CHAPTER XXV.
"Hush!" said I, when the scuttle was opened, in order to impress upon the minds of those below the necessity of great caution, for I was not ready to do any talking with them. Of course I knew nothing of their plans except what I surmised. I had on a heavy pea-jacket, which I had found in the cabin; and dark as it was, I took care to show no more of myself than was necessary. Grego was the first man who came on deck. He said something in Spanish or Portuguese, which I could not understand.
"Aft," I replied, at a venture, muffling my voice so that it should not be recognized.
He went aft, and was immediately followed by the other two sailors, to each of whom I repeated the direction given to the first. The first two paused till the other had joined them, and they began to creep aft with great caution. The head of a fourth man, which I judged to be that of the mate, appeared; but I dropped down the scuttle, clamped and toggled it, as hastily as possible, but without noise.
By this time the three sailors had passed the fore mast, and the crisis had come. They took the weather side of the house on deck, and our three men who had been stationed on the forecastle went after them. Having secured the scuttle, I followed them. At the right time Sanderson and the rest of his party threw themselves upon the pirates, and taking them by surprise, threw them upon the deck, and ironed them before they knew what the matter was.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" pleaded the cowardly pirates.
"Hold still, then," replied Baxter.
They were secured to the weather rail, and Captain York and Franklin hastened to the cabin, as they had been instructed, to meet any demonstration which might be made in that direction. I followed them, but found that there was no appearance of the conspirators in that quarter. We listened for some time, but could hear nothing which indicated a movement of any kind.
"It's all right so far, Phil," said the captain. "You managed that very well."
"It worked better than I expected," I replied. "I dropped the scuttle upon Waterford's head, so that I think it aches somewhat. If he had come on deck with the others, we should not have had so easy a time of it. He is a desperate fellow, and has a pistol, without any doubt."
"There is certainly one pistol among them."
"We will take care that they don't have a chance to use it."
"But there are four of them between decks now," added the captain.
"Yes; and the worst of the battle is yet to be fought."
"We will leave it all to you, Phil."
"Palmer, you will tell Baxter to bring Grego into the cabin. Let Sanderson have an eye to the fore scuttle. Franklin, you will stand by the steerage door, and let us know if you hear any movement in there."
Franklin and the steward left us to execute their orders, and I was alone with the captain.
"What do you want of Grego in the cabin, Phil?" asked Captain York.
"I wish to ascertain more about their plan, if possible," I replied. "If I can find out what was to be done, we may be able to manage the rest of the case better."
"Why do you send for Grego?"
"Because he is the most artful of the five sailors, and the greatest coward. He is the one who provided the rum, and, if I mistake not, the one who has managed the affair for the pirates."
Baxter presently appeared with Grego, whose wrists were ironed behind him.
"Put him on that locker," I continued, as I cocked my revolver, and laid it upon the table at my side.
"Don't shoot me!" pleaded the cowardly wretch.
"That will depend upon yourself. Answer my questions," I added, picking up the pistol.
"I will! I will!" he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on the dangerous weapon.
"Who provided the rum for the men?"
"I don't know!" gasped he, lying as if by instinct.
"I see you are not ready to speak the truth," I added, raising the revolver.
"Don't shoot me! Don't shoot me!Madre de Dios!"
"Speak the truth then. Who furnished the rum for the men?"
The Spanish Sailor tells the Truth.
The Spanish Sailor tells the Truth.
The Spanish Sailor tells the Truth.
"I did—have mercy upon me!"
"Where did you get the rum?"
"In the hold," stammered he.
"Did the men agree to join you in this mutiny?"
"No, no! We did not ask them to join us."
"Who got up this plot?"
"Martino and myself; but we didn't ask any of your men to help us."
"Why did you give them rum, then?"
"To get them drunk, so that we could handle them."
"How did you get the rum?"
"I went down the fore scuttle, and then down the main hatch into the hold. I helped load the bark, and I knew where the rum was."
"What were Martino and Gorro to do?"
"They were to let us know, through the fore scuttle, when to come on deck."
"Did you give them any rum?"
"Yes; and they took more than enough. We could not keep them from drinking all they wanted."
"What were you to do after you came on deck?"
"All the men forward were too drunk to stand up, and we were to throw ourselves upon the officers, and get the vessel again."
"Did Waterford tell you to do this?" I asked, sharply, as I flourished the pistol.
"We haven't seen him before to-night for a week," he replied, evasively.
I knew this; but I was not satisfied.
"Did Waterford tell you to do this?" I repeated, earnestly.
"We haven't seen him for a week."
"Answer me, or feed the fishes!"
"Madre de Dios!" exclaimed he, his teeth chattering with terror.
"If you don't mean to tell the whole truth, you need not say any more."
"I do! I do! I will tell all I know," he answered, quaking with terror, as he looked into the muzzle of my revolver.
"Then answer me. Did Waterford tell you to do this?"
"Yes."
"When, and where?"
I knew that there had been some concert of action between the pirates and the crew, and those in the steerage, and I was afraid that some of our men had been corrupted.
"I knew where was Mr. Waterford's berth in the steerage, and I talked with him through the bulkhead."
"How could you talk with him through the bulkhead?"
He explained that he had bored a hole through the thin board partition which formed the bulkhead, and arranged the whole plot with Waterford. This confession afforded me great relief, since it assured me that none of the men upon whom we relied had been faithless. Our men, in their anxiety to obtain liquor, had aided the pirate in going between decks, and while they supposed he was simply procuring the rum, he was plotting with Waterford for the recapture of the bark. This was Grego's story. Whether it was true or not I had no means of knowing, though it appeared to be entirely plausible.
"Didn't you promise, and even swear, that you would do your duty, and obey the present officers of the bark, when we set you at liberty?" I continued.
"I did, sir—pardon me!" pleaded he.
"Will you obey the orders of the present officers of the bark?"
"I will, and I call uponLa Madre—"
"Don't call upon any one above. You are a liar at heart, and your word is just as good as your oath. Take off his irons, Baxter."
The stout seaman obeyed the order without a question.
"If you don't do just what I tell you, I'll shoot you without any warning. Do you understand me?"
"I do; I will obey you."
I led the way to the deck, and directed Baxter to follow. Going forward, I gathered all our available force, which included half a dozen of the tipplers, who were now steady enough to act with us. I explained what I intended to do, and stationed my men in proper places to perform the work I had for them to do.
"Now, Grego, when the fore scuttle is opened, you will tell Mr. Waterford that all is ready. As soon as he comes on deck, you will lead the way aft towards the cabin. Tell him you have the bark. If you are treacherous I will shoot you."
"I will do just what you tell me," replied the trembling wretch.
I placed him near the scuttle, and told him to open it, while Sanderson and myself dropped down under the top-gallant forecastle. Grego opened the scuttle, precisely as he had been ordered to do; but I was lying on the forecastle, within three feet of him, as he did so.
"All ready, Mr. Waterford. Come on deck," said Grego. "We have the bark."
"What have you been about all this time?" demanded Waterford, angrily and impatiently.
"Come up quick!" urged Grego. "We have the bark."
He did come up quick; and obedient to his orders, Grego led the way towards the cabin. He was closely followed by Captain Farraday, and then by the two Spanish passengers. Waterford had hardly passed beyond the house on deck before the struggle commenced. Our men threw themselves upon the pirates. I heard the report of a pistol, and I trembled when I thought of the mischief the bullet might have done. The struggle was short and decisive, except with Waterford, and I hastened to the assistance of Baxter, who had grappled with him. Before I could do anything, the stout seaman had struck him a blow which silenced him. I did not stop then to inquire whether he was killed or not.
The pirates were ironed, and made fast to the weather rail in the waist. Then I felt that the battle had been fought and won. We had taken the pirates in three different parties, which made the victory comparatively easy.
"What shall we do with them now?" asked the captain.
"Let them rest where they are," I replied. "They have made their own bed; let them sleep in it a while."
"But we must reef the main topsail very soon."
"We have hands enough now to do that, and to take care of our prisoners."
"Then we will do it at once."
The bark was beginning to labor again, as the fury of the gale increased. The spray dashed furiously over the prisoners, and the motion of the vessel wrenched them badly, tied as they were to the rail. Two reefs were taken in the main topsail, and again the vessel was easier. It required two men at the wheel. By the time we had finished our work it was two bells in the mid-watch, or one o'clock in the morning. Most of the crew who had been drunk were in condition to do duty now. They were sorry and ashamed when they realized the mischief to which their inebriation had exposed them, and promised not to drink any more.
We did not regard their promises; but Sanderson and I made our way to the hold, and pulling out the bungs, permitted the contents of the rum barrels to flow into the bottom of the vessel. We felt safe then, and only regretted that we had not done it before, for without rum the mutiny would have been impossible. On my way up I examined the partition between decks, and found the hole which Grego had made.