"I no care what you say, Ma.s.s' Oak.u.m, sah," said 'Pollo a few moments before; and his great black ears seemed to start forward like those of a hare, "I sure I hear de rattle ob a rope; and you see if dare isn't a boat under de side."

He leaped softly up, and ran on deck, followed by Oak.u.m.

"Dere, I sure I right," whispered the black, pointing astern. "Boat full ob men."

"I can't see nowt," growled Sam. "Let's go forward and ask the look-out if they heerd anything. Hear a boat touch the side, mates?" he said aloud.

There was no answer.

"The lubbers are asleep," he cried, angrily; and hurrying to where the men should have been, he found that they were missing, and ran to the hatchway. "Below there!" he shouted. "On deck here, some of yer!"

All silent, and he lowered himself down to find a lantern burning, but not a soul there even in the bunks, the men's kits being also gone.

"Deserted, by jingo!" cried Oak.u.m, slapping his thigh, as he began to ascend the ladder. "Here, 'Pollo, run and call the skipper."

"What's wrong?" cried Captain Studwick, from out of the darkness.

"Not a blessed man, sir, left aboard;" and the captain brought his foot down with a savage stamp upon deck.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER TEN.

OFF AT LAST.

The outcry brought the doctor, Mr Wilson, and John Studwick on deck the latter panting, and evidently in a terrible state of alarm.

"Quick, father, the boat, save Bessy, don't mind me," he gasped.

"There's nothing to fear, my boy," exclaimed the captain, catching the young man's arm. "Only the men have gone ash.o.r.e--forsaken the ship.

Now go below. Here, you Oak.u.m, what do you mean, you scoundrel?

Where's Mr Jones?"

"Here, sir," said the mate, who had hurried from his berth. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" exclaimed the captain, stamping about the deck in his rage.

"Why, the men have forsaken the ship. What were you about?"

"I beg pardon, Captain Studwick," said the mate, sharply; "but it was my watch below. You said you would see to the first watch with Oak.u.m."

"So I did, so I did," cried the captain. "Here, Oak.u.m."

"You said I could go below, Capen," said Oak.u.m, gruffly.

"Did you know anything of this?"

"If I'd know'd anything of it, I should have come and told you," growled Oak.u.m. "Didn't I give the alarm as soon as I know'd?"

"Yes, yes, yes," cried the captain. "There, I beg your pardon, Mr Jones. Don't take any notice, Oak.u.m. It's enough to make any man mad.

How am I to face Mr Parkley and Mr Pugh when they come off in the morning?"

"Lads on'y gone off to have a good drink, p'raps, sir," suggested Oak.u.m.

"Drink? No. They've been got at and bribed, or persuaded not to go.

The scoundrels! I'll have them before the nearest magistrate and punish them for this."

"Got to ketch 'em first," growled Oak.u.m to himself.

"Look here, when did you find this out?" exclaimed the captain.

"When you heerd me shout," said Oak.u.m. "'Pollo here thought he heard a noise, and we came and looked."

"And I see de boat go astern wif all de men in, sah," said 'Pollo, importantly.

"It's a planned thing, or the men would not have gone off like that,"

said the captain. "Mark my words, John, that foreigner's at the bottom of this. Did either of you see him come near the ship?"

"I did, sah," cried 'Pollo.

"You did?" exclaimed the captain.

"Yes, sah, jus' 'fore dark I see um get in boat 'low de wharf, and two men row boat wif um."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sah, I quite sure. I see um sit in de stern wrap up in um cloak, and smoke cigar. But he nebber come nigh de ship."

"I thought as much," groaned the captain. "Here, go below, John. The night air's chilly. There's nothing the matter, my child," he continued tenderly, "only some of the crew have absconded." For just then Bessy Studwick, very quiet and trembling, had come to his side. "Well, gentlemen, I'm very sorry, but I could not help it, and now I shall have to ask you to share the watch with Mr Jones and myself. Oak.u.m and 'Pollo, go below. Oak.u.m, you will take the next watch with Mr Jones; Mr Meldon, or you Mr Wilson, will, perhaps, join me in the morning watch."

Both gentlemen expressed their willingness, and the night pa.s.sed off without further misadventure.

Captain Studwick was quite right, for the Cuban had hovered about the schooner until darkness set in, when, watching his opportunity, he caught the attention of one of the men, who absolutely refused to listen to him at first, but as Laure bribed higher, and vowed that it was a mad voyage, of which he had himself repented, as he would not expose the men to the risks of the deadly coast where the treasure lay, the man began to listen.

"There are fevers always on those sh.o.r.es, of the most deadly kind," he whispered; "and I shall feel as if I had sent a party of good British seamen to their death."

At last his words and his money began to tell. This man was won over, and when the others were brought under the persuasive ways of the Cuban, the dread of punishment for desertion was mastered by another sovereign or two, and after his last words they gave way.

"Take your choice," he had said at last; "a dog's death and your body for the sharks in that pestilent clime, or the money I give you. You can take the night train for London, have your run there, and then get a good vessel afterwards."

An additional sovereign to the man he felt most likely to be his tool made him promise to cut the hawser, and then all went well for the infamous design, except that this man repented of part of his bargain, and the crew of stout, able seamen was taken off, and landed a mile or so above where the schooner lay in the tideway.

By eight o'clock in the morning Mr Parkley and Dutch came off to announce that they had discovered through 'Pollo that when he saw Tolly and the other diver they were on their way to the station, and had taken tickets for London.

"Did you ever have worse news?" said Mr Parkley, bitterly. "It may be months before we can get others who will go, for Layman, my other man, is ill."

"Yes," said the captain, quietly.

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Mr Parkley, aghast.