CHAPTER FORTY SIX.
A KNOT IN THE NETWORK.
Incredulity was impossible, although at first it was very hard tobelieve. But there was the fact. They had been wandering through thesluggish network of streams of a vast tropic, marshy forest, until atremendous storm in the hinterland had flooded the low country and theyhad been swept out again far away from the spot where the Spanishcaptain had guided them in, and, as they were soon to learn, for reasonsof his own.
Without question they had descended some miles along the main river,which ran swiftly, burdened as it was by the waters of the flood, butnot sufficiently to do more than raise it to a rather abnormal height.Still it was not safe to continue their journey downward by night, andin spite of the anxiety of all, the boat was moored to a huge tree upwhich the water had risen some three or four feet, and all anxiouslywatched for the coming of the next day. They slept but little, forthere was so much to discuss, the doctor feeling now sure that when theymissed the Spanish captain it must have been because when all wereasleep he had stolen down to where the two blacks would be waiting forhim with their canoe, and then gone on up the river beyond their camp.
"But I don't see quite what for, uncle," said Rodd.
"I do," cried Moray. "He knew the country so well, and our ignorance,which would make us go wandering helplessly about, while he knew of anearer way out into this river again, through which we seem to have beenprovidentially swept."
"That's right--quite right, Moray," said the doctor. "You see now,Rodd?"
"Yes, uncle, it's quite clear now. I wish I wasn't so dense. Do yousee, Joe?"
"I didn't afore, sir; but it's all as clear as crystal now, and I shouldjust like to explain it to the lads. My word, gentlemen! That chap'sbeen running up a big bill again hisself, and when we get hold of himhe'll have to pay!"
"What are you thinking of, Moray?" said Rodd, a little while after,while they were sitting listening in the darkness to the murmur of Joe'svoice forward as he was explaining matters to the men.
"I was thinking," said Moray gravely, "of how long it would be before itis day."
The longest night comes to an end, and the breaking of that next dayshowed the river much sunken and pretty well at its normal tidal height;and with four men rowing steadily the boat glided downward, with the sunwhen it rose showing first one and then another landmark which seemedfamiliar; but after their one journey upward no one present could recallhow far they were above the careening place.
Again and again as they passed round some great bend Moray rose from hisseat, and, as Rodd afterwards told him, made them all miserable bygazing wildly downwards in the expectation of catching sight of thebrig, or of seeing his father in his boat coming upward in search of themissing ones, who had quite outstepped the time that their stay was tolast.
It was always the same; the poor fellow sank back into his placewearily, his countenance drawn and a look of despair in his eyes. Atsuch times Rodd would watch his opportunity, steal his hand quietlyalong, and give Morny's arm a long and friendly grip, with the resultthat the dim eyes would brighten a little and dart a grateful glance inthe English lad's direction.
The journey downwards seemed endless, and proved to be far longer thanany one there anticipated. But just as the longest and darkest watchnights come to their end, so it was here, when, skimming along undersail, taking long reaches, for the wind was abeam, all at once JoeCross, who was the first to see, sang out a loud and hearty--
"Ship ahoy!"
"Hah!" cried Morny. "Do you see the brig?"
"No, sir," replied the man, as Morny, the doctor and Rodd shaded theireyes and gazed down-stream; "I can't make out the brig."
"Oh, you don't half look," cried Rodd. "There's the Spanish schooner,and ours, and just beyond them, half hidden by the trees and land, thereare the tops of the masts of the brig. Hurrah, Morny! She's all right,afloat, and--Here, what are you looking that way for?"
"Because I can't see her," said the French lad despairingly. "There issomething wrong."
"Why, my dear old chap," cried Rodd, "you can't see well, because of thetrees, but as we get farther out, there she lies, to the left, with hertwo masts as plain as plain."
"I can see those two masts you mean," said Morny sternly, "but they arelow-down raking masts; the _Dagobert's_ are much higher, and stand upstiffer than those. Do you forget she's square-rigged? Why, that's aschooner."
"So it is," cried Rodd. "I was deceived by the two yards on herforemast. But look here, it can't be another schooner. Captain Chubbmay have been altering her rig when he got her upright again. Why, ofcourse! It must be so. There can't be three schooners there. Theymust have had some accident to the brig's mainmast when they raised heragain. Broke her topgallant, perhaps, and rigged her fore and aft."
"Not they, Mr Rodd, sir. Our old man would have cut a spar somewherefrom the forest and rigged her square, if it was only a jury-mast.'Sides, they'd got spare spars on board, same as we. That's anotherschooner. You can see her clearer now--a long low one, with masts thatrake more than the Spanish skipper's vessel. Strikes me as we shallfind that for some reason or another they haven't got the brig afloat."
"Another schooner, Joe?" cried Morny passionately. "The brig notfinished? For some reason or another! What reason? What does it allmean?"
"Be calm, my lad; be calm," cried the doctor. "In a very little whilewe shall know the worst, or the best. Mind, we know nothing as yet. Itis all suspicion. For aught we can say to the contrary, that man whomwe have condemned may be innocent, misjudged by us, and now be lying atthe bottom of the river where we missed him in that mysterious way."
Morny bowed his head and tried to look gratefully at the doctor; but hisagony was too great, and he stood there till their boat had got to theend of its tack and swung round in the other direction, when with shadedeyes he gazed before him wildly, trying to get a view beyond where thethree schooners could now be plainly seen, anchored in mid-stream.
But for some time the curvature of the river put this out of thequestion, and to break the painful silence the doctor said quietly--
"Another long low schooner, with raking masts. But it may be onlyanother trader, anchored in company with the rest."
"Ah," cried Morny to Joe Cross, "you see something more than we do!"For the man, who was looking out from beyond the sail, suddenly gave astart and angrily slapped his thigh.
"Well, I'm very sorry, sir; but yes, I do. The brig's lying careenedright over, just as she was when we started on our trip."
"But look here, Morny," cried the doctor; "that may mean nothing morethan that she is not finished yet. Remember, to those we left we aremissing, and in their anxiety about our lengthened stay they may havestarted up-stream to find us."
"You are saying this to comfort me," cried Morny passionately. "No,doctor; we have got to face the worst. It is not so."
It seemed cruelty to prolong the conversation, and soon after the orderwas given to lower the sail and unstep the mast, for the wind had prettywell dropped as they swept in towards where the vessels were anchored,and the distance being short, the men took to their oars once more,while, with no impediment to their view, the doctor took out his glassand offered it to Morny. But the lad made a quick gesture, and sat backlooking straight before him, while the doctor used the glass himself,gazing with it first at the brig, about whose hull no one was visible,while all seemed still on board the three schooners.
"Take a look, Rodney," said the doctor aloud, as he handed the glass."I can see nothing wrong."
Rodd eagerly took the glass, raised it to his eyes, and said quietly--
"Why, I can't see a soul on board the _Sally_, uncle, and the people onthe other schooners must be asleep. They haven't seen us yet--Yes, theyhave!" he cried. "The men are hurrying up on our vessel from below,but--"
"But what, my boy?"
"I--I don't quite know, uncle. Something isn't right. Oh, Morny, whathave I said?"
"May I look, sir?" he said sharply, and without waiting for consent, heraised it to his eyes and quickly scanned all three of the schooners inturn.
"It's no use beating about, gentlemen," he said sharply. "Something iswrong, for all three decks are swarming now with men like bees--wasps, Iought to say," he muttered, as he concentrated his gaze upon the _Maidof Salcombe_. "Our vessel, doctor, is in the hands of pirates, orslavers, and they are making ready the long gun. Now, my lads, lookalive. Every man buckle on his arms and then load."
The oars were allowed to swing from the tholes, and the boat was left toglide slowly downwards, while in their smart orderly way her crewprepared for action.
"You will load too, gentlemen--with ball. Now, doctor, will you takecommand and lead us?"
"What to do?" asked the doctor.
"Why, to take our schooner again, sir. She's in the hands of an enemy."
"But is it possible that we can do this, Cross?" cried the doctor.
"I don't know, sir, for she's got a lot of men on board; but we have gotto try."
"Stop. Let me think," said the doctor. "I am no man of war, and thisis not in my way. If any unfortunate fellow were wounded I could do mybest. But look here, my lads; you are nearly all men-of-war's men, andyou, Morny, you are a naval officer. Seeing the odds before us, what isour duty here?"
"To fight," cried the young man passionately, through his clenchedteeth.
"Ay, ay, sir!" came heartily from the men; and as the doctor turned hiseyes inquiringly upon Rodd, who was fiercely ramming the second bulletupon the small shot already in the two barrels of his gun, he saw a lookin the lad's face that he had never seen there before, and in spite ofthe pain of the situation, he felt a thrill of satisfaction runningthrough his breast at the thought that, young as his nephew was, he wasEnglish to the core.
"Yes," said the doctor, "we must fight; but with such odds against us wemust bring cunning to bear."
"Ay, ay, sir! That's right," cried Cross. "But perhaps, as we've gotright on our side and only a set of mongrels before us, a good bold dashto board them will make us as strong as they. I say, sir, if you willlet me lead, we will try and take our schooner, give them a broadside ofbullets when we get close up, and then out steel and board her like men.Once over her side, there won't be many of them left on deck at the endof five minutes; and as soon as we have got her and the use of her guns,if we don't sink them other two pirates I have never been to sea."
"That's right, Joe," came in chorus, as, standing in the bows with onehand upon his gun, the other upon his right hip, he looked the veryperfection of a British man-of-war's man, ready to lead or be led,wherever duty called.
Then, as if inspired by his appearance, the crew burst out into aringing cheer, helped by the two lads, while the doctor took off andwaved his straw hat as he joined in. _Bang_--_thud_!
A great grey puff of smoke started from the schooner's deck and a ballcame skipping in their direction over the smooth stream.
"Well, I do call that too bad," cried Joe, as the men uttered adeep-toned "Yah-h-h!"
"Arter the way in which I cared for you and kept you clean, to go andbehave like that!"
"Well, poor dumb beast," growled Briggs, "she don't know no better."
"Do you call that dumb?" cried Joe, merrily enough. "Well, I s'pose shewas obliged; but I don't think much of their gunnery, messmates,"continued the man, as he made use of the glass again. "Oh, they're allat work, sir, re-loading, and it will soon be our turn. I propose, sir,that we let them give us another shot, and then dash in before they havetime to re-load. They won't hit us; will they, boys?"
"Not they!" came in chorus; but the next moment there was anotherreport, and a smaller ball struck the water so near the boat that thespray was sent flying over them.
"They've got the two small guns to bear, sir," said Joe quietly, "andthere's somebody aboard as knows how to aim."
He had hardly ceased speaking when there was another puff of smoke fromthe schooner's deck, accompanied by a whizzing, shrieking sound throughthe air just above their heads, while before they had glided with thestream another dozen yards there was a puff of smoke from thethree-master's deck, followed directly after by a puff from the strangeschooner, and as the reports of the two heavy guns were echoed from thegreat walls of verdure upon the river's bank, the air over their headsseemed full of shrieking missiles.
"Grape and broken iron," growled Joe Cross. "Take the tiller, HarryBriggs. Step the mast, my lads, and run up the sail. Don't take nonotice of their shot. It don't do to go mad, even if we do want tofight. Don't go to sleep over it, boys. We are in the breeze again,and we must run into shelter and think."
A low growl came from the men as they rapidly obeyed orders, and not aman seemed to flinch as the long gun of the English schooner sent forthits heavy missile again, this time to strike the water some distanceahead and then rise and go crashing amongst the trees, whose leavescould be seen to come pattering down.
Three more shots came skipping over the river before the boat began toglide swiftly, under the pressure of her sail, and yells of derisioncame ringing from the enemy as they saw the effect of their fire and theeffort being made to escape.
"Ah!" half sighed Rodd. "They've left off."
"Ay, sir," said the coxswain. "They know they can't hit us now we areflying through the water; and the worst of it is, they think we areafraid and that we English dogs are running away as hard as we can, withour tails between our legs. But they aren't, sir; they're a-standing upstiff and at right angles, as our old man calls it, to our backs; eh,messmates?"
"Ay, ay, Joe!" came from the crew, with a roar of laughter.
"And as for my teeth--our teeth, I mean--they are about as sharp assharp. But we have got the wind with us, gentlemen, and we will justrun up-stream and round the bend yonder, so as to get behind the treesjust somewhere where we can keep watch with that there little spy-glass,and by and by we will have another try. This go they a'n't played fair,but next time we'll make 'em."
"How, Joe?" cried Rodd.
"Well, sir, my idea is to tackle 'em man to man when they can't usetheir guns. I mean when it's too dark for them to aim; and then we candrop down upon them, or sail up to them fore or aft or either side, andthem not know where to have us. It won't be shooting then, but coldsteel, as we know how to use. Well, think of that now!" cried the man,as the boat was now literally skimming over the surface. "Call myself aleader! Why, as true as I am here, I never once thought of firing ashot. Why, we might have given them one volley, messmates. I don'tsuppose we should have hit, with them behind the bulwarks, but we mighthave startled the beggars at the guns. Never mind; we have saved ourgunpowder. A man must miss sometimes, and this has been a bad 'un.Next time, though, my lads, we must make it a hit."
The sailor ceased speaking, for his eyes had suddenly lighted uponMorny's face, and, as he afterwards said to Rodd, "Blest, sir, it sent aregular chill through me, for in all the hooroar of that job I forgotall about his father and our old man. But never say die, sir. They mayhave got away in one of the boats and be coasting along out to sea."
The Ocean Cat's Paw: The Story of a Strange Cruise Page 46