by Max Brand
CHAPTER 30
The decks were already thick with half-dressed sailors. Here and therelanterns gleamed, and what they showed was the three lifeboats of theHeron--two on one side of the cabin and one on the other--blown intomatchwood. Only shapeless fragments and bundles of kindling wooddangled from the davits. Captain Henshaw, cool and calm in his whiteclothes, stood with folded arms examining the wreckage on one side.
The sailors from the forecastle went here and there, muttering,growling surlily; for a shrewd blow had been struck at their plan ofmutiny, the last item of which was to abandon the Heron off a desertedcoast and then row ashore in the lifeboats. Over their clamor andcursing broke two voices, one accusing in a deep bass and the otherprotesting innocence in a harsh treble. It was the third mate, EricBorgson, who approached carrying little Kamasura under his arm like abundle.
"Here's the little devil who done the work," he snarled, and flungKamasura at the feet of White Henshaw.
The Japanese are a brave people, but in that dreadful presence Kamasuramade no effort to regain his feet, but remained on his knees, grovelingand clinging to the hands of the captain, while he shrieked out anexplanation. To remove his hands from those clinging fingers, Henshawsimply raised his foot, laid it against the breast of the Jap, andthrust out. The kick sent Kamasura rolling head over heels till hecrashed against the rail. He lay partially stunned by the impact, andEric Borgson, bellowing his enjoyment of this pleasant jest, collaredpoor Kamasura and dragged him back before White Henshaw. The Jap wasnow inarticulate with terror and pain.
"I was comin' down out of the wheelhouse," said the mate, "to get abite of lunch--this bein' a night watch--when I seen this little yellowrat sneakin' down the deck like a thief. I didn't think nothin' muchabout it, supposin' he'd just lifted some chow, maybe, and then I heardthem explosions. They knocked me off my pins, but I scrambled over an'collared this fellow. He showed he was guilty right off the bat byyellin' for mercy."
"Captain, captain!" screamed Kamasura. "Lies, lies-all lies. I go downthe deck--"
The heavy hand of Eric Borgson smashed against Kamasura's mouth. TheJap sagged back, was jerked upright, and the mate's clubbed fist jarredhome again.
"Lies, are they?" thundered Borgson. "I'll teach you to say that wordto Eric Borgson, ha!"
And he struck the half-conscious Jap again full in the face. There wasa slight commotion in the back of the gathering crowd of sailors.Harrigan was urging forward, but he was caught by the iron hands ofMcTee and held back.
"For the love of Mike," moaned the Irishman softly, "let me at thatswine of a mate!"
"Shut up!" cautioned McTee savagely, but in a whisper. "That's the Japwho tried to knife you!"
"I will--I'll shut up," sighed Harrigan, panting, "but ah-h, to get inpunchin' distance of Borgson for one second!"
"What shall we do with him?" Borgson was asking.
"Captain!" begged the husky voice of Kamasura, fighting his way back tosemi-consciousness.
"If he tries to speak again, smash his mouth in," said Henshaw withoutraising his voice. "Tonight put him in irons. I'll tend to himtomorrow. Go get the irons. Hovey, take Kamasura below."
"Aye, aye, sir," said Hovey, and caught the Jap by the arms behind.
That touch quieted Kamasura, and as he was led off, he began to whisperquickly.
The moment they were away from the crowd, Hovey said: "Say it slow--no,you don't have to beg me to help you. I'll do what I can. You knowthat. Now tell me what you saw."
"Cap'n McTee--behind the wireless house--holding the hand of Harrigan.They were talkin' soft--like friends!"
"By God," muttered Hovey fiercely, "an' yet McTee told me he wantedHarrigan put out of the way. He's double-crossin' us. They're teamin'it together. What did they say?"
The Jap spat blood copiously before he could answer: "I could nothear."
"You ain't worth your salt," responded Hovey.
"I cannot help--I am crush--I am defeat. Do not let them bring mebefore Henshaw. To look at him--it puts the cold in my heart. I cannotspeak. I shall die--I--"
"Keep your head up," said Hovey. "There's nothing I can say that'llhelp you--just now. Later on you'll be able to deal with Henshaw andBorgson just the way they dealt with you. Does that help any?"
"Ah-h," whispered the Jap and drew in his breath sharply with delight.
"I might start the boys--I might turn them loose on the ship," went onHovey, "but the time ain't come yet for that. We're too far from thecoast. Whatever happens, Kamasura, can you promise me to keep your faceshut about the mutiny?"
"Yes-s."
"Even if they was to tie you up an' feed you the lash? Henshaw's equalto that."
Kamasura stammered, hesitated.
"Don't make no mistake," said Hovey fiercely, "because we'll bestandin' close, some of us, an' the first tune you open your damnedmouth, we'll bash your head in. Get me?"
The entrance of Eric Borgson made it impossible for the Jap to answerwith words, but his eyes were eloquent with promise. Hovey started backfor the forecastle; he had much to say to the sailors, and thereafterlife on the Heron would be equally dangerous for both Harrigan andMcTee.
The two, in the meantime, were making their way aft shoulder toshoulder. When they reached the stretch of deck behind the wirelesshouse, McTee said: "Harrigan, what's it to be? Are you for fighting itout?"
"I'm with you in anything you say," retorted the dauntless Irishman,and then with a changed voice, "but I'm feelin' sort of sick inside,Angus. Did ye see that murtherin' dog smash the mouth of that Jap whenhe hadn't the strength to lift his head? Ah-h!"
"I'm sick, too," said McTee, "but not because of the Jap. It'ssomething worse that bothers me."
"What?"
"It's the thought of White Henshaw, Dan. The brain of that old devil isgoing back on him. I think he loves death more than life. His memoriesof what he's done put him in hell every minute he lives."
"Go easy, McTee," said Harrigan. "D'you mean to say that Henshaw blewup those boats--an' his ship still in the middle of the Pacific?"
"I say nothing. All I know is that he talked damned queerly of howwonderful it would be if a ship in the middle of the sea put her noseunder the waves and started for Davy Jones's locker. Yes, if she wentdown with all hands--dived for the bottom, in fact."
"What can we do?"
"I don't know, but I'm beginning to think that this ship--and ourlives--would be safer in the hands of Hovey and his gang of cutthroatsthan they will be under White Henshaw. Queer things are going to happenon the _Heron_, Harrigan, mark my word."
"You think Henshaw blew up the boats so not one of the crew couldescape?"
"It sounds too crazy to repeat."
"McTee!"
"Yes, I'm thinking of her, too."
"Between the mutiny and the crazy captain, Angus, it'll take both of usto pull her through."
"It will."
"Then gimme your hand once more, cap'n. We're in the trough of the seaonce more, an' God knows when we'll reach dry land, but while we're onthe _Heron_, we're brothers once more. For her sake I'll forget I hateyou till we've got the honest ground under our feet once more."
"When the time comes," said McTee, "it'll be a wonderful fight."
"It will," agreed Harrigan fervently. "But first, McTee, we must lether know that we're standin' shoulder to shoulder to fight for her.Otherwise she won't give us her trust."
"You're right again. We'll go to her cabin now and tell her. But don'tgive her a hint of all that we fear. She already knows about themutiny--and she knows about your part in it."
"You saw to that, McTee?" said Harrigan softly, as he pulled on hisshirt.
"I did."
"Ah-h, Angus, that fight'll be even better than I was afther thinkin'."
And they went forward, walking again shoulder to shoulder. It wasHarrigan who stood in front at her door and knocked. She opened itwide, but at sight of him started to slam it again. He blocked it withhis foot.
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nbsp; "I've not come for my own sake," he said in a hard voice, "but the twoof us have come together."
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, and she made out the toweringform of McTee. At that she opened the door, glancing curiously from oneto the other. The eyes of Harrigan went from her face to McTee, and hiseyes flamed.
"Speak up, McTee," he said savagely. "Tell her you lied about me."
The Scotchman glowered upon him.
"I'll tell her what I've just found out," he answered coldly, andturned to Kate. "We were mistaken in what we thought when we overheardHovey talking with Harrigan. Dan was simply playing a part with them--he was trying to learn their plans so as to use them against themutineers when the time came."
There was a joyousness in her voice that cut McTee like a knife as shecried: "I knew! I knew! My instinct fought for you, Dan. I couldn'tbelieve what I heard!"
"What you both heard?" he said bitterly. "I remember now. It was when Italked with Hovey in front of this cabin?"
"Ask no more questions," said McTee. "I'm seeing red now."
"Black! You see nothin' but black, ye swine! The soot in your soul is astain in your eyes, McTee."
They turned toward the door, but she sprang before it and set hershoulders against the boards.
"Sit down--you too, Dan."
They obeyed slowly, McTee taking the edge of the bunk and Harriganlowering his bulk to the little campstool, which groaned beneath hisweight. She sat on a chair between them, while she looked from face toface.
"When you came in you were friends," she said, "and the only thing thatcould bring you to friendship was danger. There is danger. What?"
They exchanged glances of wonder at this shrewd interpretation.
"There is danger," said McTee at length, "and it's a danger which issomething more than the mutiny, perhaps."
"I will tell it," said Harrigan.
He drew his chair closer to Kate and leaned over so that his face wasnear hers. She knew at once that he had forgotten all about thepresence of McTee.
"Kate, I will not lie to ye, colleen"--here McTee set his teeth, butHarrigan went on--"I hate McTee, and it's for your sake that I hatehim. And it's for your sake that I'm goin' to forget it for a while.There's throuble abroad--there's a cloud over this ship an' a curse onit--"
"What he means to say," broke in McTee, and then he became aware thatshe had not heard him speak, and he saw her smiling as she drank in themusical brogue of the Irishman.
"A curse on it, acushla, an' a promise av death that only two shtrongmen can save you from--an' McTee is shtrong--so I've put away desire avkillin' him till we get you safe an' sound to the shore, colleen,acushla; but ye must trust in us, an' follow us as ye love your lifean' as I love ye!"
She straightened in her chair and turned her eyes toward McTee.
"And you cannot tell me what the danger is?"
"We cannot," he answered, "but you must pay no attention to anythingthat happens or to anything that is said to you by others. There areonly two men on the _Heron_ whom you can trust--and here we are. Butthere may be wild happenings on the _Heron_. Keep your courage andtrust in Angus McTee and--"
"And Harrigan," broke in the Irishman quickly, with a glare at thecaptain.
She reached an impulsive hand to both of them, and they met the clasp,keeping, as it were, one eye upon her and one eye of hate upon eachother.
She said, and her voice was low and musical with exultation: "I've nocare what happens. I know we shall pull through safely. The three ofus--Dan, Angus--we lived through the storm when the _Mary Rogers_ sank,we lived on the island and survived, we reached the _Heron_ in safety,and as long as we stay together, we'd be safe if the whole world wereagainst us. Don't you feel it?"
She rose, and they stood up, towering above her, while she went on in avoice trembling somewhat: "But we must not be seen together if allthese dangers threaten us; they must not know that the three of us arelike one great heart."
They stepped back, and McTee pulled open the door, but still sheretained their hands, and now she raised them both to her lips with agesture so swift that they could not resist it.
"Both of you," she said; "God bless you both!"