So Adam was haled and dragged away into the waist of the ship and here, with back to the great main-mast and arms drawn painfully about it, was tied securely and with two brawny mariners to guard him.
And now by the pain of his head and blood that was half blinding him, it seemed his wound had been re-opened in the struggle; and this blood, creeping into his eye-sockets, began to tickle and teaze him so intolerably that to be rid of it he shook his aching head, but finding this vain, groaned, and was about to ask one of his guards to wipe it away, when a hand did this mercy for him, then glancing round, he beheld the boy Smidge.
"Now," sighed Adam, quick to read the pity in this small face, "now God love thee, my Smidge man!"
"Do it hurt ee bad, sir?" whispered the boy: but at this instant one of the guards glanced round, and this a young, plumply-pallid, smiling fellow who, grasping Smidge by the hair, smote the writhing boy cruelly with the flat of his sword. Then ere he could repeat the blow, Adam spoke as he deemed Absalom might have done and using his remembered words:
"Avast, ye scum! Strike again and soon or late I tear out your vile liver, or damme!"
Loosing Smidge, who vanished instantly, the man touched his bonnet instinctively, as to familiar authority of words and tone, then recoiled slowly before the narrow-eyed, venomous look of their speaker.
"Lord, sir," he whined. "Lord love and bless your dear 'eart, never threat pore Sam so fierce. I be Smiling Sam, sir, and the Smiler be everybody's freend and only does 'is dooty as dooty so com-pels and all along o' bleed'n boy as——"
"Belay your cursed jaw-tackle!" snarled Adam, whereat the Smiler, in the act of smiling, groaned instead and turned away.
And now in his pain and shame Adam looked about for little Smidge, yearning for some friendly face or mere look of kindliness and seeing none, bowed his head again and began to think on what might soon befall; this horror imagination made so real that he felt a nervous twitching in his right hand, this good hand which must be shorn from his quivering flesh unless.... He closed his eyes and began to pray.... Presently, as if in answer, a voice cried his name, and he beheld Antonia, who would have run to him but was prevented by his guards, whereat he called on her to begone, until she turned unwillingly and sped away.
Slowly the time dragged by ... up rose the sun, high and higher ... a trumpet blared shrilly with slow solemn beat of drum, and, twisting in his bonds, Adam saw four men bearing a great block painted an ominous red, and behind this the grinning mulatto bare-armed and fondling a short-hafted, broad-bladed axe.
And now was tramp and scurry of many feet where the crew was mustering, every man and boy, to behold and take warning by his dreadful punishment. Suddenly trumpet and drum sounded again as with his officers behind him, came Elihu Sharp, the Captain, brave clad for the occasion; halting within a few paces of the block he lifted his hand, whereat trumpet and drum instantly hushed. But before he might speak,—forth before the company strode Sir Benjamin who, being for once somewhat unsure of himself, bounced and strutted, flourished and bellowed even more arrogantly than usual.
"Hold!" cried he, with flash and glitter of brandished rapier. "Hold, I say! Od's body, this shall not achieve! Death and damnation—no!"
"Silence, sir!" roared the Captain, harshly. "As commander o' this ship I bid ye stand away and suffer the law be done upon this——"
"Hell's fury!" roared Sir Benjamin. "Am I denied then?" And from somewhere about his rotundity he drew a long-barrelled pistol. "Now hearkee, Sir Captain,—I, as part owner o' this same ship and cargo, demand instant release o' your prisoner, for, knowing him gentleman and therefore honourable, I do here and now pronounce and will maintain him innocent! Am I explicit, sir?" Here, and very ostentatiously, Sir Benjamin cocked his pistol, whereat Captain Sharp recoiled, crying:
"Ho, musketeers, stand by! Handle your pieces——"
"Halt!" bellowed Sir Benjamin. "Let one so much as level at me, Captain, and I send a ball through your brisket, forthwith. Do I persuade?"
Now for a space was a hush wherein it seemed none stirred ... then, suddenly, from the deeps below, rose a wild and fearful cry:
"Fire! Fire! Oho—help! The ship's afire!"
With this awful cry and making it the more terrible, came smoke upcurling from the nearby hatchway, a thick column growing ever denser—whereat other voices took up the cry and all was clamour and wild uproar.
Now presently Adam saw the deck about him all deserted except for a few men who were busied with one of the smaller guns, heaving at and aiming it to sweep and command the companion stairs, with Captain Smy to direct them while Joel Bym stood blowing lustily on lighted match. Thus watching these warlike preparations, Adam felt a hand upon his shoulder and glancing round beheld a grimy though very cheerful Absalom who chuckled.
"Like a charm, Adam!" he nodded. "Thy smoke strategic worketh like spell o' witchcraft or I'm a pickled mackerel! The ship's good as ours."
Then Adam felt his galling bonds fall away and turning, saw Antonia beside him, grasping a knife.
"Thou'rt bleeding again!" she cried, breathlessly. "Oh, did they hurt thee? I made all haste possible."
"And now," said Absalom, glancing at the priming of a pistol that had appeared suddenly in his smoke-grimed fist, "make haste again,—off with thee, Adam, take this loving brother o' thine to tend thy hurt—away from chance o' stray shot."
"'Tis good thought, Absalom,—and here's another,—spill no life, I pray you."
"Never a one, messmate—except o' necessity. Aft there," he shouted. "Ahoy, Abnegation! Is the hatch battened down?"
"Ay, ay, sir, all 's fast!"
"Then stand by to watch lest they break through. Cock your pieces,—they'll ha' discovered our trick by now ... ay, they have! Hark to 'em!"
From the crew below rose an angry hum, hoarse murmur swelling to fierce clamour of angry voices with patter of many feet, hushed and stilled all at once by sight of that down-pointing gun-muzzle that menaced them. Now coming beside this gun, Absalom hailed them cheerily:
"Below there, my lads! Pass the word for Captain Sharp."
"I'm here, Troy, I'm here!" answered the Captain. "And demand your reason for this outrage——"
"Hearkee then, sir,—hearken to me one and all o' ye! Here stand I with twenty-five stout lads, to tell our several reasons why you behold me in command o' this ship, to wit: First, Captain Sharp, your drunkenness. Second, your lubberliness. Thirdly, and for mine own part, because I love not the sight, sound, manners or nose o' thee, in fine, sir, thou art my aversion. Wherefore and therefore it is decreed that you and such fools as will follow you, shall have one o' the boats with store of arms and victuals, and be cast loose——"
"Ha—mutiny," cried Captain Sharp. "I call on all men to witness here is rank, black mutiny!"
"Ay, ay, mutiny it is," nodded Absalom, patting the gun beside him, "whereto this is yet another witness shall bear loud and eloquent testimony whenso I will. This ship that was the London Merchant is now the Bold Adventuress to dare Fortune on the golden quest. So now, my lads, who of ye will be bold adventurers? Who'll sail with me for the Main and chance o' Spanish gold, doubloons and pieces of eight? Whoso will 'list let him step forrard."
At this was a muttering among the men, then a cheer; and cheering up they came, first by two and threes, then in a jostling, eager crowd, to be counted by Captain Smy and marshalled in orderly ranks by Abnegation Mings.
"Smy, how many do ye muster?"
"Ninety and two, sir."