him with us."

"Hoist him with ropes through that broken skylight! Why, it would kill him."

"Well, Jackum and me we'd carry him out o' the s'loon door, sir. We'd be werry careful."

"Pish! You know that the old ruffian commands the staircase, and he shot both Jackum and me when we were there. He'd riddle you both with bullets, and perhaps quite kill Doctor Kingsmead."

"Well, sir, he's riddling of me now, sir; I dunno what to say; on'y it don't seem nat'ral to stand still and be blown up in a splosion, when you might get away. Ha! I have it, sir. S'pose I get the boat round under the cabin window, and you and Jackum shove the doctor out and lower him down. What d'yer say to that?"

"Nonsense!" cried Carey, impatiently. "I don't understand wounds much-- no, not a bit; but from what the doctor said I'm sure if we tried to move him he'd bleed to death."

"That settles it, sir, then; you and me's got to stay. But look ye here, Master Carey; they say it's best in a splosion to lie down flat till it's over. Ah, there he goes again. It's coming now."

For Mallam's voice was heard once more, roaring for Bostock.

"No; he will not fire the magazine till he has had another talk to you."

"Think not, sir? I were reading in the _Mariner's Chronicle_ that pirates always blows up their ships when things go again 'em, and he's nothing better than a pirate, say what you will."

There was a savage roar from the beachcomber, and as Bostock hurried along the quarter-deck and descended to the cabin entrance two shots were fired in rapid succession.

"Big Dan go mumkull--kill a feller," whispered Jackum, as the exchange of words came to where they stood listening.

"Drop that! D'yer hear?" roared Bostock. "Drop it, before I come and finish you off."

"Yes; come!" snarled Mallam.

"I've a big mind to, you cowardly old thief. I want to pay you for that crack on the head you give me from behind."

"Come down, then, you sneaking hound. Where's that doctor?"

"Too bad to move, with your cowardly shooting."

"Wish I'd killed him," growled Mallam.

"You've bit your own ugly red nose off in revenge of your face. If you're waiting for the doctor to come and put you right you'll have to wait a couple o' months; and then if he's a bit like me he'll finish you off out of the way."

"Are you going to send him down?"

"No; I aren't going to send him down; but I tell you what I will do--if you don't hand up that revolver I'll pitch a lanthorn down alight so as to get a good aim at you, and then I'll give you two barrels o' this."

There was a few minutes' silence, and then the beachcomber began again.

"Send that Black Jackum down to me. Where's he been all this time?"

"Keeping out of your reach, you old madman," growled Bostock.

"You send him down."

As Carey listened it became plain to him that no matter how defective the black was in speech he understood pretty well every word that was said, for a firm sinewy hand was laid upon the lad's arm and the man said softly, "Jackum won't go. Want 'top 'long you. Big Dan mumkull Jackum."

There were a couple more random shots fired, eliciting raging threats from Bostock, and then the old sailor came back to the light.

"How's the doctor, sir?" he said.

"Sleeping heavily."

"Good job too, sir," said the old sailor, with a sigh. "Wish I could go to sleep and never know what's going on. Come much easier to be blowed up when one didn't expect it. Wonderful how cowardly a man feels when he knows that there's a lot o' gunpowder as may go off any moment just under his feet."

"But you must see, Bob," said Carey, softly, "that it's only a bit of bragging. He can't blow up the ship."

"Think not, sir?"

"I feel sure of it."

"Ah, I wish I could feel like that, sir," sighed Bostock. "You wouldn't, though, if you come up on deck and heard how he's going on."

"I can hear every word, Bob, and so can Jackum."

"Jackum? Ah, I 'most forgot him. I say, sir, his brothers, or whatever they are, seem to be carrying on a nice game, over yonder. P'raps it's 'cause they feel that they're safe enough. They've got a thumping big fire, and they're dancing round it like a lot o' little children playing at may-pole. Seems to me, sir, that these here blacks grow up to be children, and then they makes a fresh start; their bodies go on growing like anything, but their brains stops still and never grows a day older. Hark, there he goes again."

"What, Mallam?"

"Yes, sir; you can hear him talking to himself as you stand at the top o' the stairs listening. He was at it when I was there, and he's at it again."

"What is he doing?" whispered Carey.

"Seems to me, sir, as if he's tearing a way through a bulkhead so as to get a clear opening to the powder barrels."

"If there are any," said Carey, sharply. "O' course, sir; that's what I mean. Hear that?"

Yes, Carey had heard that--a sharp cracking tearing sound as of wood splitting and snapping, and as the sounds continued it was easy enough for the listeners in the dark to imagine what was going on, and that the old beachcomber was preparing his mine.

"Here, Jackum," said Carey, in a sharp whisper.

There was a quick movement, and the black squatted beside the lad.

"You had better go ashore and join your men."

"Jackum men? Jackum boys."

"Yes, go and join them."

"Jackum 'top 'long o' Car-ee boy."

"No, it is not safe. You must go. Big Dan is going to shoot powder and kill."

"Big Dan shoot big gun; mumkull eberybody?"

"Yes; be off while you can."

"Car-ee boy come too?"

"No, I am going to stay here with the doctor."

"Jackum 'top 'long doc-tor too."

"But it is bad. Big Dan mumkull--kill. Shoot powder."

"Jackum don't care fig," said the man, nonchalantly. "Jackum baal want be mumkull."

"But you will be killed if you stop," said Carey, excitedly.

The black laughed softly.

"Jackum be mumkull, Jackum 'top? Car-ee no kill Jackum. Like Jackum lots. Give Jackum ticky-ticky."

"You don't understand," cried Carey. "Big Dan will kill us all if we stop."

"Hey? Big Dan brokum."

"Going to shoot. Powder--gun."

"Ho!" exclaimed the black, who seemed now to have some idea of there being danger. "Car-ee no 'top. Come 'long shore. Eat snake."

"No," said Carey. "You go; I must stop with the doctor."

"Doctor not go," said the black, thoughtfully. "Hole in leggum. Jackum won't go. 'Top 'long o' Car-ee."

"Better give it up as a bad job, sir," said Bostock, from the light. "He means he won't go away and leave you. They're rum chaps, these black fellows, when they take to a man."

"Because they won't leave me, Bob?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then some white fellows are as queer, don't you think so?"

Bostock chuckled, but made no reply.

"Bob," said Carey, suddenly, "it is quite plain, isn't it, that we can't move the doctor?"

"Well, sir, I s'pose so."

"Then it is impossible for me to leave him. If there is an explosion I hope and pray that we two may escape."

"What about me, then, sir?"

"You will go to the boat directly with Jackum. I shall make him go."

"Right, sir, and wait in the boat till the ship blows up. And some day if I get away from here and reach Brisbane and your father comes to me and says, 'Where's my boy?' I ups and says, 'He wouldn't leave the doctor, sir, who was lying bad, having been shot; so me and a black fellow takes to the boat and rows half a mile away so's to be out o' reach o' the falling bits when the _Soosan_ blew up as she did; and a werry beautiful sight it was.' Then he says to me, he says--Yah! I'm blessed if I know what he'd say; all I knows is that I aren't going to meet him; not me, my lad; I'd sooner have a blow up from the _Soosan_ than one from him."

"Bob," said Carey, softly, "I wish I could reach up and shake hands with you."

"Well, so you can, dear boy," said the old sailor, huskily. "Thankye, my lad. Go and sneak away at a time like this? I'm made of a different bit o' stuff to that. I say, lookye here, Master Carey; I bleeve it's all flam and bunkum. He aren't got no magazine to fire, or else he aren't got no pluck to do it. There won't be no blow up, and we're a-going to face it with a bit o' British waller, eh?"

"Yes, Bob, we must face it," replied Carey.

"That's right, sir; then we'll do it comf'table and like men. Lookye here, my lad, you must be 'bout starving."

"Starving, Bob? I had not thought of it," said the boy, sadly.

"Then I'll think for you. I say you must have something, and so must I. Fellow's engine won't work without coal. Hi! Jackum! Something to eat?"

The black bounded to his side.

"Jackum want eat. Baal hab bit snakum."

"More you did, Sootie; but you shall have something better. Come along."

"Car-ee come 'long too."

"No," said Carey; "I'll stop here."

"Car-ee come. Doc-tor farss 'sleep. Big Dan brokum. Sit alonga long time. Baal fetch um too much drinking grog. Old man no good."

"Go along with Bob."

"Go alonga Cookie now?"

"Yes, and he'll give you plenty."

"Plenty eat. Jackum come back soon."

Bostock reached down his hand, but the help was not needed, the black springing up and rapidly making his way on deck, where he stood for a few moments gazing across the lagoon, stained blood-red now by the big fire; and he laughed softly.

"Black fellow eat plenty snakum. Jackum eat plenty now. Sit alonga self."

A few minutes later he was happily sitting on the deck by the galley "alonga self," eating half the overdone bird which Bostock had given him, while the old sailor had roughly prepared the most tempting part for his young companion and taken it to the saloon skylight.

"Here you are, Master Carey," he said. "Brought your coals. How's the king?"

"I have heard him groan several times."

"That's because he's low-sperrited, sir, because he didn't quite mumkull me and the doctor. But I say, sir, he's a long time blowing up the ship. Got it, sir? That's right! You'd better eat it in the dark, for fear he might crawl up a few steps if he saw a light, and want to pass the time practising his shooting. Now, no gammon, sir."

"What do you mean, Bob?"

"You'll eat that bit?"

"I don't feel as if I can."

"But you must, dear lad. It's to make you strong to help the doctor, and mebbe to shoot straight again' Old King Cole."

"I will eat it, Bob."

"Right, sir! That's British pluck, that is. How's your chesty now?"

"Very bad, Bob."

"Then sorry I am. Next time the doctor begins to talk you ups and asks him what he's got in his medsome chest as is good for it. I say, though, I s'pose it's no use to try and coax the doctor with a mossick of anything, is it?"

"Oh no, no."

"Not a cup o' tea and a bit o' toast?"

"Not now, Bob; he's sleeping calmly, and that must be the best thing for him."

"Right, sir. It's Natur's finest fizzick, as well I know. There, I'll go and have a snap myself, for it's the middle o' the night, and I haven't had a bite since breakfast."

There was silence then, and Carey thought the man had stolen softly away; so he was trying to keep his promise, though the first effort he made to partake of the food gave him intense pain. Then he started, for Bostock said softly:

"He's pretty quiet now, sir; I hope he aren't hatching any noo tricks again' us. Tell you what it is; I'm going down to him to-morrow with a mattress to see if I can't smother him down till I've got his shooting irons away. We shan't feel safe till that's done. My word! I should like to chain him up in the cable tier till we could hand him over to the 'Stralian police."

"Yes," said Carey, gravely. "Bob, that's the most sensible thing I've heard you say."

"Is it, sir? Then I'll go and give myself a bit o' supper after that. Are you eating?"

"I'm trying to, Bob."

"Trying's half the battle, sir. There, now I am off." _

Read next: Chapter 26

Read previous: Chapter 24

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