Читать книгу The Secret Chart; or, Treasure Hunting in Hayti - Otis James - Страница 8

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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.