"Dutch! Dutch!" she whispered, as she wreathed her arms round his neck, and clung to him tightly.

"Hester, darling," he whispered, "you should curse me, and not treat me so. My darling, I have been mad, and have but just learned the truth.

Forgive me, dear, forgive me. One word, for I must go."

"Forgive you?" she whispered back, as she pressed her lips to his in a long pa.s.sionate kiss. "Husband, dear husband, tell me you believe in me again."

"Never to doubt you more, darling," he groaned. "I cannot tell you now.

Loose me--quickly--I must go."

"No, no," she whispered; "not yet, not yet--one more word, Dutch, one more word."

"Stand ready there, everyone," cried the captain, in a loud stern voice, "and close up, gentlemen. Let every man aim at getting the weapons from the cowardly villains. Be firm: we have right on our side."

There was a sharp rustling noise, and the loud tramp of feet overhead; and then the captain's voice was heard once more out of the darkness.

"Quick there! Where is Dutch Pugh? The scoundrels are coming down."

The noise overhead increased as Dutch tore himself from his wife's arms, and hurried to join the defenders; but the captain's words were premature, as, after a few minutes, the sounds seemed to go forward once more and almost to cease, and just then Rasp's voice was heard.

"I've been having a rummage about, and here's two or three tools to go on with. S'pose you take this, Mr Pug, it's your shark knife; and here's one for you, Mr Parkley, and one for the captain. Is there any gent as would like an axe?"

"Give it to me," said the doctor. "Have you anything for yourself?"

"Only another chopper," said the old fellow, "but it's as sharp as a razor."

The diving implements in Rasp's cabin had been forgotten by all save him, and these he now pa.s.sed round, sending a thrill of satisfaction through all present, for it was like doubling their strength; and, as they all, well-armed now, stood round the door, there was a rush of feet overhead, the sound of curses, a heavy fall, and those below felt mad with rage at being unable to go to the aid of some one who was evidently fighting on their side, when there was a tremendous crash, and something heavy fell through the skylight to the floor by their side.

In an instant Dutch sprang upon the man who had fallen through, held his knife at his throat, and hissed,--

"If you stir, you're a dead man. Stand ready to strike down the next one who comes through," he added to his friends.

"Who's a-going to stir?" said a surly voice. "I'm too beat out. There, you needn't be skeared; no one else won't come down that way."

"Oak.u.m!" exclaimed Dutch, taking his knee from the prostrate man's chest.

"I ain't quite sure yet," said the old fellow. "It was me--what them warmint had left; but you've most squeezed out the little bit of breath as I had."

"My good fellow," exclaimed the captain, "I'm very glad you've escaped.

Are you wounded?"

"I'm blessed if I know, capen," growled the old fellow, rising and shaking himself. "I'm precious sore all over and pumped out, but I can't feel any holes in my carkidge as yet. How's everyone here?"

"Unhurt at present," was the reply.

"Got the ladies safe?"

"Yes."

"That's a blessing," muttered the old fellow.

"But who has been killed?" whispered Dutch in a low voice.

"Well, that's about what I was a-going to ask you, gentlemen," said Oak.u.m. "Far as I can make out, there's the whole of the watch. Bob Lennie--"

"Some one hit me on the nose and tumbled me down the hatch, first go off," growled that worthy.

"That's good," said Sam. "Well, then, they've done for d.i.c.k Rolls, I know."

"No they ain't," said the sailor, in an injured tone. "I got a chop on the head, and it's bleeding fine, and I bolted down here. Where's the good o' you going and telling such lies, Mr Sam Oak.u.m?"

"Well, third time never misses," muttered Sam. "What's come o' Mr Jones?"

There was no reply here.

"He wouldn't jyne the mutineers, would he?" said Sam after a pause.

"No," said the captain sternly.

"Then it was him as they've cut down and chucked overboard."

"Where are the other men?" said the captain, after a horrified pause caused by Sam Oak.u.m's announcement.

"Them as arn't in the swim is down in the forksel," said Sam, gruffly, "with all the chain cable piled atop on 'em, I expect; but it seemed to me as if the deck was swarming in the dark with fellows, all a trying to let daylight into your ribs."

STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTY.

AFTER THE FIGHT.

The silence on the deck now seemed ominous to those who were listening intently for some warning of the enemy coming down, but the long, weary hours pa.s.sed without any fresh alarm, and they all stood in that pitchy darkness and stifling heat, waiting for the danger that did not come.

"I'm getting so anxious about my birds," said Mr Wilson suddenly from one corner of the cabin. "How shall I get to feed them?"

_No_ one spoke for a moment or two, and then Sam Oak.u.m exclaimed:

"You won't want no more birds, sir. You're a-going to be kep' in a cage yourself;" and the two sailors t.i.ttered to themselves, but no one else spoke.

"I say," exclaimed Oak.u.m, all at once, "what's come o' the stooard and old 'Pollo?"

"I'm here, Mr Oak.u.m, sir," said a weak voice, and then there was a low wailing noise.

"That's old fatty, sure enough," said Oak.u.m, "and he's a-crying. But what's come of 'Pollo?"

There was no answer to this, and Sam was heard to bring his hand down on his leg with a vigorous slap.

"I remember now," he exclaimed. "They brought him down on the deck when they went at me, but it was all knocked out of my head. Poor old 'Pollo! Poor old chap! I liked his honest old black physog somehow, if it wouldn't wash white. If he's killed," he muttered sternly between his teeth, "someone's got to answer for it afore long."

The hours dragged on, and then it seemed as if the darkness had suddenly grown less opaque; then one haggard face and then another could be dimly made out, and at last, as if with a rush, up came the sun, and the saloon was flooded with light reflected through the windows off the glorious dancing water; and the prisoners began to look from one to the other, and always at haggard anxious faces.