XVI
The moon rose higher, and Dalton came and went, carrying provisions up from the cabin. These he lowered into our boat, which was hauled alongside, Jenks taking a hand when necessary, although he never came aft far enough to encounter any of our men. Andrews sat quietly on the deck and had his cuts bound up and dressed, while Mr. Bell went below to the medicine chest for whatever he wanted. We kept well apart, each side feeling a distrust for the other, and neither caring to provoke a conflict.
In about an hour Dalton announced the boat was ready.
"There's salt junk enough for all hands a week or two, and ship's bread for a month. There's water in the breaker. You can go when you're ready," said Journegan.
I went aft to Miss Sackett, where she had sat motionless for a long time with her face buried in her hands, as if to shut out the cruel sight around her.
"We will leave the ship in a few minutes," said I, taking her by the hand, and trying to raise her gently to her feet. "You must try to bear up to go with us. Try to walk evenly and quickly when the time comes, for there may be a struggle yet."
She let fall her hands from her face, and I saw her eyes, dry and bright in the moonlight.
"Can't you kill them?" she asked quietly. "Oh, if I were only a man!" Then she drew herself up to her full height, and gazed hard at the group of ruffians at the mizzen.
"I'll have to go below first, and get my things," she said. "I suppose you know what is best, to go or stay?"
"Hurry," I said. "I will wait here at the companion."
She went below with a firm tread, and I heard her slam the door of her stateroom. Andrews looked toward me and spoke.
"You can leave the girl aboard," said he. "You'll have enough in the boat."
"Chips," I called, "stand by for a rush. Don't let Dalton get forward alive. Miss Sackett either goes with us, or we all stay here together and fight it out."
Andrews, who had recovered somewhat, now staggered to his feet and drew his knife.
"Stand by and follow along the port rail," he said to Journegan and England. "You two," addressing Bell and Jenks, "go to starboard."
Dalton, who was below and separated from his fellows, would be our object.
Jenks, however, remonstrated at the attack.
"Hold on," said he, and England stopped. "What's the use of crowding in this thing like this? Some of us will get killed sure with seven fresh men out for it, and what's the use? All for a gal. No, sir, says I, don't go making a fool job of the thing. I ain't out for murder, not fer no gal."
"You'll do as I say or get done," answered Andrews, with a fierce snort, turning toward him.
Jenks backed toward us, and Bell tried to hold Andrews back. He partly succeeded, but was close enough to the old man-o'-war's man to get a slight cut from a blow meant for Andrews. Then England took a hand, and with Journegan they held the assassin in check.
Jenks came toward us.
"I'll go with you fellows if you say so," said he, and he tossed his knife over the rail to show that he meant no treachery.
"'Tis a little late ye are, but ye're welcome," said Chips, who had advanced at my cry nearly to him. Frank, the young English sailor, and Johnson were both close behind Chins, with the rest following. It looked as if there would be a collision, after all.
"Take the girl and go," screamed Bell, almost fainting from the cut received.
"Yes, take her and be damned!" cried Journegan. "Only get off before it's too late."
"Seems to me," said Chips, "we could do for them now wid no trouble. Let's try 'em."
Johnson advanced at the word, but I called him back just as Chips was making ready for a spring at England. The big prize fighter had made ready for the Irishman, and for an instant it seemed that we would have another ending of the affair.
"Come," I said to one of the young sailors who held back, "get aboard the small boat," and the fellow, who was shrinking from the knives, took the opportunity to get away. This made Chips hesitate, and in another moment I had two more of the men going over the side.
Miss Sackett came on deck. Her face was ruddy even in the moonlight, but she carried herself with a firm step to the mizzen channels.
"Stand by and hold her below there," I bawled, and a man received her into the boat. Then I called to the rest of our fellows and threw a leg over the rail to signify that we were going. They came along, Chips last, with Johnson at his side. The carpenter was furious and wanted to fight it out, and it would have taken very little to have set him upon them alone. They, however, when Andrews had been overcome, were by no means anxious to engage. This seemed strange to me, for they certainly were men who feared nothing, and the sooner we were out of the way, the surer they were of getting safe off with their necks. Just what made Bell so determined to have us go was a puzzle to me. As Chips climbed over the rail, England came to the side with Journegan. I expected some outburst, and for an instant the carpenter was at a disadvantage. But they let him go over without a hostile movement. He stood up in the bow while a man shoved off.
"Ah, ye raskils, it's like runnin' away we are, but we ain't. It's but lavin' to th' hangman what I'd do meself, curse ye."
The boat of the Sovereign towing at the quarter came abreast us as we dropped back. Chips still standing and glaring at the ship, with rage in his voice and eyes.
He stooped down and lifted an oar as the small boat came alongside, and with a half-suppressed yell smote her with all his strength upon the gunwale. The oar crashed through nearly to the water line under the power of the stroke.
"Blast ye," he cried, "ye'll niver leave that ship alive," and he smote the boat again and again, crushing her down until she began to fill. Johnson took a hand also in spite of England and Journegan hauling away at the painter. Our men backed water so hard they held her back until the boat was hopelessly stove and had settled to the thwarts. Then we let go and drifted away, while the men aboard the Sovereign hurled belaying-pins and gratings at us.
"A pleasant voyage to you," came the soft notes of Mr. Bell's voice; and then we rowed slowly away to the northward, leaving the Sovereign a dark, sunken grisly thing against the moonlit sky.
"Rig the mast and sail," I said. "It's no use getting tired before the struggle comes. We're some six hundred miles out, and may not raise a vessel for days."
The oars were taken in, and the tarpaulin which had done duty for a sail was rigged. Under the pressure of the light air the whale-boat made steering-way and a little more. The moon now made the night as light as day, and although it was slightly chilly in this latitude, we suffered little from the exposure, each settling himself into the most comfortable position possible, and gazing back at the strange black outline of the wrecked ship. Her sunken decks and patched-up jury rig with the trysail set from the after-stay gave her an uncanny look, while her masts and spars with the set canvas seemed as black as ink against the light sky beyond. There she lay, a horrid, ghastly thing, wallowing along slowly toward a port she would never reach.
While I looked at her, Miss Sackett burst into a hard laugh which jangled hysterically. She had been silent since she had entered the boat, and this sudden burst startled me. Her eyes were fixed upon the grim derelict. They shone in the moonlight and she choked convulsively.