Chapter 15. How The Crew Of The "Black Petrel" Were In Sore Straits

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_ CHAPTER FIFTEEN. HOW THE CREW OF THE "BLACK PETREL" WERE IN SORE STRAITS

The supply of food, supplemented by the bottles of beer, which were equitably distributed so as to give all the men a tiny cup or two, had a wonderful effect upon their spirits, so that the rest of the afternoon was passed waiting patiently for the night, the sailors expressing themselves as willing to do whatever their leaders bade.

Billy Widgeon was the spokesman, Small occupying a sort of middle position between officers and men.

"We says, sir," he began, addressing the major--"I mean they says as we--I mean they ain't fighting men, never having 'llsted or gone in the ryle navy; but in a case like this they will--no, we will, for of course I ar'n't going to stand back--have no objection to a bit of a set-to so as to lick the niggers. For if ever niggers wanted licking it's niggers as'll take advantage of a ship being in a calm, and part of her officers and crew away, and--and--here: what was I to say next, lads?"

Billy Widgeon had come to a stand-still, and had to appeal to his companions.

"That's about all," said one of the men. "I'd stow it now."

"Right, mate; I will," said Billy, who had recovered himself a little and was beginning to think of a great many more things he would like to say. "So we're ready, sir, whether it's fisties or pistols, and if Mr Gregory yonder and Mr Morgan--as we're werry sorry he's wounded--don't give no orders another way, we'll do as you wants us to, so what's it to be? Theer, that's all."

"Thank you, my lads, thank you," said the major quietly.

"Not much of a speech, were it?" said Billy to one of his forecastle mates.

"What, yourn?" said the man.

"Tchah! No! The major's."

"Didn't think much o' yourn anyhow," said the man.

"Why didn't you make one, then?" growled Billy fiercely.

"There, don't get up a quarrel, mate," said the man. "P'r'aps we shall all be trussed up like larks 'fore to-morrow morning; so let's be friends."

"Eight," said Billy, slapping his great palm into his companion's; and Mark smiled to himself as he thought how much these big men were like school-boys in spite of their years.

The evening drew near after what seemed to be an interminable space of time, and to the great delight of Mr Gregory there was no change in the weather. There had been every probability of a breeze springing up at sundown, but the great orange globe had slowly rolled down and disappeared in the golden west, amidst the loud barking of the hornbills and the strident shrieks of flocks of parrots, and not a breath of wind was astir. Then came down the night, a purply black darkness spangled with stars overhead and reflected in the water, and with that darkness a hot intense silence.

"Finish your pipes, my lads," said the major, "and then we're going afloat once more."

The men replied with a cheery "Ay, ay, sir," and at once extinguished their pipes in token of their readiness; and soon after, in accordance with plans made by the three officers, Small assisting at their council, the boat was safely run down through the bushes, over the sand, and away into the calmly placid sea, which wavered from her touch in golden spangles, and then in silence all embarked, the rowlocks being muffled with handkerchiefs and jacket sleeves.

It was not a long journey, but had to be taken with the greatest of caution, for the slightest sound would have betrayed their whereabouts, and, in view of this, Mr Gregory had whispered to Mark:

"I don't want to oppose your dog coming again, Mark, but can you depend upon his being quiet?"

"Oh, yes, Mr Gregory."

"I mean when we near the praus. Will he bark?"

"No," said Mark confidently.

"Good. Pull easy, my lads; we've plenty of time. If the wind holds off,"--he added to himself, for he knew that with ever so light a breeze the _Petrel_ would be soon taken far beyond their reach.

As the boat left the shore Mark strained his eyes to make out the ship and its attendants; but all was dark, save the spangling of the stars, till they were about a hundred yards from the shore, when a beautiful phenomenon caught the lad's eye, for wherever the oars disturbed the water it seemed as if fiery snakes darted away in an undulating line which seemed to run through the transparent black water in every direction.

Mark only checked himself in time, for his lips began to form ejaculations of delight as he found that he was about to call upon those about him to share his pleasure.

At times the sea appeared to be literally on fire with the undulating ribbons of light, and as Mr Gregory realised this he had to reduce their speed and caution the rowers to dip their oars with greater care.

They glided on through the darkness, looking vainly for the ship, and from Mr Gregory's manner it soon became evident that he was doubtful as to whether they were going in a straight line towards it, for after a few minutes he made the men cease rowing, and bent down to take counsel with Morgan, who sat in the bottom of the boat resting his back against one of the thwarts.

"You ought to be able to see her now," whispered Morgan, "but I fear that the current has carried her more east."

"That's what I was afraid of," said Gregory softly, "and I'm afraid of missing her. If she would only show a light!"

Just then there was a low, ominous-sounding growl which made Mark hug the dog's head to his breast and hold it tightly, while he ordered it to be silent.

There was occasion for the growl; and it was their temporary saving that the men had ceased rowing, for the fiery look of the water would have betrayed their whereabouts as it did that of a vessel coming toward them, and they were not long in realising that it was one of the praus being rowed cautiously toward the shore.

The prau came on with the golden snakes undulating away at every dip of the sweeps, and right and left of the keel as she softly divided the water. All was silent on board, and nothing visible but what seemed like a darkening of the horizon; but, as he held Bruff tightly to keep him silent and stared excitedly at the passing vessel, Mark pictured in his mind the deck crowded with fierce-looking opal-eyed savage men, spear and kris armed, and ready to slay if they had the chance.

Those were perilous moments; for as the prau drew near it seemed impossible for its occupants to pass without seeing the gig lying little more than a few yards away. And as the English party sat there hardly daring to breathe, and knowing that a growl from the dog would result in a shower of spears, it seemed as if the vessel would never pass.

But pass it did, with the wonderful display of golden coruscations undulating from the spots where the long oars softly dipped still going on, but gradually growing more faint, and at last invisible.

"Bless that dog!" said Mr Gregory, drawing a long breath. "Now, my lads, pull softly. We're in the right track. Give way."

The men rowed, and a whispered conversation went on between the three heads of the little party.

"Couldn't be better, gentlemen," said the major. "Here we have half the enemy's forces gone ashore, and the other half not expecting us; that's clear, or else they wouldn't have sent that expedition to surprise us. What do you mane to do?"

"Get close up under the cabin-window," said Mr Gregory, "if we can find the ship. If we can lay the boat right under the stern we shall be safer from those on deck, for they could not see us."

"Yes," said the major gazing over the sea; "but, my dear sir, we must find the ship first before we can get to her stern."

"Is there no light?" said Morgan at last, after they had been rowing softly about for quite a quarter of an hour.

"No, not a spark," whispered Mr Gregory. "I've tried to keep in the course by which the prau came when it passed us, but the darkness is so deceptive that we might as well be blind."

Another ten minutes or so were passed and still they could not make out the tall spars and huge hull of the ship, while a feeling of despair began to come over Mark as he asked himself whether he should ever look upon those he loved again. He had never before realised the vastness of the ocean and how easy it was to go astray and be lost, for as minute by minute glided away, the search for the great ship became more hopeless, and the darkness that was over the sea began to settle down upon the young adventurer's heart.

"I'm about done, major," whispered Mr Gregory. "We're just as likely to be going right away from her as to her."

"A current must be setting strongly now at the change of tide," said Morgan. "We shall have to wait for day."

"And throw away our chance of doing some good!" said Mr Gregory pettishly. "Here you, Mark Strong, this dog of yours seems as if he could do anything. Do you think if we put him in the water he'd swim toward the ship?"

"If I let him go into the water he would begin to bark loudly," whispered Mark.

"Ah! and do more harm than good," said the major. "Now, look here, gentlemen: my wife and daughter are on board that ship, and we've got to find her, so let's have no talk of giving up, if you please."

"Give up, major!" said the first-mate with an angry growl; "don't you run away with that idea. I'm not going to give up."

There was so much decision in Mr Gregory's tone and words that Mark's heart grew light again, and the horrible picture his fancy painted of his father and mother being left at the mercy of the Malays once more grew dim.

"What shall we do, then, next?--go west?"

"No, sir, I think north," replied Gregory. "There isn't a breath of air, so we cannot have gone far. What say, Morgan?"

"The tide may have taken her many miles," said the second-mate, speaking painfully; "but try north."

The first-mate was about to whisper to the men to easy on the port side when all at once there was a flash at a distance, followed by a sharp report.

"From the ship," said Gregory. "A signal."

"No, no," said Morgan peevishly. "That is from the shore."

"Oh, impossible!" said the major. "That shot was fired from the ship."

Another flash, evidently from half-a-mile away in quite a different direction.

"That is from the ship," whispered Morgan as the report of the gun went vibrating through the dark night air.

"No, no, man; from the shore," said the major pettishly.

"I stake my life, sir, it is from the ship," said Morgan, straining his eyes in the direction from which the last signal had been made.

"Morgan's right, major," said Gregory firmly.

"Yes; that there last shot was from seaward," whispered the boatswain. "I haven't not no doubt about that."

"Steady, my lads, and give way now," whispered Gregory; and the boat was turned and rowed steadily for quite a quarter of an hour as nearly as they could tell in the direction from which the last shot had come.

At the end of that time, though, they were as badly off, it seemed, as ever, for they ceased rowing, to find that the darkness was more dense, for a soft mist was gathering overhead and blotting out the stars.

"If we only dared hail," muttered Gregory. "Major, this is horrible. Pst!"

This was consequent upon a faint flash of light appearing not twenty yards away; then it seemed as if there was a tiny flame burning, and directly after complete darkness.

"The _Petrel_ or a prau," said Mr Gregory in a low voice, and with his lips to the major's ear.

"The ship," said Mark excitedly, striking in.

"How do you know, lad?"

"By the height up."

"You're right, boy; so it is."

"And there," said Mark softly, "it was someone lighting a cigar."

"Yes; I can smell it. But hist!"

"It was my father," said Mark excitedly. "I know what he's doing: smoking at the cabin-window."

"May be," whispered back the mate cautiously. "Here, pull that starboard oar, Small."

The boatswain obeyed, and the one impulse seemed to send them all into a greater darkness, while the odour of tobacco pervaded the air quite strongly and a little point of light shone above their heads.

"Father!" whispered Mark, for he could not control himself, and the word slipped from his tongue.

"Mark? Hush!" came back to set all doubts at rest.

"Here, hook on, Small, keep the boat as she is," said Mr Gregory; and this was done in silence; but it was some few minutes before they were in their former position, all being done with the most extreme caution.

"Have you a rope, Strong?" said Gregory in a low voice.

There was no reply, but the glowing end of the cigar disappeared from where it shone some fifteen feet above their heads, and at the end of a few minutes something was lowered down, which proved to be so many sheets tightly rolled up and knotted together.

The first-mate seized the extemporised cord and drew hard upon it to see if it would bear. It proved to be made quite fast, so he turned to Mark:

"Now, young un," he said, "you can climb that rope. Go up and hear from your father how matters stand."

Mark said nothing, but seized the soft cord, and, with the mate's help, was soon half-way up, but the rest, as he quitted the support of the mate's shoulders, was more difficult. Still, the knots helped him, the distance was short, and, after a little exertion, he felt a couple of strong hands passed under his arms, when, after a bit of scuffling and plenty of hoist, he felt himself half-lifted in at the cabin-window, and the next instant clasped in a pair of softly-clinging arms.

"My poor boy!" whispered Mrs Strong.

"Hist! don't speak! Don't make a sound!" said the captain sternly. "There may be a sentry at the door."

"But, father, are you hurt?"

"A little, my boy; not much," said the captain.

"Terribly, Mark," whispered Mrs Strong; and the lad felt a shudder run through him.

"No, no! Don't alarm the boy," said the captain; and just then Mark felt a little hand steal into his, and heard a faint sob, while another hand was laid upon his shoulder.

"Miss O'Halloran! Mary!" whispered Mark.

"Yes: the major?"

"Papa?"

Two voices whispered those questions at the same moment.

"He's quite right, and down there in the boat," said Mark.

"Now, my boy, quick!" said the captain, catching Mark by the shoulder; "who's below in the boat?"

"All of them, father."

"Unhurt?"

"Mr Morgan has got a nasty spear wound."

"Ah!" ejaculated the captain. "Very bad?"

"Through his shoulder, father."

"Did you meet one of the praus?"

"Yes, as we came across."

"Gone to destroy your boat," said the captain. "I heard the orders given. Now go down to the boat and tell Mr Gregory that we are partly prisoners here. I say partly, because I have barricaded the cabin-door. Tell him that one of the praus came alongside to beg for water. The crew said they were dying for want of it, and the scoundrels had hidden their arms. I can hardly tell now how it was done, my lad, but one moment I was giving orders for the water to be passed over the side, the next I was lying on the deck struck down, and when I came to, the men were secured below and the deck was in possession of the Malays, a second prau having come up and helped the men of the first."

"But we heard firing, father?"

"Yes, my boy, so did I, as if it was in a dream, and I found afterwards that my poor lads had made a brave fight of it, and driven the first party out, but the crew were without a leader, and the Malays fired into them till they came close alongside and boarded together."

"Was--was anyone killed?"

"Don't ask now, my lad. Tell Gregory we were driven in here, and the ladies are all right. Ask him to climb up and talk the matter over with me, as to what we shall do."

"Pst!" came from the cabin-window, and directly after Mr Gregory climbed in.

"I could not wait," he said, "and I found the rope would bear me. Now, Strong, how do matters stand?"

The captain explained the position.

"And the men--down below deck?"

"No," said the captain bitterly; "half the poor fellows died like men-- no, like sheep," he cried excitedly, "for they had no weapons but the capstan bars. The other half were sent afloat in one of the boats, I suppose, and one of the praus kept firing at them till they got beyond reach."

"Ha!" ejaculated the mate.

"Now go down and talk with the major. Poor Morgan is helpless?"

"Yes, quite."

"Well, ask the major if he will stand by me. There are only two courses open. We must either try and retake the ship or escape at once before morning."

"Which do you think is best, Strong?" said Mr Gregory huskily.

"I'm pulled two ways, Gregory. I want to save my ship; but, on the other hand, there is the thought of these helpless women and our position if we should fail."

"Well," said Gregory slowly, "I'm for the fight. We've got some weapons now, and hang me if I'm going to strike to a set of treacherous pirates like this."

The captain grasped his hand and began smoking.

"Quiets the pain a bit," he whispered. "An ugly wound; but I don't think the kris was poisoned."

"Why, Strong," said the first-mate sympathetically, "we ought to give up and escape."

"My dear Gregory, I'm quite a cripple; but if you and the others will stand by me, we'll stick to the ship till she sinks, if we have such bad luck as that; and if she doesn't sink, we'll save her."

"I'll answer for it they will stand by you," said the mate, and going to the window he lowered himself down, and told those below how matters stood.

"Now, major," he said, "what do you say?"

"Say, sor!" whispered the major; "why, there isn't anything to say. I've paid for my passage and the passages of the wife and daughter to Hong-Kong, and does Captain Strong think I'm going to let them finish the voyage in a scrap of an open boat. No, sor; fight, sor, fight, of course."

"Will you stand by us, my lads?" said Mr Gregory.

"Will we stand by you, sir!" growled Small. "Why, of course we will. I want to make J Small, his mark, on some of their brown carkidges. Don't you, boys?"

A low whispered growl came in reply, a sound that was as full of fight as if it had been uttered by some fierce beast.

"That will do then," said the first-mate. "You slip up there first, Billy Widgeon, and you others go next. Stop: Billy, send down a table-cloth."

"Table-cloth, sir?"

"Yes, to tie the dog in; we mustn't leave him."

Widgeon went up, his mates followed one by one, for the cotton rope stood the strain, and then a big white table-cloth was dropped into the boat.

"Now, Bruff, my lad, you've got to go up like a bundle. Will you go quietly, or are you going to betray us?"

The dog made no resistance, but allowed himself to be stowed in the middle of the cloth, which was tied up bundle-wise, the end of the sheet-rope was attached, a signal made, and the animal drawn up and in at the cabin-window without his uttering a sound.

A minute more and the rope came down.

"Can you bear it round you, my lad?" whispered Gregory to Morgan.

"I'll bear anything," was the calm reply; and he did not wince as the rope was secured about his chest. Then a signal was given, and he was drawn up, to be dragged in at the cabin-window with his wound bleeding again and he insensible.

"Can you climb up, major?" said Gregory as the rope came down again.

"No, sir," said the major stoutly. "I shall have to be hauled up like a passenger, I suppose. I am no climber. But won't they hear us on deck?"

"I wonder they have not already," said the mate, though all was perfectly still, and the stern stood out so much that they were in some degree protected.

"This is confoundedly undignified, sir, confoundedly," said the major, as the cotton rope was secured about his waist. "Hang it, Gregory, I don't like it, sir. Can't I climb?"

"You said you could not. Will you try?"

"No; it's of no use. But really I do object to be swinging there at the end of a string like a confounded leg of mutton under a bottle-jack. Not too tight."

"No; that knot will not slip. There, shall I give the signal?"

"Yes--no--yes; and let me get it over as soon as I can. Good gracious! if the men of my regiment were to see me now!"

The signal was given, the rope tightened, and the major uttered a low cry as he was sharply lifted off his feet, and before he could check himself surely enough he began to turn slowly round and round as if he were being roasted.

Left alone now, Mr Gregory waited patiently till the rope came down again, when he caught it and secured it round his waist, after which he went to the bows of the gig, took the painter, and by pressing the stern of the ship managed to draw the prow close up to the hull, and then after a little search he discovered a ring-bolt upon the rudder-post, to which he drew the boat, running the painter right through and making it fast, so that the little vessel was well out of sight, unless seen by the crews of one of the praus.

This done he went to the stern, tightened the rope, and found that if he swung off he would go into the sea with a splash, an act sufficiently noisy to arouse the watch presumably set on deck.

This was out of the question, and he was about to lower himself into the water when the thought occurred to him to feel about the boat as to whether anything had been left; and it proved to be as well that he did, for beneath one of the thwarts his hand came in contact with a bag which proved to contain the ammunition and one of the revolvers.

Gregory secured the bag to his neck, hoping and believing that he would be able to keep it dry; and now, taking well hold of the rope, he let himself glide down over the side of the boat into the deep water, hanging suspended till the men above began to haul and without leaving him to climb, he was drawn up to the window and helped in, to stand dripping on the floor, and far more concerned about the contents of the bag than his own state. _

Read next: Chapter 16. How Mark Passed A Bad Night

Read previous: Chapter 14. How The Major Showed Himself To Be A Man O' War

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