Part 30 (1/2)
I now told Bob what I had heard the pirate say, and that, from his remarks, I gathered that ”old Steve” was the only man left on board the brig.
I arranged with Bob that he was to answer in the event of the said ”old Steve” hailing us as we went alongside, and directed him what to say, as Bob's phraseology was habitually seasoned far more highly with nautical slang than was my own, and he would, therefore, be less likely to be suspected in the carrying on of a haphazard conversation than myself.
We soon reached the canoe, which lay just as we had left her, and, taking her in tow, we pulled away at once straight for the brig.
In half an hour we reached her, and, contrary to the pirate's surmise, ”old Steve” proved to be pretty broad awake.
”Boat ahoy!” hailed he, as we approached.
”Ay, ay!” answered Bob. ”Is that you, Steve?”
”In course it is,” replied that worthy. ”Who the h.e.l.l are you, and what do you want off here at this no time o' night?”
”Whisht!” returned Bob warningly. ”Belay all that, you old sinner; there's no need to let everybody know as two friends has brought ye off a bottle of grog and a bit of queerish kind of news. Heave us a rope's-end, will ye? for it's that dark that hang me if I can find anything to make fast this here boat's painter to!”
”Ay, ay,” answered ”Steve;” ”look out--here ye are! But who _are_ ye at all? I can't make out your woice, d.a.m.n me if I can! And who's that with ye?”
”Not make out my woice!” retorted Bob. ”No, I s'pose you can't. And I ain't surprised at it neither, considerin' the bushels of smoke as I've swallered from that fire ash.o.r.e, and the thousands of muskeeters as has flied down my throat; so that's all right. Here's the grog, old c.o.c.k.”
”Steve” leaned over the bulwarks and seized the grog, and Bob and I both climbed the brig's side at the same instant. In another moment ”Steve”
was on his back, with Bob's knee and his whole weight on his chest; and I was soon busy securing the prisoner with a piece of the rope which was lying about in any quant.i.ty on the deck. This was quickly done, and the man gagged with a belaying-pin; after which we made a rapid tour of the deck, cabin, and forecastle, and satisfied ourselves that there was no one else on board to dispute or interfere with our actions.
We decided to set the brief on fire in three places--forward, aft, and in mids.h.i.+ps--and we lost no time in making our preparations. We found a lot of old sails in a locker at the fore end of the forecastle, and these we divided, taking away a sufficiency to kindle a good rousing fire in the hold; and over these, as soon as we had deposited them in a suitable position, as well as over those remaining in the locker, we poured a few buckets of tar from a cask we found abroach on deck.
We had no fear about the craft not burning well, for she had a large quant.i.ty of combustible materials of all sorts in her hold; and we hastily made as large a heap of these as we could, so as to ensure her effectually taking fire.
We then went into the cabin, and piled the bedding from all the berths upon the floor, heaping the chairs and table upon it, and pouring a copious libation of tar upon the whole. We then put a light to it, staying long enough to see the ma.s.s burst into fierce flame; when we rushed on deck, and I dived into the hold, whilst Bob went into the forecastle, where we quickly kindled our respective heaps, and then as quickly returned to the deck.
Thin clouds of smoke already poured up through the various openings of the deck, promising speedy and effectual destruction to the brig; so we had now nothing to do but get away from her, and return with all speed to the cutter.
”Steve” was lowered over the side into the punt, Bob and I followed, and we at once pushed off for the cove, in the highest glee at having so successfully carried out our daring scheme.
Daylight was just breaking as we pushed off, and by the time that we entered our cove the sun was above the horizon.
We dropped the punt and canoe astern, and the sails being all bent and loose (I having made every possible preparation for an immediate start whilst waiting for the hour at which to set out upon our raid), we were under way and standing out of the cove in ten minutes more.
Bob got our big gaff-topsail on the craft as we ran down towards the pa.s.sage, and I kept a bright look-out for any signs of alarm in the pirate camp. The camp itself we could not see, of course; but I expected to see men moving about on the sh.o.r.e. Nor was I disappointed, for I soon descried a knot of figures standing upon the low point, which was the nearest land to the brig, watching, in apparent stupefaction, the progress of their vessel's destruction.
The brig was by this time almost enveloped in flames, and had the entire crew been on board, they could then have done nothing to save her.
We were quickly discovered, of course, and great was the confusion which our appearance seemed to excite; but I cared nothing about that--indeed, it was a part of my programme that the pirates should know to whom they were indebted for their present disaster.
Very shortly a crowd of men appeared hurrying along the beach in our direction, and, as we bore away for the pa.s.sage, they saluted us with a straggling musketry fire, more in impotent anger than for any harm it could do us, for the shot all fell very far short.
When about a quarter of a mile from the entrance to the channel, I hove the cutter to, and we hauled the punt alongside, took out one of her oars, and cast ”Steve” adrift from his las.h.i.+ngs, leaving him to get ash.o.r.e to his comrades as best he might with one oar.
We then filled away once more, and ran down upon the boats, took them all in tow, and stood out through the channel. Another volley of musketry betrayed the irritation of the pirates at the sight of our departure and the loss of their boats, to which Bob replied by giving three ironical cheers.
At this juncture Ella appeared on deck, wonderfully surprised, of course, at all she saw, and I was at once called on to explain. I did so, briefly narrating the circ.u.mstances of Bob's fortunate discovery of the arrival of the _Albatross_ at the island, of his having watched the crew all the previous day, of our plan, and of the manner in which it had been carried out, pointing to the burning brig as the issue of it all.
”Oh! Harry,” exclaimed she, bursting into tears, ”how _could_ you run such a fearful risk! Only fancy, you two men venturing into the very centre of these dreadful people's camp, and without arms too! Why what would have become of you if you had been taken? Really, I could almost find it in my heart to be downright angry with you both. I cannot understand men a bit. They seem--some of them--to have been born absolutely devoid of the faculty of perception of danger, even when it is staring them in the face; and accordingly they rush into the midst of all sorts of perils, seemingly with a happy unconsciousness that they are doing so, and with a heedlessness as to consequences which is perfectly bewildering. No--now do not try to coax me, Harry, for I really _am seriously_ angry with you. And to think, too, of your being up all night, weak as you are! I am surprised that you are not ill again. Oh, Harry” (with fresh sobs), ”how thankful I am that you are safe, and that I did not know anything of this until now! And do not look grieved, darling; I did not mean what I said. It was very naughty of me, I know, but I was frightened at the thought of the risks you have run, and how all this _might_ have ended. Oh, mercy! what is that?”