The doctor and Captain Studwick were at the pumps, but she dare not appeal to them lest more mischief should befall, and hence she sat there trembling, feeling how thoroughly they were in the monster's power.

"She is coy and angry at our neglect," said Laure, sneeringly. "Well, well, we must excuse it, for we have been too busy even to think of love. Let us apologise, then, and say that we love her more than ever; and now that the work is nearly done, we are going to seek our reward henceforward here, Hester."

He laid his hand once more upon her arm, but she shrunk shuddering away, and the Cuban walked angrily to the side, where, with the tube in his hand, he stood gazing down, and watching the action of Dutch as he moved from place to place far below in the pure water.

He glanced round once, and saw that Hester, with dilated eyes, was watching his every movement, and feeling that he had, as it were, her heart-strings in his hand, he pretended to ignore her presence on the other side of the deck, and played with the tube that was the life of Dutch Pugh, now pinching it or bending it so that the supply of air was slightly hindered, when Rasp, un.o.bserved, signalled to those at the air-pump with one hand, causing them to accelerate their toil and so keep up the supply.

Just then, though so weak that he could hardly walk, John Studwick crossed the deck. Bessy would have accompanied him, but he hoa.r.s.ely told her to keep back, and so soft and slow was his step that he had his thin white hand upon the Cuban's arm before the latter was aware of his presence.

"You cowardly cur!" said John Studwick, glaring at him with his unnaturally bright eyes, and with his hollow cheeks burning with a hectic flush. "I can hardly think it possible that G.o.d can let such a villain live."

Laure started as if he had been stung, and his hand sought one of the pistols in his belt.

"Pistols, yes," said John Studwick. "But pistols or no pistols, if I had the strength of a man instead of being a helpless wreck, one of us should not leave this deck alive."

Captain Studwick and the doctor were intensely excited, but they dared not leave the air-pump lest the supply should fail for Dutch; but Mr Wilson drew nearer, and stood with parting lips and trembling hands watching the scene, while some of the armed crew now began to take an interest in the affair.

"Go down to your berth--to your kennel--sick dog that you are," cried Laure savagely, as he showed his white teeth like the animal he mentioned. "Speak to me like that again, and you shall not live long enough to see your pretty sister become my mistress, like Hester Pugh."

"You cowardly ruffian!" cried the young man, tottering on the brink of the grave as he was, and as he spoke he sprang at Laure's throat, clinging there with both hands, and in his surprise the Cuban staggered back. But only for a moment; the next Laure had shaken him off, and as the feeble man tottered away the ruffian drew a revolver, c.o.c.ked it rapidly, and fired at the invalid as he fell.

The bullet flew up through the rigging, for Wilson struck up his arm, and Laure turned savagely upon him, while the captain and the doctor were starting from the air-pump to go to Wilson's aid, when they were paralysed by a shout from Rasp.

"Pump, pump! or you'll kill Dutch Pugh."

Hester uttered a wild shriek, and the handles flew round again as she darted to the air-pump, and as if feeling that she could help her husband, seized the tube.

This cry and her act saved Wilson's life, for Laure, not a yard from him, was taking deadly aim at his head, his furious countenance bearing plainly stamped on it the determination to slay. Seeing Hester's act, then, he lowered the pistol, stuck it in his belt, and, as if the opportunity had come, and an excuse for revenge, he drew the keen sword he carried and with one cut divided the air-tube as it lay upon the deck.

Hester uttered another cry, and then stood like the rest, paralysed, as the tube writhed like a living creature, undulated, and then rapidly ran over the side, when the woman's whole nature seemed changed. From a gentle, timid, shrinking creature she was transformed into one reckless of life and free from fear, and, throwing herself upon Laure, she caught the sword by the hilt, and tried to wrest it from his hand, while he, astonished at the change, gave way.

The cutting of the tube had set the two men free, or it would have gone hard with Hester. Captain Studwick flew to her help, armed with an iron screw-hammer that he had caught up, while the doctor seized a lever and ran to a.s.sist, but only to receive a heavy blow from behind, as, at a call from Laure, his men closed in, and the struggle became general.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

RASP'S PLANS.

Dutch Pugh's doom was not sealed, for, as he was struggling on, holding his breath, and trying to reach the ladder and climb up before he should become senseless, there came help.

It was Laure's act he knew, and even in those excited moments he could tell that here was the meaning of the forebodings he had felt, and the thought of Hester left in the villain's power half maddened him as his temples throbbed, his senses began to reel, and he staggered, and felt that something was holding him back from the haven of safety he sought to reach.

Pleasant old memories began to float before his vision--days when he had wandered with Hester through the sunny country lanes, and she confessed her love for him; and all seemed bright and beautiful. He was in no pain, and he only knew that he had just reached the ladder, and was trying to ascend, when a dark cloud floated before his eyes--a cloud of dark-red blood, and then there was a shock and a concussion, and he knew no more.

The shock was the jerking of the life-rope, and the concussion was his helmet striking against the side of the ladder, for as the struggle went on, Rasp gave the word to Oak.u.m and 'Pollo, they hauled together, and, in spite of the weight, ran Dutch up to the side in a few moments, dragged him through the gangway, and as he lay on the deck Rasp rapidly stooped down and, turning a screw, threw open one of the plate-gla.s.s eyes of the helmet.

"Further this way," whispered Rasp again, and, Oak.u.m stooping down with him, they dragged the senseless man along the deck, away from the struggle that was going on.

At the end of two or three minutes, Oak.u.m and Rasp, who felt that the time was not ripe, and that any attempt at resistance on their part would have resulted, as they were unarmed, in failure, saw the captain, Mr Meldon, and Wilson driven below, Mr Parkley, in his c.u.mbersome diving suit, being thrust down directly after; and then the conquerors turned towards John Studwick, who was lying panting where he had been dashed, with his sister holding his head in her lap, while Hester had run to the side of her husband.

Old Rasp ground his teeth as, at the Cuban's orders, the invalid was roughly raised by the men, in spite of Bessy's shrieks, dragged from her, and thrown down the hatchway, while Bessy was dragged to the fore cabin and thrust down there.

"I'm a saving of all this up, Sam Oak.u.m," whispered Rasp. "I shall pay it all off on Mr Blackguard here some day."

"Some night," whispered Sam Oak.u.m back in a choking voice, "and that's to-night."

"What did you drag that dog here for?" cried the Cuban, now coming up, sword in hand, and making a thrust at the prostrate figure, as Hester tried to relievo Dutch of his helmet.

"Here, mind what you're after," said Rasp, snappishly, warding off the blow with an iron bar. "Don't be a fool. 'Spose you spyle that ingy-rubber soot, how are we going to get another?"

The Cuban turned upon him furiously, but as the quaint old fellow seemed not in the least afraid, he turned it off with a laugh.

"What did I pull him up for, eh?" said Rasp. "Why, becos I haven't done with him. I haven't forgot my percentage on the silver, captain, and this one's worth half-a-dozen of that t'other old chap."

"You're a strange fellow, Rasp," said the Cuban.

"Strange, am I? I've been a diver this forty year a'most, and I've never had such diving as this afore. It's too good to be spyled because you get wild, so now then."

"You're right, Rasp," said the Cuban, laughing, as Hester darted an indignant look at the gruff and apparently heartless old fellow. "Here, a couple of you, throw this dog down in the cabin."

As a couple of the men approached, the Cuban took a turn up and down the deck, and Hester started as Rasp, while apparently leaning over the helmet, whispered:

"Don't you resist, my pretty one, but go as he tells you; there's help a coming."

Laure turned sharply back, stooped down, and caught the trembling woman by the wrist.

"Enough of this," he exclaimed sharply, for one peculiarity of the man was that every time he was about to proceed to some act of violence he worked himself into a rage. "You come to me now."

Hester hung back from him and tried to cling to her prostrate husband, but, remembering the words of old Rasp, she suffered Laure to lead her forward.

"That's more sensible," he said, with a look that made her shrink.

"To-morrow we will change cabins with those aft."

He led her to the hatch, down which Bessy had been thrust, and ordered her to descend, which she did after a trembling glance at her husband, who still lay insensible, but with Rasp and Oak.u.m bending over him, and the next moment, finding that she was evidently in the part that the Cuban had had furnished for his own use, and beyond which was his little sleeping cabin, she was clasped in Bessy Studwick's arms.

"Why have you not thrown that dog overboard or below?" cried the Cuban, returning to where Dutch lay.

"Don't you be in such a 'nation hurry," growled Rasp. "I'm not going to have my helmets and diving tackle misused by n.o.body. These things may be worth fifty thousands pounds yet, and if they're bruised or have holes broke in 'em, how are we to get 'em mended?"

As he spoke, Rasp, with Oak.u.m's help, dragged off the india-rubber suit and removed the helmet very carefully.

"There," he said, "now you can have him; and none of your pitching him down like you did the others. He's valuable, he is."

The Cuban kicked the senseless man brutally as he lay, and, two of the sailors taking him by the legs and arms, he was dragged to the hatch, and then drawn heavily down the stairs.

"If I don't warm the wax o' that fellow's ears for all this, Sam Oak.u.m, my name ain't Rasp," said the old fellow, laughing to himself. "I want one of these here diving suits very pertickler, my friend, very pertickler indeed. Ho, ho, ho!"

"Right," said Oak.u.m, in a low voice. "To-night, mind."