Hurricane Island Page 7

  CHAPTER VII

  THE RISING

  In advising that the yacht's course should be laid for Rio I assumedthat possibly the mutineers would not have completed theirarrangements, and would be taken by surprise. My assumption wasjustified, though its very correctness came near to wrecking whatreputation I had left as a man of sense. I had long recognised that Iwas looked upon as having a bee in my bonnet, and the fact that wearrived safely in the port must have increased the doubts of those whoknew I was responsible for the alteration of the course. The changecould not, of course, be concealed very long. The watch was privy toit, when Day set the new course, and by next morning it was all overthe ship. Yet the same dignified routine proceeded; no one volunteeredany act of violence; and if I believed in myself no one else did, I amsure. Little Pye mused openly on the change, but withdrew himself atonce into his legal reticence when I also expressed my surprise. To saythe truth, I was not anxious that it should be known that I was theauthor of the alteration, and so made inquiries with a show ofinnocence. Nor do I think that any one suspected me, for neither thePrince nor Day would be likely to talk. Day, indeed, surprised me. Hethanked me privately for my medical advice, and, with a smile, added:

  "Perhaps I should say also nautical."

  I shook my head, smiling also. "It was political, captain, and that'sall."

  He nodded absently, and said suddenly, "I think, doctor, I will get ridof Pierce at Rio."

  I was heartily glad to hear this, and would have suggested that Holgatealso should go, but refrained. I knew not how far his improvement wouldbear the strain of the suggestion.

  We lay at anchor in the bay to coal, and the passengers took themselvesoff to the shore, Mlle. Trebizond in a wild flutter of excitement. Thismeant for her the nearest approach to Paris, I suppose, that wasavailable. At least she was in great spirits, and talked with theofficers. As we entered the harbour we heard the sound of music pouringfrom the saloon, which had never yet been used by the party, and onthat the rich notes of a fine mezzo-soprano. The little exhibitionarrested the men at their work, and, after that long passage ofsilence, seemed to wake us up and put us in a better mood. As it wasdisagreeable on board during the coaling operations, I, too, followedthe party on shore in the company of Barraclough.

  We had arrived at mid-day, and the yacht was to sail on the followingevening, for the simple methods of coaling in Rio protract thebusiness. I lunched at the English Hotel, and occupied the time in theusual manner of the sight-seer; visited the summit of the hill by theAlpine Railway, and walked negligently in the Botanical Gardens. Islept ashore, and was joined on nightfall by Lane, who was full of thegust of living. He could only be said to enjoy himself when he gotashore, and yet he could not keep off the sea. I learned from him withsatisfaction that Pierce, the boatswain, was gone, paid off at thecaptain's orders. So here was something for my consolation. I breatheda little more freely, and inquired further. But the rest of hisinformation was not so satisfactory. Besides the passengers, Day,Barraclough, McCrae, and himself had come ashore, leaving Legrand withHolgate and little Pye to represent what might be termed thearistocracy of the deck. And next morning I got a glimpse in thestreets of Pye, so that Holgate was, barring the second officer, masterof the yacht. I will confess I did not like this look of things; sodeep was my distrust of Holgate. In the Rua do Ouvidor I had a fleetingvision of Princess Alix and Mlle. Trebizond as they turned into a shop;but for the rest I enjoyed myself as a stranger to the _Sea Queen_, andone with no concern in her fortunes.

  It was late afternoon when I got to the quay to take a boat to theyacht; for, as I calculated, that would leave me a full hour to thetime appointed for sailing. Judge, then, of my amazement when I saw herstanding out, the smoke-wrack flying abaft, and trudging steadily forthe mouth of the harbour. I stood there, I think, fully three minutesbefore I moved or took action, but during that space of time I hadjumped at the conclusion. I was not wanted aboard. Was it Day? No; theidea was absurd, as he was most meticulous in his observation of theconventions. It certainly was not the Prince. The inference was onlytoo obvious. The hour of sailing had been shifted. By whom?

  I sprang down to the foot of the quay, where one of the big two-deckedharbour ferry-boats was lying.

  "Is your steam up?" I shouted to a man on the bridge. "I want you tocatch that yacht."

  He stared at me in astonishment, and shook his head. I shouted backagain, and he replied in Portuguese, I assume, of which tongue I amquite ignorant. I clambered aboard and made my way to him, by whichtime he had been joined by another man, with gold lace round his cap. Irepeated my query in French, and the second man replied indolently.

  "It was impossible."

  "I will give you twenty pounds if you catch her," I said, and fumbledin my mind for some computation in their wretched currency. I do notknow how many hundred thousand reis I mentioned, but it seemed to havesome effect. Both men stared after the yacht. I added several hundredthousand more reis, and they were plainly shaken. Heaven knew why Ishould have been offering my poor money for the sake of Prince Fredericof Hochburg. I did not stop to reason, but acted merely on impulse. Theman with the gold band went to the speaking-tube and shouted down it.The other man began to give brisk orders in a small, thin voice.Evidently my offer was accepted. I turned and looked out into the bay,and there was the _Sea Queen_, still steaming leisurely for the heads.

  When once the ferry-boat shook herself loose she made fair way. Shechamped and churned in a fussy manner, and the great steel crank in hermiddle began to thud in a terrifying manner. We had backed out, andwere driving down the harbour at the rate of perhaps nine knots. Wasthe _Sea Queen_ making more? It was impossible to judge at thatdistance. The yacht might have been a mile away, and if she were goingas fast as we it would probably be impracticable to attract herattention for some time, until, at any rate, we were clear of theshipping. Surely then the sight of a cumbrous ferry-boat beating downon an unwonted journey to the heads would draw their eyes and filltheir speculations. We were three miles out twenty minutes afterstarting, and now it was obvious that we were not making ground, butlosing. The trail of the smoke swept the water behind her, and her nosewas plunging for the open sea. I was in despair. I shouted to thecaptain in the effort to get him to hoist signals, and at last one wasfound which suited the emergency. I have forgotten what it was, but itapparently signified that help was required immediately. But still theyacht held on, and the distance between us grew.

  It seemed that I was after all destined to be free of the fortunes ofthat ship, whatever they might be; and I stood by the captain of theferry-boat with a feeling of defeat and helplessness, silent, andalmost resigned. And then, by one of those strange ironies the solutioncame to me, came to me too just as mere selfish considerations wereasserting themselves. I had thought of the Prince and the conspiratorsif I had thought at all, certainly not of myself; and now came thereflection that I had pledged my last sovereign in the endeavour tocatch the yacht, and that I was to be landed again in that foreign portpenniless. Was it under the stimulus of that thought that I recalled ofa sudden the first appearance of the _Sea Queen_ in my life, andremembered the flash of the rocket?

  "Have you any rockets?" I asked, turning abruptly round.

  The man stared, smiled deprecatingly, and shook his head. He addressedhis mate in Portuguese, and they held an animated conversation. Finallyhe turned to me, and the mate went below.

  "There is one, he believes, monsieur," said the captain. "It was forsaving life, but it is old."

  Well, old or new, I was resolved to try it, and presently, when themate appeared with a huge bomb in his hands, we set ourselves to work.The men by this time were interested, and we had the rocket rigged in atrice. The anxious moment was when we came to fire it. Would it fizzleout. Was the touch long gone?

  It resisted sullenly for some minutes, and then unexpectedly took thebit in its teeth, if I may put it that way, and bolted. In the summerevening sky was a great rush of light, and
in my ears the hissing of ahundred serpents. Then there was silence, and the light, describing itsarc, vanished into the water ahead. I gazed anxiously, but it was notuntil ten minutes later that we were able to judge of the success ofour venture. Then the little captain touched me on the shoulder,beaming. He did not trust to his inadequate French, but pointed. I hadalready seen the _Sea Queen_ lay to.

  A quarter of an hour later I stepped aboard her, and the man who letdown the gangway was Holgate.

  "Why, doctor, we thought you were in your cabin. A near shave!" saidhe.

  "Pretty close," said I; "I thought the hour was six."

  "It was changed to five by captain's orders," he replied. "Notice wassent duly."

  "It missed me," I answered cheerfully. "I wasn't at the hotel all thetime."

  I passed him and met Legrand, who stared at me. "It's not your ghost,doctor?"

  "No," I said in a lower voice. "But maybe it will come to ghosts yet."

  He stroked his short beard, and turned about. Day, I found, wassurveying me from the bridge in the most elegant suit of ducks.

  "Now that you have arrived, Dr. Phillimore, perhaps we may be allowedto proceed," he said sarcastically.

  I made no reply, but went aft, where my adventures must be poured intoLane's ears. Barraclough looked me up and down in his cool, indifferentway.

  "Come aboard, sir?" he said, with a grin.

  "Yes," said I with a deliberate drawl. "It cost me just twenty-fivepounds."

  "Damned if I wouldn't sooner have stayed and had a good old time," saidLane. "What's the use of a bally ship?"

  "Oh," said I, "being a millionaire I can't tell. If I'd only thought ofit, Lane, I might have followed your advice."

  "Didn't you get the notice?" asked Pye.

  "No, I was enjoying myself, you see. I'm a careless fellow, but I'm amodest one also; and I've made too much of a sensation for my taste."

  "You're fond of sensations, my good sir," said Sir John, with hisabominable arrogance.

  "Well, if you'll allow me, I'll shed all I can of this--that is,clothes," I replied calmly, and I went below.

  When I had had a bath and assumed my yachting costume, I came on deckagain, only to meet Day in a furious temper, as I could tell from hiseyes. I explained the circumstances of my mishap, adding that I had notreceived my notice, which was no doubt my fault.

  "I certainly might have made more changes at Rio than I did," he saidmaliciously, and passed by me.

  It was ungracious, but the man was not responsible. From the deckabove, the face of Mlle. Trebizond peered down at me, smiling andhandsome.

  "It was an adventure," she said in her English, showing her prettyteeth. "It was most exciting, doctor, to be chased by a pirate."

  "I'm glad you enjoyed it, mademoiselle," said I politely. "I take somecredit to myself for the rocket."

  "Oh, but it should have been dark--that would have been much better,"said she. "Come up and tell me all about it."

  After a momentary hesitation I obeyed, and when I reached the deck Ifound Princess Alix there. Once more I explained my misadventure, andMlle. Trebizond chatted and laughed in great good-humour. She had mademany purchases, but complained of the shops. She could not get herfavourite perfume, she protested, and wondered how people could live insuch remote regions. Then she tired of me, I suppose, and walked off,leaving me to the Princess. Her blue eyes, as cold as her brother's,flashed a question at me.

  "It was not an accident?" she said.

  "The notice, I find, was sent last night, after Mr. Morland hadcommunicated with Captain Day. It should have reached me at the hotelearly this morning. It didn't."

  "I see." She looked towards the forts at the mouth of the harbour,which we were then passing. "I am glad you did your duty in rejoiningthe yacht," she said next.

  I think I was between amusement and irritation at her words, for, afterall, I considered that it was not a time to talk of duty when I hadbeen the victim of a trick, and had, after my own poor fashion, paid soheavily for it. I might even have looked for a sentence of thanks formy zeal. But the Princess was a princess still, despite that she wasalso Miss Morland and the sister of a man who had thrown away all tocontract a morganatic marriage. But amusement got the upper hand. Ismiled.

  "Oh, we English have usually a severe sense of duty," I replied, "atleast, when it comes to a pinch. On the other hand, of course, we lackdiscipline."

  She glanced at me, and, with a little bow, moved away. I was dismissed.

  The yacht was pointed now for Buenos Ayres, at which port it was clearthat, for reasons of his own, Prince Frederic was anxious to arrive. Itwas not until the second evening, however, that anything of importanceoccurred. But that was of considerable importance, as you shall see. Ihad occasion to pay a visit to the stoke-hole, where one of the men hadinjured his hand, and I had finished my work and was mounting thegrubby wire ladder, when a fireman passed me with averted face. Ihardly glanced at him, and certainly did not pause the least fractionof a second; but to the half-glance succeeded a shock. The nerves, Isuppose, took a perceptible instant of time to convey the recognitionto the brain; but, despite the grime on his face and the change in hisappearance, I could not be mistaken. It was Pierce, the dischargedboatswain.

  Here was news indeed! Pierce, of whom Day thought he had got rid inRio, was employed as stoker on the yacht. How came he there? Thisbespoke treachery again. And now I began to get some notion of how vastand subtle was the web of the conspiracy. It could not be that only afew men were concerned in it. Holgate had been right. How many handscould we depend on? Who put Pierce in his present situation? I went ondeck in a fume of wonder and excitement. Plainly something washatching, and probably that very moment. If fierce thought I hadrecognised him it would doubtless precipitate the plans of thevillains. There was no time to be lost, and so, first of all, Iwent--whither do you suppose? To see the Princess.

  She received me in her boudoir, where she was reclining in an eveninggown that fitted her beautiful figure closely, and she rose inastonishment. But at once her eyes lighted.

  "You have something to tell me?" she inquired.

  "Yes," said I. "The man who was dismissed is still on board. He isacting as stoker."

  She compressed her lips and eyed me.

  "That spells, madam, business," said I.

  "What is to be done?" she asked quietly, but I could see her bosommoving with excitement.

  "I have come to you first because it is you who must prepare the Princeand persuade him of the crisis. I will go to the captain with my tale,and Heaven knows how I shall be received. It is the Prince who mustact."

  "Yes--yes," she said quickly. "Go at once. I will find my brother."

  Day was in his cabin, and, knocking, I entered without waiting forpermission. I found him with his arm bared and a syringe in his hand.He stared at me and scowled.

  "There is no time for words, sir," said I. "Pierce is on board, andthere is danger. There will probably be a rising to-night."

  He threw the syringe down. "I'm very glad to hear it," he declared, ineven tones. "Take that away, doctor. Where's Sir John Barraclough?"

  I told him that he was on the bridge.

  "Send Mr. Legrand to me, and----" he broke off. "But how do you know?"he asked suspiciously.

  "It is not a case of knowledge. It is a case for preparation," he said."If we have the arms distributed----"

  I was interrupted by a sharp report from below. Day ran out in hispyjamas, and I followed. We heard Barraclough's voice from the bridge,raised angrily.

  "Go back there, man; get back, Gray."

  It was a pitch black night, save for the glittering stars, and I couldonly make out a knot of men at the head of the ladder leading from thelower deck.

  "What the devil do you mean?" shouted Barraclough; and then all of asudden the knot of men opened in a struggle, and a man burst throughand dashed towards us, falling at my feet.

  "For God's sake, sir," he panted out. "They've seized
the engine-room,and Mr. McCrae's shot. 'Twas Pierce done it."

  I recognised by his voice Grant, one of the deck-hands, and I helpedhim to his feet.

  "Who's in this?" I asked; but before he could reply the gang of menapproached nearer, and some one spoke from their midst. It was Holgate.

  "Captain Day, I regret to state that the men are not satisfied with theway things are being conducted," he said, in a level voice. "They arenot satisfied with their pay, for one thing, and there are othermatters. No harm is intended, but they have decided that I am to takeyour place, and for the present you are to consider yourselvesprisoners--particularly the doctor," he added.

  The offensive assurance of the man made me boil, but on Day it seemedto have a curiously astringent effect.

  "So, Mr. Holgate, there has been a council of war," he said quietly,even drily, "and you are to step into my shoes. I will give you threeminutes to retire from the deck. Go back! I tell you, do you hear, men?Go back!"

  His acrid voice rang out thinly, but Barraclough above shoutedhoarsely:

  "Good God, can't you do something to them?"

  At this moment I was aware of noises on the promenade deck, and,looking up, saw the Prince's figure outlined dimly against the stars.

  "You have your orders," he called out in his deep voice. "Go back toyour quarters."

  There was a pause, and then the silence was broken by a shot, and oneof the men fell. A second report rang out, and a curse rose on the air.A third followed, and the men turned and retreated.

  From the hurricane deck came still another shot, and they tumbled downthe ladder pell-mell. The Prince was shooting as calmly as at so manypartridges. I ran down stairs and fetched my revolver, and when Ireturned I could hear no sound from the lower deck. Barraclough met meat the door of the saloon.

  "There's not a pound of steam on her," he said. "The brutes have shutoff the valves."

  "Let her go," said I. "We have something more important on our hands.They'll be here again. The Prince took them by surprise. No Englishcaptain would have used his weapons so."

  "No, by Heaven," he exclaimed. "This makes it a question of----"

  He paused. Mr. Legrand came running along the deck.

  "We've got it now," he said. "Oh, we've got all we want now."

  "Look here," said I. "Is Ellison with you? I'm sure he's not in this?"

  "Yes," said Barraclough.

  "Well, post him at the ladder, and here's Grant. Let's find out how westand."

  "It'll be hot work to-night," said Legrand.

  Day's voice came to us from his cabin door: "Sir John Barraclough, begood enough to place all the men you can trust on guard, with orders tofire in case of necessity. I shall be obliged for your company and thatof the officers in my cabin."

  We had four men, including Ellison, on the deck, and there was also theman at the wheel, who had not quitted his place through all theseevents. One could surely rely upon a man with such a sense of duty; so,having made such dispositions as were possible, Barraclough followed usto the captain. The ladies, I hoped, were safe in their cabins, as Ihad heard no sound of them.

  Day was brief and businesslike. "Dr. Phillimore was right," said he. "Iask his pardon. We must see how many men we have. There is Mr. Lane andMr. Pye. Where is Mr. Pye?"

  "I am here, sir," said the little clerk from the back.

  "That makes, including Mr. Morland, twelve men to depend on, so far aswe know--if, that is," he added almost with a sneer, "we can depend onthem."

  "Grant may know more," said Legrand.

  "Bring him," said Day, and opened the door to the Prince.

  Prince Frederic was cool and collected, and showed little to mark thedisturbance and bloodshed of the last quarter of an hour--little,unless it were in the increased blue of his eyes, which shone frostily.

  "Have you all your men, captain?" he remarked in his determined Germanway, quite free of vivacity.

  "We are sure of twelve," said Day, "and we are trying to find out aboutthe others, so as to separate sheep and goats."

  But here was Grant arrived, blood on his face, and a brisk air ofsavagery about him.

  "Grant, who are the mutineers?" said the captain.

  "Couldn't speak to 'em all, sir," said the man. "I knew nothing of ittill half an hour ago, when I ran into them, and they seized me. Therewas Gray and Pierce and Mr. Holgate and Granger, and half a dozen inthe lot that took me."

  "Do you mean to say that you had no inkling of this?" said Day, withasperity.

  "I'll take God to witness, no, sir," said the man earnestly, "and I'lltake my oath Williams and Naylor hadn't neither."

  "That makes two more," said the Prince, nodding. "But where are they?"

  Grant looked over his shoulder in the direction which would indicatethe forecastle. "If they're not here, sir, your highness," he saidhesitatingly, "I don't know where they are. The stokers is all joined,I heard 'em say."

  "Good Lord, they've made a clean sweep," said Barraclough, with alaugh. "And what's this about McCrae?"

  "Mr. McCrae was shot at the first, sir, in seizing the engines."

  "And they've fetched her pretty nigh to a standstill," growled thefirst officer. "Phew! No, there she goes," he exclaimed, as the screwbegan to bump. "They've picked her up. That'll be Crossley. He's withthem, confound him."

  "Then that leaves twelve," said the purser, "and forty-odd t'otherside. Oh!" he whistled, "this makes swank, don't it?"

  "Silence, Mr. Lane," commanded the captain. "We must first of all be onour guard, armed; and, secondly, see if we are in a position to add toour numbers. But we have the deck, which can only be reached one way.The stewards, Mr. Lane?" he asked quickly.

  "I'll answer for the three, and the cuisine," declared the purserboldly. "I'll go bail on them. I've known Jackson on other voyages. Iengaged 'em myself."

  "Then who the devil engaged the others, I'd like to know?" asked Day,in his old irritable tone; at which, to the astonishment of all, asmall voice broke the silence.

  "I did, sir."

  We all wheeled round. It was Pye. The little man fixed his gold glasseson his nose with two fingers in his nervous way, and blinked throughthem at us, unruffled as a cock-sparrow that yet had doubts.

  "He, by heaven!" whispered Legrand to me, with infinite scorn. "Hechose 'em!"

  "And I regret to find, sir," pursued Pye, "that some of them have gonewrong. I feel myself in a way responsible."

  "It all comes of putting things in the hands of lawyers," said Lane,with innocent recklessness.

  Day looked down his nose. "Well, Mr. Pye," he said drily, "we'll try toforgive you. You fell in with the wrong crowd. If I had known----" hepaused. "The question is, how are we to get in touch with the faithfulmen who may be in the forecastle?"

  "If you will allow me, sir, I will venture into the forecastle and findout," said Pye, with a restrained sense of importance.

  "You!" cried Day in amazement, and there was a general burst oflaughter, except on the part of the Prince, who was eyeing Pyeseverely, and on the part of myself, who did not see anything forridicule in the unexpected courage of a timid man.

  "I feel in a way responsible," repeated Pye; but his protest was feeblein effort, for Day put him curtly aside.

  "I fear you will not do, sir," said he.

  "But I will, captain," I called out. The Prince's eyes came over to me,leaving Pye. He nodded and addressed Day in an undertone.

  "My dear sir, they've marked you out first and foremost," saidBarraclough.

  "I'll back the doctor," declared Lane excitedly.

  "Oh, I go only in the mission of humanity," I replied. "McCrae may notbe dead. No one knows. And, what's more, the mutineers have two orthree cripples on their hands. They won't lay a hand on me at present."

  "That's true, Dr. Phillimore," remarked Day. "Well, if you have weighedthe risks I will not prevent you. It is essential we should knowsomething more. It will come to blows again, and that without notice.Mr. Morland," he
hesitated, "wishes me to express his thanks for youroffer."

  "In that case," said I, acknowledging the compliment with a bow, "I mayas well take time by the forelock," and nodding to Legrand, I slippedout on the deck.