with itsdevil's crew, drifted round and round the master's ship; but never aman that went aboard from them.
"The ship," said I, "is where many a good ship has gone before: athousand fathoms down by yonder cruel reef. As for those that sailedher, they live or die on Ken's Island, mistress. Last night in my watchI heard them crying like wild beasts that hunger drives. Those who donot sleep to-day herd together on yonder beach. I counted nine of themnot half an hour since."
She tried to see with me, looking across the water; and presently shesaid:
"There are men there and women, too--oh, Jasper, think of it, women!"
"Ah!" said I, "I have been thinking of it for an hour or more, eversince I first made a signal to them. So much comes of being a seaman,who can speak to folks when others are dumb. If they read my messagearight, they'll not stay on Ken's Island to sleep, be sure of it; but Idoubt that they'll dare it, Miss Ruth. Poor souls; their need is sore,indeed!"
"And our own, Jasper," says she, "is our own less? You are brave men,and you have all a woman's trust and gratitude; but, Jasper, when myhusband comes, what will you say to him? They are a hundred and we arebut five, shut up in this prison of the sea! We may live here foreverand no help come to us. We may even die here, Jasper. There are thingsI will not either name or think of. But, oh, Jasper," says she, "if wecould save those poor people!"
It was always thus with her--nine thoughts for others and not the halfof one for herself. What she meant by the things she would not name orspeak of, I could hardly guess; but it was in my head that she meant toindicate the corridors below and that unknown danger which iron doorsshut down. I had been a clearer-headed man that morning if I could haveput away from me my doubt of what the depths were hiding from us. But Ihid it from her always. A truce of self-deception shut out the questionas one we neither cared to hear nor answer.
"Miss Ruth," said I, speaking very slowly, "those people have a boat,for you can see it on yon sands. Let them find the courage to float it,and it is even possible that Dolly Venn and I can do the rest. Weshould be thirteen men then, and glad of the number. I won't hide itfrom you that we are a pitiful handful to face such a horde as lingersyonder. Why, think of it. Your husband keeps them off the yacht, that'sclear to a child's eye. What harbour, then, is open to them? Theisland--yes, there's that! They can go and sleep the death-sleep on theisland, as many an honest man before them. But they will have somethingto say to Czerny first if I know anything of their quality! Our plightis bad enough; but I wouldn't be in your husband's shoes to-day for allthe money in London City. We may pull through--there would be rasherpromises than that; but Edmond Czerny will never see a white man's townagain--no, not if he lives a hundred years!"
"It would be justice, God's justice," said she, very slowly; "there isthat in the world always, Jasper. Whatever may be in store for me, Ishould like to think that I had done my duty as you are doing yours."
"We won't talk of that;" said I; "the day is dark, but the sunshinefollows after. Some day, in some home across the sea, we'll tell eachother how we held Ken's Island against a hundred. It may be that, dearfriend; God knows, it may be that!"
* * *
It was five o'clock in the morning by my watch when I signalled for thesecond time to the people on the beach, and half-past five when firstthey answered me. Until that time I had not wished to awake Dolly Vennor Mister Bligh; but now when it began to come to me that I might,indeed, save these poor driven folks and add to the garrison which heldthe house, sleep was banished from my eyes and I had the strength andheart of ten. No longer could I doubt that my signals were seen andread by some sailor on that distant shore. Driven out, as they musthave been, by the awful fogs which loomed over Ken's Island, gaspingfor their lives at the water's edge, who shall blame their hesitationor exclaim upon that delay? Over the sea they beheld a white flagwaving. Was it the flag which friend or foe had raised? There, fromthat craggy rock, help was offered them. Could they believe such goodfortune, those who seemed to have but minutes to live?
Well, Dolly Venn came up to me, and Peter Bligh, half awake from sleep;and all standing together (Seth Barker keeping watch below) I told themhow we stood and pointed out that which might follow after.
"There'll be no attack from Czerny's men with the light," said I; "forso much is plain reason. If there's murder done out yonder, look for iton Czerny's yacht when his friends would go aboard. Why, see, lads,there are a hundred and twenty men, at the lowest reckoning, driftingyonder in open boats. Who's to feed them, who's to house them? They cango ashore on Ken's Island and dance to the sleep-music; but they arenot the sort to do that, from what we've seen of them! No, they'll haveit out with Edmond Czerny; they'll want to know the reason why! And letthe wind blow more than a capful," said I, "and by the Lord above menot a man among them will see to-morrow's sun! Does that put heart intoyou, Peter, or does it not? There are folks to save over there, PeterBligh," says I, "and we'll save them yet!" His reply was an earnest"God grant it!" and from that moment the sleep left his eyes, andstanding by my side, as he had stood many a day on the bridge of theSouthern Cross, he began to read the signals and to interpret themaloud as the old-time duty prompted him.
"Eight men and a woman, and one long-boat," says he; "sickness amongthem and no arms. 'Tis to know if they shall put off now or wait forthe dark. You'll be answering that, captain."
"Let them come, let them come," said I; "how's the dark to help them?Will they live a day in the fogs we know of? And what sort of a port isKen's Island in the sleep-time for any Christian man? If Czerny murdersthem on the high seas, so much the more against him when his day comes.Let them come, Peter, and the Lord help them, poor wretches!"
I was using my arms with every word, and trying to make my meaningclear to the poor folks on the beach. So far they had been content toanswer me with questions; but now, all at once, they ceased to signal,and a black object riding above the surf told me that they had riskedall and were afloat, be the danger what it might. At the same moment asharp cry from Dolly Venn turned my eyes to Czerny's yacht; and I sawhis devils rowing their boats for the open water of the bay, and I knewthat murder was in their minds, and that the hour had come when everyveil was to be cast aside and their purpose declared against allhumanity.
"Clear the gun and stand by," was my order to the others; "we'll givethem something to take home with them, and it sha'n't be pippins! Canyou range them, Dolly, or must you wait? There's no time to lose, mylad, if honest lives are to be saved this day."
He went to work without a word, charging his magazine and training thegun eastwards towards the advancing boats. If he did not fire at once,it was because he doubted his range; and here was his difficulty, thatby sweeping round to the east and coming at the refugees upon a newcourse, Czerny's lot might yet cheat us and do the infernal work theyintended. Indeed, the poor people in the longboat were just racing fortheir lives; and whether we could help them or whether they must perishtime alone would show. Yard by yard, painfully, laboriously, theypushed towards the rock; yard by yard the devil's crew were bearingdown upon them. And still Dolly kept his shot; the gun had nothing tosay to them. No crueller sight you could plan or imagine. It was asthough we were permitting poor driven people to be slaughtered beforeour very eyes.
"Fire, Dolly, lad!" cried I, at last--"fire, for pity's sake! Will yousee them die before our very eyes?"
His fingers trembled upon the gun. He had all the heart to do it; butstill he would not fire.
"I can't," says he, half mad at his confession; "the gun won't doit--it's cruel, captain--cruel to see it--they're half a mile out ofrange. And the others dropping their oars. Look at that. A man's down,and another is trying to take his place----"
It was true as I live. From some cause or other, I could only surmise,the longboat lay drifting with the tide and one of Czerny's boats, farahead of its fellows, was almost atop of her.
"They're done!" cries Peter Bligh, with an oath, "done entirely. Godrest their souls. They'll never make
the rock----"
We believed it surely. The refugees were done; the pirates hadunsheathed their knives for the butcher's work. I saw no human helpcould save them; and saying it a voice from the open door behind megave the lie to Peter Bligh, and named a miracle.
"'Tis the others that need your prayers, Mister Bligh--Czerny's lot aresinking sure----"
I looked round and found Seth Barker at my elbow. His orders had beento watch the gate of the corridor below. I asked him what brought himthere, and
The House Under the Sea: A Romance Page 33