Dutch the Diver; Or, A Man's Mistake
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STORY ONE, CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.
RASP'S PLANS.
Dutch Pugh's doom was not sealed, for, as he was struggling on, holdinghis breath, and trying to reach the ladder and climb up before he shouldbecome senseless, there came help.
It was Laure's act he knew, and even in those excited moments he couldtell that here was the meaning of the forebodings he had felt, and thethought of Hester left in the villain's power half maddened him as histemples throbbed, his senses began to reel, and he staggered, and feltthat something was holding him back from the haven of safety he soughtto reach.
Pleasant old memories began to float before his vision--days when he hadwandered with Hester through the sunny country lanes, and she confessedher love for him; and all seemed bright and beautiful. He was in nopain, and he only knew that he had just reached the ladder, and wastrying to ascend, when a dark cloud floated before his eyes--a cloud ofdark-red blood, and then there was a shock and a concussion, and he knewno more.
The shock was the jerking of the life-rope, and the concussion was hishelmet striking against the side of the ladder, for as the struggle wenton, Rasp gave the word to Oakum and 'Pollo, they hauled together, and,in spite of the weight, ran Dutch up to the side in a few moments,dragged him through the gangway, and as he lay on the deck Rasp rapidlystooped down and, turning a screw, threw open one of the plate-glasseyes of the helmet.
"Further this way," whispered Rasp again, and, Oakum stooping down withhim, they dragged the senseless man along the deck, away from thestruggle that was going on.
At the end of two or three minutes, Oakum and Rasp, who felt that thetime was not ripe, and that any attempt at resistance on their partwould have resulted, as they were unarmed, in failure, saw the captain,Mr Meldon, and Wilson driven below, Mr Parkley, in his cumbersomediving suit, being thrust down directly after; and then the conquerorsturned towards John Studwick, who was lying panting where he had beendashed, with his sister holding his head in her lap, while Hester hadrun to the side of her husband.
Old Rasp ground his teeth as, at the Cuban's orders, the invalid wasroughly raised by the men, in spite of Bessy's shrieks, dragged fromher, and thrown down the hatchway, while Bessy was dragged to the forecabin and thrust down there.
"I'm a saving of all this up, Sam Oakum," whispered Rasp. "I shall payit all off on Mr Blackguard here some day."
"Some night," whispered Sam Oakum back in a choking voice, "and that'sto-night."
"What did you drag that dog here for?" cried the Cuban, now coming up,sword in hand, and making a thrust at the prostrate figure, as Hestertried to relievo Dutch of his helmet.
"Here, mind what you're after," said Rasp, snappishly, warding off theblow with an iron bar. "Don't be a fool. 'Spose you spyle thatingy-rubber soot, how are we going to get another?"
The Cuban turned upon him furiously, but as the quaint old fellow seemednot in the least afraid, he turned it off with a laugh.
"What did I pull him up for, eh?" said Rasp. "Why, becos I haven't donewith him. I haven't forgot my percentage on the silver, captain, andthis one's worth half-a-dozen of that t'other old chap."
"You're a strange fellow, Rasp," said the Cuban.
"Strange, am I? I've been a diver this forty year a'most, and I'venever had such diving as this afore. It's too good to be spyled becauseyou get wild, so now then."
"You're right, Rasp," said the Cuban, laughing, as Hester darted anindignant look at the gruff and apparently heartless old fellow. "Here,a couple of you, throw this dog down in the cabin."
As a couple of the men approached, the Cuban took a turn up and down thedeck, and Hester started as Rasp, while apparently leaning over thehelmet, whispered:
"Don't you resist, my pretty one, but go as he tells you; there's help acoming."
Laure turned sharply back, stooped down, and caught the trembling womanby the wrist.
"Enough of this," he exclaimed sharply, for one peculiarity of the manwas that every time he was about to proceed to some act of violence heworked himself into a rage. "You come to me now."
Hester hung back from him and tried to cling to her prostrate husband,but, remembering the words of old Rasp, she suffered Laure to lead herforward.
"That's more sensible," he said, with a look that made her shrink."To-morrow we will change cabins with those aft."
He led her to the hatch, down which Bessy had been thrust, and orderedher to descend, which she did after a trembling glance at her husband,who still lay insensible, but with Rasp and Oakum bending over him, andthe next moment, finding that she was evidently in the part that theCuban had had furnished for his own use, and beyond which was his littlesleeping cabin, she was clasped in Bessy Studwick's arms.
"Why have you not thrown that dog overboard or below?" cried the Cuban,returning to where Dutch lay.
"Don't you be in such a 'nation hurry," growled Rasp. "I'm not going tohave my helmets and diving tackle misused by nobody. These things maybe worth fifty thousands pounds yet, and if they're bruised or haveholes broke in 'em, how are we to get 'em mended?"
As he spoke, Rasp, with Oakum's help, dragged off the india-rubber suitand removed the helmet very carefully.
"There," he said, "now you can have him; and none of your pitching himdown like you did the others. He's valuable, he is."
The Cuban kicked the senseless man brutally as he lay, and, two of thesailors taking him by the legs and arms, he was dragged to the hatch,and then drawn heavily down the stairs.
"If I don't warm the wax o' that fellow's ears for all this, Sam Oakum,my name ain't Rasp," said the old fellow, laughing to himself. "I wantone of these here diving suits very pertickler, my friend, verypertickler indeed. Ho, ho, ho!"
"Right," said Oakum, in a low voice. "To-night, mind."
"Oakum," said the Cuban sharply; and the old sailor faced round,wondering whether he had been heard, while Rasp went on mending andarranging his diving tackle as if nothing was the matter.
"Sir to you," said Sam.
"I shall sail to-night or to-morrow morning. Have all ready."
"Ay, ay, sir," said Sam cheerfully; and then to himself, "Perhaps youwill, and for a longish voyage."
"We've got all the silver here, and I think I shall try one more spot."
"All right, capen," said Sam; "nothing like having a good cargo whileyou're about it."
"Have all ready," said the Cuban gloomily.
"Right, capen," said Sam, "but--"
"Well, what?" said the Cuban, looking sharply round as if in search ofdanger; but the shore was on every side verdant and beautiful, the seacalm and bright, and nothing to show the horrors of the ship but a fewspots of blood upon the white deck.
"I was on'y going to say as if I was skipper I should put off the starttill the morning."
"Why?" said the Cuban, looking at him searchingly.
"The sun'll be down afore we could work out of this snug place so as toketch the breeze, and there's a rock there, and a rock there, and acouple more to starboard, and three off yonder to port. I shouldn'tlike to take off a bit of the schooner's keel, or poke a hole in herbottom, with all that silver aboard. A man likes to obey orders, capen:but when he's got a stake in the safe running of the cargo, it makes himpartickler like."
"You're right," said the Cuban. "At daybreak, then."
"Daybreak it is," said Sam, giving his trousers a hitch; and taking outa little silver pipe, he blew a shrill note. "All hands ahoy!" heroared, and as the men collected, he set to work clearing away thelumber, coiling ropes ship-shape, hoisted a boat that had been down overthe side, and then altered his mind and had it lowered again. "We shallwant it for towing her head round in the morning," he said, and sobusied himself so as to have everything well forward, while the Cubanlooked on with an approving eye.
"You shan't be forgotten for all this, Sam Oakum," he said.
"Thankye, capen, thankye," said Sam, as the Cuban walked forward, andthe old sailor filled a pipe for an extra
luxury, just as it was gettingdark.
"Here, you black-faced son of a coal-hole, give's a light," cried Sam,loudly, as he went to the galley where 'Pollo was busy preparing tea forall on board.
"Yes, Mass' Oakum," said the black, flinching from a blow aimed at himas he spoke, when, to the poor fellow's horror, Sam seized him by thescruff of the neck, pushed his head into an open barrel, and whispered:
"Don't you make a sound, 'Pollo, old man. It's all my larks. Don'tlaugh, you lubber, but get your biggest carving knife, and hide here inthe middle watch: there's a game on, my lad, and I want you to help toretake the ship."
"Oh, golly, Mass' Oakum, sah, dat I will; I bress de lor', sah, you notbig rufiyun affer all. I bress de lor'."
"Hush! hold your tongue, lad. Mum's the word. Now then, you blacknigger, look alive with that grub," he said aloud. "I'm 'moststarving."
He came out puffing away at his pipe as the Cuban came slowly along thedeck, looking suspiciously at Sam, who, however, did not seem to heedhis look, but fixing himself on the bulwark, with his legs under him,and his arm round one of the shrouds, he half-shut his eyes, and smokedaway as if with real enjoyment, blinking at the shore, and all the whileripening his plans for the fierce work to be undertaken that night.