For the Term of His Natural Life
Page 11
The two discoverers of this awkward secret held a council of war.Vickers was for at once calling the guard, and announcing to theprisoners that the plot--whatever it might be--had been discovered; butPine, accustomed to convict ships, overruled this decision.
"You don't know these fellows as well as I do," said he. "In the firstplace there may be no mutiny at all. The whole thing is, perhaps, someabsurdity of that fellow Dawes--and should we once put the notion ofattacking us into the prisoners' heads, there is no telling what theymight do."
"But the man seemed certain," said the other. "He mentioned my wife'smaid, too!"
"Suppose he did?--and, begad, I dare say he's right--I never liked thelook of the girl. To tell them that we have found them out this timewon't prevent 'em trying it again. We don't know what their scheme iseither. If it is a mutiny, half the ship's company may be in it. No,Captain Vickers, allow me, as surgeon-superintendent, to settle ourcourse of action. You are aware that--"
"--That, by the King's Regulations, you are invested with full powers,"interrupted Vickers, mindful of discipline in any extremity. "Of course,I merely suggested--and I know nothing about the girl, except that shebrought a good character from her last mistress--a Mrs. Crofton I thinkthe name was. We were glad to get anybody to make a voyage like this."
"Well," says Pine, "look here. Suppose we tell these scoundrels thattheir design, whatever it may be, is known. Very good. They willprofess absolute ignorance, and try again on the next opportunity,when, perhaps, we may not know anything about it. At all events, weare completely ignorant of the nature of the plot and the names of theringleaders. Let us double the sentries, and quietly get the men underarms. Let Miss Sarah do what she pleases, and when the mutiny breaksout, we will nip it in the bud; clap all the villains we get in irons,and hand them over to the authorities in Hobart Town. I am not a cruelman, sir, but we have got a cargo of wild beasts aboard, and we must becareful."
"But surely, Mr. Pine, have you considered the probable loss of life?I--really--some more humane course perhaps? Prevention, you know--"
Pine turned round upon him with that grim practicality which was a partof his nature. "Have you considered the safety of the ship, CaptainVickers? You know, or have heard of, the sort of things that take placein these mutinies. Have you considered what will befall those half-dozenwomen in the soldiers' berths? Have you thought of the fate of your ownwife and child?"
Vickers shuddered.
"Have it your way, Mr. Pine; you know best perhaps. But don't risk morelives than you can help."
"Be easy, sir," says old Pine; "I am acting for the best; upon my soulI am. You don't know what convicts are, or rather what the law has made'em--yet--"
"Poor wretches!" says Vickers, who, like many martinets, was in realitytender-hearted. "Kindness might do much for them. After all, they areour fellow-creatures."
"Yes," returned the other, "they are. But if you use that argument tothem when they have taken the vessel, it won't avail you much. Let memanage, sir; and for God's sake, say nothing to anybody. Our lives mayhang upon a word."
Vickers promised, and kept his promise so far as to chat cheerily withBlunt and Frere at dinner, only writing a brief note to his wife to tellher that, whatever she heard, she was not to stir from her cabin untilhe came to her; he knew that, with all his wife's folly, she would obeyunhesitatingly, when he couched an order in such terms.
According to the usual custom on board convict ships, the guardsrelieved each other every two hours, and at six p.m. the poop guard wasremoved to the quarter-deck, and the arms which, in the daytime,were disposed on the top of the arm-chest, were placed in an arm-rackconstructed on the quarter-deck for that purpose. Trusting nothing toFrere--who, indeed, by Pine's advice, was, as we have seen, kept inignorance of the whole matter--Vickers ordered all the men, save thosewho had been on guard during the day, to be under arms in the barrack,forbade communication with the upper deck, and placed as sentry at thebarrack door his own servant, an old soldier, on whose fidelity he couldthoroughly rely. He then doubled the guards, took the keys of the prisonhimself from the non-commissioned officer whose duty it was to keepthem, and saw that the howitzer on the lower deck was loaded with grape.It was a quarter to seven when Pine and he took their station at themain hatchway, determined to watch until morning.
At a quarter past seven, any curious person looking through the windowof Captain Blunt's cabin would have seen an unusual sight. That gallantcommander was sitting on the bed-place, with a glass of rum and water inhis hand, and the handsome waiting-maid of Mrs. Vickers was seated on astool by his side. At a first glance it was perceptible that the captainwas very drunk. His grey hair was matted all ways about his reddenedface, and he was winking and blinking like an owl in the sunshine.He had drunk a larger quantity of wine than usual at dinner, in sheerdelight at the approaching assignation, and having got out the rumbottle for a quiet "settler" just as the victim of his fascinationsglided through the carefully-adjusted door, he had been persuaded to goon drinking.
"Cuc-come, Sarah," he hiccuped. "It's all very fine, my lass, but youneedn't be so--hic--proud, you know. I'm a plain sailor--plain s'lor,Srr'h. Ph'n'as Bub--blunt, commander of the Mal-Mal- Malabar. Wors' 'shgood talkin'?"
Sarah allowed a laugh to escape her, and artfully protruded an ankle atthe same time. The amorous Phineas lurched over, and made shift to takeher hand.
"You lovsh me, and I--hic--lovsh you, Sarah. And a preshus tight littlecraft you--hic--are. Giv'sh--kiss, Sarah."
Sarah got up and went to the door.
"Wotsh this? Goin'! Sarah, don't go," and he staggered up; and with thegrog swaying fearfully in one hand, made at her.
The ship's bell struck the half-hour. Now or never was the time. Bluntcaught her round the waist with one arm, and hiccuping with love andrum, approached to take the kiss he coveted. She seized the moment,surrendered herself to his embrace, drew from her pocket the laudanumbottle, and passing her hand over his shoulder, poured half its contentsinto the glass.
"Think I'm--hic--drunk, do yer? Nun--not I, my wench."
"You will be if you drink much more. Come, finish that and be quiet, orI'll go away."
But she threw a provocation into her glance as she spoke, which beliedher words, and which penetrated even the sodden intellect of poorBlunt. He balanced himself on his heels for a moment, and holding bythe moulding of the cabin, stared at her with a fatuous smile of drunkenadmiration, then looked at the glass in his hand, hiccuped with muchsolemnity thrice, and, as though struck with a sudden sense of dutyunfulfilled, swallowed the contents at a gulp. The effect was almostinstantaneous. He dropped the tumbler, lurched towards the woman at thedoor, and then making a half-turn in accordance with the motion of thevessel, fell into his bunk, and snored like a grampus.
Sarah Purfoy watched him for a few minutes, and then having blown outthe light, stepped out of the cabin, and closed the door behind her. Thedusky gloom which had held the deck on the previous night enveloped allforward of the main-mast. A lantern swung in the forecastle, and swayedwith the motion of the ship. The light at the prison door threw a glowthrough the open hatch, and in the cuddy, at her right hand, the usualrow of oil-lamps burned. She looked mechanically for Vickers, who wasordinarily there at that hour, but the cuddy was empty. So much thebetter, she thought, as she drew her dark cloak around her, and tappedat Frere's door. As she did so, a strange pain shot through her temples,and her knees trembled. With a strong effort she dispelled the dizzinessthat had almost overpowered her, and held herself erect. It would neverdo to break down now.
The door opened, and Maurice Frere drew her into the cabin. "So you havecome?" said he.
"You see I have. But, oh! if I should be seen!"
"Seen? Nonsense! Who is to see you?"
"Captain Vickers, Doctor Pine, anybody."
"Not they. Besides, they've gone off down to Pine's cabin since dinner.They're all right."
Gone off to Pine's cabin! The intelligence
struck her with dismay.What was the cause of such an unusual proceeding? Surely they did notsuspect! "What do they want there?" she asked.
Maurice Frere was not in the humour to argue questions of probability."Who knows? I don't. Confound 'em," he added, "what does it matter tous? We don't want them, do we, Sarah?"
She seemed to be listening for something, and did not reply. Her nervoussystem was wound up to the highest pitch of excitement. The success ofthe plot depended on the next five minutes.
"What are you staring at? Look at me, can't you? What eyes you have! Andwhat hair!"
At that instant the report of a musket-shot broke the silence. Themutiny had begun!
The sound awoke the soldier to a sense of his duty. He sprang to hisfeet, and disengaging the arms that clung about his neck, made forthe door. The moment for which the convict's accomplice had waitedapproached. She hung upon him with all her weight. Her long hair sweptacross his face, her warm breath was on his cheek, her dress exposedher round, smooth shoulder. He, intoxicated, conquered, had half-turnedback, when suddenly the rich crimson died away from her lips, leavingthem an ashen grey colour. Her eyes closed in agony; loosing her holdof him, she staggered to her feet, pressed her hands upon her bosom, anduttered a sharp cry of pain.
The fever which had been on her two days, and which, by a strongexercise of will, she had struggled against--encouraged by the violentexcitement of the occasion--had attacked her at this supreme moment.Deathly pale and sick, she reeled to the side of the cabin. There wasanother shot, and a violent clashing of arms; and Frere, leaving themiserable woman to her fate, leapt out on to the deck.
CHAPTER X. EIGHT BELLS.