Part 27 (1/2)
By this time elastic Sharpe had recovered the first shock, and the order to crowd sail on the s.h.i.+p galled his pride and his manhood. He muttered indignantly, ”The white feather!” This eased his mind, and he obeyed orders briskly as ever. While he and his hands were setting every rag the s.h.i.+p could carry on that tack, the other officers having unluckily no orders to execute, stood gloomy and helpless, with their eyes glued, by a sort of sombre fascination, on that coming fate; and they literally jumped and jarred when Mrs. Beresford, her heart opened by the lovely day, broke in on their nerves with her light treble.
”What a sweet morning, gentlemen! After all, a voyage is a delightful thing. Oh, what a splendid sea! and the very breeze is warm. Ah! and there's a little s.h.i.+p sailing along: here, Freddy, Freddy darling, leave off beating the sailor's legs, and come here and see this pretty s.h.i.+p.
What a pity it is so far off. Ah! ah! what is that dreadful noise?”
For her horrible small talk, that grated on those anxious souls like the mockery of some infantine fiend, was cut short by ponderous blows and tremendous smas.h.i.+ng below. It was the captain staving in water-casks: the water poured out at the scuppers.
”Clearing the lee guns,” said a middy, off his guard.
Colonel Kenealy p.r.i.c.ked up his ears, drew his cigar from his mouth, and smelt powder ”What, for action?” said he briskly. ”Where's the enemy?”
Fullalove made him a signal, and they went below.
Mrs. Beresford had not heard or not appreciated the remark: she prattled on till she made the mates and mids.h.i.+pmen shudder.
Realise the situation, and the strange incongruity between the senses and the mind in these poor fellows! The day had ripened its beauty; beneath a purple heaven shone, sparkled, and laughed a blue sea, in whose waves the tropical sun seemed to have fused his beams; and beneath that fair, sinless, peaceful sky, wafted by a balmy breeze over those smiling, transparent, golden waves, a bloodthirsty Pirate bore down on them with a crew of human tigers; and a lady babble babble babble babble babble babble babbled in their quivering ears.
But now the captain came bustling on deck, eyed the loftier sails, saw they were drawing well, appointed four mids.h.i.+pmen a staff to convey his orders: gave Bayliss charge of the carronades, Grey of the cutla.s.ses, and directed Mr. Tickell to break the bad news gently to Mrs. Beresford, and to take her below to the orlop deck; ordered the purser to serve out beet biscuit, and grog to all hands, saying, ”Men can't work on an empty stomach: and fighting is hard work;” then beckoned the officers to come round him. ”Gentlemen,” said he, confidentially, ”in crowding sail on this s.h.i.+p I had no hope of escaping that fellow on this tack, but I was, and am, most anxious to gain the open sea, where I can square my yards and run for it, if I see a chance. At present I shall carry on till he comes within range: and then, to keep the Company's canvas from being shot to rags, I shall shorten sail; and to save s.h.i.+p and cargo and all our lives, I shall fight while a plank of her swims. Better be killed in hot blood than walk the plank in cold.”
The officers cheered faintly; the captain's dogged resolution stirred up theirs.
The pirate had gained another quarter of a mile and more. The s.h.i.+p's crew were hard at their beef and grog, and agreed among themselves it was a comfortable s.h.i.+p. They guessed what was coming, and woe to the s.h.i.+p in that hour if the captain had not won their respect. Strange to say, there were two gentlemen in the _Agra_ to whom the pirate's approach was not altogether unwelcome. Colonel Kenealy and Mr. Fullalove were rival sportsmen and rival theorists. Kenealy stood out for a smooth bore and a four-ounce ball; Fullalove for a rifle of his own construction. Many a doughty argument they had, and many a bragging match; neither could convert the other. At last Fullalove hinted that by going ash.o.r.e at the Cape, and getting each behind a tree at one hundred yards, and popping at one another, one or other would be convinced.
”Well, but,” said Kenealy, ”if he is dead, he will be no wiser. Besides, to a fellow like me, who has had the luxury of popping at his enemies, popping at a friend is poor insipid work.”
”That is true,” said the other regretfully. ”But I reckon we shall never settle it by argument.”
Theorists are amazing; and it was plain, by the alacrity with which these good creatures loaded the rival instruments, that to them the pirate came not so much as a pirate as a solution. Indeed, Kenealy, in the act of charging his piece, was heard to mutter, ”Now, this is lucky.” However, these theorists were no sooner loaded than something occurred to make them more serious. They were sent for in haste to Dodd's cabin; they found him giving Sharpe a new order.
”Shorten sail to the taupsles and jib, get the colours ready on the halyards, and then send the men aft.”
Sharpe ran out full of zeal, and tumbled over Ramgolam, who was stooping remarkably near the keyhole. Dodd hastily bolted the cabin-door, and looked with trembling lip and piteous earnestness in Kenealy's face and Fullalove's. They were mute with surprise at a gaze so eloquent and yet mysterious.
He manned himself, and opened his mind to them with deep emotion, yet not without a certain simple dignity.
”Colonel,” said he, ”you are an old friend; _you,_ sir, are a new one; but I esteem you highly, and what my young gentlemen chaff you about, you calling all men brothers, and making that poor negro love you instead of fear you, that shows me you have a great heart. My dear friends, I have been unlucky enough to bring my children's fortune on board this s.h.i.+p: here it is under my s.h.i.+rt. Fourteen thousand pounds!
This weighs me down. Oh, if they should lose it after all! Do pray give me a hand apiece and pledge your sacred words to take it home safe to my wife at Barkington, if you, or either of you, should see this bright sun set to-day, and I should not.”
”Why, Dodd, old fellow,” said Kenealy cheerfully, ”this is not the way to go into action.”
”Colonel,” replied Dodd, ”to save this s.h.i.+p and cargo, I must be wherever the bullets are, and I will too.”
Fullalove, more sagacious than the worthy colonel, said earnestly--”Captain Dodd, may I never see Broadway again, and never see Heaven at the end of my time, if I fail you. There's my hand.”
”And mine,” said Kenealy warmly.
They all three joined hands, and Dodd seemed to cling to them. ”G.o.d bless you both! G.o.d bless you! Oh, what a weight your true hands have pulled off my heart. Good-bye, for a few minutes. The time is short.
I'll just offer a prayer to the Almighty for wisdom, and then I'll come up and say a word to the men and fight the s.h.i.+p, according to my lights.”
Sail was no sooner shortened and the crew ranged, than the captain came briskly on deck, saluted, jumped on a carronade, and stood erect. He was not the man to show the crew his forebodings.
(Pipe.) ”Silence fore and aft.”