CHAPTER VIII
TURNING THE TABLES
The meal which Jeff prepared put all in the cabin in better humor, andas soon as it was over a council of war was held.
It was decided to wait until darkness had set in, and then try to gainthe deck of the ship by way of the fore hatch. In the meantime the doorto the companionway was to be locked and barred, so that the mutineerscould not attack them very well from that direction, should a runningfight ensue.
As Jeff would be of no use in a struggle he was delegated to remain inthe cabin, to make as much noise as possible, singing and talking tohimself, so that the mutineers might not suspect what was taking place.
Each member of the party armed himself both with a pistol and a cutlass,and Larry led the way as before, candle in hand. It was easy for Luke tofollow him, but rather difficult for the captain, who was more portly.
"Reckon as how ye shouldn't have eaten so much, captain," chuckled theold tar, as he helped Captain Ponsberry through a particularly narrowplace.
"True, Striker," was the answer. "But you be careful that you don't slipinto some slit between the cases and go out of sight."
They soon gained the spot where the canned goods had been found. Theyhad now to climb over some machinery that reached nearly to the top ofthe hold, and then over a varied collection of boxes and barrels andbags. On the bags lay some of the old sails of the ship and severalcoils of discarded rope.
They were just approaching the open fore hatch when they saw a ropeladder let down. Instantly Larry uttered a warning and put out thelight.
"Somebody is coming down," he whispered.
It was the sailor Wilbur, who had been sent to get some canned goods forcooking purposes. He came down the rope ladder with a lantern slung overone arm.
"We'll make him a prisoner!" cried Captain Ponsberry. "And let us do itas quietly as we can, so as not to disturb those on deck."
The others understood and crouched back in the darkness. Then, as Wilburpassed them, the captain caught him from the back and Larry clapped ahand over the fellow's mouth.
"Oh!" spluttered Wilbur, but that was as far as he got.
"Not a word! Not a sound, Wilbur!" said Captain Ponsberry, earnestly.
The sailor understood, and being a craven at heart he almost collapsed.It was an easy matter to take one of the old ropes and tie his handsbehind him. Then Captain Ponsberry confronted the mutineer, making aliberal exhibition of his pistol as he did so.
"Wilbur, answer me truthfully," said the master of the _Columbia_. "Areyou all in this mutiny or not? Don't speak above a whisper."
"I ain't in it!" whined Wilbur. "They dragged me in, they did. I ain'tkicking about grub, or nothing!"
"Are all the others in it?"
"Kind of, yes. Groot didn't care much to go in. Guess he wish he was outof it now."
"What has become of Grandon and Vincent?"
"Both of 'em are prisoners in the brig."
"Are they wounded?"
"Not much. Grandon had his thumb cut and Vincent got a kick in the backthat lamed him."
"Is anybody guarding them?"
"I guess not. All of 'em have got to drinking again. Say, captain, letme out of this fix and I'll never go against you again, never,"continued Wilbur, earnestly.
"We'll see about that later," was the grim reply.
"Captain Ponsberry, I have a scheme," put in Larry, and he drew themaster of the ship to one side. "Wilbur is about the same build asmyself. Let me take his coat and cap and go on deck and down to thebrig. If I can release Grandon and Vincent we'll be sure to knock outthe mutiny in no time."
"It's a dangerous game, Larry."
"Oh, please let me do it!" pleaded the young second mate. The hazard wasone which appealed to him strongly.
The matter was talked over for a few minutes and it was decided to letLarry have his way. Wilbur was soon stripped of his coat and the youngsecond mate donned the garment. Then he took the mutineer's cap andpulled it as far over his brow as possible and turned up the coatcollar.
"I'll leave the lantern here," he said, and a second later was mountingthe rope ladder slowly and cautiously.
With his head on a level with the deck Larry paused to reconnoiter thesituation. He knew exactly how dangerous his mission was and that he wasrunning the risk of being shot. But his life in our navy had made himbold, and seeing nobody in sight, he leaped out on deck, and hurriedwith all speed to the ladder leading to the brig. Soon he was in frontof the barred door.
"Grandon! Vincent!" he called, softly.
"Hullo, who's that?" came in the voice of the first mate.
"It is I, Larry. Is Vincent there?"
"Yes. Where did you come from?"
"The cabin." Larry unbarred the door. "Are you hurt?"
"Not much. How are you?"
"I am all right, and so are the captain and Luke Striker. They are inthe hold, ready to come on deck. We have made Wilbur a prisoner."
"Good enough," came from the boatswain. "The rascals! They ought all towalk the plank!" he added, vehemently.
The two men had their hands tied behind them, but it was an easy matterfor Larry to liberate them. Then each provided himself with a belayingpin, and all three of the party stole to the deck.
From the forecastle and the cook's galley came loud talking, showingthat the mutineers were making themselves at home. One man was trying todo some cooking.
"What's keeping Wilbur so long?" he demanded of the others.
Nobody knew, and one of the crowd, the sailor named Groot, volunteeredto look the missing one up.
"Let us follow him to the hatch," whispered Larry. "Perhaps we can makehim a prisoner."
"Right you are," answered Tom Grandon.
With caution they came up behind the man, and just as Groot leaned overthe open hatchway, they caught him tightly.
"Keep silent, Groot!" said Grandon. "Keep silent, or we'll throw youoverboard."
"Stop!" roared the mutineer. "Help! hel----"
He got no further, for raising his belaying pin, Vincent brought it downon the mutineer's head. Groot had been the one to lame the boatswain'sback and the latter had not forgotten it. Over went the fellow and sankdown as if dead.
"Drop him into the hold," ordered Grandon, and this was done just asCaptain Ponsberry and Luke Striker appeared at the foot of the ropeladder.
"Another, eh?" said the master of the _Columbia_. "Good enough! How areyou, Tom? How are you, Vincent?"
"We're ready to fight 'em," answered the first mate. "Come on! They'vegot so much liquor aboard they can't do much to us!"
"Be careful, I don't want anybody shot if it can be avoided," respondedCaptain Ponsberry.
"I think it would be a good plan to dump them all into the hold," saidLarry. "Then we could nail up that pantry door, put the hatch intoplace, and keep them at our mercy."
"If the plan will work, it's a good one," answered the captain.
One after another they came out on deck, leaving Wilbur and Groot in thehold. They found the mutineers equally divided between the galley andthe forecastle. The only man in charge of the schooner was Conroy, whowas at the wheel.
As they advanced upon the forecastle they saw Semmel come out,accompanied by Peterson.
"There are the ringleaders!" cried Captain Ponsberry, and rushing up tothem he exclaimed: "Surrender, you rascals!" And he aimed his pistol,while the others also raised their weapons.
The Russian and his companion were taken completely by surprise, andbefore they could draw any weapons of their own it was too late. Grandontripped one up and fell upon him, and then Vincent and Larry tripped upthe other. There was a brief scuffle, the exchange of several blowswhich did little damage, and in a trice Semmel and Peterson were throwndown into the hold bodily, and the ladder was hauled up out of theirreach.
"Put that hatch over the opening," cried Captain Ponsberry to Larry."And then go into the cabin pantry and nail up that door. Be quick aboutit, or they may get ou
t!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" cried the young second mate, and ran off with allspeed. The hatch was large and heavy, but the excitement lent himstrength and he dragged it forward and threw it over the hatchway.
"Stop dat!" roared Semmel, in a drunken voice, but Larry paid noattention. His next movement was toward the cabin.
"Don't yo' tech me!" roared Jeff, in alarm. "Oh, it am yo'!" he added,as he recognized Larry. "How am de battle gwine?"
"We've got 'em on the run--four are prisoners in the hold," was Larry'sreply. "Get me that box of nails, Jeff--I must put that door back as itwas!"
"Yes, sah; yes, sah!" answered the cook, eagerly, and brought forth thenails in question. Then he helped to put the door into place, and heldit while Larry nailed the barrier. The job was just completed when theyoung second mate heard voices from the hold.
"Hi, dare, you let us out," came from Peterson. "Ve vill mak it right,yes!"
"You keep quiet," ordered Larry, and would say no more. Against the doorhe and Jeff placed several trunks and boxes taken from the stateroomsopening off of the cabin.
During this time the party led by Captain Ponsberry had attacked thebalance of the mutineers. There was a brief fight and Shamhaven got acutlass cut on the knee. But then the men surrendered, and one afteranother was made to drop down into the hold, and the hatch was shut andbattened down.
The only man who was not thus made a prisoner was Conroy, who begged atonce to be forgiven.
"They got me to drink, captain," he pleaded. "I didn't know what I wasdoing. Forgive it, and I'll be the best man you ever had on board."
"Can I depend upon you, Conroy?" asked Captain Ponsberry, sternly.
"You can, sir--I give you my word on it."
"You won't try to help the mutineers?"
"No, sir; no, sir!"
"Very well then, I'll try you. But, remember, if you try any dirty workit will go hard with you. Now tell me, was Wilbur in favor of thismutiny?"
"No, sir, he was not. Semmel forced him into it."
"What of the others. Who were the ringleaders?"
"Semmel and Peterson and Shamhaven. The others didn't want to doanything but complain about the grub," answered Conroy, and then toldthe particulars of the mutiny from beginning to end.
At the Fall of Port Arthur; Or, A Young American in the Japanese Navy Page 9