CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
TOMATL'S PROMISE.
"Wonder whether Mike ever had a taste of this sort o' thing, Mas' Don,"said Jem, after they had sat in silence some time, Don's face notinviting any attempt at conversation. "He never said anything aboutbeing in irons when he spun yarns about adventures."
"Jem!" said Don indignantly; and as if it only wanted his companion'swords to start him in a furious outburst of passion; "it is shameful!It is a cruel indignity and disgrace."
"Hush, hush, my lad! Don't take it that way. They arn't so werryheavy, and they don't hurt much."
"Hurt? Not hurt much? Why, they are treating us as if we werethieves."
"What, being ironed, sir? Well, it do seem a bit hard."
"It's cruel! It's horrible! And he had no right to do it for such anoffence."
"Steady, my lad, steady. The sentry 'll hear you, and have his turn,p'r'aps, at telling tales."
"But he had no right to do this, I say."
"P'r'aps not, Mas' Don; but skippers does just what they please whenthey're out at sea in war time. I thought he was going to hang usonce."
"He would not dare," said Don.
"Well, if he did, I should have liked to have a few words first with MrRamsden; for of all the mean, dirty, sneaking chaps I ever set eyes on,he's about the worst."
"A mean, cowardly spy!" cried Don.
"Ah, that's it; so he is, Mas' Don; a mean, cowardly spy. I couldn'tthink o' them words, but they're just what he is.--Say, Mas' Don."
"Don't, don't, don't, Jem."
"Don't what, Mas' Don?"
"Don't do that. _Master Don_. It sounds so foolish, and it'sridiculous, seeing what we are."
"All right, my lad, I'll be careful; but what I wanted to say was, wouldthere be any harm in taking Master Ramsden by his waistband, anddropping him some night over into the sea?"
"Do you want to commit murder, Jem?"
"Do I want to commit murder? Nay, Mas' Don, gently, gently; don't talkto a man like that. I only meant to give him a ducking."
"Amongst the sharks?"
"Ugh! I forgot all about the sharks, Mas' Don. I say, think there aremany of 'em about?"
"They say there are plenty, and we saw a monster, Jem."
"So we did, my lad; so we did, and a nice lot o' worry he's got us inthrough stealing that boathook. But, look here, how do you feel now?"
"Heart-sick and tired of it all, Jem. I wish we had run off when we hadthe chance."
"You do?"
"I do. See how we have been served: dragged from our homes, roughlyused; bullied and ill-treated; and with that man's word taken beforeours. It's too bad--too bad."
"Well, it is, Mas' Don," whispered Jem. "But you see it was awkward.You couldn't swear as you hadn't thoughts of deserting."
"Deserting?" said Don hotly. "I will not have it called deserting. Isay it is only claiming our liberty, when we have been seized upon andtreated like slaves."
"What a weather-cocky way you have got, Mas' Don. Only t'other day youwas all on the other tack, and says, says you, `It's deserting, andcowardly,' and a lot more to that tune, and the way you went on at me,sir, made my hair curl."
"I had not had this last blow, Jem. I had not been put in irons thenlike a common thief."
"Silence, below there!" cried an angry voice. "Sentry, stop thattalking by the prisoners."
The marine marched slowly toward them, and growled out his orders.Then, settling his head in his stiff stock, he faced round and marchedaway.
"All right, Jolly," said Jem, good-humouredly; and then drawing closerto his companion in misfortune, he went on talking in a whisper.
"Say, Mas' Don, do you mean it now?"
"Mean what?"
"Going? It's now or never. If we waits till we goes off to sea againour chance is gone."
"I mean it, Jem."
"That's a good bargain, my lad," said Jem, slapping him on the knee."Then the sooner we're off the better."
"How can we go?"
"How? Easy enough. Get on deck, slide down a rope over the side whenit's dark."
"In irons?"
"They don't weigh much. We could get hold of an oar or two, or lowerdown a grating, and hold on by that till we'd swam ashore."
"And the sharks, Jem?"
"Oh, those sharks!" cried Jem, pettishly. "I always forget them. Iwish there wasn't such a thing as a shark on the face of the earth.Well, we must try some other way."
"That's easy enough to say, Jem; but what way is there?"
"Oh, I don't know yet, Mas' Don; but they say, `where there's a willthere's a way.' P'r'aps I can think it out. 'Member that big case aswas too wide to come into the lower warehouse?"
"Yes."
"Well, your uncle said he'd be obliged to have the doorposts cut, but Ithought that out after I'd measured it, and I found that it would justgo in at the top warehouse doors if we hauled it up with the crane."
"You used to call it winding anything up, Jem."
"Ay, but I hadn't been to sea then, Mas' Don. Well, didn't I have thatthere case up to the top floor, and then lower it down through all thetraps, and get it into the ground floor without the door being cut; andwhen your uncle come in, he stared, and asked me how I'd managed it?"
"Yes, I remember it all," said Don sadly.
"Look here, you two. I don't want to be hard," said the marine; "butyou'll get me into a row. Now, are you going to clap on the hatchways,or am I to report you?"
"All right, Jolly; we won't talk any more," said Jem; and he kept hisword that night.
There was no release next day, and very drearily it passed till towardsevening, when Jem waited till the sentry's back was turned, and put hislips to Don's ear.
"I've got it, Mas' Don," he said.
"What, can you see your way to escape?"
"I've hit it out, my lad. Look here. Do you know them's men's ironsyou've got on?"
"Yes. They don't make irons for boys."
"Then look here, my lad; it may mean a bit of skin off; but all you'vegot to do is to squeeze your feet through those rings, and then I'll bebound to say a thin slip of a fellow like you can creep out of the ironround your waist."
"I don't think so, Jem. I'm stouter than you fancy."
"Oh no, you're not, and I dessay it'll be a tight fit; but you do it."
"And suppose I do get out of them, what about you?"
"About me, Mas' Don? Ah, I don't know about me; but you could get rightaway, slide down the rope, get the gig up alongside--"
"When it's swinging from the davits, Jem?"
"There you go again," grumbled Jem. "I never did see such a fellow forchucking stumbling-blocks all over the place for a man to hit his shinsagainst."
"Then propose something possible. And besides, you don't suppose I'mgoing away without you."
"But I can't get my irons off, and you can get yours."
"I don't know that," said Don, trying; and, to his great surprise,finding that he could drag the ring over his ankle without muchdifficulty.
"There, I told you so. Slip it on again 'fore the sentry sees."
The marine was not likely to see, for the place was very dark where theysat, and for a long time they discussed the matter in a whisper, butonly to be obliged to come to the conclusion that it was impossible toescape, unless Don would go alone.
"Well, if you won't go alone, you won't, Mas' Don," said Jem, in anill-used tone; "but I do say as it's shabby of you, after I've thoughtabout it so much."
The second night of their imprisonment passed slowly, and they werecudgelling their brains next day, when they were summoned on deck,received a severe reprimand, and, after their irons had been taken off,were told to go to their duty.
Then a week passed of land surveying and chart making, during which timethe intercourse with the natives had been kept on a very friendlyfooting; and then a rumour ran round the ship that they were to sailafter a certain channel had been
sounded and the chart made.
"It's all over, Mas' Don," said Jem gloomily. "We shall go sailing awayall over the world, and be took by the French, and never see homeagain!"
Don made no reply, but went about his duty gloomily enough till towardafternoon, when a canoe came off from the shore, manned by about fiftyof the New Zealanders, and with Tomati and Ngati in the stern.
These two were soon on board, and were entertained by the captain, whomade them several useful presents.
How he managed it Don hardly knew himself, but he contrived to get closebehind the tattooed Englishman, and said softly, just as the officerswere laughing and watching Ngati, who was going through his war-dancefor their delectation, and distorting his features to the greatestextent,--
"Could you come after dark to-night in your canoe, and take us ashore?"
"Hist! Mind what you're saying," replied the man, clapping his legsloudly, as if to encourage his companion to fresh exertions anddistortions of his countenance.
"I want to come," said Don softly, in the midst of the applause.
"I daren't do it, my lad. They'd come down after me if I did; but I'llsend Ngati. He'll come in his little canoe."
Don's heart beat wildly at these words, and he had no chance to saymore, for Tomati went toward the officers, talked with them for a while;and then, as Don watched, he saw him go to the big chief, clap him onthe shoulder, and say something which made the great fellow smile.
The New Zealanders seemed to show more interest in the appointments ofthe ship than they had displayed before, and the officers were civilenough to them, exchanging presents, and getting from the dusky warriorsgreenstone ornaments and weapons in exchange for powder and tobacco.
Don's heart had ceased to beat, and he was thinking despondently that hemight as well give up all idea of evasion, when a hand was laid upon hisshoulder, and looking up, it was to encounter the hideous face of thebig chief, who said, with a peculiar laugh,--
"My pakeha. Bring gunpowder plenty. Wait by big ship. Dark."
It was not a very clear promise, but Don realised that it meant a chanceof escape, and his eyes flashed with excitement, as the chief went on.
"Plenty gunpowder. Bring, bring. My pakeha."
He went off directly to where some of his fellows were standing aboutthe deck, and hardly realising whether the chief was to be depended on,Don was about to go in search of Jem, when he felt a chill of despair,for, as he turned, he encountered the sinister countenance of Ramsden,his eye fixed upon him in a watchful way, and a satisfied smile playingabout his lips.
Did he hear? Did he know? If he did, Don felt certain that thescoundrel would go and report all to one of the officers, and so get itto the captain's ears.
Still there was hope. He might not have heard, and as to the NewZealand men speaking to him, they were doing that to nearly every sailorthey encountered on the deck.
Still he felt that it would be better not to be seen speaking to Jem,and he crossed to another part of the ship, and stood watching theleave-taking of the visitors, who descended into their canoe laden withpresents and the objects they had obtained by barter.
Tomati was the last to descend, and he was standing in the gangway witha bottle of rum and a canister of powder in his hands, when Don heardthe first lieutenant say to him jocularly,--
"I say, my fine fellow: I believe if the truth was known, you slippedoff from Norfolk Island, and took up your residence here."
The man made no answer for a few moments, but stood looking the officerfull in the face.
"What island did you say, sir?" he said at last.
"Norfolk Island. Am I right?"
"I'm a chief of this tribe, sir," said the man sturdily, "and these aremy people. I'm not an Englishman now."
He went down into his canoe, and it darted away, propelled by fiftypaddles, while the lieutenant turned away laughing, and went to thecaptain.
"That man's an escaped convict, or I'm a Dutchman, sir," he said; andthey went forward talking.
Don cast an eye round for Jem, but he was not in sight. Ramsden wasthough; and, go where he would for the rest of that day, Don always woketo the fact that this man was at hand, apparently taking no notice, butwatching him.
It seemed as if he would never have a chance to speak to Jem about whathad passed; but at last Ramsden went below, and after a little inquiryDon learned that Jem was aloft in the foretop, helping a couple more menat repairing some of the toggles and reef points of a sail.
Don ran up as fast as his skill would allow, and had hardly reached thetop when Ramsden came back on deck, and began seeking him out.
Don paused, out of sight now, to watch the man in turn, and saw him gofrom place to place, looking about searchingly, and undoubtedly for him.
"Hullo, my lad!" said Jem cheerily; "come to help?"
Don shook his head, and remained watching the progress of the men, butgiving Jem a meaning look from time to time, sufficient to stimulate hiscuriosity, and make him on the _qui vive_. Then to avoid suspicion, hehurried down, and had hardly reached the deck again before Ramsden, whohad again been below, came once more on deck, and remained watching himtill dark.
"Let's get under the lee of this bulwark," said Don, when at last hefound an opportunity for speaking to Jem alone.
"We shall get in a row if we are seen," said Jem.
"But it's too dark for us to be seen," whispered Don; and this seemingto be the case, they went into the shadow cast by one of the quarterboats, and lay down.
"What is it, Mas' Don?" said Jem in a whisper, as soon as they hadsatisfied themselves that they were alone.
Don related what had passed; but Jem did not seem to take to it.
"No," he said; "he is not likely to come, and if he did, they'd hear hiscanoe, and nail him. What time did he say?"
"Time? There was no time named."
"Then how shall we know, my lad? We can't watch for him all night."
"Why not?" said Don excitedly. "It seems to be our last chance."
"Well, I dunno," said Jem, gloomily; "it don't seem to me like a chanceat all. But I'll do what you do, my lad. I'll stand by you."
"Then let's begin our watch at once, after we've put a rope overboardfrom the forechains, so as to slip down when the canoe comes."
"And what then?"
"Then, Jem, we must swim to it, and they'll take us aboard."
"And the sharks, my lad?"
"Sharks!" said Don despairingly. "I'd forgotten them."
"That's what I used to do, but you always remembered."
"Jem," said Don, after a pause, "we must chance the sharks. They willnot see us in the dark."
"But if--No; I won't show the white feather, Mas' Don," said Jem. "Comeon, and we'll get a rope over to starboard and larboard too."
"No need, Jem," said Don. "The canoe is sure to come from the landside."
"All right, sir. Come on, and don't say another word."
Jem crept away, keeping in the shadow, and moving very slowly, so as notto attract the attention of the watch, and Don followed, while, as soonas he had gone a few yards, what looked like a dog slowly crept by onall fours close beneath the bulwark, after getting up from a crouchingposition just by where the pair had been discussing their chances ofescape.