CHAPTER VII
THE MUTINEERS IN POSSESSION
As my old readers know, both Captain Ponsberry and Luke Striker wereYankees to the backbone, and it galled them exceedingly to see theschooner in the hands of a number of mutineers, and especiallyforeigners.
"We've got to git the ship back, no two ways on it," growled the oldtar. "Captain, I'm willin' to fight to the end, if ye give the word."
"And I'll fight, too," said Larry, promptly.
"Don't you go fo' to fight dem rascallions!" whined Jeff. "Yo' will allbe killed suah!"
"I would like to know what has become of Grandon and Vincent," came fromCaptain Ponsberry. "As we stand now, we are but four to seven or eight.If we could get Grandon and Vincent to aid us we would be six againstthem."
"Perhaps all the hands are not in the mutiny," suggested Larry. "Why nottry to sound them?"
"I was thinking of doing that."
A little later Captain Ponsberry called up the companionway. At firstnobody paid any attention to him, but presently the hatch was shovedaside a few inches and Ostag Semmel looked down. Behind him wasShamhaven.
"Semmel, what does this mean?" asked the captain, as calmly as he could.
"It means dat ve haf de ship," replied the Russian, with a grin.
"You are carrying matters with a very high hand. Where are Grandon andVincent?"
"I not tell you dat."
"We had a right to mutiny," said Shamhaven. "The grub wasn't fit to eatand was getting worse every day."
"That's a tale gotten up for the occasion, Shamhaven, and you know it.Semmel doctored the food to make you dissatisfied."
"Well, we don't think so," grumbled the sailor. "I don't think so, andGroot and the others don't either."
"Has Jack Wilbur joined you?"
"Certainly he has," was Shamhaven's ready reply, but his look belied hiswords.
"Ve are all pount to stick togedder," said Semmel. "You might as vellgif up--der sooner der petter for you!"
"I don't propose to give up, you rascal."
"Ton't you call me a rascals, no!" shouted Ostag Semmel. "I vos now dercaptains, yes, do you hear? Captain Semmel!"
"Bosh!" put in Luke Striker, in disgust. "Why ye ain't fit to be theskipper 'f a canal-boat!"
"If you try to navigate the ship you'll sink her on the rocks," put inLarry.
"You had better consider what you are doing, Shamhaven," went on themaster of the _Columbia_. "Remember, if I regain possession of theschooner I can make it go hard with you."
"You no get dare schooner again, not much!" came from Peterson, who hadjust come up, followed by Jack Wilbur.
"Wilbur, are you in this?" demanded the captain. "If you are, I mustconfess I didn't think it of you."
"I ain't goin' to eat poor grub," answered Wilbur, lamely.
"The grub is all right and you know it. It was doctored up by Semmel,and I----"
"You stop dat talk!" roared Semmel, and then he added: "Maybe you gif inafter you are goot an' hungry, hey?"
"What, do you want to starve us out?" cried Larry.
"You see--chust vait!" answered the Russian, and with this the hatch wasagain put in place and the conference came to an end.
Captain Ponsberry was fairly boiling with wrath, but even so he realizedthat prudence is often the better part of valor.
"There is no use of trying a rush to the deck," he said. "Those rascalswould surely shoot us down. Just now some of them are in the humor foranything."
"Perhaps we can do something to-night," suggested Larry.
"They talk about starving us out," said Luke. "Ain't there nothin' toeat here?"
An inspection was made of the cabin pantry, which brought to light somepreserves, some pickles, a pot of cheese, and a tin of fancy crackers.
"About enough for one meal," said Captain Ponsberry, grimly.
"And a pretty slim one at that," added Larry. "But I say, captain," headded, suddenly, "isn't there a door leading from the back of the pantrydown into the hold?"
"There was once--but I had it nailed up years ago, for we never usedit."
"If we can open that, we might get something from the hold."
"Going to eat machinery?" demanded Luke.
"No--canned goods, Luke; I know Jeff had some placed there, for hedidn't have room in his store-room."
"Dat am a fac'," put in the cook. "I'se got lots ob t'ings in dat darhold."
"Then that settles the starving question," said Captain Ponsberry. "I'vegot a small saw and a hammer down here somewhere. We can use them on thedoor."
"And that gives me another idea," went on Larry. "The hatch coveringover the companionway belongs to the fore hatch. If we can reach thatopening from here, why can't we steal on deck when we get the chance andtry to make the mutineers prisoners?"
"Eureka!" shouted Luke. "That's the talk, Larry. Fer your years you'vegot a wonderfully long head on ye. We'll make 'em prisoners or chuck 'emoverboard!"
"The idea is worth considering," said the captain. "But we must becareful."
A search was made and the hammer, small saw, and also a chisel werefound. Then they cleaned out the pantry, took down several shelves, andthus uncovered the small door which had been nailed up.
"Don't make any noise, or they'll suspect that we are up to something,"said Captain Ponsberry.
"Let Jeff rattle some dishes," said Larry, and while he and Luke workedon the door, the cook began to handle the dishes in such a rough mannerthat several were broken. He also tried to sing a couple of verses ofhis favorite song, "My Gal Susannah!" but his voice was so shaky thatthe effort was, artistically, a failure, although it added to the noise,which was all that was desired.
"They're pretty happy down there," said Wilbur to Shamhaven, as helistened to the sounds.
"Oh, they're putting on a front," growled Shamhaven. "They'll sing adifferent tune when their stomachs are empty."
"I don't know about this mutiny," went on the weak-kneed sailor,nervously.
"Oh, it's all right and you needn't to worry, Wilbur. If we sticktogether we'll make a couple of thousand apiece out of this game."
"But what shall we do if we fall in with a Russian warship?"
"Semmel has that all fixed. He'll expose the captain and state that the_Columbia_ is carrying a cargo for the Japanese Government, and that hetook possession in the name of the Czar. With this war on they won't asktoo many questions so long as they can give the Japs a black eye."
"I see. But supposing we fall in with a Japanese warship?"
"Then Semmel is going to turn the command over to me and I'll tell themthat the cargo was really meant for the Japanese Government but thatCaptain Ponsberry, just before we left Manila, sold out to the Russianagents and was going to Vladivostok. I'll add that we refused to go tothe Russian port after signing for Nagasaki, and all of the men can backme up. That will put the captain and his friends in limbo and give ussome prize money. Oh, we'll come out ahead, don't you worry," concludedShamhaven, confidently.
The day passed slowly and the mutineers held several meetings, to settleupon just what they were going to do. But all had been drinking morethan was good for them and the conferences ended in nothing but talk.Semmel was the accepted leader, but it was plain to see that Shamhavenobjected strongly to playing a secondary part, and Peterson also wanteda large "finger in the pie."
As they worked with care, it was a good hour and a half before Larry andLuke managed to take down the door leading into the hold. Even when thiswas done they found on the other side several heavy cases of machineryalmost impossible to budge.
"We can pry those out of the way," said the captain.
"A foot or so will do it," returned Larry. "Then I think I can crawlover the top."
They continued the work, and a little later the young second mate wasable to squeeze his way to the top of the cargo in that vicinity.
"Be careful, Larry," warned the captain. "If a case should shift withthe ship you might get a crushed leg.
You had better take a candlealong."
"I will, sir."
Luke was as anxious to get into the hold as the young second mate, andhe too squeezed his tall, lank form through the opening. Guided by thefaint light of the candle, they crawled over a number of cases ofmachinery and war goods until they drew close to the middle of the ship.
"Here we are!" cried Larry, in a low voice, and pointed to some cases ofcanned goods. "Beans, corn, tomatoes, salt pork, condensed milk--wewon't starve just yet, Luke."
"An' here are some barrels o' flour," added the old tar. "No, they can'tstarve us nohow now."
They had brought the chisel and hammer along, and with extra cautionopened some of the cases. Taking with them all the goods they couldcarry, they returned to the cabin.
"This is splendid!" cried Captain Ponsberry. "With this stuff on hand wecan hold the cabin indefinitely."
"How is I gwine to cook?" questioned Jeff.
"Over the two lanterns, Jeff. It will be slow work, but our time is ourown. Luckily there are pots and tins in the pantry."
"All right, sah."
"Of course, I am hoping that we shall not have to stay here long," wenton the captain. "But it is best to be prepared."
That those on deck might not see the cooking going on, one of thestaterooms was cleaned out and Jeff went to work in this. In themeantime Semmel called down the companionway once more.
"Are you gettin' hungry?" he asked.
"Tell him yes," whispered Larry.
"Why?" questioned the captain, in an equally low tone.
"Then he'll think we are getting ready to come to terms and he won'twatch us so closely."
"I see." Captain Ponsberry raised his voice. "Yes, we are hungry," hecalled up. "What are you going to send us, something good?"
"Ve send noddings. Maybe you talk business soon, hey?" continued therascally Russian.
"Perhaps."
"How soon?"
"Well, perhaps to-morrow morning."
"Not before dot, hey?"
"No."
"All right den; you can go on an' starve so long!" growled Ostag Semmel,and went away. A moment later he met Shamhaven.
"What did he say?" asked the latter, anxiously.
"He comes to terms to-morrow!" answered the Russian, triumphantly.