CHAPTER XIX.
THE BATTLE OF THE HULK.
There was an immediate rush for the guns, which had been placed in acorner of the cabin. From the actions of the scouts, it could beimagined that no one dreamed of giving in, without a desperateresistance.
"If we do have to stand 'em off," declared Jimmy, as he examined hisrepeating rifle, in order to make sure that it was in condition forbusiness; "sure we couldn't ask for a better fort than this same oldwreck. Seven of us, all told, and well armed at that, ought to be ableto do the work. If they know what's good for them, they'll go mightyslow about trying to storm this place."
"Why," said Teddy, "it'd be pretty hard to climb up the sides anywhere,so all we have to do is to defend the break in the stern where we gotaboard."
They all looked to Ned to find out what his opinion might be.
"I'm not thinking so much about the chances of keeping them out," thescout leader went on to say, "as what will happen afterwards."
"Do you mean when we try to leave here to-morrow, Ned?" questioned Frank.
"I mean that the chances are, after they've had a good try and find theycan't rush the wreck, with so many guns defending it, those men willstart in to keep us in a state of siege."
"Holy smoke!" burst from Jimmy, as he looked horrified; "and us withonly grub enough on hand for two skimpy meals. What under the sun willwe do? No chance to knock over a caribou or a moose, and fill up theempty larder! Was there ever such hard luck?"
"Many times, Jimmy," replied Ned, "and we always managed to pullthrough, somehow or other. We will again, as sure as anything, even if Ican't tell you just how it's going to happen. Besides a scarcity offood, we have to face a water famine, you must remember."
"With all the sea knockin' at our door, too," groaned Jimmy. "And thinkof the amount that's been runnin' to waste off our deck all day. What apity we didn't think to find a cask, and fill the same when we had thechance. To tell you the truth, I'm getting more and more thirsty as Ithink of how we'll suffer."
"Well, the men with the lanterns are coming right along all the time youfellows are talking here," Frank advised them.
"And our first duty is to get on deck, so as to be ready to repelboarders," Ned declared.
"Boarders!" echoed Jimmy, "well, I should say we ought to repel them,when right now we ain't got enough food for our own family table."
They hurried out of the cabin, Ned making sure that the fire in thestove was so far extinguished that its light might not betray the factof the wreck being peopled.
As soon as they arrived on deck they had no difficulty in discoveringthe approaching peril. Indeed, the moving lanterns were close by, andcoming right along, as though those who were carrying them had arrivedat the conclusion that the exploring party might have taken temporaryrefuge from the rain aboard the old wreck.
Doubtless its possibilities as a shelter were well known to them; andthey could easily understand how the boys would eagerly welcome a chanceto keep their jackets dry.
"There are three of the lanterns, Ned," Jack was saying, as all of themstrained their eyes to see.
"Yes, and back of the same, I can get glimpses of other fellers walkin'along at a smart clip," Jimmy announced.
"Yes, there must be nearly a dozen in that bunch," Frank gave as hisopinion.
"Enough to give us two apiece all around," Jimmy told them, just asthough he might be a very bloodthirsty individual, instead of apeace-loving scout, if let alone. "And it'd be a saving of ammunition,if we could fix things so that one bullet would do for both. Because Itake it you mean to open fire, if so be they persist in tryin' to boardwith us, eh, Ned?"
"We have no other course open to us," replied the leader of the scouts,sadly; for he did not at all fancy being forced into a fight against hiswill. "But everybody, remember to be as careful as you can, and not shedblood unless there is nothing else to be done. Then aim to wound all youcan. I'd hate to have to think I'd taken any man's life, no matter howmuch he deserved it."
"H'm! mebbe that's all right," grumbled Jimmy; "but when your back's upagin the wall, and you got to do it, or go under yourself, what's tohinder? We want to be let alone, and go our way. If they won't agree,but try to knock us over, or make us prisoners, so they can keep us heremonth in and month out on a steady diet of fish and water why, for one,I ain't agoin' to stand for it, you hear me. Ned, you tell that bad lotthey'd better hold up if they know what's good for 'em; because I've gotme gun ready, and there's light enough for us to see where to aim."
The men with the lanterns had by this time come so close to the wrecklying half out on the beach, and with the incoming waves lapping therest of the bulk, that another minute would have seen them starting toclamber aboard.
They were heading straight for the break in the stern, which wouldindicate that all of them must be familiar with their surroundings. Nodoubt, they had been on the stranded whaler many a time since it wascast up there on the beach.
So Ned called out, trying to throw as much of authority in his voice aswas possible at the time.
"Stop where you are, men!" he shouted, abruptly.
The lanterns no longer advanced. Evidently those who carried them weretrying to see the party who had given this peremptory command. Theycould be heard talking together in low and husky tones, some urging aprecipitate rush, others counciling caution and diplomacy, in order toaccomplish their ends.
"Hello! there, on the wreck!" some one, doubtless vested with authority,called out.
"Well, what do you want?" asked Ned.
"Are you the party that was up at the mine, and did you come here incanoes?" continued the unseen leader of the group below.
"We had our boats stolen, and now we're about to head to the south onfoot," was what the patrol leader announced, possibly thinking that itmight influence these hardy men somewhat, if they knew that the scoutsintended to quit that region without delay.
Some more low talking went on below on the beach.
"Be ready, boys," warned Jack; "there's a movement on foot, and like asnot they'll start to try and rush the gangway. Keep low down, becausethey might start firing on us!"
"That's right, Jack," said Ned, who had just been about to issue thesame sort of warning himself. "When you're dealing with men like these,look out for treachery."
Just then the man below shouted again. He had a very rough, raspy voice,and seemed to be of an ugly disposition, though possibly he was hopingto impress the boy with the idea that he would brook no foolishness.
"Well, you've got to surrender to us, that's all," he went on to say."You went and spied on what mining was being done up here, and we'veorders not to let you get away till the word comes. Might as well makeup your minds to that, youngsters, and it'll save ye lots of trouble.Throw down what guns ye got."
At that Jimmy burst out into a loud laugh.
"Will ye be after hearin' him give his orders, fellers?" he exclaimed."Just like he was the boss of the barnyard, too. Listen to me, you downthere! We are seven, all told, and with as many guns of the latest modelthat can throw lead through ten inches of hard wood. If ye want theguns, come up and take the same. I give ye my word, it'll be the hottesttime any of ye ever struck in the course of your lives. A dozen of ye,are there? Well, after the first volley, we'll cut the count down justone-half. Don't all speak at once, but pull the latchstring, and come oninto our little parlor!"
It was simply impossible to stop Jimmy, once he got started, unless youtook him in hand and clapped a gag over his mouth. As there was nochance of doing this now, Ned let him have his say. It could do littleharm, after all; in fact, perhaps, it might even do some good, since themen on the beach would have received ample warning, with regard to theintentions of the scouts, and if they ventured to try and clamber aboardthe wreck, it would be at their own peril.
Apparently, more talking was going on below.
"That may all be a blind," Jack ventured to say, as they lined up alongthe side of the wreck, with their gu
ns ready.
"Yes, because unless I miss my guess several of the bunch slipped away,as if they had their orders," Frank declared.
"It may be they know of another way to get aboard," said Ned, "and whilethe rest keep on parleying with us, they mean to try and slip around, soas to take us by surprise. Jack, you and Teddy keep tabs of the rear,and shoot if you see the least suspicious movement."
"Ay, ay! sir!" said Jack, immediately wheeling so as to keep his riflepointed toward the threatened spot. "Drop low down, Teddy, so as not toshow against the sky-line. And when I say, 'let drive,' give severalshots. The noise of the bombardment will help scare 'em off, I reckon."
The man who seemed to be leader again hailed them.
"You can't get away from here, and you might's well know that same firstas last," he went on to say, positively. "You learned too much for yerown good that time, an' we ain't going to allow of your getting out ofthis region in a hurry. If ye surrender, we'll treat ye white, give yemy word on that. All we want is that ye shouldn't get to Montreal tillwe hears from the boss. Show your good sense, boys, by makin' the bestof a bad bargain."
"You might as well save your breath, whoever you are," said Ned, firmly;"we know what it all means, and why you want to hold us here prisoners,without any right to do the same. And understand now that we refuse tostand for it. Try and rush this wreck, and some of you will get hurt.The same applies to the three men you sent around to try and take us inthe rear. We're on to your tricks, mister, and, if you know what's goodfor you, just turn around and leave us alone. We mean to fight, andfight hard! That's the last word of warning I'm going to give you, andthe next move will call for lead. Do you get that straight?"
Ned could be quite belligerent when he chose. He realized that he wasdealing with hard characters in these men, and that any sign of weaknesson his part was only going to make things the more difficult for himselfand chums.
He understood that what he had just said must be looked on as a sort ofchallenge by the miners on the beach. There could be no more parleyingafter that defiance had been given. It meant war.
Consequently, Ned was not at all surprised to hear the dimly seen menbreak out into an angry roar of shouts, and to see them start toward thestern of the wreck, with the evident intention of swarming aboard.
There were several flashes as firearms sounded, so that altogether itlooked as if the battle had opened.
After that it was folly to dream that they could pull through peaceably,when these hired minions of the fraudulent mining corporation were sobent on carrying out their own plans and which consisted of making theboys prisoners.
Ned gave the word, and immediately the scouts commenced shooting. Theycould see the advancing figures fairly well in the half darkness, and atsuch short range it would have had to be a pretty poor marksman whocould not have hit his target had he really wanted to do so. But thescouts were not ferociously inclined. Ned had begged them not to resortto stern measures, unless it were absolutely necessary, and somethingdesperate had to be done in order to prevent the enemy fromaccomplishing the capture of the old hulk.
So while they rattled away merrily with their repeating guns, they tookcare not to mow the advancing men down. This was easily accomplished byshooting so as to send their bullets into the sand of the beach; and asthe assailants could not tell what the sanguinary result of the furiousfire might be, they no doubt imagined that terrible execution was beingwrought in their ranks.
Some of them managed to reach the stern of the wreck; others stumblingover flotsam and jetsam on the beach were crawling around, seekingshelter from the blaze of fire that leaped all along the bulwarks above.
It was a pretty warm time while it lasted, and even Jack and Teddyseemed to be engaged, for the roar of their guns chimed in with therest. If those three men, who had slipped away from the rest, hadmanaged to climb aboard, by means of some dangling rope, they,doubtless, speedily realized that it was not a safe place in which tolinger.
"Stop firing!" cried Ned, suddenly, "they've fallen back, and the firstround goes to us."
"That was the easiest licked squad I ever ran across!" boasted Jimmy;"and, while I'm about it, I might as well confess that I had to creaseone feller in the leg, for he was pushing right into the opening. Surehe fell back, and the last I saw of the bog trotter, he was crawlingaway, draggin' that left leg after him."
Ned sighed. He had hoped to accomplish this business for Mr Bosworthwithout being compelled to do violence; but it seemed that this couldnot be. As scouts, he and his chums objected to such things; but, as alast resort, even members of the organization must be allowed theliberty of defending themselves against the assaults of hired ruffians.
"Do you know where those three men got aboard, Jack?" he asked.
"I think we'll find a piece of rope hanging over the side," replied theother; yes, "here it is, Ned. Shall I cut it loose, so as to stop thatgap?"
"Of course," came the answer; "and then take one of the electric torchesand see if any of them stayed aboard, after the firing was over. Jimmy,you go along; and be careful not to get held up. We don't want to have atreacherous foe hiding near us, and ready to do something desperate atany minute. Sing out, if you find one, and want any help to throw himoverboard!"