CHAPTER XXII
HOLGATE'S LAST HAND
The first thought that passed through my mind was that we had lost ourone hope of escape from Hurricane Island. Insensibly I had come to lookon the _Sea Queen_ as the vehicle of our rescue, and there she wasbefore my eyes adrift on a tide that was steadily drawing her seawards.There could be no doubt as to that, for, even as I gazed, she madeperceptible way, and seemed to be footing it fast. I turned to Alix,who was by me, staring also.
"I will come back," I said rapidly. "I must go down."
"No, no," she said, detaining me.
"Dear, they will take no heed of me now. I am perfectly safe for thepresent. They are taken up with more important matters."
I squeezed her hands in both mine, turned and left her.
Holgate was some hundred yards in front of me, plunging heavily throughthe bushes. He called to mind some evil and monstrous beast of theforest that broke clumsily in wrath upon its enemy.
Down on the beach I could see that Pierce and some of the others, whohad already arrived, were casting the boat from her moorings. Ilaboured after Holgate, and came out on the beach near him. He ran downto the water's edge and called aloud:
"Put back. Put back, damn you."
The boat was some fifty yards from land by now, and was awash in abroken current. Three men bent to the oars.
Holgate levelled his revolver and fired.
One of the men lay down grotesquely on his oar. He fired again, and oneof the remaining two stood up, shook a fist towards the shore and,staggering backwards, capsized the boat in the surf. He must have sunklike lead with his wound, for he never rose to the surface; but thelast man, who was Pierce, battled gallantly with the flood, andendeavoured to reach the boat, which was bottom upwards. In this,however, he failed, for the tide seemed to suck him away. The boatdrifted outwards, and after a few ineffectual struggles, findingprobably that his strength was failing him, Pierce struck out towardsthe shore. He landed a hundred yards or more away from Holgate. Betweenthe two men were gathered in a bunch, irresolute and divided incounsels, the remaining mutineers.
For the moment I think I was so taken up with the situation that I didnot consider my own case. No one had eyes for me in the fast-descendingdusk, and behind the shelter of a bush I watched the course of thatsingular drama. Holgate had indifferently reloaded his revolver, andnow stood holding it carelessly by his side.
"Gray, is that you? Come here," he called. But the knot of men did notmove; and now Pierce was walking rapidly towards it. It opened toreceive him, and swallowed him up again cautiously, as if there wassafety in that circle against the arch-mutineer. Holgate strodeleisurely towards them.
"I suppose you guess where we are?" he said, in his malevolent, fluent,wheezing tones. "You've dished us, Pierce, my man."
Pierce replied from the group with an oath, and there was anundercurrent of murmur, as if a consultation was in progress.
"Say, where's that damned little lawyer cuss?" asked a voice, that ofan American, who was one of the hands. Holgate put one hand in histrousers' pocket.
"How should I know?" he said; "and what's that got to do with thesituation?"
"It's your doing. You've put us in this hole. You've strung us upto-day in this blooming island," said Gray fiercely. "What did youshoot for? Haven't you any other use for your pop-gun?"
"Come out, Gray; come out, my man, and talk it over," said Holgatesuavely. "You were always good at the gab. Step out in front, man," andhe played with his revolver. But Gray did not budge.
I wondered why he was not shot there and then if they were in thistemper, for it was plain that some of them were armed. But I supposethat they were overawed by the bearing of the man, and, lawlessruffians, as they were, were yet under the influence of somediscipline. Holgate had known how to rule in his triumph, and the ghostof that authority was with him still in his defeat.
"Look here," called out Pierce after further consultation, "this is asgood as a trial, this is. You're standing for your life, Mr. Holgate,and don't you forget it. What d'ye say, Bill? Speak up. Give 'im 'iscounts."
"We accuse you of treachery and not behaving like a mate on ship aboutthe treasure," sang out Gray in a loud, high monotone. "We accuse you,Mr. Holgate, of the murder of our two companions, Smith and Alabaster.We accuse you, furthermore, Mr. Holgate, of a conspiracy to cheat thecompany, us all being comrades."
"Now, Bill Gray, that's a very parsonical view of yours, isn't it?"said Holgate with a sneer. "By gum, you regularly hit me off, Gray.You're the man to see his way through a brick wall. I killed Smith andAlabaster, did I? Well, what's the odds? Here was this man, Pierce,who's frightened to face me in there with you, and his two pals, makingfor the _Sea Queen_ to rob you and me. Don't I know him and you, too?Where would we have been if I hadn't dropped 'em? Why, left, my goodman, left."
"That's what we are now," said one of the mutineers, "regularlybusted--busted and left. We're done."
"That's so," said Holgate suavely. "But at least Smith and Alabasterhave paid their shot and lot too. And, by thunder, that skunk behindyou shall do it too. Come out there, Pierce, sneak and dog, and takeyour gruel."
He did not raise his voice perceptibly, but it seemed to wither themutineers, who stood about ten paces from him. He waddled towards them.
"Out of the way, men, and let me see him. Blind me, I'd sooner havetaken a bug into my confidence than Pierce. He gets ahead of us withhis long thin legs, and without so much as 'By your leave' swims out tosea to cop what belongs to you and me and all of us."
There was a murmur at this, and it was quite impossible to tell how thesympathies of the gang were going. But one called out again:
"Where's that damn Pye? Where's your spy?"
"So," says Holgate, "you are thinking of the doctor's story, are you?You fool, he was only playing for his life and the life of his bestgirl. Haven't you got the sense of a louse between you? Find Pye then,and screw it out of him. Thumbscrew him till he tells, and see how muchhe has to tell. It'll be worth your while, Garratt. Why, you fool, he'sjust a little clerk that was useful, and was going to get a tip for hispains. He wasn't standing in on our level. We came in on bed-rock."
There was a hoarse, discordant laugh.
"With the yacht gone, and us on a Godforsaken tea-tray in mid-ocean!"said a voice.
Upon that in the dwindling light a shot came from the group, andHolgate lifted his barrel deliberately.
"So, that's Pierce, by thunder, is it? Well, Johnny Pierce, you're abrave man, and I'd take off my hat to you if my hands were free. Standaside there, men, and let's see Johnny Pierce's ugly mug. Now, then,divide, d'ye hear, divide!"
I never could determine whether Holgate in that moment realized thatall was up, and the end was come, and had carried things through with aswagger, or whether he had a hope of escape. Nothing showed in hisvoice or in his manner save extreme resolution and contemptuousindifference. These men he had misled and cheated were to him no morethan brutes of the field, to be despised and ridiculed and browbeaten.At his words, indeed, the old habit of obedience asserted itself andthe knot fell apart; as it did I saw Pierce with his revolver up, butHolgate did not move. He fired carefully and Pierce uttered a curse.Then another weapon barked, and Holgate moved a pace forwards. He firedagain, and a man dropped. Two or more shots rang out, and thearch-mutineer lifted his left hand slowly to his breast.
"Bully for you, Pierce," he said, and fired yet once more.
The knot now had dissolved, and Gray ran in the gathering gloom alittle way up the beach. He halted, and raising his weapon, fired. Itwas abominable. It may have been execution, but it was horribly likemurder. As Gray fired, Holgate turned and put his hand to his shoulder.Immediately he let his last barrel go.
"Ha! That's done you, Pierce," he wheezed out. "By heavens, I thoughtI'd do for you!"
Crack! went Gray's pistol again from his rear, and he swung round; hisweapon dropped, and he began to walk up the beach steadily towards
me.In the blue gloom I could see his eyes stolidly black and furtive, andI could hear him puffing. He came within ten paces of me, and thenstood still, and coughed in a sickening, inhuman way. Then he droppedand rolled heavily upon his back.
I had witnessed enough. Heaven knows we had no reason to show mercy tothat criminal, but that last hopeless struggle against odds hadenlisted some sympathy, and I had a feeling of nausea at the sight ofthat collapse. He must have fallen riddled with bullets. He had playedfor high stakes, had sacrificed many innocent lives, and had died thedeath of a dog. And there he would rest and rot in that remote anddesert island.
I stole from my bush and crept upwards through the darkness. I had notgone a hundred yards before my ears were caught by a rustling on myleft. Had I put up some animal? I came to a pause, and then there was aswift rush, and a man's figure broke through the undergrowth anddisappeared across the slope of the hill. It was near dark, but Ithought in that instant I recognised it as the figure of the littlelawyer's clerk.
When I reached the cavern I found no sign of any one, and I waswondering what could have become of my companions when I heard a voicecalling low through the gloaming:
"Dr. Phillimore!"
It was Alix. I sprang to her side and took her hands. Then I learntthat Legrand had decided, as a counsel of prudence, to occupy thesecond cavern on the northern slope, which he considered more privatethan that which we had found first.
"And you came back to warn me?" I asked in a low voice.
"No; I waited," said she as low. "I was afraid, although you toldme.... Ah, but you have never told me wrong yet! I believe youimplicitly."
"Princess," I said with emotion.
"No, no," she whispered. "Not any more ... never any more."
"Alix," I whispered low, and I held her closer. She gave a little cry.
"What is it?" I asked anxiously.
For answer her head lay quiet on my shoulder, and the stars looked downupon a pale sweet face. She had fainted. Now the hand which clasped herarm felt warm and wet, and I shifted it hastily and bent down to her.It was blood. She was wounded. Tenderly I bound my handkerchief aboutthe arm and waited in distress for her to revive. If we had only someof the mutineers' brandy! But presently she opened her eyes.
"Dearest ... dearest," she murmured faintly.
"You are wounded, darling," I said. "Oh, why did you not tell me?"
"It was the first shot," she said in a drowsy voice. "When--when I hadmy arm about you."
I kissed that fair white arm, and then for the first time I kissed herlips.
We reached Legrand's cave after Alix had rested, and I related thetragedy that had passed under my eyes on the beach below. Legrandlistened silently, and then:
"He was a black scoundrel. He died as he should," he said shortly, andsaid no more.
Wearied with our exertions, and exhausted by the anxieties of the day,we gradually sank to sleep, and as I passed off Alix's hand lay inmine. She slept sweetly, for all the profound miseries of those pastdays.
I awoke to the sound of a bird that twittered in the bushes, and,emerging from the cavern, looked around. The sun was bright on thewater, the foam sparkled, and the blue tossed and danced as if Naturewere revisiting happily the scene of pleasant memories. It seemed as ifthose deeds of the previous night, that long fight against fate, thosedismal forebodings, the tragedy of the Prince, were all separated fromus by a gulf of years. It was almost impossible to conceive of them asbelonging to our immediate precedent past and as colouring our presentand our future. And as my gaze swept the horizon for the orient towardsthe west it landed upon nothing less than the _Sea Queen_!
I could have rubbed my eyes, and I started in amazement. My heart beatheavily. But it was true. There rode the yacht in the offing, idlyswinging and plunging on the tide and clearly under no man's control.She must have drifted in upon Hurricane Island again through the stressof some backward tide, and here she bobbed on the broken water safefrom the eyes of the mutineers. As soon as I had recovered from theshock of surprise, I reentered the cavern and woke Legrand, and in lessthan five minutes all of us were outside our shelter and gazing at thewelcome sight.
"We have the boat hidden," said Legrand. "We must work our way back toit, and the sooner the better."
"Too much risk," said I. "I know a better way. At the tail of theisland we may be seen and pursued. There are boats aboard, and she'snot more than three hundred yards out."
"What, swim?" he asked, and looked rueful. He was one of the manysailors I have known who had not that useful art.
I nodded. "It won't take me long."
As I passed, Alix caught my hand. She said nothing, but her eyesdevoured me and her bosom heaved. I smiled.
"My Princess!" I whispered, and her soul was in her look.
"I can't see a sign of any one on board," said Legrand, with his handover his eyes.
"Mademoiselle would not be awake yet. It can't be later than five,"said Lane, who was much better to-day.
"I make it 5:30," said Legrand. "We have some time to ourselves if wehave luck. After last night those fiends will sleep well and with easyconsciences." He spoke grimly.
"Have everything ready," I called as I left. "We must not lose a chanceor hazard anything."
"What do _you_ think?" said Lane, in his old cheerful manner.
I quickly descended to the beach, threw off my coat, waistcoat, andboots, and tightened my belt. Then I waded into the sea. It was cold,and, when I first entered, struck a chill into me. But presently, as Iwalked out into the deepening waters, with the sparkling reflection ofthe sun in my eyes from a thousand facets of ripples, I began to growwarm. I reached water waist-high, and next moment I was swimming.
The tide sucked at me in a strong current, and soon, I perceived, wouldcarry me across the _Sea Queen's_ bows unless I made a struggle. Thewater was racing under me, and I felt that my strength was as nothingcompared with it. I was thrown this way and that as the flood moved. Mypassage had been taken incredibly quick, and now I was conscious that Iwas past the level of the yacht, and I turned and battled back. So faras I could see, I made no impression on the space that separated mefrom her, and I began to despair of reaching the yacht. In my mind Irevolved the possibility of going with the flood and trusting to workashore at the tail of the island. If that were not practicable, I waslost, for I should be blown out to the open sea.
Just as these desperate reflections crossed my mind, the _Sea Queen's_stern, off which I was struggling, backed. She came round to the windand jammed, so that the flutter of canvas which she still carriedcracked above the voice of the seas. Then her nose swung right roundupon me, with the bubble under her cutwater. It was almost as if shehad sighted a doomed wretch and was come to his assistance. Herbroadside now broke the tide for me, and I began to see that I wascreeping up to her, and, thus encouraged, step by step made my wayuntil at last I reached her, and by the aid of a trailing sheet gotaboard. It had been half an hour since I left the island.
Once aboard, I waved across the intervening stretch of sea to myfriends, and looked about me. There was no sign or sound of lifeanywhere on the yacht. She swung noisily, with creaks and groans, tothe pulse of the tide, but there was no witness to human presencethere. Mademoiselle immediately was in my thoughts, and I found my wayto the state-rooms to reassure her, if she should be awake. They wereas we had left them, save that every cabin had been ransacked and everybox turned inside out. The cabins were empty, and so was the _boudoir_.Clearly, Mademoiselle Trebizond was not there. I went down into thesaloon, but nothing rewarded me there; and afterwards I turned alongthe passage that led to the officers' quarters, and farther on, thesteward's room. Here, too, was my own surgery, and instinctively Istopped when I reached it. The door stood ajar. No doubt, I thought,like every other place, it had suffered the ravages of the mutineers. Iopened it wide, and started back, for there on the floor, a bottle inher hand, and her features still and tragic, lay Yvonne Trebizond!
I stoop
ed to her, but I knew it was useless even without glancing atthe bottle she held. She had sought death in the despair of herloneliness. The _Sea Queen_ had carried out upon the face of the darkwaters the previous evening an unhappy woman to a fate which she couldnot face. She had chosen Death to that terrible solitude on thewilderness of the ocean. I lifted her gently, and carried her to one ofthe cabins, disposing the body on a bunk. Then I returned to the deck,for I had work to do that pressed. I experienced no difficulty inloosing one of the remaining boats, and, dropping into her, I began torow towards the island.
Legrand had the party at the water's edge, and they were in the boat ina very brief space of time. We shoved off, and now Legrand and Ellisonhad oars in addition to myself, so that, what with that and the tide,we made good progress. We had not, however, got more than halfway tothe yacht when Legrand paused on his oars and I saw his face directedalong the beach. I followed his glance, and saw, to my astonishment, aboat bobbing off the spit of the island.
"It's our boat!" said I.
"Yes," he said, "the ruffians are up and about. Give way, give way!"
We bent to the oars, but as we did so a number of figures appearedround the bend of the land where we had passed our first night. Shoutsreached us. The figure in the boat was working his oars with frantichaste, and now Legrand called out suddenly,
"Pye!"
Pye it was, and it was also apparent now that he was aiming for us, andthat he was striving to get away from the mutineers. He stood out tosea, and pulled obliquely towards the yacht. Obviously, he was bettercontent to trust himself to our mercies than to the ruffians with whomhe had consorted. He was a coward, I knew, and I remembered then hiswhite face and his terror at the time of the first onslaught. Iremembered, too, how vaguely, how timidly and how ineffectually he hadendeavoured to warn me of the coming massacre. He was a miserable cur;he had been largely responsible for the bloody voyage; but I could nothelp feeling some pity for him. I hung on my oars.
"Shall we pick him up?" I asked.
Legrand's only answer was an oath. He had forgotten the presence ofAlix, I think. His eyes blazed above his red cheeks.
"Let him drown," he said.
By the time we reached the _Sea Queen_, some of the mutineers, who hadstarted running when they saw us, had got to the water's edge oppositeto us, and one or two of them plunged in. In the distance, the otherswere pursuing Pye and his boat.
Legrand, meanwhile, had taken the wheel, and Ellison set about thesails. I did what I could to help, and it was not many minutes ere wehad the topsails going. Under that pressure the yacht began to walkslowly. Seeing this, the mutineers on the shore raised a howl, and twomore jumped in to join the swimmers, who were now halfway to us.Legrand cried out an order, and Ellison had the jib-sail set, and the_Sea Queen_ quickened her pace under the brisk breeze. The swimmingmutineers dropped behind. There must have been half a dozen of them inthe water, and now we saw that they had given up the attempt to reachus in that way and had fallen back on a new idea. They turned aside tointercept Pye.
The little lawyer's clerk was paddling for life, and knew it, but hemade no way. The yacht moved faster, and he sent up to heaven adreadful scream that tingled in my ears. I made a step towards Legrand,but he merely gave one glance backward towards the boat and then fixedhis gaze on the wide horizon of interminable sea, as though he thusturned his back forever on Hurricane Island and all there. He pulledthe spokes of the wheel, and the _Sea Queen_, breasting the foam-heads,began to leap. We were moving at a brisk pace.
I looked back to the unhappy man. He had fallen away now, but stilllaboured at his oars. The swimmers could not have been more than twentyyards from him. Just then Alix's voice was low with agitation in myears.
"Yvonne? Where is Yvonne?"
I turned to her and took her hand. "She will need no further care ofyours, sweetheart," I said. "She has played her last tragedy--a tragedyshe thought destined for a comedy."
Alix, looking at me, sighed, and ere she could say more Lane intervenedin huge excitement.
"Good heavens, Phillimore! the treasure's all in my safes again. Bycrikey, is it all a dream?"
"Yes," I answered, looking at Alix, "all a bad nightmare."
I looked away across the sea, for somehow I could not help it.
"What are you looking at?" she asked. "They cannot catch us, can they?"
The foremost mutineers had reached the boat and were climbing aboard.The little clerk, white and gasping, raised his oar and struck at themwith screams of terror, striking and screaming again.
"Hush! don't look, darling," said I, and I put my hands before hereyes. "It is the judgment of God."
She shuddered. Pye's shrieks rang in my ear; I glanced off the taffrailand saw that the mutineers had possession of the boat. They were busywith the oars. I could see no one else. The boat was headed towards us.
Legrand cast a glance of indifference backwards.
"If you care to hold the wheel, Phillimore, we can rig that othersail," he said.
I took the wheel. Alix was by my side, and the breeze sang in thesheets.
"We're going home, dear heart," I whispered.
She moved closer to me, shuddered and sighed, and I think the sigh wasa sigh of contentment.
The _Sea Queen_ dipped her nose and broke into a sharper pace. She wasgoing home!
THE END
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