STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

RENEGADES.

When Dutch recovered his senses, it was to find his head resting in his wife's lap, and the doctor busily engaged in bandaging his wounds, and as the misty sense of wonder pa.s.sed off, a feeling of thankfulness came upon him, and he pressed the little soft hand that held his, for his great horror had been lest Hester should have fallen into Laure's hands.

The joy he felt was heightened, too, by seeing Bessy Studwick there as well, busily attending her father, and then going from one to the other, carrying water, for the heat was terrible, and the wounds caused a thirst that was almost maddening. But, painful as they were, not one man had received mortal injury, and the doctor's words were more healing even than his bandages.

Some hours pa.s.sed, and then the cabin door was opened, and food and water carried in by three of the men; and then, with Laure fully armed behind him, came 'Pollo, who with swab and pail was ordered to remove the blood that liberally besprinkled the cabin floor.

His lips parted to speak, as he was at work where Oak.u.m sat up with bandaged head, contentedly chewing his tobacco; but a significant motion of the Cuban's hands made him turn hastily away.

This did not close Oak.u.m's lips, though, for he said, quietly,--

"Glad to see they ain't polished you off, 'Pollo, old man."

The black did not answer, and the Cuban came round, looking curiously at his prisoners' injuries, and scanning one after the other, ending by ordering the cabin skylight to be taken off, and the sailors and Oak.u.m to take possession of the forecastle, thus separating them from their friends.

"I don't want to stifle you all," he said, quietly. "Now, listen and remember. We are all well-armed on deck, and a careful watch will be kept, consequently any man who attempts violence will be shot down. I shall treat you all well, and you can have the run of this part of the ship for the present. To-morrow we sail for a fresh sunken galleon, gentlemen. I am much obliged to you for clearing this one out, and I shall require your services for the next."

"For clearing this one out." The words roused an echo in Dutch's breast as now, for the first time, he recalled his discovery of the gold, and, in spite of the pain he was in, his heart throbbed with joy. The Cuban knew nothing of the gold, which must be worth far more, he calculated, than the silver, and this was a secret confined to his own breast.

The Cuban's plans were plain enough to them now. His object was to force them to work at the recovery of more treasure, and then perhaps make sure of what he had by killing them all afterwards; and Dutch made a mental vow that not a single descent would he make to further the villain's aim, but as he did so he shuddered at the thought of what a powerful engine he could bring to bear by means of Hester, who was likewise in the Cuban's power.

As this thought struck Dutch, his purpose wavered, and he felt that he would be the Cuban's slave to save Hester from ill.

The greater part of the crew sided now with Laure. Six of the men had been in his pay from the first, and it was their restlessness that made him hasten his plans to their development, for he had had hard work to keep them quiet, but now that the change in authority had taken place he ruled them with a rod of iron, and there was not a man who did not shrink from his look and obey him like a child. The colour with which he had stained himself remained still, but it was no longer the cringing mulatto who paced the deck, but the keen, clever Cuban, ever watchful, ever on his guard, and ready to take every precaution to secure the treasure he had won; and over this, night and day, he had an armed sentry, as if suspicious of any attempt on the part of his prisoners to rob him of it by throwing any portion overboard.

Instead of setting sail at once, he altered his mind, and nearly a month glided by--a month of misery to the prisoners, who, however, were well cared for, and made to parade the deck for a couple of hours every evening, just as an owner might exercise the beasts he kept; and Dutch knew well enough why this was done, so that he and his companions in misfortune might be ready and strong to continue their work at their tyrant's order; but all the same there was one source of satisfaction to Dutch Pugh, for he saw how c.u.mbered the Cuban was with his success, and in his greed for wealth at present there was a respite from his insolent advances towards Hester, who was allowed to stay unmolested with her friends.

Meanwhile the troublesome and painful wounds of those injured healed fast under the doctor's care; and he was called upon to dress the cuts of three of Laure's men, who, in spite of the desperate resistance, had, saving one who died two days afterwards, escaped with trifling injuries.

The question of retaking the ship had often been mooted; but, unless some special opportunity occurred, this at present was out of the question; but many a plan was proposed and canva.s.sed in the saloon during those dark hot nights, Sam Oak.u.m giving it out as his idea that the best thing to do would be to take to the boat some night, and get away after laying the wires of the battery in connection with the dynamite cartridges, and blowing the ship and hose within it to perdition.

Dutch shuddered as he heard the proposal, one which he scouted as being as cowardly as it was horrible, but there was one thought which made him embrace even such a terrible plan as that.

The prisoners had been aware that something was afloat on deck, but what they could not make out, and any attempt to gain information was in vain, for when they saw 'Pollo, who brought them their meals, which, thanks to him, were good and palatable, Laure was always watching, and to make matters worse it was very evident that the black was currying favour with the Cuban, and belonged now to the opposite faction.

At last, after vainly planning and giving up each plot as futile, the prisoners sat about in the cabins or wearily gazed out of the windows one morning, waiting for change. The wounds were healing fast, and gave but little trouble, and Hester, in spite of the close imprisonment, had changed rapidly for the better, joining with Bessy in ministering to those who suffered with them, and making more than one eye bright as their owners made a vow that no harm should befall them while they had a hand to raise. Dutch had long known now how causeless had been his jealousy, and how bitterly his young wife had been persecuted; while she had borne all in silence lest, as so important a stake was in question, she might offend the Cuban, and so injure not merely her husband's prospects, but those of Mr Parkley, to whom they were both indebted so much.

All was very quiet below, and one day had so strongly resembled another that the prisoners watched them pa.s.s in a way that grew more and more hopeless, when they were startled by the loud rattle of the heavy chain with which their door had been of late secured, and, followed by four of his partners in iniquity, Laure presented himself, gave a sharp look round, and then in a hard commanding tone exclaimed:--

"Every man on deck!"

No opposition was made to his orders for the moment, and the captain, Mr Parkley, Meldon, and Wilson went up on deck, where they found Oak.u.m, Rasp, and the sailors, but Dutch drew back as he saw Laure's eyes turned upon Hester and her companion.

"Have him up, lads," exclaimed the Cuban, with flashing eyes; and Dutch was seized and dragged to the door way, Laure drawing a pistol and holding it to his head until he was on deck.

"Now you," exclaimed Laure, brutally; and with tottering gait John Studwick obeyed him, but there was a look on his eyes as he pa.s.sed the Cuban that made him start uneasily, and then with a contemptuous laugh he turned it off and followed him on deck.

Dutch heaved a sigh of relief as he saw that Laure stayed with them, had them ranged along by the starboard bulwarks, and then addressed them.

"We sail from here directly," he said, "and as I don't want to be hard on men who have got to work for me, I am going to make you an offer, on which condition you can have your liberty on deck. I shall make the same offer to you all, though I suppose there will be some fools among you who will not take it. What I propose is this, that such of you as like to swear you will make no attempt to escape or fight against me can go about, except at night, when you will all be locked up again; but you have to bear this in mind, that anyone who runs from his promise will be shot like a dog, or pitched over to the sharks. Now then, captain, will you help to navigate the ship?"

"No, sir," was the reply.

"Well, Mr Parkley, my disappointed speculator, what do you say?"

"I have nothing to say to such a scoundrel," replied Mr Parkley.

"You will stop on deck, doctor?"

"I shall stay with my friends, sir."

"So shall I," said Mr Wilson, stoutly.

"As you like. I needn't ask you, I suppose, my clever diver, but you had better stay and get strong," said Laure, with a sneering laugh; "you will have plenty to do by-and-by."

Dutch made no reply, but looked defiance.

"Just as you like," said the Cuban, grimly. "Now, you two sailors, stop and help work the ship, and you shall have four times the pay that those fools were going to give you. I'll give you a heap of ingots apiece."

Lennie and Rolls were evidently tempted, but they looked at Sam Oak.u.m, who was cutting off a piece of tobacco in the most nonchalant way.

"Well, why don't you speak?" cried Laure sharply.

"'Cause we're a-going to do same as him," growled Rolls, nodding at Oak.u.m.

"And what are you going to do, Sam Oak.u.m?" cried Laure, who was getting wroth at his plan for reducing his prisoners being foiled. "Come, my man, I'll make it well worth your while to turn over on my side. The game's up with those you have served, and if you hold out you will be forced to work with a pistol at your head; but if you come over to me, and help me well to navigate the ship, and get the treasure from a couple more galleons, I'll make you a rich man for life."

This was a painful moment for Dutch and his friends, for, instead of indignantly refusing, the old sailor, whom they thought so staunch, hesitated, and turned and whispered to Rasp, who was by his side.

"Come, look sharp I've no time for fooling," cried Laure. "What do you say?"

Oak.u.m looked at his fellow-prisoners, then at Rasp and the two sailors, and gave his quid a fresh turn before speaking.

"S'pose I says, 'No; I'll stick trumps to my old skipper?'" he growled.

"Well, then," said Laure, showing his teeth, "you'll have to work twice as hard, you'll have three days given you to carry the schooner to the next sunken wreck, and if you don't do it in that time I shall send a bullet through your head."

"Thankye," said Oak.u.m. "Well now, suppose as I says I'll fight for you, sail the schooner, and help get up some more treasure, what'll you give me?"

"Oak.u.m!" exclaimed Dutch, who had believed strongly in the old man's faith.

"You be blowed," growled Oak.u.m. "I must take care o' myself. Now then, gov'nor, what do you say?"

"I'll give you a hundred of those silver ingots down below. That will make you a rich man."

"Won't do," said Sam, stoutly. "I ain't going to cut my old skipper for no hundred on 'em. Make it two hundred and I'll take you."